by the late Ernest G. Cook

Mrs. Elida Hunneyman Williams, 87, widow of Adelbert D. Williams of Alexandria, who resides on Wall street in Plessis village, recalls many events of early days and interesting stories about her grandparents' trip to America from England.

"My grandfather, George Hunneyman, was an expert carpenter in England," relates Mrs. Williams. "He was born in Canterbury, Kent, on May 28, 1804, and married in England Mary Rose who was born at Febershas, Kent, on Aug. 13, 1806, their wedding taking place on Sept. 10, 1826.

"Now comes one of the interesting items of this story. John LaFarge was in northern New York and desired to build a mansion on his new land. He knew of grandfather's ability as a house finisher and asked if he would consider going to America if he had an attractive offer to work on the mansion. Grandfather thought it over and decided to make the great adventure. There did not seem to be enough funds to permit more than one coming and besides grandfather wanted to know what kind of a country he was getting into before he brought his wife over, so he started out alone. My records show that he arrived here Sept. 24, 1832 but I don't know if that was in New York city or in LaFargeville. He liked the work, was well satisfied, and also assisted in the building of the fine house across the road from the mansion. Mr. LaFarge told grandfather that he would see that there would be a house provided for him to live in if he wanted to bring his wife over. It was May 24, 1836 when she reached New York city, almost four years after her husband had left for America.

"I remember grandmother, still living when I was a girl , and she told me that the hardest thing she thought she did was leave her mother ill with a stroke in England when she started for America. After the death of my great-grandmother, great-grandfather came to America to live with his people here. George Hunneyman, my grandfather, died in Alexandria on April 6, 1851, and is buried in the Plessis cemetery.

"My father's name was George Rose Hunneyman and here is the record of his marriage to Katherine House in Alexandria on March 19, 1851. But I am getting a little ahead of my story. Mr. LaFarge sold his mansion to Bishop DuBoise in the year 1838 and not long after my people moved to the Tanners Corners section where they purchased a farm. When I tell about the old stone church at Plessis and events that took place at the time when that building was used as a house of worship, I can check pretty well on their stories. I remember when my father would hitch the horse on the wagon on Sunday morning and all of us children would get in, even my grandmother, and we would drive over all kinds of roads to Plessis to attend church. At that time there was not a Methodist Church in Plessis and the Presbyterian church, several years ago discontinued, was not thought of.

"I forgot to tell you the name of my great-grand father on my mother's side. His name was Richard Rose and he lived with us on that 35-acre farm at Tanners Corners. Grandfather, being a carpenter, could not look after a big farm.

"Now I was the oldest in my father's family and am the only one left. I was named Elida and was born March 22, 1850; George A. was born Nov. 11, 1853; Byron R., born March 12, 1857; Adelphia, born Aug. 22, 1860; Emma, born July 17, 1862; and Katie, born Nov.19, 1864.

"On November 1, 1875, I was married to Adelbert D. Williams and we went to live on the Williams farm about two miles west of Plessis. Yes, my husband was interested in the grange and helped to organize the grange here in Plessis on Feb. 5, 1890 with Denacious Snell as the first master of that grange. Plessis grange was number 629. Mr. Williams served as master of that grange. He also served as assessor for the town of Alexandria and was highway commissioner of the town. When the Redwood bank was organized he was elected a director and remained a director until his death. He assisted in the organization of the Plessis Co-operative store here and was a director. In the summer of 1876 we both united with the Methodist church in Plessis.

"We have two sons residing here, Foster E. and Clark A. I am a great-grandmother myself, for a son of Foster, Glenn A., married Alice Spies of Redwood and they have a son, Douglas, who is nearly two years old. You see I have been telling about my great-grandfather, which takes us back a ways in history, and in turn, I tell of my great-grandson.

"My grandfather used to tell us much about the beauty of the great LaFarge mansion and it seems to me it was nothing short of a sin to tear that splendid building down.

"In the year 1905 my husband and I decided we had reached the time when we might take life a little easier and we moved into Plessis village."