Williams, Wilford

WILLIAMS, LANDMAN, STANLEY, GRAHAM, RATCLIFFE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 10/24/2009 at 10:54:17

Williams, Wilford

Biographies should not be published unless there is something in the life and character of the individual worthy of emulation or imitation by others under like circumstances, certainly not for self-aggrandizement; but sufficient has been drawn from the life-history of Wilford Williams, one of the large landowners of Linn Grove Township and one of Jasper County's most progressive agriculturists, to show that there is something in the inner life of this man worthy of more than incidental mention. He began life practically at the bottom of the ladder, which he has climbed to the top with no help but a brave heart, industrious hands and an intelligent brain, and is a living example of what may be accomplished in this nature-favored country of ours by thrift and perseverance, even under circumstances that are frequently discouraging.

Mr. Williams was born in Orange County, Indiana, August 18, 1845, and he is the son of John and Anna (Landman) Williams, both natives of the same locality in which their son was born, and there they grew to maturity, received what education they could in the early schools of the country and there were married, and there began life on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which they owned. By hard work they got a good start in life, but they left Indiana in 1855, driving a team through to Jasper County, Iowa, bringing all their household effects, using wagons, two teams of horses and a team of oxen. They settled in Linn Grove Township, where Mr. Williams bought one hundred and sixty acres, which he later sold and, moving to Earlham, this state, bought one hundred and sixty acres near there, and he remained on that place until his death in 1903. He was a member of the Friends Church. His family consisted of the following children: Mrs. Malinda Stanley, Isaac, Isaiah, Wilford, of this review; Stanford, deceased: Richmond is living at Cedar Falls, Iowa; Albert is a resident of Oskaloosa, this state; John; Elmina and Rachael are deceased; Thomas L.; Robert died in infancy.

Wilford Williams had only a limited schooling in the primitive schools of Indiana and Iowa, and during the crop seasons, when a boy, he assisted with the general work on the home farm, later working by the month; then he rented a few years, and in 1867 he bought eighty acres, which he still owns. By close application and good management he prospered and added to his original holdings until he now owns seven hundred and nine acres of very choice and productive land, after giving each of his children eighty acres. He has kept his land under first-class improvements and a high state of cultivation, carrying on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. He has been one of the largest cattle feeders of the county, having fed large numbers of both cattle and hogs for fifty years and no small part of his large competency has been derived from this source. He has been very robust throughout his very busy life, having a capacity for work in excess of the average man. He has pleasant home and neat surroundings.

Mr. Williams is a Republican and he has served his Township as trustee. He is a member of the Friends Church.

In November 1866, Mr. Williams was united in marriage with Anna Graham, who was born in England, and this union resulted in the birth of the following children: Charlie is living west of Lynnville; Eddie is living north of Lynnville; Mrs. Lillie Ratcliffe was next in order of birth; Harry and Earl are both living north of Lynnville. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1064.