Williams, Mrs. Elizabeth

WILLIAMS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 4/22/2011 at 10:18:50

The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa (1880)
Page 697

WILLIAMS, MRS. ELIZABETH--Section 8, P.O. Searsboro, is one of the oldest settlers in this part of the county, and resides about three-fourths of a mile from the village of Searsboro. She is not only worthy of special mention because she is an old settler, but there are many other facts which entitle her to special notice in a work of this kind, notably among which, is the fact that her hsuband and life companion was a soldier, and lost his life in the army, leaving his wife the care and education of her four children, which she has looked after with the greatest anxiety. She was born in Underfield, Yorkshire, England, where she lived with her parents until she was about eleven years of age, when they removed to America and settled in Illinois, nearly opposite to St. Louis, Missouri. Her father died when she was about fifteen years of age. Sometime after the death of her father, she removed to Scott county, Illinois, where she was married to John W. Williams on the 18th day of January, 1846, who was born in the State of Indiana about the year 1822, where he lived until he was seven years old, and then removed to Scott county, Illinois, where he continued to live until he came to this county in the year 1854, and settled on the farm where she now resides, on which he continued to live until the breaking out of the Rebellion, when, in the year 1862, he enlisted in company I, Eleventh Iowa volunteer infantry, with which regiment he was engaged in some of the hardest battles of the war; viz: Shiloh, Siege of Corinth, Siege of Vicksburg, Iuka, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Atlanta, and was on Sherman's famous march to the sea, and when within four miles of Savanah, he was found dead by the wayside, was picked up and buried by the Forty-eighth Illinois regiment, the chaplain of which wrote Mrs. Williams the sad news. In his breast pocket was found his pocket Bible, on the cover of which was the following in his own handwriting: "My name is John W. Williams and my wife's name is Elizabeth, Lynnville, Iowa." Mrs. Williams' greatest comfort is in the text "Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord." Her children are three daughters and one son. Their names are Margaret E., Martha J., George T. and Mary E.