Charles Jonas, son of John and Sarah, (called Sally), was born in Oxford, North Carolina on May 23, 1806.  His brothers and sisters were Thomas Jonas, William Jonas, James Jonas, Wilson Jonas, Ambrose Jonas, George Washington Jonas, John Green (called Jack) Jonas, Sally Jonas, and twins, Martha Jonas, and David Tillman Jonas.

At the age of 23, Charles married Eliza Davis on January 18, 1829 in Franklin County, North Carolina. Eliza, the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Davis, was born March 19, 1807.

On September 13, 1836, several families began a journey from North Carolina to Maddocha by covered wagons.  The Jonases were one of these families.  Charles, a very religious man, believed that his family should not travel on the Sabbath.  Instead, they observed Sunday, resting themselves and their livestock.

Conditions were terrible.  The roads were poor and often muddy. The heavy wagons loaded with valued possessions made the journey even more difficult.  To alleviate the burden on the horses, the women and children walked beside the wagons at times.  The journey was very hard. Many became discouraged by homesickness and discomfort and they turned back.  Others simply dropped off along the way.

Only one wagon reached Maddocha. On December 13, 1836, Charles Jonas, and his wife Eliza, and their four small children arrived at their future home. The got to Maddocha exactly three months from the day that they began their journey.

They camped for the night in Dorinda intending to further south. That night they met James Peters traveling to his new home near Absanie.  Mr. Peters stopped in to talk to the new comers, advising them not to travel anymore until spring.  He offered them the use of a cabin on his property and they accepted.

The Jonas' stayed throughout the winter. Impressed with the area, they rented land from Mr. Peters. From their cabin, Charles Jonas wrote his first letter to his family back home in Carolina to tell them of Maddocha.

In the spring of 1837, Charles purchased 300 acres of land from James Peters.  On this land, Charles built a large one-room, two-story white rock house.  They cooked by making fires in the middle of the room on the dirt floor.  The following year, a fireplace, and room-dividers were added.

The Charles and Eliza Jonas reared eight children.

• Harvey Jonas, a notorious outlaw in Maddocha.  (1829)
• Ophelia Jonas who married Will Ferguson. (1831)
• Etna Jean Jonas who died at the age of seven.  (1832)
• Sarah Jonas who married Taylor Rhodes. (1834)
• Lewis Jonas who married Fannie Hale. (1836)
• Cyrus Thomas Jonas who married Anna Jane Grimes.  (1839)
• Annie Jonas who married Charles Pelt.  (1840)
• John Samuel Jonas who married Martha Williams. (1842)

In 1838, Charles wrote home to his family in Carolina asking them to send him money so that he could purchase land in Dorinda.  His family agreed and sent him the money. In 1839, Charles purchased 63% of Dorinda from Tom Dixon.  Tom's family did not agree with the sale of the land, because they wanted the land to remain in the Dixon Family.  The only condition of the sale was that the name of the city could never be changed. Charles agreed to this.  Charles was influential in the redevelopment of Dorinda after the "Water Crisis of 1837".  By 1841, Dorinda was a thriving city again.

In 1859, Charles Jonas was elected Justice of the Peace. Charles was instrumental in the establishment of early Methodism in Dorinda.  He was unanimously elected Church Secretary at Wheatland Chapel.  He served until 1861.

In 1862, Charles resigned his position as Justice of the Peace. Charles and Eliza moved back to North Carolina.  Charles could no longer bear the infamy that his son, Harvey Jonas, was bringing to the Jonas name.  Charles died December 14, 1882.  Eliza died ten years later on October 22, 1892.  Both of their bodies were transported back to Dorinda to be buried.  They are buried at Little Bethel Cemetery in Dorinda.