The Williams Family

Thomas Williams, son of William Williams was born about 1732 in Grayson Co Virginia died about 1790 in what is now Carroll Co Virginia. Thomas settled on land on Glade Creek NW of Galax Virginia. It is is not known who Thomas married but his children were: Thomas, Jesse, William, Anne, Sarah and Samuel.

Jesse Williams of White County Tennessee

Jesse Williams, son of Thomas Williams was born about1762 in Grayson County Virginia died about 1830 in McMinn Co Tennessee. Jesse married Sarah Bryant and they had six known children: John, Nancy, Jesse jr, Sarah, Clarissa and Mary. Jesse had land on Chestnut Creek and Crooked Creek in Carroll County however about 1805, Jesse sold his land and along with his father and other neighbors migrated to White County Tennessee. Jesse settled on 126 acres on Taylor Creek a few miles NW of Sparta. In the early 1820's after McMinn County opened up for settlement, Jesse and his family moved about six miles South of Athens Tennessee in the South Liberity Community. Jesse and Sarah had six children: John, Nancy, Jesse Jr, Sarah, Clarissa and Mary.

John Williams of McMinn county Tennessee

John Williams, son of Jesse and Sarah BRYANT Williams was born December 17 1794 in Carroll County Virginia and Died January 26 1877 in McMinn County Tennessee. John married Elizabeth Massey in 1813 in White County Tennessee. Elizabeth was born December 13 1793 and died September 14 1866 and was the daughter of John and Lucritia TUCKER Massey. John Williams was drafted into the Military Service as a Private in 1814 and was stationed at Fort Williams in Alabama during the War of 1812. He was discharged in April of 1815. In later years he applied for a pension and recieved $8.00 a month (Pension # S-1918). He also applied for Bounty Land and recieved 80 acres for his Military Service. After McMinn County was opened up for settlement, John and Elizabeth moved with his father Jesse and his family to McMinn County Tennessee and settled about six miles South of Athens in the South Liberity Community.

John and Elizabeth raised eleven children:

1. Thomas W Williams born August 17 1814 married Maranda Randolph

2. Sarah T Williams born March 8 1816 married David Hamilton

3. Elijah Williams born March 6 1818 married Elizabeth Wiley

4. John E Williams born October 21 1820 married Louisa Jane Hale

5. Jesse P Williams born March 9 1822 married America Wright

6. Elisha Z Williams January 13 1825 married Amanda B Ellis

7. Elias W Williams born November 4 1827 married Elizabeth Ann Ellis

8. Susan M Williams born July 21 1836 did not marry

9. Frances L Williams born December 7 1837 died young

10. James H Williams born January 24 1838 married (1) Dorcus Murphy (20 Louisa Carolina Murphy

11. Henry G Williams born January 24 1841 married Nancy Gibson

Elias W Williams of Barry County Missouri

Elias W Williams, son of John and Elizabeth MASSEY Williams was born November 4 1827 in McMinn County Tennessee and died September 4 1900 in Barry County Missouri. He married March 21 1852 (1) Elizabeth Ann Ellis, daughter of Ezekiel and Margaret Ann MACKEY Ellis. Elizabeth was born October 5 1834 and died in November 1861. In 1853, Elias along with other neighbors moved to Barry County Missouri. Elias and Elizabeth settled on 40 acres of land in the Madry community South of Aurora (Certificate # 28669). Elias later acquired a 160 acres of land across the road East of the orginal homestead and built a 2-story log house. Elias was a Sergeant in Co H, 15th Regiment Cavalry Volunteers in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in several skirmishes along Telegraph (Wire) Road that ran from Pea Ridge Battlefield in Arkansas to Willow Creek Battlefield in Missouri near Springfield. Elias's farm was only a few miles North from Wire Road. Elias was one of the Enumerators for the U S Census in 1880 and was elected to Justice of the Peace in his District for several years. Elias donated two acres of his land for the Clay Hill school, church, and cemetery. The school and church building are gone now. Elias called his farm Clay Hill Farms, no doubt after the Clay Hill community in McMinn county Tennessee.

Elias and Elizabeth Ann had three children:

1. Sarah Tennessee Williams born January 5 1853 married David Tunnell

2. John Thomas Williams born April 17 1856 married (1) fountain Ella Isabell Shelton (2) Lucy Loucinda WILEY Neill

3. Lincoln Williams born October 1 1860 died young

Elias married March 6 1864 (2) Cynthia Jane Lemaster, daughter of Jacob and Lucinda RICKMAN Lemaster. Cynthia Jane was born November 1 1846 and died November 5 1928. Elias and Cynthia Jane raised eleven children: Mary Malinda, William Tecumpsey, Eliza May, Jacob Isaac Grant, Albert Elias, George Allen, Effie Rozella, Elbert W, Otis Otto, Essie Inez and Ula Olive. Elias and Cynthia are buried in the Clay Hill Cemetery in Barry County Missouri

