From the 1885 composite of

American Missionaries in England

Portrait from the History of the Bench and Bar of Utah 1913

This article is taken from the web site political strange names and was published Thursday 30th April 2020.

 As April draws to a close we journey to Utah to examine the life of Ricy Howell Jones, a descendent of Utah pioneers who practiced law for nearly five decades. A resident of Box Elder County for many years, Jones served as Box Elder county attorney on multiple occasions and later held a seat in the Utah Territorial House of Representatives for one term in the late 1880s. Born of Welsh descent in Utah on May 10, 1856, Ricy Howell Jones was the son of Ricy Davus and Ann (Howell) Jones. Jones was a student in the common schools of the territory and from 1876-77 studied at the University of Utah. Deciding on a career in law, Jones relocated to Ogden to study law in the offices of Richards and Williams. After being admitted to practice he established his practice in Brigham City, where he continued his profession for nearly four decades. Jones married his first wife Mamie Houtz (1857-1883) in 1882, and in the year following his marriage suffered the death of his wife, who died two days after giving birth to a son, Ricy Houtz Jones, who died in infancy. Four years later he remarried to Fredricka Maria Widerborg (1864-1946), who survived him upon his death in 1935. The couple had six children.

Born into a Mormon family, Jones was baptized into the Church of Latter-Day Saints in 1864, and in 1884 was called to his first mission.  He would preside over the Welsh Conference in the United Kingdom for two years, his mission concluding in June 1886. Before his travels in England Jones had entered the political life of Utah with his election as County Attorney of Box Elder County, serving from 1883-84. Following his return stateside he was again elected to that post, serving consecutive terms from 1886-91.

 Ricy H. Jones' highest degree of political prominence came in 1887 with his election to the Utah Territorial House of Representatives. His one term (1888-90) saw him named to the committees on the Judiciary, Private Corporations, Public Health, Public Printing, and Ways and Means, and in February 1888 "petitioned for the appropriation of $3,000" to be used to better the road systems in his county.  After his one legislative term, Jones continued to reside and practice law in Box Elder County, where he was a member of the Brigham City Commerical Club. Around 1920 he and his wife relocated to Salt Lake City, where they resided until Ricy's death on June 21, 1935, at age 79. Fredericka Jones survived her husband by thirteen years and following her death in 1948 was interred alongside him at te Beigham City Cemetery.  

Obituary from the Ogden Standard Examiner

Saturday Evening, June 22, 1935

BURIAL OF LAW VETERAN WILL BE HELD SUNDAY

BRIGHAM CITY, June 22 - Ricy H. Jones, 80, former Brigham City resident and prosecuting attorney of Box Elder county, who died in Salt Lake City Friday, will be buried in Brigham City cemetery Sunday at five p.m. Funeral services will be held in the Buemel and Knight chapel, Salt Lake City, Sunday at three p.m. A number of Brigham City people will be in attendance. Ricy H. Jones, was a brother of City Judge B. H. Jones of Brigham City. He came from a family of Utah pioneers. His grandfather, William Howell, had been converted from a Baptist minister to a Mormon elder and he with his daughter *Ann Howell, (mother of Ricy), were the first to introduce the L. D. S. faith in France. Ricy H. Jones served on an L. D.S. mission in Great Britain and had long been active in both civic and political affairs of Box Elder county.He moved to Salt Lake City 15 years ago.

* Ann Howell first wife of Ricy Davis Jones