Garsie (Williams) Ross (1912 - 1979)

Born 12 Jul 1912 in Simpson, Mississippi, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Rosia Lee (Walker) Bullock — married 16 Nov 1935 in Simpson, Mississippi, United States

Husband of Florence (Quesada) Ross — married before 1966 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States

Died 16 Jan 1979 at age 66 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States

Biography

Garsie (Williams) Ross is a part of US Black heritage.

Son of Lawrence Williams, Sr. and Frances Dixon.

Garsin or Garsie was raised in Simpson County, Mississippi.

Aged 7 in 1920; the family was in Beat 5 of Jefferson Davis County.^[1]

He attended school at age 14 in the Stonewall School Dist.^[2]

As Garsey Williams, he was enumerated at age 17 in Simpson County.^[3]

He married Rosa Lee Walker 16 Nov 1935 in Simpson County. She was the daughter of Jeff and Cara Walker.^[4]

He was 6 ft 2 in and weighed 160 lbs.

When he registered with the draft board in 1940, he was married and working for R C Bethea in New Hebron, Lawrence, Mississippi. He had a scar on his left knee.^[5]

The 1940 Census shows "Garcia Williams" at age 27 in Lawrence County, Mississippi. His wife Rosie Lee Williams was age 22. Son Garcia Williams Jr. was age 3. Son R L Williams was age 2. Daughter Betty Jean Williams was age 1.^[6]

Arrest and Conviction for Murder

On May 4, 1941, in Simpson County, Mississippi, Garsie Williams, along with Versie and Clevie Dixon (sons of Abe Dixon) were arrested after a white man and a black woman were fatally wounded outside the Magee Baptist church. "The white man, Seth Dickerson of New Hebron, died in a Jackson hospital Monday. The negro woman was killed instantly. The three negroes in the county jail are Garsie Williams, Varsie Dixon and Clevie Dixon. A search is still being made for Shelby Berry, who is reported to have wounded Houston Buckley of Pinola, fired the fatal shot at the negro woman and wounded two other negroes. Buckley was treated at a Jackson hospital for leg wounds and has been dismissed. It is reported that Dickerson had gone to the negro community in Southwest Simpson county. to hire a negro man and was wounded when he intervened in a quarrel between a negro man and woman after Buckley was shot at Magee Baptist Church.^[7]

Garsie Williams was sentenced to the Mississippi State Penitentiary and escaped to Arizona. In 1961, a series of articles in the Arizona Sun newspaper publicized the injustice in the case and urged against his extradition. Garsie Williams was described as a tenant farmer who carried a gun to protect the cash he earned from barbering, and also to shoot hares on his farm. The woman, Lillie May, was drunk and shouting and cursing everyone who left the church. When Garsie shoved her aside, she pulled a knife on him, that triggered a gun in his hand.^[8]A hearing on the extradition was postponed until April 16, 1961.^[9]

He apparently continued to live in Arizona. At some point he changed his name from Garsie Williams to Robert Ross. He may have remarried.

Obituary

Services for Robert Ross, 66, who lived here 20 years and had changed his name from Garsie Williams, will be noon Saturday, in Webber & Sons Chapel, 1641 E. Jefferson. Mr. Ross, 1123 W. Cocopah, died Jan 16, 1979 in his home. He had been a laborer. Survivors include his children, Betty Richardson, Francine and Rubin Ross and R L Williams, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, six sisters and four brothers.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M43W-Y16 : Thu Dec 07 20:35:44 UTC 2023), Entry for Lawrence Williams and Francis Williams, 1920.
2. ↑ "Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK6F-MRRN : Fri Dec 15 22:07:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Ella Lee Williams and Lawrence Williams, 1927.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9M8-HLR : Fri Oct 06 20:08:18 UTC 2023), Entry for Lawrence Williams and Francis Williams, 1930.
4. ↑ "Mississippi, County Marriages, 1858-1979", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZG49-DSN2 : Mon Oct 23 23:29:49 UTC 2023), Entry for Mr Dorsie Williams and Lawrence Williams, 16 Nov 1935.
5. ↑ "Mississippi, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPKR-NVND : Sat Feb 10 23:45:58 UTC 2024), Entry for Garsie Williams and R C Bethea, 16 October 1940.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBS7-HGG : Tue Nov 28 12:07:46 UTC 2023), Entry for Garcia Williams and Rosie Lee Williams, 1940.
7. ↑ Magee Courier, Magee, Mississippi, Thursday, May 8, 1941, page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/238188216/
8. ↑ Arizona Sun, Phoenix, Arizona, 16 Feb 1961, page 1
9. ↑ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84021917/1961-03-16/ed-1/seq-1/
10. ↑ Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, Friday, 19 Jan 1979, page 22. https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/142518795/

• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTH5-W3R : 11 January 2021), Robert Ross, Jan 1979; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Roger Stong for the obituary.