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WILLIAMS Family History, Part III

Carrie (WILLIAMS) COLE (1870-1909)

142A. Carrie Williams was born, along with a twin, on October 18, 1870, in Indiana. The following year her family moved to Glen Elder Township, Mitchell County, Kansas. In 1874, the county was devastated by a grasshopper plague and her family moved about 1875 to Woodland Township, Yolo County, California. She married Charles H. Cole (Sr.), a musician, about 1885, and had one son:^{[Cen 1900]}

142A1.

Charles H. Cole, Jr.

12 Sep 1887

26 Feb 1972

(84)

Charles H. Cole (Sr.) died in 1905. He was about 40 years old.

Carrie (Williams) Cole died four years later in either August 1905 or 1909. She was in her mid-30s.

Coraline (WILLIAMS THRIFT) WEIST (1872-1933)

142C. Coraline "Cora" Alice Williams was born on May 21, 1872, in Kansas, likely in Glen Elder, Mitchell County. In 1874, the county was devastated by a grasshopper plague and her family moved about 1875 to Woodland Township, Yolo County, California. She married twice but had no children.

Cora married Joseph Thrift about 1895 and the couple lived in Fruitvale, Brooklyn Township, Alameda County, California, by 1900. Cora's younger sister Mattie Williams lived with them and worked as a teacher. Joseph worked as a dog trainer.^{[Cen 1900]}

Cora and Joseph divorced and Cora moved to 1104 Gough Street in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California.^{[Mar 1924]}

Cora remarried to Godfred "Fred" Weist, a 56-year-old farmer from Orrs Springs, Mendocino County, California. They were married on May 14, 1924, in Ukiah, Mendocino County, California, by Justice of the Peace E. G. Busch.^{[Mar 1924]}

Coraline Alice (Williams Thrift) Weist died on Wednesday, February 1, 1933, in Ukiah, at the age of 60. She was buried at Ukiah Cemetery.^[Grave]

Godfred Weist died 27 years later on July 25, 1960, at a hospital in the Ukiah area where he had been for about a month. He was 92 years old. Godfred was buried on Thursday, July 28, at Ukiah Cemetery.^[Grave]

Al WILLIAMS⁴ (1874-1940)

142D. Albert Williams⁴ and a twin, perhaps named Alda, who died in infancy, were born on October 17, 1874, in a dugout or storm cellar on his uncle's farm in Kansas, probably in or around Glen Elder, in Mitchell County, where the family had moved in 1871. His birth came just two months after a plague of grasshoppers devastated the area and many farmers moved back east. Not long after, the family moved west to California, settling in Woodland Township, Yolo County.

Al married Cora Ethel (Miller) Fisher⁸, a widow with six children, on January 21, 1915, in Solano County, California.^{[Mar 1915]} They had four children together:

142D1.	Elsie Alberta Williams	7 Mar 1914	15 Feb 2001	(86)
142D2.	Gladys Elaine Williams	30 Jun 1916	29 Mar 1998	(81)
142D3.	Harold Williams	19 Apr 1918	21 Apr 1918	(3 days)
142D4.	Edward Carl Williams	4 Apr 1920	6 Mar 2012	(91)

Al's father Ira, a wounded Civil War veteran, frequently left the family, allegedly to pursue women, so Al had to tend to his mother and siblings. At that time, the Sacramento delta was all wetlands with plentiful game, so Al and his brothers bought a scow and hunted ducks to make a living. He made just enough money to take care of his family and became a crack-shot—a skill he would rely upon later during hard times. His mother died in Woodland in 1896. He was 21 years old at the time but went to live with his uncle William in Woodland, by 1900, where he worked as a day laborer.^{[Cen 1900]} Living on the bountiful delta presented one main problem: mosquitoes. According to his elder daughter, Elsie, he got malaria and was advised by a doctor to move to wine country and drink claret wine to help make blood. He left Yolo County for the Asti Swiss Colony Winery in northern Sonoma County.

Al's father Ira remarried to the widow Harriet J. (Chapman) Fisher⁶ in 1910. Harriet's son, Theodoric Leathe Fisher⁴, his new brother-in-law, had been a foreman at the winery and had slowly been dying from tuberculosis. Al often hunted quail and doves to help provide Theodoric with meat to help him keep weight on but Theodoric passed the following year, leaving his wife Cora with six children, ages 3 to 11.

Al moved to Rincon precinct, in the hills above Santa Rosa's Rincon Valley by 1912 when Al registered to vote as a Republican in the coming election (Wilson [Dem], Roosevelt [Pro], and Taft [Rep]). Ira and Harriet had also moved to the area by 1910, and Cora likely moved there as well.

