Fourth Generation

86. Elijah R. WILLIAMS^25,26 was born about 1830 in Illinois. He died in Mar 1880 in Vernon County, Missouri. E. R. Williams met his wife Louise Williams in Hancock County, Illinois. According to family history, he was a small man of English stock, while his wife Louise was a large woman with Irish origins. It is believed that the family of Louisa Williams family moved to Hancock County, Illinois, from Coshocton County, Ohio.

E. R. and Louisa Williams had a peculiar way of naming their children-- each child had a middle initial which represented their order of birth in the family. That is, the oldest child's middle initial was A, the second oldest was B, and so forth. The middle initial of Wyatt C and Florence E appear on their marriage record. Since there was not another sibling between them in age on the 1870 census, one can only assume the "D Williams" died at a very young age.

The 4 oldest children, Isley, Etheline, Wyatt, and Florence, were born in Illinois, probably Hancock County. Around 1859 E. R. Williams moved his family to Cass County, Missouri where he is found on the Missouri census of 1860. Son Lincoln was born in 1861 in Missouri, so named after the election of Abraham Lincoln that same year. Columbia and Theckla were born during the Civil war in Kansas. E. R. Williams moved his family back to Vernon County, Missouri after the war in 1868 where Teckla was probably born. He purchased land from Elkanah Grace there in December 1868 and then mortaged his property to Vernon County. He was apparently a man of limited means. There is no service record of E. R. Williams having served for either side in the Civil War, but it is clear from his origins, the naming patterns in his family, and his migration to Kansas to escape the war that he was pro-Union in sentiment.

Elijah Williams probably died in the beginning of March of 1880, since the first entry into the probate record in Vernon County was dated 8 March 1880. On this date, his wife Louisa was appointed administratrix of his estate, and it was ordered that William Merrick and T. P. Thorpe were appointed witnesses to accompany and aid Louisa Williams in settling the estate. In an entry dated 6 April 1880, the court found that there were no debts owed to the estate nor any debts owed by the estate. It was therefore ordered that the property of E. R. Williams be turned over to his wife Louisa Williams, and his estate was settled.

I have written to the Vernon County Courthouse for copies of any loose probate files of E. R. Williams, and for copies of the deeds of 1868. I have yet to hear back from them. I do not know where this family moved after the death of E. R. Williams, and the only family member

Elijah R. WILLIAMS and Louisa WILLIAMS were married on 18 Jan 1853 in Hancock County, Illinois. Louisa WILLIAMS was born about 1833 in Ohio. Elijah R. WILLIAMS and Louisa WILLIAMS had the following children:

+213	i.	Isley A. WILLIAMS.
214	ii.	Ethaline B. WILLIAMS was born in 1855.
+215	iii.	Wyatt C. WILLIAMS.
+216	iv.	Florence E. WILLIAMS.
217	v.	Lincoln F. WILLIAMS was born in 1861.
+218	vi.	Columbia G. WILLIAMS.
219	vii.	Amelia H. WILLIAMS was born in 1864.
220	viii.	Teckla I. WILLIAMS was born in 1868.
221	ix.	Etta WILLIAMS was born in 1872.
222	x.	Dyren WILLIAMS was born in 1874.
223	xi.	Lyonel WILLIAMS was born in 1876.