William Alfred Austin (1842 - 1913)

Born 6 Feb 1842 in Charlestown, Portage County, Ohio, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Glenn) Austin — married 8 Sep 1861 in Iowa

Descendants

Died 26 Nov 1913 at age 71 in Sylvia, Reno County, Kansas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Lynn Kelts [send private message] and George Kelts [send private message]

This profile is Genealogically Defined.

Biography

William Alfred Austin was born in Ohio in 1842, the sixth of seven children born to Charles and Harriet Austin. Almost immediately his family moved to Iowa, where in 1845, when he was only three years old, both his parents and two of his brothers died within a brief period, most likely of typhoid fever.

William went to live with a great uncle, Amos Austin,^[1] and his brother Charles, seven years old, was taken in by his aunt Sophia Austin Parsons. Later, William and Charles went to live with their older sister Lucy and her husband, Thomas Isett, in Iowa, where they were listed on the Iowa census in 1856.^[2]

William married Mary Ann Glenn in 1861.^[3] She had moved to Iowa from Indiana when she was a child. He was 19 years old, living with his older brother,^[4] and Mary Ann, only 16, lived nearby in the William Goodrich household. They settled in Illinois and had one child, born early in 1864.

During the Civil War, William fought for the North. He joined the 29th Illinois Infantry in August 1864 as a paid draft substitute and served to the war's end.^[5]

After William came home from the war, he and Mary Ann had seven more children. By 1870 they were farming in Medicine Township, Missouri,^[6] and Mary Ann's twice-widowed father joined the household (he died in 1879).^[7]

William moved his family to the newly established small town of Sylvia, Kansas around 1886, and went into the hardware business, buying the store around 1892,^[8] a venture in which he prospered. He also took an active part in the town's religious and civic life, serving as superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School for 18 years and many terms as the town's mayor.^{[9][10] [11]}

William sold the business to his son Charles in 1910, and died three years later at the age of 71.^[12] He is buried in the Austin family plot in the Sylvia Cemetery along with many of his relatives.^[13]

According to his obituary published November 29, 1913, "Practically the whole population of Sylvia had a part in the funeral of W.A. Austin, late pioneer merchant and leading citizen, held here today. As one of the founders of the town and a leading citizen for a quarter of a century, Mr. Austin was held in universal esteem and respect..."^[3]

--Julie Kelts, January 8, 2019 (and later)

Sources

1. ↑ U.S. census, 1850, Charlestown, Portage County, Ohio (Ancestry record): William Austin, age 8, male, birthplace Ohio, Attended school within the year; in the Amos Austin household image
2. ↑ Iowa State Census Collection, 1856, Bloomington, Muscatine County (Ancestry record): William A. Austin, age 14, Male, birthplace Ohio; in the T. M. Isett household image
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} see obituary attached at right
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Franklin, Clarke, Iowa; Roll: M653_314; Page: 469; Family History Library Film: 803314: Name: Wm Austin Age: 18 Birth Year: abt 1842 Gender: Male Birth Place: Ohio Home in 1860: Franklin, Clarke, Iowa Post Office: Glenns Dwelling Number: 893 Family Number: 881 Household Members: C Austin 21 H Austin 24 Wm Austin 18
5. ↑ see Civil War discharge attached at right
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Medicine, Livingston, Missouri; Roll: M593_789; Page: 606B; Family History Library Film: 552288: Name: William Austin Age in 1870: 29 Birth Year: abt 1841 Birthplace: Ohio Dwelling Number: 90 Home in 1870: Medicine, Livingston, Missouri Gender: Male Post Office: Avalon Occupation: Farmer Male Citizen over 21: Y Personal Estate Value: 350 Real Estate Value: 1000 Inferred Spouse: Annie Austin Inferred Children: Nellie L Austin William E Austin Gertrude Austin Household Members: John Glenn 72 William Austin 29 Annie Austin 24 Nellie L Austin 7 William E Austin 4 Gertrude Austin
7. ↑ Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Medicine, Livingston, Missouri; Roll: 700; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 159: Name: Wm. A. Austin Age: 38 Birth Date: Abt 1842 Birthplace: Ohio Home in 1880: Medicine Livingston Missouri USA Dwelling Number: 96 Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Self (Head) Marital status: Married Spouse's name: Anna Austin Father's Birthplace: Connecticut Mother's Birthplace: Connecticut Occupation: Farmer Household Members: Wm. A. Austin 38 Anna Austin 35 Nellie L. Austin 16 Edward Austin 14 Berta Austin 7 Charley Austin 5 Frank Austin 2
8. ↑ see stock certificate attached at right
9. ↑ Ancestry.com. Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, 1895 Kansas State Census. Microfilm reels K-1 – K-169. Kansas State Historical Society: Name: W A Austin Census Date: 1 Mar 1895 Residence County: Reno Residence State: Kansas Locality: Sylvia Birth Place: Ohio Family Number: 2 Gender: Male Age: 52 Birth Year: abt 1843 Race: White Household Member(s): W A Austin 52 Mary Austin 48 Bert G Austin 20 Ches G Austin 18 Frank Austin 16 Peare [Pearl] E Austin 13 Ethel E Austin 7
10. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census: Year: 1900; Census Place: Sylvia, Reno, Kansas; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 0216; FHL microfilm: 1240496 Ancestry Record 7602 #2232168 1900 United States Federal Census:

    Name:	William A Austin
    Age:	58
    Birth Date:	Feb 1842
    Birthplace:	Ohio, USA
    Home in 1900:	Sylvia, Reno, Kansas
    Sheet Number:	5
    Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation:	92
    Family Number:	92
    Race:	White
    Gender:	Male
    Relation to Head of House:	Head
    Marital Status:	Married
    Spouse's Name:	Mary A Austin
    Marriage Year:	1861
    Years Married:	39
    Father's Birthplace:	Connecticut, USA
    Mother's Birthplace:	Connecticut, USA
    Occupation:	Hardware
    Months Not Employed:	0
    Can Read:	Yes
    Can Write:	Yes
    Can Speak English:	Yes
    House Owned or Rented:	Own
    Home Free or Mortgaged:	F
    Farm or House:	H

    Household Members
    Name	Age
    William A Austin	58
    Mary A Austin	54
    Frank G Austin	21
    Pearl M Austin	18
    Ethel E Austin	12

11. ↑ some biographical information in this profile was told to Julie Kelts by her grandmother, Marjorie Austin Cecil, who was William's granddaughter
12. ↑ see death certificate attached at right
13. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #101092233

• FamilySearch profile no. MC5G-QWF; Kelts-Van Wye-Cecil-Austin Family Tree on Ancestry (tree no. 71402081)