Nat B. Jones, a native of Athens, was a famous Texas Ranger who died in March of 1928, and was buried in our cemetery. Unfortunately, his grave is unmarked although we have a good idea as to its location.

Mr. Jones, also known as "Kiowa" Jones, was stationed in Kerrville in the late 1920s and had responsibility for law enforcement in southwest Texas and along the Mexican border. Much has been written about him and his exploits and many anecdotes concerning him havebeen passed down in various publications. 

In his recent book Unbridled Cowbov; E. R. Fussell relates several tales passed on to him by his grandfather, Joseph B. Fussell, a good friend of Jones during the old days. Fussell relates that Kiowa Jones handled justice "the old fashioned way". 

In one instance, Fussell and Jones were in a parking lot in Kerrville monitoring the Ku Klux Klan which was planning on marching there. Their main "honcho" was standing there talking to them. Kiowa Jones told him "I'll tell you one@#%%@* thing, when my 45 goes off and they don't hit the ground, you look and see what's holding them up." The Klan did not march that day. 

Once on the Rio Grande at the Mexican border, Jones encountered Mexicans on the other side. He uttered a curse and shot the men from across the river. 
On another occasion, Jones and his friend went into a movie theatre in Kerrville when Jones was drunk. When outlaws on the screen began shooting, so did Jones· at the screen.  He hit every one of them. 

According to The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade,  Kiowa Jones was credited with sinqle-handedly breaking up and dismantling a Mexican goat rustling operation along the border. For this he was recognized by the Texas Rangers and cited for his significant accomplishment. 

Many of his contemporaries described Nat B. Jones as "the ugliest man" they had ever seen. He never married. 

Nat B. Jones was laid to rest in our cemetery on March 22, 1928. He had been in declining health for a few months and his relatives in Athens attributed his poor health as the reason he committed suicide. He killed himself in Kerrville with a 30·30 rifle according to local accounts. His body arrived in Athens on the T & NO Railroad accompanied by J. J. Dent with whom he boarded. As Jones was a Mason, the train was met at the station by members of the Masonic lodge and accompanied to the cemetery where the Masonic lodge had charge of the burial services. 

Nat B. Jones was a nephew of C.H. and Bose Coleman and Mrs. W. L. Faulk. He visited Athens from time-to-time and was well known here. It is a mystery as to why his grave was never marked, although we feel pretty sure that he was buried in the Coleman plot in the Pioneer Section of the cemetery. His parents are buried there as are members of the Coleman family. As there are a number of empty spaces in the plot, it seems logical that "Kiowa" is also buried there near parents and relatives. 

Contributed by Art Hall
Athens Cemetery Board Member & Historian

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