History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, MO
Cedar County Biography Section

    Harden M. Williams, who is classed among the prominent 
farmers and stock-dealers of Cedar County, Mo., was born on 
his present farm November 21, 1842, and is the son of Judge 
Robert and Lavica (Williams), and the grandson of Robert
Williams, Sr., who was of Welch extraction, and who died in 
Cedar County, Mo. Mrs. Williams' father, John G. Williams, was
also an early settler of Cedar County, Mo., and built a 
grist-mill on Cedar Creek, one of the first in Southwestern 
Missouri, and supplied the whole country with flour and meal.
Judge Williams was born in South Carolina and 1806, removed 
with his parents to Middle Tennessee, and in an early day 
emigrated to Miller County, Mo., and in 1837 to what is now 
Cedar County.  He settled in the woods on Cedar Creek, several
miles from any other settlement, improved a good farm, and 
there spent the rest of his life, dying July 12, 1881.  He had
lived on the same farm for forty-four years, and was one of 
the very first white settlers in that region.  He was fond of 
hunting, and, as the forest abounded with wild animals, he had
abundant opportunities to test his skill as a marksman.  He 
lived in three counties, and did not move.  For about three 
years, from 1867, he was judge of the county court, and was 
one of the county's sturdy, honest pioneers.  He was a man of 
considerable means, was very successful in all business 
perations, and for many years acted as banker in his vicinity,
loaning money to all in need of it.  Although born and reared 
in the South, he was a stanch Union man during the war, and 
held the rank of captain.  He was married four times, and all 
the children living are by the first wife.  Harden M. Williams
is the fifth of four sons and two daughters—these living, viz.:
Francis M., of Nebraska; Fernetta, wife of James M. Preston; 
Harden M., and J. K. all of Cedar County.  Harden M. received 
an ordinary education in the common schools, and August 15, 
1872, he enlisted in Company F, Fortieth Iowa Volunteer 
Infantry, and was in active service for three years.  He was 
in the siege of Vicksburg, was at the capture of Little Rock 
with Steel's expedition, and was at the capture of Camden.  
He was mustered out at Fort Gibson, I. T., and was discharged 
at Davenport, Iowa, August 15, 1865.  He was never captured or
wounded, and rode the same horse home which he had taken from 
home in 1861.  In 1869 Miss Ida Sherman became his wife.  She 
was born in Cass County, Mo., in 1853, and is the daughter of 
John and Elizabeth Sherman, natives of Vermont and Ohio, 
respectively.  My and Mrs. Sherman were married in the last 
named State, and came to Cedar County, Mo., a few years 
previous to the war.  There Mrs. Sherman is still living, but 
Mr. Sherman died in 1874.  To Mr. Williams and wife were born 
four children, three sons living: J. Robert, Oscar E. and 
Freddie M.  Mr. Williams lived five years in Box Township, 
and then moved to the farm of his birth, were he has 580 acres,
200 under cultivation.  He is one of the leading farmers and 
stockmen of the county.  He is a Republican in politics, and 
his first presidential vote was for Lincoln in 1864.  He has 
been a member of the Masonic Fraternity, Clintonville Lodge, 
since 1882, and is a member of the G. A. R., Col. Leonard Post,
at El Dorado. He and wife have been members in good standing 
for nearly twenty years in the Baptist Church, and he has been
deacon in the same for some time. His father served on the 
first grand jury held in St. Clair County when it included 
Cedar County.  

History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties,
Missouri, published by Goodspeed, 1889--Pages 788, 789
====================================================================
     USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing
         free information on the Internet, data may be used by
         non-commercial entities, as long as this message
         remains on all copied material. These electronic
         pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit
         or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

         Persons or organizations desiring to use this material
         for purposes other than stated above must obtain the
         written consent of the file contributor.

         This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
         Archives by: Kay Griffin Snow <kgsno@primary.net>
====================================================================