Al, a shy man, got up the nerve to ask Cora to marry him. After their wedding on January 21, 1915, the family moved to a ranch (Blunt place or Gill place?) behind the Petrified Forest near Mt. St. Helena, which Al helped excavate, while working for Olliie Bockett during the 1910s, and turn into a park.

Al's son Ed recalls that, as a young boy, on Sundays, the two of them would walk about four miles to stepdaughter Pearl Malugani's home (later dubbed the Derby Ranch) where Al drank homemade red wine with Pearl's husband Charlie. Later Cora would come pick them up and drive them home in her Durant Star.

Ed also recalls that in 1932, Al's stepson Earl Fisher's home burned down in a still fire, and the Fisher's moved in with them at the Gill place. A while later, the Williams moved out to the Cogan place, a 25-acre plot that they bought with a loan that stepson-in-law Raymond Fechter backed for $2,000. This place had an old three-bedroom home with porches on two sides. It burned down about 1936 when mice got into matches stored in the pantry.

After the Cogan place fire, Al and Cora moved in with stepdaughter Sonoma (Fisher) Clarke for several years while they rebuilt on the Cogan property for $3,000, with $1,500 from insurance. Al, sons Merle and Ed, Raymond Fechter, and Bill and Dave Sharp all dug the foundation for the new house.

Al Williams died May 14, 1940 in Sonoma County, while still living with Sonoma's family, at the age of 65. His son Ed, with help from Herb Fechter and Kenneth Saxton, dug his grave, variously reported to be at Oak Knoll (colloquially "Okie Knoll") Cemetery on Sharp's property off Petrified Forest Road or the Butler property above Porter Creek Road .

Amos WILLIAMS (1876-1946)

142F. Amos Williams was born in February 8 or 11, 1876, in California, probably Woodland Township, Yolo County. Amos married Hermana C. Suggett, a native of Missouri, about 1903. They had at least one daughter:

142F1.

Blanche Hazel Williams

(1904)

Oct 1960

(56)

In 1900, Amos and his younger brother Earl were living with Thomas H. Williams, believed to be a cousin, in Suisun, Solano County, California as laborers on his farm. Nearby to the extended Williams families, brothers Charles and Harvey were also enumerated with the Reece family.^{[Cen 1900]}

The Williams were living at 222 E Street in Washington township, on the Yolo County side of West Sacramento by 1910, where Amos worked as an electrician for the railroad.^{[Cen 1910]} By 1920, Amos was still working as an electrician for the railroad, but had moved across the river into Sacramento proper where they resided at 1716 N. Street. There, Hermena's mother and sister, Sarah and Maria Suggett, lived with them, along with six roomers.^{[Cen 1920]}

Amos Williams died on July 2, 1946, in Napa County, California. He was 70 years old.

Hermana C. (Suggett) Williams died 26 years later on November 14, 1972 in Sacramento County, California. She was 91 years old.

Wilford S. WILLIAMS (1878-1974)

142G. Wilford S. Williams was born on either November 24, 1877 or February 18, 1878 in California. He served in the Philippines and/or the Boxer Rebellion and is known to have returned to the U.S. but later lost contact with his family. He died in Yolo County, California on August 28, 1947 at the age of 69.

Earl WILLIAMS (1880-)

142H. Earl Williams was born on August 25, 1879 or 1880, in California, probably in Woodland, Yolo County. He married and had at least one daughter:

142H1.

Thelma Williams

--

--

--

In 1900, Earl and his elder brother Amos were living with Thomas H. Williams, believed to be a cousin, in Suisun, Solano County, California as laborers on his farm. Nearby to the extended Williams families, brothers Charles and Harvey were also enumerated with the Reece family.^{[Cen 1900]}

Martha "Mattie" (WILLIAMS) STANDLEY (1881-1959)

142K. Martha "Mattie" Helen Williams was born on March 6, 1881, in Woodland Township, Yolo County, California. She married Henry Charles Standley about 1906, but had no children.

Mattie appears to have been living as a boarder with Cora and Joseph Thrift, likely referring to Mattie's older sister Cora, in Fruitvale, Alameda County, California in 1900. There she worked as a teacher.^{[Cen 1900]}

The Standleys lived in San Francisco after their marriage where they are noted living at 2248 Market Street. Henry was employed as a marine engineer for schooners.^{[Cen 1910]} They later moved about 1½ miles northeast to 1117 Geary Street, where Mattie's younger sister, Mamie, lived with them in 1918. A little while later they moved again about three blocks west to the 1400 block of O'Farrell Street and this time Henry was noted as a steamship engineer.^{[Cen 1920]}

Come 1930, the Standleys had moved back about three blocks east to 1104 Gough Street, where Henry worked as a building construction engineer and Mattie worked a keeper at a lodging house. In 1930, Mattie's younger sister Mamie (Williams) Johnson and her husband were also living with them.^{[Cen 1930]} Nephew Ed recalls that the Standleys owned two apartments on Gough Street. They sold them and moved to Calistoga by the 1940s.

