DeSoto Parish, Louisiana; Biography: J. E. Williams - w452

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Typed by Trudy Marlow
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            J.  E. Williams.  If, as is self evident, this
         work would be incomplete without the sketches of
         the more public spirited and of the successful agri-
         culturists, the biography of the subject of this
         sketch justly finds a conspicuous place in this vol-
         ume.  He was born in Russell County, Ala., Sep-
         tember 3, 1851, to John and Mary (McGee) Will-
         iams, natives of Georgia, the former dying in
         Florida, and the latter in De Soto Parish, La.  Of
         a large family of children born to them, the sub-
         ject of this sketch was the next to the youngest,
         and in the State of his birth he was reared to man-
         hood, his education being only such as the common
         schools afforded.  Reared on a farm from his ear-
         liest boyhood, he soon became familiar with every
         detail of the work, and showed good judgment in
         making this his life work when he came to choose
         a calling for himself.  In the fall of 1877 he came
         to Louisiana and located in De Soto Parish, pur-
         chasing, two years after his arrival, the farm on
         which he is now residing, which amounts to 470
         acres, 300 acres being opened.  Everything about
         his place shows that thrift, industry and good
         management hold full sway, for not only are his
         buildings and fences in good repair, but his Crops
         are always of the best, and the stock which covers
         his broad acres are of fine breed.  His horses are
         Hambletonian and Percheron, and he is the owner
         of a colt, seventeen months old, which is fourteen
         and a half hands high.  He takes much interest in
         this enterprise, and gives every promise of becom-
         ing a noted stockman, his cattle being also of a
         good grade.  His annual yield of cotton is about
         sixty-five bales.  He was married in 1872 to Miss
         Sophronia Brown, by whom he has seven children:
         Onie, Mittie, Lizzie, Hilda, Inez, Ollie and Alto.
         Mr. and Mrs. Williams are members of the Meth-
         odist Episcopal Church, and he is a prominent and
         well-known man in this parish.  He has one
         brother and two sisters living: Holland (in Flor-
         ida), Mittie (wife of A. P. Harris), Julia (wife of
         W. C. Gouldsby, of Florida), and Oliver (died
         while in the war).