Ara Ellen Elizabeth (Williamson) Bills (1850 - 1940)

Born 11 Oct 1850 in Clearfield, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Almon Bills — married 1873 in Cloud County, Kansas, United States

Descendants

Died 17 Jul 1940 at age 89 in Broken Arrow, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Todd Murray [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Williamson Name Study.

Ellen was likely born in 1850 and not 1849 (see note below). ^[1] But see Ellen's tombstone for alternate date. ^[2] She was the daughter of Thomas Williamson and Elizabeth Williamson. ^[3] She passed away in 1940. ^{[2] [4]}

Residences

Ellen is enumerated in the following censuses:

• 1860 - Cambria County, Pennsylvania ^[1]
• 1870 - Clay County, Kansas ^[5]
• 1875 - Phillips County, Kansas ^[6]
• 1880 - Riley County, Kansas ^[7]
• 1885 Riley County, Kansas ^[8]
• 1900 - Kay County, Oklahoma Territory ^[9]
• 1905 - Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas State Census, Bills #73, p. 10
• 1910 - Christian County, Missouri ^[10]
• 1920 - McIntosh County, Oklahoma ^[11]
• 1930 - Tulsa County, Oklahoma ^[12]
• 1940 - Tulsa County, Oklahoma ^[13]

Family

Ellen married Almon Bills in 1873, according to their obituaries. The story of this couple's marriage, however, would not be complete without the following legal notice that Ellen initiated:

PUBLICATION NOTICE.

In the District Court, Twelfth Judicial District, Cloud County, Kansas, Ary Ellen Williamson, plaintiff, vs. Almon Bills, defendant. The above named defendant, Almon Bills, is hereby notified that he has been sued by the plaintiff, Ary Ellen Williamson, for $2,000 damages for breach of promise of marriage and seduction. and that said defendant must answer the petition of the said plaintiff, duly filed in the Clerk's office of said Court, on the 25th day of April, A. D. 1872, on or before the 16th day of May, A. D. 1872, or the peti-tion of plaintiff will be taken as true, and judgment for damages in the sum of $2,000 redered accordingly.

ARY ELLEN WILLIAMSON.

By L. Westover, her attorney.

Attest, Wm. E. REID.

4213 Clerk of Dist. Court.

This civil case was continued on 25 May 1872 and presumably, the couple reconciled and then wed, although no marriage record has been located to date.

To this union were born the following children:

• circa 1875 - Sarah
• 1876 - Edward William
• 1880 - Rosa B. (died in youth)
• 1881 - Florence Elizabeth
• 1882 - William Milon
• 1885 - Elsie

Obituary

Pioneer Mother Passes Away Here. ^[14]

Mrs. Ellen Bills, a pioneer mother who for 35 years has been a Broken Arrow resident, passed away yesterday her her home after an extended illness at the ripe old age of 90 [sic] years. Mrs. Ellen Williamson was born October 11, 1849 [sic] in Cambrie [sic] county, Pennsylvania, moving to Kansas when but 11 years old. In 1873 she was united with Almond [sic] Bills and to this union 10 children were born, six of them preceding her in death. The Bills family came to Oklahoma in the strip opening, settling first at Tonkawa but later moving to the Territory and Broken Arrow in 1905. And with the exception of a few years when they moved to Checotah, have lived here. In 1920, she, with Mr. Bills moved to their home in the north part of Broken Arrow where she remained until her death. Mr. Bills passed away 11 years ago. She was converted at an early age and is a member of the Baptist church. Grandma Bills was well known to most folks here, and leaves to mourn two daughters, Mrs. Flora Caughlin, Tonkawa and Mrs. Elsie Ludwig of the home; and two sons, Ed Bills of Oklahoma City and Bill Bills of this city, together with 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Services will be held this afternoon from the Assembly of God church with Rev. Albert Ogle in charge. Barth's are in charge of arrangements. Interment will be in Park Grove.

Research Notes

• Ellen does not appear in the 1850 United States Census with her family and thus, was not born in October of 1849, but likely October 1850 after the census was taken. ^[15]
• Funeral Home Records note she was born in "Poncilmon" but no such place exists.
• The only other reference for her name as either "Ary" or "Ara" Ellen Elizabeth is in her father's will.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXPN-M7L : 19 March 2020), Elen Williamson in entry for Thomas Williamson, 1860.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #10254127
3. ↑ "History of Butler County, Kansas, Vol. P. Mooney, Standard Publishing Company, Lawrence, Kan. 1916, pages 738-739, where "In 1863, Thomas Williamson and his family migrated from Pennsylvania to Missouri, and three years later, came to Kansas, and settled in Cloud county, where the parents spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of the following children: J.H., the subject of this sketch; H.H. Le Grande, Ore.; John, Parker, Kans.; Frank, Golconda, Ariz.; Martin, Clyde, Kans.; and Mrs. Ellen Bills, Choctaw, Okla."
4. ↑ "Death Certificate for Ellen Bills", 17 Jul 1940, Broken Arrow, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, File #11459, State of Oklahoma Department of Health, photocopy in possession of Todd Murray. Birth 11 Oct 1849, Parents William Williamson [sic] and Unknown.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJJ-VH2 : 18 March 2020), Ellen Williamson in entry for John Dexter, 1870.
6. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL6X-XRJQ : 12 March 2020), Ellen Bills in household of A Bills, Phillips, Kansas, United States; citing Census, Phillips, Kansas, United States, 10, Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka; FHL microfilm 570,215.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF5V-WF9 : 12 August 2017), Ellen Bills in household of Almon Bills, Manhattan, Riley, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 255, sheet 308C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,395.
8. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQ3-CLN1?i=151&wc=W81J-6XK%3A1597332355%2C1597342945&cc=1825188)
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMGF-CS3 : accessed 5 July 2020), Ellen E Bills in household of Almon Bills, Owen Township, Kay, Oklahoma Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 96, sheet 1A, family 8, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,338.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2TL-QG7 : accessed 5 July 2020), Ellen Aills in household of Almon Aills, Polk, Christian, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 43, sheet 8A, family 133, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 776; FHL microfilm 1,374,789.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJMG-V4T : accessed 5 July 2020), Ellen Bills in household of Almond Bills, Checotah, McIntosh, Oklahoma, United States; citing ED 41, sheet 4A, line 42, family 69, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1471; FHL microfilm 1,821,471.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC42-8PW : accessed 5 July 2020), Ellen Bills, Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 5, sheet 2A, line 13, family 27, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1933; FHL microfilm 2,341,667.
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBKR-MRK : 8 February 2020), Ellen Bills, Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow City, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 72-5, sheet 15B, line 60, family 382, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3336.
14. ↑ Broken Arrow Ledger, 18 Jul 1940, p. 1, c. 5.
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M44Y-4GM : 4 April 2020), Thomas Williamson, Clearfield, Cambria, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 92, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).