John Thomas Williams of Kiowa county Oklahoma

John Thomas Williams, son of Elias W and Elizabeth Ann ELLIS Williams was born April 17 1856 in Barry County Missouri and died December 5 1931 in Kiowa County Oklahoma. He married Fountain Ella Isabell Shelton on October 3 1875 in Barry County Missouri. Fountain Ella Isabell was born July 4 1861 in Barry County Missouri and died September 17 1898 in Payne County Oklahoma. Isabell (Bell, as Grandpa called her) was raised by Benson and Mary Card in the Madry community about a 1/2 mile West of Madry and about a mile south of the Clay Hill School. Mary Card was listed as a Physician in the "Goodspeed 1888 history of Barry County", but she was probably most likely a Midwife in that time period. Isabell's mother could have been Sarah Shelton listed in the 1860 U S Census in the same community who was living with the Mosby household at the time the Census was taken, she could have had a daughter the next year and either Sarah died in child birth or could have let Mary Card take her for one reason or another. There was a Charles W Shelton from Barry County who enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War but no further information is available. To assume that they were Isabell's father and mother would only be speculation. Records are very sketchy during this time period due to the Civil War. Neither Charles Shelton or Sarah Shelton are listed in the 1870 Barry County Census. Isabell is listed in the 1870 Barry County Cesus as 8 years old and in the household of Benson and Mary Card with the rest of their children.

John Thomas and Isabell were listed in the 1880 Barry County Census as farming in the Madry Community and have one child, Minnie and a child named Alvin who had died within the year. Two of their children died in infancy and both are buried in the Clay Hill Cemetery.

Around first of August of 1898, John Thomas and his family along with other neighbors moved to Payne County Oklahoma Territory. Lucy, daughter of John and Isabell who was born in 1891 said she was seven years old when they moved. A letter that Isabell wrote to Minnie, her daughter on August the 26th said they traved by wagon and were 13 days on the road. She wrote in the letter that they came by way of Coffeeville Kansas. They stopped there to get permits to cross the Osage Nation. Isabell described the land as level as the floor and a lonely looking place. Isabell described crossing the Arkansas River in a boat (Ferry) because the bridge was washed out and she said it took them all one evening. Isabell wrote that they rented a farm (Margaret Boyd's farm or one next to it) located one mile East of Ripley and that they had a dandy little house and John and Missouri Ann Lawson (relatives) lived two miles from them. Land records show John Lawson Homesteaded 3 miles East of Ripley in 1893.

Isabell mensions Alta, their oldest son had a job picking caster beans for 75 cents a day. and in about a week they were going to start picking cotton. Not long after they arrived, Isabell died and it is written on the back of a picture that she died on September 17, 1898. No gravestone has been found but she is probably buried in the Ripley cemetery or the Parrotte cemetery in Payne County Oklahoma. Maynard, youngest son of John and Isabell, said he could remember his father promised him a colt but his father had to sell it for $60.00 to pay for the funeral expences. The children went to Harmony School located 1/2 mile West and 1/2 mile s South of their place. Lucy said she could remember the teacher writing "January 1, 1900" on the blackboard as it was the turn of the century. After Isabell died, their daughter Minnie and her husband Monroe Lawson who were still in Barry County soon moved to Ripley and their second child Bulah was born there in March of 1900. John and his family remained in Payne County until 1901 when the Wichita, and Kiowa, Comanche and Apache ceded lands opened up for settlement.

John applied for land in the lottery at El Reno and drew a 160 acres of land (Cert# 2937) located two miles West of Gotebo Oklahoma Territory. They moved to their farm on February 5 1902. They first built a small wood frame house and later added a 2-story frame building on to it on the Northside. The house was painted white and the barn and grainery were painted red. They planted an orchard and always had a large garden.

In a letter to his son Alta, dated December 1930, John wrote he had a nice flock of chickens, and had plenty of milk and butter and had laid in his flour for the winter. He wrote that Frank and Lucy were going to farm part of his place and put in 20 acres of cotton. He wrote that Maynard had put in 40 acres of wheat on his place. He said Lem and Nola were farming the Little place just West of Gotebo. His grandson, J T Mayes was about 5 years old and lived close by and his grandpa would have him climb in the grainery to get oats to feed his cattle. Afterward, his grandpa would generally always give him a candy sucker.

John Thomas Williams married January 5 1909 (2) Lucy Loucinda WILEY Neill, the daughter of Thomas and Martha HANCOCK Wiley and widow of Thomas N Neill. Lucy Loucinda was born December 5 1860 in Barry County Missouri and died November 1 1937 in Oklahoma City and is buried next to her first husband in the Mars Hill Cemetery in Barry County Missouri. John Thomas died December 5 1931 and is buried in the Gotebo cemetery.

John and Isabell's children were:

1. Minnie Williams born October 1 1878 married Monroe Lawson

2. Alton Ivan Williams born July 7 1881 married Annie Lieser

3. Oscar A Williams born June 15 1886 married (1) Effie Atchley (2) Ottie Ware

4. Nola Sabina Williams born September 3 1888 married Lemuel Mayes

5. Lucy Verna Williams born January 26 1891 married Frank Mayes

6. Maynard Ray Williams born October 14 1893 married Minnie Evans

7. Ollie May Williams born July 27 1896 married Luther Killough