On the 28th of September, 1871, Mr. Williams was united in marriage in Hancock county, Ohio, to Miss Mary Downing, a daughter of George Downing, a record of whom is presented in the sketch of Ellsworth Downing in this work. By this union six children have been born, three of whom are now living: Cora. E., the wife of J. H. Lafferty, of New Albany township; Jesse M., at home; and Hattie, now the wife of J. C. McCord, also of New Albany township.
Mr. Williams has never devoted much time to politics, but he gives his adherence to the republican party as the one best qualified to advance the welfare of the nation. Alert and progressive, he is thoroughly alive as to the possibilities of the county and state of his adoption. A man of hopeful disposition, good judgment and well established character, he fully deserves the recognition he receives as a patriotic and energetic citizen who never seeks to advance his personal interest to the injury of another.
HENRY THOMPSON.
On the old Thompson homestead in Howard township stands the house which has the distinction of having been the home of four generations of that family and the birthplace of three. The present resident, Henry Thompson, was born there on the 9th of June, 1860, and is therefore not only a native son of Story county, but of Howard township, where he still continues to makes his home. He is the son of Paul and Enger (Helgason) Thompson, both natives of Norway, the father having been born in 1829 and the mother in 1825. Paul Thompson came to the United States in 1847 and located in Kendall county, Illinois, where he remained for seven years, at the end of which period he came to Story county, Iowa, and worked as a farm hand until 1856, when he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government. His entire quarter section was unbroken and unimproved prairie when he obtained it, but close application and hard work soon transformed it into well tilled fields, whose harvests yielded him the means to add to his acreage so that at the time of his retirement in 1902 he owned three hundred and sixty acres of thoroughly cultivated and well improved land. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were married in 1851 and so have long since passed their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Three children were born of their union : Thomas Henry, our subject; Edward, deceased; and one who died in infancy. The family always attend the services of the Lutheran church, of which the parents are communicants and Mr. Thompson one of the organizers. After acquiring the full rights of citizenship he affiliated with the republican party. He was always a public-spirited man and took a warm interest in politics, serving many years as township trustee and also as one of the school directors in his district. In addition to his landed interests, he is a stock-