Henry Charles Standley died on June 3, 1949 in Napa County. He was 73 years old.

Martha Helen (Williams) Standley died nine years later on January 6, 1959, in Napa County, California. She was 77 years old.

Nephew Ed recalls Mattie's generosity. Not having any children of her own she gave freely to her nieces and nephews, notably one year she gave 14 of them a trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Charles (James) E. WILLIAMS (1883-~1941)

142I. Charles (James) E. Williams was born in September 1883, possibly in Woodland, Yolo County, California. He was said to have been crippled by polio, but according to his niece, Elsie Alberta (Williams) Hitchcock, he fell as a baby, injuring his sciatic nerve and causing his leg to be stunted. Charles married a woman named Birdie (Janie?) and had at least two children:

142I1.	James Williams	--	--	--
142I2.	Ethel G. Williams	--	--	--

In 1900, brothers Charles and Harvey were enumerated with the Reece family among extended families of Robert Williams in Suisun Township, Solano County, California. Also nearby were elder brothers Amos and Earl, who were living with Thomas H. Williams, believed to be a cousin.^{[Cen 1900]}

A Charles James Williams is found in the 1912 Great Register of Voters for Sonoma County. This Charles James was a farmer living in the Rincon Precinct of Santa Rosa along with father Ira T. and brother Albert Williams.

In 1920, the Williams were living on near Yolo Street and Riverbank Road, along the Sacramento River, in Washington Township (West Sacramento), Yolo County, California. Charles worked as a general clerk.^{[Cen 1920]}

Son Jimmy was assigned to the U.S.S. Arizona in 1941. The day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Jimmy transferred to the U.S.S. Pigeon, escaping certain death. When the U.S.S. Arizona was sunk on December 7, 1941, Jimmy was erroneously reported dead. When Charles was wrongfully notified of his son's death he died of a heart attack with the telegram in his hand.

Mamie (WILLIAMS) JOHNSON (1885-)

142L. Mamie (or Mayme) Williams was born on February 5, 1885, Woodland Township, Yolo County, California. She married a Swingle,perhaps around 1905, and later Fred E. Johnson by 1920, but had no children.

By 1930, the Johnsons were living with Mamie's elder sister Mattie (Williams) Standley in San Francisco, where she worked as a waitress in a restaurant and Fred worked as a clerk.^{[Cen 1930]}

Harvey Roy WILLIAMS (1888-1947)

142J. Harvey Roy Williams was born on September 25, 1888 in California, probably in Woodland, Yolo County. He married Bertha Wademan, the daughter of German immigrants from Nebraska. They had one son:

142J1.

Lowell Roy Williams

2 Oct 1926

4 Jun 2005

(78)

In 1900, Harvey and his elder brother Charles were enumerated with the Reece family among extended families of Robert Williams in Suisun Township, Solano County, California. Also nearby were elder brothers Amos and Earl, who were living with Thomas H. Williams, believed to be a cousin.^{[Cen 1900]}

The Williams were enumerated in the 1930 census east of Woodland in Woodland Township, Yolo County, California. There Harvey worked as a machinist in a machine shop and Bertha's brother, Rudolph F. Wademan, lived with them and worked in a planing mill.

Harvey enlisted in the final month of World War I on October 18, 1918, as a Private in Battery E, 25th Artillery Regiment, Coast Artillery Corps.^{[Vet, Grave]} Battery E was assigned to Los Angeles, California. He was discharged two months later on December 16, 1918.^[Vet]

Harvey Roy Williams died on February 7, 1947 in Yolo County, California, at the age of 58 years. He was buried at Woodland Cemetery in Woodland.^[Grave]

Bertha (Wademan) Williams died 31 years later on December 26, 1979, in Placer County, California. She was 90 years old. Bertha was buried with Harvey at Woodland Cemetery.^[Grave]

Laura (WILLIAMS) WAHLANDER (>1900-)

142M. Laura (or Lorraine) Williams was born on August 19 or 20 in 1889 or 1890, in California, likely in Yolo County. She was born after a separation by her parents.

Laura Williams married a Wahlander, believed to be Adrian Wahlander, born March 5, 1906, and died February 13, 1989, in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California.

Laura (Williams) Wahlander died on October 21, 1952, in Napa County, California. She was about 62 years old.