Charles Wesley Williams (1878 - 1934)

Born 21 Apr 1878 in Tallapoosa, Alabama, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mattie Adella (Lett) Williams — married 16 Nov 1902 in Bell, Texas, United States

Descendants

Died 1 May 1934 at age 56 in Abilene, Taylor, Texas, United States

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Biography

Charles Wesley Williams was born in Talapoosa County, Alabama, on April 21, 1878. ^[1][2]

His father was Rufus Pitt Williams ^[3] and his mother was Nancy Clark Adkins. Charles had two older half sisters in the home, Lida and Mollie ^[4], who were the daughters of his father's first wife, Martha Roberson. Upon her death he married her cousin Nancy. They had had one daughter, Cora, before Charles was born and was their only son with seven more daughters to come.

When Charlie was 6 years old, probably in early 1885, the family moved to Williamson County, Texas, ^[5] and settled near Corn Hill, with encouragement from Pitt's former father-in-law.^[6]

When he was 24, Charlie married Mattie Adella Lett in nearby Bell County, Texas, on November 16, 1902.^[7] Her family had similarly come from Alabama to Texas and her sister Ada Pearl married Charlie's cousin Thomas Oscar Williams.

Soon after marriage, Charlie and Mattie moved along with his parents and family, to Chico in Wise County, Texas, and they had their first son Gladys Calvin there in 1903. A daughter, Ivy Pearl, was born in 1905 while they were in Wise County, but she only lived 4 months. ^[8]By 1910 they left the Williams family in Wise County and moved to Clay County, Texas, to farm. Their second son, Andrew Lee, was born there in 1908. ^[9]

Charlie and his sons were farming in Winters, Runnels County, Texas, in 1920. ^[10] His sons were 16, 11, and 9, but none were attending school. The Williams family did not put a lot of emphasis on education or the importance of reading. ^[11]

In 1930, Charlie and Mattie and their fourth and youngest son, Alvin Doyle, continued to live and farm in Winters, Texas, and, again, Doyle was not in school. ^[12]

In late April of 1934, Charlie's gall bladder was problematic and he was rushed to the West Texas Baptist Sanitarium in Abilene, Texas. He died there the next day. ^[13] He was buried the next day in the Northview Cemetery on Main Street in Winters, Texas. ^[14]

This was written June 12, 2021, by Janice Williams, great-granddaughter of Charlie and Mattie Williams (via Andrew Lee and Durward Ray).

Physically, Charlie was of medium height with light blue eyes and brown hair ^[15] and appears stocky in photographs as an adult.

Sources

1. ↑ Texas Death Certificate
2. ↑ World War I Draft Registration
3. ↑ 1880 U.S. Census
4. ↑ 1880 U.S. Census
5. ↑ US Census 1900
6. ↑ Information given to Janice Williams by Mattie Lett Williams.
7. ↑ Texas, US County Marriage Records, 1817-1965
8. ↑ Findagrave [1]
9. ↑ US Census1910
10. ↑ US Census 1920
11. ↑ Strictly a personal observation of Janice Williams
12. ↑ US Census 1930
13. ↑ Death certificate
14. ↑ Findagrave [2]
15. ↑ World War I Draft Registration