Lovisa Surprise Love Jones (1868-1955)
(Mrs. William M. Love; Mrs. John W. Jones)
 with husband Johnny Jones |
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The following information comes from the Surprise family CD-Rom created by Janet Umlauf:
- Lovisa SURPRISE was born on 18 May in Pleasant Grove, IN. She died after 1954. Gran had a 5 generation picture of Lovisa with an article from the newspaper, May 1954. She was celebrating her 88th birthday. William, the second son of Samuel and Ellen Love, was born in 1858, and was living in Leroy when he married in 1886 and moved to Lowell with his bride, a granddaughter of one of Lake County's early pioneers, Peter Surprise.
She was named Lovisa and was one of the nine children of Oliver and Carlinda (Thompson) Surprise, who was born in 1868 at the old family homestead near the early settlement of Pleasant Grove, northeast of the present site of Lowell.
William and Lovisa purchased property that was part of the land owned by early Lowell business man John W. Viant, including the site of the present Lake Tire Co. just west of the railroad tracks on Commercial Ave.
They had four children: Ellen, who married William H. Nichols; Edward, who passed away as a small boy; Neil (1894-1971), who farmed in West Creek; and Harold Love, who was born in 1899 and was a well-known business man, associated with the Lowell National Bank for many years. In 1921 Harold married Edith Griesel, a popular teacher in the one-room schoolhouse at the village of Egypt south of Lowell and at Robinson Prairie to the east.
William Love operated a hay business near his home on Commercial Ave. when the large red barn was a landmark along Washington St. near the railroad, torn down about 1940. John Jones, assistant to William, also lived there. He was born in 1875, a descendent of early settler Henry Jones of the Jones School House area of the old village of Pleasant Grove.
William Love passed away in 1929, and in 1931 John Jones married his widow, Lovisa, and carried on the hay business. He was also the owner of a stockyard near the present site of Globe Mfg. Co. and shipped livestock into Chicago by rail. He passed away in 1946.
The following was written by Ethel Vinnedge of Creston: "Will and John Love owned a huge hay barn at Creston, which was a large shipping point for Midwest hay. Thomas Vinnedge had a hay scale, and Obadiah G. Vinnedge operated a horse drawn hay press. In the early 1880's Aldelbert Palmer built a grain elevator."
The small frame office for the Love Hay business at Lowell was torn down in the early 1930's and the original filling station building was constructed on the property near the railroad. At first a small brick building with a canopy typical of early gas stations, it has been remodeled several times and was enlarged. Some of the operators of the station before it became a retail tire store were Hugh Hutton, Fred Wood, Forest Felder, Earl Beeler, and Oscar Carlson.
A caption from a newspaper photo, hand-identified as being from the June 3, 1954, Tribune, was found in a scrapbook owned by Town Historian Richard Schmal:
Mrs. Lovisa Jones Marks 88th* Birthday
Relatives of five generations gathered at the home of Mrs. Lovisa (Surprise) Love Jones on Tuesday, May 18, to make her 88th birthday a most memorable occasion. The surprise party was planned by her granddaughter, Mrs. William Love.Pictured with the celebrant are Patti Jo Love, daughter of Mrs. Jones's grandson, William Love, and Connie Amidei, daughter of her great grandson, Bob Amidei.
Mrs. Jones expressed appreciation for the shower of lovely birthday cards, surprise calls and pleasing remembrances which marked the day.
This June 30, 1955, Lowell Tribune obituary appeared on page 7, columns 4-5:
Mrs. Lovisa Jones, Granddaughter of Lowell Homesteader, Dies at 87
Death came Sunday night to Mrs. Lovisa Love Jones, 87, a granddaughter of one of the earliest Lake County settlers, who in 1835 homesteaded in the Pleasant Grove community, now known as Lake Dalecarlia. Her parents were Oliver E. and Carlinda (Thompson) Surprise. Oliver, a Civil War veteran, farmed land his father had acquired, and Lovisa, like her father, was born on the home place, May 18, 1868.She attended the Pleasant Grove school, and was an enthusiastic participant in all school and neighborhood affairs. She was an ardent contestant at spelling bees and literary club meetings, and on Sundays attended church services conducted by the "circuit riding ministers." She was one of nine children, two brothers and a sister died in infancy,* Clarence, 3 years ago, and Mrs. Ella Robinson passed away last year.
In September of 1886 she was married to William M. Love of LeRoy, and they purchased as their home, the John Viant property between Commercial Avenue and Washington Street, which is still the "old home place" of the family. It was there that she passed away.
Mr. and Mrs. Love were the parents of four children, Ellen, Edward, Neil and Harold. Edward died at the age of three, and Ellen (Mrs. William H. Nichols) passed away in 1952.
Mr. and Mrs. Love spent many winters in Lawton, Okla., also California and Florida, until he was no longer able to travel. In December of 1929, he passed away.
Lovisa affiliated with the Methodist church at LeRoy, home of her husband's parents, later transferring her membership to Lowell, where she has been a devout and faithful attendant. A woman of inexhaustible energy, she worked indefatigably as a member of the Women's Society of Christian Service, and rendered help to all church projects and activities. Until recent years she was an active member of the Pythian Sisters and Past Chiefs club.
In May 1931 Lovisa was married to John W. Jones of Lowell. He passed away February 5, 1946.
Mrs. Love Jones was very active until stricken with illness two years ago. Since then she has been confined to her home, but retained the great interest in which she embraced her family, friends, church, and community. For the past year she had as her companion, her sister, Mrs. Hermie Tilman of Long Island, New York.
Throughout her lifetime, open house was the rule rather than the exception, at her home. Her friends are innumerable, and in each she maintained a sincere interest to the last. On Tuesday evening she entertained at dinner, and early Wednesday suffered a stroke to which she succumbed Sunday night, June 26.
The Rev. Harold Hotchkiss, pastor of the First Methodist church, officiated at memorial services held at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, June 29, in the Sheets Funeral Chapel. Interment was made in the Lowell cemetery.
Survivors include two sons, R. Neil Love and Harold W. Love, both of Lowell; one sister, Mrs. Hermie Tilman of Long Island, N.Y.; two brothers, Ernest A. Surprise of Lowell, and Charles L. Surprise of Hammond; seven grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, besides many nieces and nephews
- Clayton SURPRISE was born on 29 Jul 1873.
Clifford SURPRISE was born on 22 Mar 1875
Lulu SURPRISE was born on 15 Jan 1879.
Three children died in infancy . . . Probably Clayton, Clifford and Lulu as there is no information regarding them. Obtained their names from GenCircles.com but have not, as yet, been able to locate their graves.
Go to Lovisa Surprise Love Jones, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
Return to Lowell Biographies.