John Dill Williams (abt. 1857 - 1928)

Born about 1857 in Grove City, Pennsylvania, USA [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 14 May 1928 at about age 71 in Grove City, Pennsylvania, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rick Heiser [send private message]

Biography

John Williams was born apparently around 1855-57 at Grove City, in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Most records show a middle initial D. Did it stand for anything, or meaningless? Foolish practice! It hampers any attempt at positive identification. (A genealogy submitted to www.familysearch.org suggests that his middle name was "Dill"; I've got no idea if that is correct, or where the name might have originated, but it is an improvement over D. meaning nothing.)

1870 U.S. census showed several men named John (D.) Williams all lived in Pennsylvania. The most relevant one seems to be John D Williams born about 1855 at Pine Township, Mercer County... which is also the location of Grove City, where he later lived. In this census, several members of the family had meaningless initials.

John (D.) Williams married about 1877 to Rhoda Mitchell or Thompson! Which was her correct surname? No marriage record has been found.

1880 U.S. census at Sandy Creek, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, showed John D. Williams and wife Rhoda, with children Gertie and Vera. It said John was born in Pennsylvania about 1857 and was a farmer.

Marriage certificate of daughter Gertrude, in 1897 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, showed her father as "John D. Williams".

Marriage certificate of daughter Bessie, in 1904 at Cleveland, Ohio, showed her father as "Jno. Williams", with no middle initial.

His first wife, Rhoda, appears to have predeceased him in early 1900s, although proof hasn't been found. 1910 & 1920 U.S. censuses at Pine Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania showed that John was remarried to Martha Ann Allen (1855-1933).

John Williams died in 1928 ^[1]at Grove City, Pennsylvania and was buried at Woodland Cemetery. The grave marker again insisted on the meaningless middle initial D. It identifies his parents as Robert Lewis Williams and Katherine Hummel (her name written with "C" rather than "K" in censuses.)

Sources

1. ↑ Death: "Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1970", Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA, USA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 050501-053500; Certificate Number: 51138, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5164 #3633627 (accessed 25 April 2024), John G Williams death 14 May 1928 (age 73), son of Robert L Williams & Catherine Hummel, in Grove City, Mercer, Pennsylvania, USA.

• 1880 U.S. census, Sandy Creek, Pennsylvania

• Marriage record of daughter Gertrude Williams, 1897, Northampton County, Pennsylvania

• Marriage record of daughter Bessie Jane Williams, 1904, Cleveland, Ohio

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #63887252 (accessed 25 April 2024), Memorial page for John D Williams (1855-14 May 1928), citing Woodland Cemetery, Grove City, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, USA (plot: Sec. 4 - Lot 377W - Grave 4); Maintained by Don Cook (contributor 47370226).

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Rick Heiser for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Rick and others.