Williams, Winfield S. (1849-1911)

WILLIAMS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 11/11/2008 at 16:15:12

Winfield Scott Williams
Mar 20, 1849 - June 12, 1911

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.252, Valley Twp.)
W. S. Williams, farmer, P. O. Hancock, was born in Indiana in 1848. His father, S. G. Williams, was born in Maine, and emigrated to Indiana when that State was almost entirely inhabited by Indians. He now lives in retirement, in South Bend, Ind., having been a farmer forty years. He and ex-Gov. Garcillon, of Maine, were schoolmates. Mr. Williams has one brother and two sisters. He received a good education in Indiana, and, leaving that State in 1872, came to Iowa and located on his present place in Pottawattamie County. Mr. Williams' farm consists of seventy acres, well improved, and a $1,500 residence upon it. Besides his farm, he owns considerable town property. He is Postmaster of Hancock. Mr. Williams was married, in 1873, in Avoca, Iowa, to Miss S. E. Sanders, a native of Michigan. They have five children - Mabel, Frank, Winfield, Grove and Clara. Mr. Williams is a member of the I. O. O. Of., serving as Permanent Secretary. He is a Republican in politics.

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.367)
WINFIELD S. WILLIAMS, a prominent farmer of Valley Township, is the son of Sumner G. Williams, who was born in Bangor, Maine, and who received a common school education, attending the same school with one of our eminent statesmen. His father was a farmer near Bangor, and there were nine children in his family, only three of whom, except his father, our subject remembers, namely: Charles, Samuel, and Otis. Mr. Williams left his native state at the age of 25 years and went to New York City where he resided for several years. He was there married to Ann WOOD, and they were the parents of five children: Gertrude V., Albion A., Winfield S., Joseph and Mable. Immediately after his marriage, he moved to Indiana, settling on a farm in St. Joseph County near South Bend. He was in that county before the Indians were removed beyond the Mississippi River. He worked on his farm and followed his trade, carpentering, for many years. He now resides in South Bend, where he owns city property. Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAMS are members of the Methodist Church, and Mr. WILLIAMS was one of the early Masons of South Bend, a pioneer who took pride in the progress of the county. He has always been an honorable and industrious man.
Winfield S., the subject of this sketch, was born in St. Joseph County, Indiana, 14 miles south of South Bend, and was reared to the life of a farmer. In 1872 he came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, settling on his present farm of 80 acres, a part of which he has since laid off in town lots. He was married in Avoca to Miss Eliza SANDERS, daughter of W.H. and Sarah (WAKEMAN) SANDERS. The father went to Michigan in an early day and settled at Ypsilanti, and then, when Iowa was a new state, he came to Davenport where he remained until 1870 when he settled in Avoca. He was the father of six children: Wakeman, Stephen, Frank, Sarah E., Lynos and Linn. Mr. Sanders is yet living in Avoca.
To Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAMS have been born 8 children, viz.: Mabel, Frank, Winfield S., Grove, Clara (deceased at 7 years), Earl (died at 6 years), Joseph and Ray. In politics, Mr. Williams is a stanch Republican. He is one of the pioneer settlers of Hancock, a part of which is on his farm. He was the first Postmaster. Socially he is an Odd Fellow.