Bartholomew-St. Joseph-Porter County IN Archives Biographies.....Williams, Elmer L. 1849 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 21, 2007, 12:51 am Author: B. F. Bowen (1904) p. 195-197 ELMER L. WILLIAMS. Among the representative business men of Columbus who have done much toward its upbuilding and development probably none are better known than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. As a real estate dealer he is now identified with the active business interests of the city and in former years he was an important factor in educational circles, leaving the impress of his individuality upon the intellectual development of Indiana. His life record has been an honorable one and is also noble because of the fact that he has earned his own living since attaining the age of ten years. Mr. Williams was born in St. Joseph county, Indiana, on the 3d of November, 1849, and comes of an old family of North Carolina, whose members removed from North Carolina to Wayne county, Indiana, afterward lived in Pendleton, this state, subsequently in St. Joseph county and later in LaPorte county. In the last named place the family became scattered. John W. Williams, the father of the subject, remained in St. Joseph county until 1851 and then took up his abode in LaPorte county, where he spent his remaining days. He was identified with the Society of Friends and when called to the home beyond his remains were interred in the Quaker cemetery near Westville. He died in the year 1855. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Bird, was a representative of an old Pennsylvania family of German extraction. Her father became one of the pioneer settlers of St. Joseph county, Indiana, establishing his home there in 1831. A few months after his arrival there was born unto him and his wife a son, Andrew Bird, who was the first white male child born in St. Joseph county. Throughout his entire life he resided in his native state, his death occurring at a recent date. The Williams and Riley families of Indiana were related by marriage and James Whitcomb Riley, the noted Indiana poet, is a relative of the subject. Unto Mr. and Mrs. John W. Williams were born three children, a son and two daughters, of whom Elmer L. is the eldest. The sisters are Mary C, the wife of Rezener Jones, of Columbus; and Willey A., who is the wife of George Fritz, of South Bend, Indiana. Elmer L. Williams was less than six years of age at the time of his father's death. When he was a little lad of ten summers he began earning his own living. He was very young to start out to fight life's battles, but in the strife he has-come off victorious. He had a common-school education. In his early youth and in 1867 he entered a school conducted under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal church and known as the Valparaiso (Indiana) Male and Female College. There he worked for his board and clothing while attending school and he was also employed during the months of vacation, thus earning the money necessary to meet the expenses of the course. He spent two years in that institution, after which he was taken ill because of exposure and overwork. Later he became a teacher in Porter county, Indiana, and Hon. Mr. Crumpacker was one of his students. Later Mr. Williams was very ill in South Bend, Indiana, and for some time it was thought that he could not recover. His strong constitution however, triumphed over disease and when he had sufficiently regained his health he once more entered the schoolroom as a teacher, following that profession for five years. He was a capable instructor, an excellent disciplinarian and he had the abilty [sic] to interest his pupils while impressing upon their minds the lessons that he believed would prove of value in later years. In 1890 Mr. Williams came to Columbus and is one of the leading real estate dealers of the city at the present time. Formerly he was employed as a traveling salesman for the Newark Machine Company, and later engaged with Reeves & Company as superintendent of the sales department, but now he is operating in real estate and has thoroughly informed himself concerning realty values. He has negotiated a number of important transfers and has handled much property in this city. On the 3d of November, 1879, Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss Ella I. Burditt, a native of Michigan. They became the parents of two children: M. Howard, who is now deceased; and Elsie M., born in 1889. The parents hold membership in the Christian church, in which Mr. Williams is serving as one of the deacons. Fraternally he is a York-rite Mason and he is also connected through membership relations with the Knights of the Maccabees, being one of the charter members here. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and he is one of the active and leading representatives of the organization in this county. He served as the president of the Lincoln League for several years and his efforts in behalf of the organization and of the party have been effective and far-reaching. His life has been actuated by high principles and his regard has ever been commendable. In business he is straightforward and reliable and all who know him have respected him for his sterling qualities of manhood. He is a self-educated and self-made man, whose force of character, strong determination and honorable purpose have enabled him to steadily advance on the road to success and also in public esteem. Additional Comments: Extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY INDIANA INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA ILLUSTRATED 1904 B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/bartholomew/bios/williams682gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb