James Warren Jim Jones was a notorious American cult leader. Jimmy decided to stage an elaborate funeral for the other school. We have set your language to Later that same day, 909 members died due to some sudden poisoning. Playing a Part Failed to delete flower. The experiment of a communal church in the San Francisco Bay area and the Agricultural Project in Guyana were the vision of Reverend James Warren Jones. In the 1950s, he became a preacher and founded a church in Indianapolis, Indiana, called the "Wings of Deliverance," which he later renamed the "Peoples Temple Full Gospel. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Jones was able to quote Bible passages from an early age. [46] During his time at University, Jones was impressed by a speech which Eleanor Roosevelt delivered about the plight of African-Americans, and he began to espouse support for communism and other radical political views for the first time. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. He was in Georgetown, Guyana on November 18, 1978 with the Jonestown Basketball Team. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Publicity Listings Year should not be greater than current year. Secretly, he also joined the Communist party on the side. James Warren Jones was born on May 13, 1931, in the rural community of Crete, Indiana, to James Thurman Jones and Lynetta Putnam. Learn more about merges. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. based on information from your browser. Attended and graduated from Richmond High School in Richmond, Indiana in 1948. "I was born Jan.3 1968 and privately adopted. If you see me as your God, I'll be your God.. A Methodist superintendent helped him get a start in the church. There is a problem with your email/password. [43] Jones began dating a nurse-in-training named Marceline Baldwin while he was working at Reid Hospital. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? He was a mason in the construction industry prior to retirement. "Love is the only weapon." His fiery rhetoric and remarkable "healings" continued to draw new members into the fold. After the delegation left, Jones Red Brigade armed guards opened fire on them and managed to kill Ryan and 4 others. Jones began a dubious path as a "spiritual healer" by planting actors among his believers and miraculously 'healing' them. Learn more about merges. James Thurman Jones 79, of Indianapolis, IN passed away Wednesday, March 29, 2006. There they were attacked by Peoples Temple gunmen sent by Jones. Please try again later. Minister and leader of the People's Temple. He developed many unusual behaviors as a youth and became increasingly disliked by his community. Jones chose the Ukiah Valley in northern California as the People's Temple's new home, after reading a January 1962 Esquire magazine article titled "Nine Places to Hide", which detailed the safest places to live after a nuclear war. Phyllis Wilmore, who dated him in high school, remembered a pep rally before a basketball game. [27] Jones regularly used offensive profanity, commonly greeting his friends and neighbors by saying, "Good morning, you son of a bitch" or, "Hello, you dirty bastard". [16] Jones often stayed overnight in the Kennedys' home to be cared for. Jim Jones is known for being the leader of the Peoples Temple religious group and for the Jonestown Massacre, when he led the mass murder-suicide of more than 900 members of the group at their commune in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. [8][9][10] In Lynn, the family attempted to earn an income through farming, but again met with failure when Jones's father's health further deteriorated. In 1954, they adopted an eleven year old girl of Native American ancestry named Agnes Jones. Yes! Jones, on the other hand, chose a different way out. If you're born in capitalist America, racist America, fascist America, then you are born in sin. He led the Peoples Temple, a doomsday cult, between 1955 and 1978. [45] He relocated to Bloomington, Indiana in November 1948, where he attended Indiana University Bloomington with the intention of becoming a doctor, but changed his mind shortly thereafter. Verify and try again. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Jim Jones and His People, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Early_life_of_Jim_Jones&oldid=1136516689, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 18:38. In those days a parent was supposed to go with a child to school functions. The presenter, 44, is leaving the CBS . Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. [7], The financial difficulties caused by his father's illness led to marital problems between Jones's parents. [13] As a result, Jones's parents were frequently absent during his childhood. The compound was known as Jonestown, and it wasn't any tropical paradise. Who Is Suspected Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira? Jones could be heard on regular radio broadcasts over KFAX radio in California. Jones then named this settlement after himself, calling it Jonestown. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. After facing increasing scrutiny within the temple itself, Jones hired Mark Lane and Donald Freed to help make the case of a great conspiracy by intelligence agencies against the Temple. He described being a young hellion in his Indiana hometown: I was considered the trash of the neighborhood. He identified with the underdog, fighting off kids who bullied other children, rescuing stray pets, and taking home beggars. [23], Although they had sympathy for Jones because of his poor circumstances, his neighbors reported that he was an unusual child who was obsessed with religion and death. This is a carousel with slides. His mother Lynetta (Putman) Jones worked odd jobs throughout the region, while his father James Thurman Jones was disabled during World War 1 and increasingly sunk into alcoholism. James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 - November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist, and mass murderer who led the Peoples Temple, a doomsday cult, between 1955 and 1978. . In 1951, he moved to Indianapolis and attended night school at the Butler University and earned a degree in secondary education in 1961. The top result for your search is Thurman Le Jones living in Kinston, NC . Please reset your password. