The Williams Family Tree

Never, in a million years, did I ever dream that I'd get to see ~truly see~ Pearl's parents & grandparents.  A.O. Williams and his wife, Nancy Catherine Odell, and Jordan Williams and his wife, Julia Ann Shearer. [Not to mention being able to hear a few stories about them.]  There's nothing like looking into the eyes of our ancestors.  To see the faces of those we've searched for ~ for so long.

Apparently, I don't dream big enough.

Never Leaving Home

More About Those Williams Folks

I already introduced to you A.O. Williams who was the beautiful Pearl (Williams) Pointer's father.  And I also showed you his pocket watch.  Oh, and we can't forget A.O.'s cantankerous and contrary brother, Sim [a.k.a., W.S., Simeon and Uncle Sim].  Well, Sim's full name was William Simeon Williams.  Understandably, Sim didn't go by the name William.  I mean, really?  William Williams?  Could you imagine the confusion and the taunting?  Why, for heaven's sakes, did they name him William?  Maybe they liked the name William, but it may have something to do with the fact that his father's name was William.  [I kid you not.]  But apparently he never went by that name either.  In fact, Great-Uncle Donald [who turns 90 in a week], calls him by his middle name, Jordan.  In the census while growing up, he was always listed as William J. Williams or W.J. Williams.  But when he was an adult in the census, I noticed he always used the name Jordan.  Furthermore, research indicates that Jordan had an uncle named William Williams.  And the purpose of this discussion?  I dunno.  I just find it interesting.  I wonder if they just didn't like the name, or if they used their middle names to lessen the confusion.

Anyways, A.O.'s and Uncle Sim's father was William Jordan Williams [parents were Henry Williams and Harriet [?]].  Jordan was born on abt. 1833 in probably Montgomery County, TN.  [The "probably" is for the county, but I do know that he was born in Tennessee.]  At some point, Jordan and some of his Williams kinfolk moved from Tennessee to Wapello County, Iowa.

Jordan's wife, Julia Ann Shearer, was born 31 Aug 1833 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Valentine and Magdaline Shearer, who happened to be 1st cousins.  Now, this information wasn't easy to figure out because the Shearer family is huge [huuuuge].  Lots of siblings who had lots of kids.  Also, these Shearers were once Scherrers, and they descend from Johann Augustus Scherrer who came to America from Lachen Speyerdorf Bayern Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany [which is a mouthful] in 1730.  However, I'll talk more about them later.  Julia's family moved to Wapello, IA in February 1856, according to her obituary, which Pearl had cut out of the paper and pasted into her scrapbook that Great-Uncle Donald scanned and shared with me.  [Have I mentioned how much I love Pearl and Great-Uncle Donald?]   She married Jordan Williams 19 Feb 1857 in Wapello, IA, and they had 3 sons: Alvis Oliver "A.O." Williams, Henry V. Williams [who died young], and William Simeon "Sim" Williams.  A.O. and Sim both lived with Jordan and Julia even into adulthood.  And when A.O. married Nancy Catherine Odell, she moved in as well, which I had noticed in the census, but Great-Uncle Donald confirmed it for me in his memoirs.  

Hm.  I guess that whole idea of kids coming back home to live is not new.  In fact, A.O. and Sim never left.  And I don't know whether or not I'll tell my children this because they've already hinted to me [More like, they unequivocally stated...] they're going to live with me and my husband forever [shudder].  And I'd hate for them to have something to cite from their own family tree.  [rolling eyes heavenward] 

Anywho, below is a photo of William Jordan & Julia Ann (Shearer) Williams ~ my husband's 3rd great- grandparents.

Tombstone Tuesday: Together

"...Cantankerous, Contrary Old Cusses"

 I always wondered what the story was between Alvis Oliver and Simeon Williams.  Now, I already knew that no one called these 2 brothers by their full names.  They were known as A.O. and Sim, and you might remember A.O. by his beautiful pocketwatch that I've already shared with you here.  Also, A.O. was the father of the beautiful Pearl (Williams) Pointer [the wife of Harve Pointer], making Sim her "Uncle Sim".

With every census that I found them in, I found them together.  Even after A.O. Williams married his wife Nancy Catherine Odell.  I wondered why.  Perhaps I analyze the census too much.  [So sue me.]  But I was right to wonder why.  Lo and behold, there is a story.  And my husband's Great-Uncle Donald [one of Harve's and Pearl's boys] had it, and he shared it with me.  And here's part of what Great-Uncle Donald had to say in his memoirs about them:

