Benjamen Talbert Williams

WILLIAMS, WATSON, CHILCOAT, SEARS

Posted By: Linda Watson Byak (email)
Date: 7/2/2007 at 15:11:25

880 Census Union Twp., Van Buren Co., Iowa
Benjamin T. Williams 58 b. Ill. Parents b. KY KY
Susan E. wife 52 b. Mo. Parents KY NC
Daniel B. son 19
Sarah E dau 22
Eugene son 17
Thos. Ward servant 19 b. Tenn. Parents b. Canada

Obituary. Funeral of B.T. William Saturday. The funeral sevices of Benjamin William were held Saturday afternoon at one o'clock at the home of his daughter Mrs. John Watson, one and a half miles west of Glasgow. Rev. B.L. May of Mediapolis, had charge of the services and a large crowd of old friends and neighbors attended.

Benjamin Talbert Williams was born in White County, near Carmi Illinois, Feb. 2, 1822 and died March 13, 1913, aged 91 years, one month and eleven days. He was of Scotch-Irish parentage and when about 21 yearss of age came with his parents to Jefferson county, Iowa settling on a farm within two miles of the present home of his daughter Mrs. John Watson were he passed away from earth's cares.

He was born under pioneer conditions and grew to manhood and from mangood to mature life with careful and fugal manners so common to our early settlers. He had a force of character that impressed his opinions upon those who were brought in contact with him either in his home or a business way.

He was educated in the comon county school and with taste and industry added to his school training by home study. After coming to Iowa he taught some seventeen terms of school, partly as a means of getting wages, but also for the pleasure he found in books and study. All his living children can recall him as their own teacher in one or more terms of their school lives.

Not long after coming to Iowa he located on a farm in Van Buren county three miles north and one half mile west of Stockport whre he raised his family. This is one of the few farms in Iowa where ownership has the record of more than sixty years with one man.

Mr. Williams was twice married. First to Matilda Chilcoat. One child Marshall Williamc now of _____County Kansas came of this union. His second marriage was to Susan E. Sears. This union was blessed with six children. One died in infancy and five still live. They are Sarah E. Judy of Kearney, Nebraska, Lizzie Watson of Glasgow, Iowa, Terson Williams of Jackson, Minnesota, Daniel Williams of Foss, Oklahoma, and Eugene Williams of Staockport, Iowa.

Pioneers are maked generally as failure or seccesses. They are by training and conditions positive and determined. Mr. Williams had these qualities in a high degree and was not only successful as a farmer and financier, but as a citizen, as a church worker and expecially as a parent. The children grown to manhood and womanhood are respected as men and women as parents, and neighbors. Men who can leave records like this have not lived in vain.

Afte the death of his wife he made his home with his children, mostly of late years with his daughter, Mrs. Watson.