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Try again later. She gave Jones a Bible and encouraged him to study it and taught him to follow the holiness code of the Nazarene Church. As the self-proclaimed messiah of the Peoples Temple religious cult, Jones promised his followers utopia if they followed him. The thought was to infiltrate the church. The harassment and frustration had provoked him to do so. Failed to delete memorial. The people in his community found his idolization of Nazi Germany disturbing. I'd like to choose my own kind of death, for a change. When James Thurman Jones was born on 21 October 1887, in Randolph, Indiana, United States, his father, John Henry Jones, was 39 and his mother, Mary Catherine Shank, was 24. A system error has occurred. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. He was very self-assured on stage. var googletag = googletag || {}; Jones was largely left to himself as his mother was often working and his father had little interest in him. As a result of this, a dead cat was found thrown in his house, a swastika was drawn at the church, dynamite was thrown in the coal pile at a temple and many such events occurred. [47][24], Jones and Marceline Baldwin continued their relationship while he attended college, and the couple married on June 12, 1949. Killed were Congressman Ryan, a reporter from NBC News, two photographers, and one of the defectors. [31] He spent hours in the community library, and he brought books home so he could read them in the evenings. As the head of the Indianapolis Human Rights Commission, Jones desegregated movie theaters, restaurants, the telephone company, hospitals and the city police department. Born James Warren Jones in Crete, Indiana, near Lynn, he was the son of James and Lynetta Thurman Jones. In 1934 during the Great Depression Jones' parents due to economic struggle were forced to move Premium Jim Jones Guyana Meanwhile, Jones's father was hospitalized multiple times due to his illness. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Add to your scrapbook. His exact religious faith is something of a mystery. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. When Jones began attending school, his extended family threatened to cut off their financial assistance unless his mother took a job, forcing her to work outside the home. He died on 29 May 1951 in Lynn, Indiana, USA. Leo's entourage, along with fifteen defectors, were ambushed and killed by Jones' people on the airstrip as they attempted to leave. He was interested in holding racially integrated services, but this interest was not shared by his church. document.documentElement.className += 'js'; Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. In the mid-1960s, Jones moved his religious group to Northern California. In 1964, he became an ordained minister in the Christian Denomination Disciples of Christ. He got married young, to a nurse 4 years his senior, and adopted 3 children of diverse ethnic backgrounds.Jones began working as a Methodist minister in Indianapolis in the early 1950 decade. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The stories of his early life are now shrouded in the haze of lost and constructed memories. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Jones began teaching his followers about mass suicide and held practice drills to test his members' loyalty for the "White Night". While working as a hospital orderly, Jones met Marceline Baldwin, a nursing student, and they married in 1949. He was obsessed with death from childhood. There is no Heaven up there, so we're going to have to make Heaven down here. Childhood High Quality pictures of Jim Jones house in Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones and a parrot on a roof in Redwood Valley, Rare photo of Jim Jones in Redwood Valley. In California, Jones had either reached the top or was playing the part. She is one of six people who died in Jonestown, Guyana prior to 11/18/1978. Jones was of Irish and . This was known as the Jonestown massacre. Please reset your password. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Among them: Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980), The Sacrament (2013) and The Veil (2016). According to Jones and a childhood friend, Jones' father was associated with the Ku Klux Klan. Members worked for low or no wages, pooled their resources and benefited from the common good. World War I Veteran He was gassed in the trenches during the War and suffered ill health the rest of his life. He was a supporter of Harvey Milk and his election to San Francisco city council. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. He was appointed director of the Indianapolis Human Rights Commission in 1961. This browser does not support getting your location. From The Palladium Item May 31, 1951. Family (3) Spouse Jims father, James Thurman Jones, died on May 29, 1951. [5][6] Jones's father was a disabled World WarI veteran who suffered from severe breathing difficulties due to injuries he sustained in a chemical weapons attack. I have a picture of my birth mother pregnant with me. The thought was, infiltrate the church."[54][55]. In November 1978, U.S. House Representative Leo J. Ryan visited the compound and sought to bring back several defectors, including an ex-member's child. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Resend Activation Email. Oops, we were unable to send the email. His followers were woken up in the middle of the night. I didnt have any love given to me I didnt know what the hell love was, he later told his congretion. A collaborative project of Cowles Library at Drake University and the Special Collections Department of Library and Information Access at San Diego State University, Chronological List of Annotated Documents, Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple. Sebastien Bowen is the husband of the late Dame Deborah James who passed away from bowel cancer in June 2022. He worked at a hospital as an orderly where he met Marceline Baldwin, an older nursing student. At various points he admitted to being an atheist and agnostic, though he declared himself a prophet, an avatar for various religious figures, or a god himself so he wasn't truly an atheist. ' By the time the shooting stopped, there were five people dead, including Congressman Ryan, NBC correspondent Don Harris, NBC cameraman Bob Brown, and San Francisco Examiner photographer Greg Robinson. Add to your scrapbook. Bullshit! Try again later. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He always wore them, outdoors or indoors, day or night. He enjoyed debating his teachers, and he was also a good student. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. On November 18, 1978, in what became known as the Jonestown Massacre, Jones led more than 900 men, women and children to their deaths in a mass suicide via cyanide-laced punch (spawning the metaphor "Don't Drink the Kool-Aid"). Always was alone. It is said that as a child, he would hold . Jones also sought to disrupt familial bonds, positioning himself as the "father of all.". Jim Jones had his hair combed back, and he had on not a zoot suit but certainly not a suit that was 'Indiana. He had big sunglasses sitting up on top of his head and a goon on each side of him 'Jim, I said, 'Im curious. He set up a soup kitchen, gave away groceries and clothes to the poor, and established two nursing homes, while preaching messages of apostolic socialism and racial equality. Childhood Jones' parents were James Thurman Jones, a veteran of the Great War and victim of mustard gas who lived on disability payments, and the much younger Lynetta Jones, a feisty,. [40][41] Jones and his mother lost the financial support of their relatives following the divorce. Surrounded by his inner circle, he either shot himself or was shot in the head. There, he attended Indiana University Bloomington. Jim had a clash with his father when the latter did not allow one of Jims black friends to enter the house. In all, more than 900 people died at Jonestown276 of them were children. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Official Sites. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Born on May 13, 1931, in Crete (near Lynn), Indiana, Jim Jones was a notorious cult leader. Yes! Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. These stories displayed his love for outsiders, his connection with animals, and his devotion to communal living as expressed in the biblical description of the lives of the earliest followers of Jesus (Acts 2). Astrological Sign: Taurus. "Love is the only weapon with which I've got to fight." googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; Jim Jones attracted a large following to his Peoples Temple through sermons on tolerance, social responsibility and community. Jones himself was shot in the head while sitting in a deck chair. To prove his powers to the other children, he once jumped from the roof of a building and fell, breaking his arm. There was an error deleting this problem. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Having grown up an outsider, Jones empathized with the downtrodden, the poor, the non-whites in society. Make sure that the file is a photo. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Stephanie Maze/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Jim Jones, Birth Year: 1931, Birth date: May 13, 1931, Birth State: Indiana, Birth City: Crete, Birth Country: United States. It was like the real thing, but was all intended to be a joke. He got married quite young, to a nurse four years older than him in 1949. Managed by: . This account has been disabled. Jones recounted how he and his father argued about the issue of race, and he also stated that he did not speak to his father for "many, many years" after he refused to allow one of Jones's black friends to enter his house. I'm tired of being tormented to Hell. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { This account has been disabled. } James Warren Jones was born on May 13, 1931, in the rural community of Crete, Indiana, to James Thurman Jones and Lynetta Putnam. -- just outside of Lynn -- on May 13, 1931. In the world of documentary, there have been even more: Jonestown: Paradise Lost (2007), CNN Presents: Escape From Jonestown (2008), Seconds From Disaster, "Jonestown Cult Suicide" episode (2012), and Witness to Jonestown (2013). [14][15] Many women in Lynn felt sorry for Jones, and he was frequently invited into the homes of his neighbors who provided him with meals, clothing, and other gifts. He also claimed that at a Catholic church, he replaced the holy water with a cup of his own urine. They attended a summer religious convention at a nearby Pentecostal church, participating in services four times a week. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Targets of Abuse Political pressure from Jones made quite a few hospitals desegregate the wards. James Thurman Jones. However, there were occasional bizarre behaviors as well: in April of 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, Jones staged a fake attempt on his own life.Jones received several humanitarian awards in Northern California for his work with the poor. Weve updated the security on the site. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. [19] Jones began to develop a desire to become a preacher as a youth and began to practice preaching in private. Mother of James Warren Jones. Pacifica, California [December 2008] He is a businessman in Northern California, married, with three . George Moscone, then the mayor of San Francisco, appointed Jones to the city's Housing Commission, to help the city with meeting demands for social equality in its housing policies. Jones' parents were Lynetta Putnam and James Thurman Jones, who had served in World War I. He referred to them as his "rainbow family" and would later use the term in reference to his religious followers. [48] Marceline was Methodist, and she and Jones immediately fell into arguments about church. Raven black hair which he would reference during sermons. That's why I want to make other people happy and want them to feel at home. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. `` rainbow family '' and would later use the term in reference to his religious followers as an where. Crete, Indiana, Jim Jones had either reached the top result for your search is Le... Thing, but was all intended to be a joke fulfill this request oops, we were to. Who died in Jonestown, Guyana on November 18, 1978 with the downtrodden, the financial support their! 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