Sim was my Granpa's William's brother and never married so he had always lived at home with his mother also, and when Granpa Williams got married I guess Grandma Williams just moved in with them...I never heard Granpa and Sim swear at each other but they argued almost constantly and always called each other cantankerous, contrary old cusses.  They may have swore at each other when they weren't around us boys but they might as well done it in front of us because we all knew how to swear...Granpa and Sim were always poor they made a living doing cement work, Carpenter work, Just handy man work like that.  They had a cement mixer that was powered by a single cylinder gas engine.  A team of horses and a buggy and a light buckboard type spring wagon which they used to go to work with and haul tools in...Their rent couldn't have been much seems to me if I remember about 5 dollars a month.  I don't know what they got for wages probably two to five dollars a day...They had to buy coal to heat with in the winter.  But they didn't have no light nor water nor gas bills to pay.  They did have to buy feed for the horses because they have to eat whether they work or not...I don't remember when Granpa and Sim had two horses I only remember the one they had left...His name was Sam.  He was a tall long legged black beautiful horse.  Of course I didn't realize that at the time, like a lot of other things, but I do now...and then Sam died of old age and that left Granpa and Sim afoot.  Sometimes I do remember them walking to our place but not together I think they needed all of their energy to walk with none to spare for bickering.  Uncle Sim used to say that walking wasn't very crowded but it was kinda lonesome.  Granpa and Sim never owned a home nor a car so I guess the only thing that they owned was their tools and what little household furniture they had.

Now, I still don't know why Uncle Sim never married, but I do know the "how" now [brown cow].  How A.O. and Uncle Sim never really got along.  But somehow they lived together.  And now they lie next to each other in the Collins Iowa Cemetery.  They shared a house.  They shared an occupation.  And they even share a tombstone. They just couldn't share the same dang road.  I think it's as funny as all get out.  [Sorry.  That's a Texas expression.]  I wonder if they're still arguing? [Snort.]

Were Your Ancestors Beautiful?

What is Beauty?
For the sake of this post, I am going to define beauty as the following:

• Physical Beauty [While it's superficial, I know, it is a real, tangible, and undeniable part of beauty].
• What's Said About You By Others; and
• Your Actions [They really do speak louder than words.]

Physical Beauty
Whenever I look at this photograph, I am so captivated by the subject's beauty.  This is Pearley May "Pearl" [Williams] Pointer, the wife of Harvey Lewis "Harve" Pointer.  She is my husband's great-grandmother on his father's side.  Wasn't she beautiful?  Her skin is so perfect looking and her face is so expressive that I think, sometimes, she looks like she is going to "pop" out of the photograph and into my life.  [I wish she would because I have some questions for her...]  It is easily one of my favorite old photographs.  Pearl was born 21 May 1887 in Fairfield Township, Carroll Co., Missouri, and her family moved back and forth from Missouri to Iowa.  She died in Collins, Story County, Iowa 29 Sep 1970.  Her maternal line, the Odell family, and her paternal line, the Williams family, can both be traced back to England.

What Others Say About You Can Be Very Revealing About Your Character...
This photograph is of a 125-year old autograph book that belonged to my husband's great-great grandmother Lovina Emaline "Vina" [Richmond] Haley.  She was the wife of Daniel Haley [one of 10 children of Irish immigrants, Patrick & Bridget (Foley) Haley], and she was the daughter of James Richmond, Jr. of Indiana and Luvisa Logsdon/Logston of Kentucky.  This family heirloom is easily one of my favorites.  All of the entries are four line rhymes.  The first chronological entry was made 22 Feb 1884 by Della B. Stier, her niece, and it indicates that Della is the one who has given this album to her.  Many of the entries are by her nieces, nephews, and sisters right before they left Iowa to live out west.  What a precious gift they gave their aunt as well as their aunt's many descendants.  By the entries alone, you can tell that she was a beloved aunt.  However, these aren't  the only entries.  There are some by her friends as well as other family members.  In fact, 14 Mar 1885 Daniel Haley [my husband's great-great grandfather], her husband, wrote the following:

     On this page
     The first in this book
     I will write my name
     In your Autograph Book.

     Yours Very Truly,
     Daniel Haley

Daniel and Lovina's son, Wilbert Raymond Haley [my husband's great-grandfather] wrote the following to his mother 3 Jan 1896:

     Dear Mamma,
     I thought I would write on this sheet of paper to let you see it when
     you are old and see how good
     I could write when I was nine years old.  I will write my name.
     Your Baby,
     Ray Haley

And here is one that when I read it to my children, we all got goosebumps:

    9 May 1889
    Mrs. Haley,
   
    One hundred years from now
    Where will this album be
    Who will look these pages o'er
    And think of you and me

    Sallie Pontz

[Well, 125 yrs later, I can tell you, it's me!]

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Here is a photograph of Frank Edward Haley, the first son of Daniel and Lovina Haley.  He was their adopted son [their biological son was Wilbert Raymond Haley who I mentioned above].  I have determined through a lot of research that Edward was not a blood relation of theirs.  Many times, if there was an adoption, it was usually a blood family member of sorts.  Well, from the best I can tell, Edward was not a blood relation.  Edward was adopted as an infant, and Wilbert came 9 years after that.  What love Daniel and Lovina must have had in their hearts to adopt Edward and raise him as their own.

Though I don't have a photograph of Lovina [not yet, anyway], I can tell that she was just as beautiful as Pearl was!

Caroline