William Butler (1863 - 1884)

Born 26 Jun 1863 in Pulaski, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Died 1884 at about age 20 in Butler Township, Lonoke, Arkansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jennifer McLaren [send private message]

Biography

William was born in 1863. He was the son of Thomas Butler MD and Martha Stephens. He passed away in 1884 from Meningitis.

Memories

Dr. Thomas Gaston Butler was born on July 12, 1830, in Athens, Ga. We have no record of his father or mother, but assume that he grew up with the desire to become a Doctor. He finished Medical School at Macon, Ga., and returned to Athens to begin the business of doctoring the sick.

In 1852, at the age of 22, he married a home town girl, Martha Ann Elizabeth Stephens, age 18. His practice increased and so did his family. His first child, Henry A, was born at Athens in 1853; by the time the second child was due, they had moved to Gainesville,Ga. Here Joseph Thomas was born in 1856. A third child, James Lenton, was born in 1858, but the place of his birth is uncertain.

A son, George Washington, writes in his memories that his mother and father left Georgia and migrated to Austin, Arkansas, traveling part way river boat - a difficult journey for wife and babies. There was rumor that Austin, being located near the center of the United States (40 miles north east of Little Rock) was to be made the National Capitol. Due to the expense to move national monuments, the plan never materialized. Dr. Butler lived in Old Austin 3 or 4 years, about five years before the beginning of the Civil War. So Dr. Butler either left his wife and children in Georgia or James Lenton was born in Old Austin

By 1860 the family was living in a community about 10 miles east of Old Austin. The towns people named it Butlerville in honor of Dr. Butler. He became well known as a typical Horse and Buggy Doctor. Here they lived for the next 22 years. Seven more children were born. They faced many hardships and tragedies. James Lenton died in 1862 at age 4, and Henry A. in 1866 at age 13.

In 1882 Martha Ann became sick. Dr. Butler took her to Malvern, Ark. (near Hot Springs) to consult a doctor there. He rented a house there and moved his family to be near the doctor. She was 48 years of age, had born 10 children, her youngest child was only 7. Here in the fall of 1882 Martha Ann Elizabeth Stephens Butler died of breast cancer. Her body was returned to Athens, Ga. for burial.

Dr. Butler bought land near Malvern and built house and barn. In 1884 death claimed four more children: Mollie - age 16, Robert - age 18, Willie - age 21 and Alfred Mack - age 9. Dr. Butler consulted doctors in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. The illness was later diagnosed as Meningitis, and. Dr. Thomas Gaston Butler later cured the first known case of Meningitis.

Joseph Thomas was the only child that followed his father in the medical profession. He attended Medical School in Louisville, Ky. In those days the students attended in six week sessions, - working in between sessions. He was 2o years of age, still living at home, when he met and married Ann Victoria Neeley from Watson, Miss. Jan. 13, 1876 at Butlerville, Ark. They went Watson to live on a farm owned by Mr. Neeley. He tried farming for a year, but did not like it. Continued to study medicine by candle light. They stayed on the farm until Lynn was born. Returned to his fathers home in Butlerville. Left his wife and child with his mother and father and returned to Louisville, Ky. to continue the study of medicine. Their second child, Vida, was born there while he was still there.

With a new Doctors certificate, Dr, Joseph Thomas Butler moved his family to Grapevine Ark. and began his medical career. He built a new home and their last four children' were born here; Ethyl, Amyl, Osee and Bera. At birth they were given single names. After expressing a desire for double names, their mother allowed them to choose the following: Max Lynn, Ethyl Inez, Amyl Amy, Osee Charles. Bera did not chose additional name. The names were never registered, but Lynn did use initials M.L. some and Osee became Dr. O.C. Butler, the only child to continue the medical profession.

Vida showed great talent for music at an early age. She was sent to Asheville, N.C. to study Violin and piano, and mastered all string instruments. At age 20 she acquired the position of music teacher in the High School at Star City, Ark. The mother moved the girls to Star City too, so they could attend school there. This was in 1900 and resulted in a separation of mother and father.

In compiling the above history of the Butler family I was aided by records furnished by my fathers sister, Mrs. Amyl Butler Hellums of Willits, Calif.; by remembrances told me by my mother and personal experiences of mine.

Ramal C. Butler Stalcup

Sources

• "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCD-89R : Tue Mar 05 10:36:27 UTC 2024), Entry for T G Butler and Martha A Butler, 1870.

• "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNW6-P22 : Sun Mar 10 00:06:43 UTC 2024), Entry for Thomas G. Butler and Martha A. Butler, 1880.