"Herbert M. Jones was born June 14, 1906 at Irving Michigan. He came with his parents to Routt County in 1910. The family moved to their ranch on Calf Creek where young Herbert was stricken with "cholera infantum" being sick but one day. His death occurred August 14, 1910. Interment was made on the homestead among the beautiful hills and vales Herbert looked at and wondered. On Sunday the 15th, kind neighbors and friends helped to lay the body in its last resting place."

The exact location of this grave has not been located. Little is left of the old homestead, except a few logs from the original cabin. The initial research of this site did not disclose the grave location. In the book "Confessions of a Maverick" by Farrington R. Carpenter, he recalls the death of Herbert Jones. "One day the following (September), a team and buggy drove up to my cabin. The driver was the beloved physician of Hayden, Doctor Solandt." " He said that the Jones family on Calf Creek had all come down sick and he was on his way to help. The following day I learned from him that the family had a bad case of amoebic dysentery.... The youngest boy, four-year-old Herbert, had died and the body was to be buried near the cabin." "Since Hayden had no minister at the time, he wanted me to go over to Calf Creek to conduct the funeral service..." "He added that I had better get Mrs. Murphy to go with me to help straighten them out on food. He said that Al Galloway was already there making a coffin, and other neighbors would come for the service." "It was a six mile ride to Calf Creek, and when we got near the Joneses, I could hear Galloway's hammer and saw and the talk of the men who were digging a grave near the creek." "When we were all assembled for the service a great calm prevailed over the listeners seated on logs in front of the cabin. The singing of the hymn was quavering. After the hymn I read the "consolation chapter" and was surprised at what happened when I finished the thirty-first and last verse: "Come let us arise and go hence." At that point the pallbearers jumped up, seized the coffin, and marched off down the hill to the grave." From this information it is probable that the grave is located near Calf Creek, below the cabin.

This site is located on private property at the Elkhead Ranch. From the land records we see that even though the Jones lived on the land in 1910, they did not get a homestead exemption until 1916 and it was not patented until 1920. The property has been sold several times: first to Wm. Carlin (1927), then to Isadore Bolton (1927), then to Meagher (1956). From 1974 through 1984 the land passed from Meagher to Smith/Showalter Land & Livestock to Smith Rancho. In 1987 the land was sold to the Spitzleys and is currently owned by Heather Stirling.

ROUTT COUNTY CEMETERY: #RT038
COLORADO HISTORICAL SITE: #5RT967
LOCATION: North of Routt County Road 56E
BURIALS: 1 burial with no inscribed stone
CONDITION: Unknown
USGS QUAD MAP: QUAKER MOUNTAIN, COLO. 7.5 1971; UTM 13; 312000 Me; 4504000 Mn (est.)
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: T8N R88W 6th PM; NE4 SEC 11

© 2004-2008 Roger & Joyce Cusick
National Association for Cemetery Preservation, Inc.nacpinc@hotmail.com

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