Thomas Williams

HOOTMAN, BURNS, MCCALL, BUCKMASTER

Posted By: Teri Needham (email)
Date: 3/23/2005 at 08:25:14

OBIT
Thomas Lewis Williams, son of Lewis and Margaret Williams was born in Boston, Mass., Mar 17, 1816, and died at his home in Birmingham, Iowa, August 4, 1921 aged 76 years, 3 months and 18 days.
At the age of 7 years he went to New York and soon after went to Wisconsin, where he stayed until he was 16 years of age. Then he enlisted in the Civil War and served his country during the entire four years, being discharged without injury. Then he came to Van Buren county in the vicinity of Mt. Zion, where he stayed until 1917, when he moved to Birmingham.
He was united in marriage to Mary Christina Hootman, January 23, 1878, to which union ten children were born, six boys and four girls: Esther Burns of Ottumwa, Ezra, Irving, Emma McLain, Glenn, Fred and Ora of Birmingham: Florance McCall of Keenesburg, Col.; Mrs. Ethel Buckmaster and Floyd of Akron, Col. All the children but Florence, who had been here, but was called home by sickness in her family, were present at the father's bedside when he passed away.
Mr. Williams united with the Presbyteriah church at Mt. Zion, in 1870, where he remained a faithful member until death.
He was a good man, a kind neighbor and a loving husband and father. Their home was always a scene of friendship and cheer. He loved to hear his boys sing, the Williams quartet, who have made themselves known in this section of the state as a well balanced quartet of good singers. The boys sang a selection at the cemetary in honor of their father, "Rest in the Shade of the Trees".
He will be greatly missed in the home, though everyone realized during the past two years he was living on the verge of the grave. He is gone but we remain. May we be able to sing the songs of Heaven as an unbroken band on the other shore when each one has completed his work here.
The funeral service was held Saturday morning at the Presbyterian church conducted by Rev. W.J. Fowler of Bloomfield, the pallbearers being the six sons. The Haney-Bruaun Post of the American Legion was present in a body and had charge of the service at the grave, concluded by three volleys by the firing squad, followed by taps by the bugle.

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