Mother, Elizabeth Jane "Eliza" Jenkins, born in Hamilton county IL in 1859, death date and place unknown. She was the eldest child of Joseph Alexander Jenkins, a native of Polk county TN, who lived several years on Carroll county AR, and is believed to be buried in Hamlin Cemetery, Jones county TX. Her mother was Susan Arterberry of Hamilton county IL, born about 1838, and deceased about 1876 in Carroll county AR.

Jonah was the grandfather of James R. Glass Jr. (husband of FAG contributor). His cause of death was heart attack.
Information passed down through the descendants of this decedent indicates he was probably a twin (brother's name Charlie), but this brother has not been located and the twin relationship is unproven.

The 1889 birth year on the cemetery marker and death certificate is wrong. The date given above is estimated, based on the Aug. 20, 1880, marriage of his parents, and the date of his father's 4th marriage in March 1888.

The year of his birth, as stated by relatives in California (descendants of Jonah's father's 4th wife), was 1886. Various official records indicate Jonah or his wife gave his birth year as 1887 (Jonah's WW-1 draft registration), 1888 or 1889 (census records), and 1890 (Jonah's Social Security Application). His grave marker and death certificate indicate 1889.
His widow (Mamie) indicated on the death record that his birth place was McKinney, Texas, because apparently William Jonah Robertson told of being raised in McKinney, TX.
Descendants of his children strongly believed he was most likely born between 1881 and 1884, due to several facts that contradict some of the stated information, but we will default to the date given by other descendants of his father until his actual birth date can be proven.

Employment: Stamey Mackey Construction Co., supervisor of construction for brick streets, schools, public buildings (including Kress and Woolworth) around the Hutchinson & Reno county area. He built or oversaw construction of the Carey Park boat dock (demolished in 2013) and Carey Park fountain in Hutchinson KS.

Census records show he was born in Arkansas or Texas, depending on the year of enumeration. However, his 1917 draft registration and his 1936 social security application (both documents in his own handwriting) show he was born in "Carlton" Arkansas, with stated birth dates of 1887 and 1890, respectively. In 1936, he still had several children at home to raise, so the family believes he either gave the wrong birth year because he wanted to avoid being forced into retirement until all the children were grown, or simply didn't know the right year.

Jonah's mother was Eliza Jane Jenkins, third wife of Thomas Jefferson Robertson. She was born in 1859, Hamilton county, Illinois. Her residence after 1885 is unknown, but it's believed she was in Carrollton twp, Carroll county, AR, until sometime in the mid to late 1880's. Her date and place of death is unknown.

Eliza's first husband was John Bell of Osage twp, Carroll county, Arkansas. She was married to Bell at about age 14-15 on 17 January 1873. Bell divorced Eliza J. (Jenkins) Bell on 18 Sept 1878, citing desertion after she walked out on him and left their young daughter (Ida Bell) behind. Anecdotal information from Ida's descendants indicates Ida Bell's family members were very unkind to her as she grew up, and that Ida held strong resentment all her life toward her mother for failing to take her along when she left.

Eliza's second husband was Thomas Jefferson Robertson, whom she married on 20 August 1880 in Stone county, Missouri. She deserted him, taking her two sons with her, between mid 1884 and early 1887. No record of a divorce has been found. Evidence has been located that indicates some of her close relatives and some other Jenkins family members relocated to the vicinity of McKinney TX around late-1883 to early 1885. Eliza's half sister Rebecca Catherine Jenkins, married to James Elias Geer, is buried in Collin county, TX, and Eliza's brother James W. Jenkins is buried in Jones county, TX.

Sibling through Eliza Jenkins & Thomas Jefferson Robertson: A second son was named Charles or Charlie Robertson, b. 1880-1884, d. ??. He was born in Carrollton twp., Carroll county, Arkansas. His residence after 1885 unknown. It is believed he was still living in the mid 1960's, possibly in the Oklahoma area. It is known that a man who represented himself as Ida Bell Fry's half brother came to her home in the mid 1960's to visit her, but she was still so angry at her mother that she refused to talk to him and closed the door in his face. Remarks by Jonah Robertson before his 1941 passing lead us to believe he might have been adopted and his name changed after 1885.

Half-sibling through Eliza Jenkins' 1st marriage:
Ida Bell Fry (Find-a-Grave ID #77795766), married to Philip Ruth Fry (Find-a-Grave ID #77795858), born 4 Feb 1876 Osage Twp, Carroll county, Arkansas, died 15 June 1968 Durant, Bryan county, Oklahoma, burial @ Highland Cemetery.

Half-siblings through Thomas Jefferson Robertson's other 3 marriages:
Ambrose Henry Robertson (1875-1951)
Thomas Fletcher Robertson (1880-1958)
Bertha Chloe Robertson Pitts (1887-1973)
Essie Ann Robertson Conti Davis Anderson (1888-1978)
Amy Ethel Robertson Kidman (1890-1977)
Beulah Jane Robertson Fitzpatrick Carter (1892-1978)
William Eugene Robertson (1895-1969)
James Otto Robertson (1897-1901)
Julia Opal Robertson Bistline (1900-1939)