Biographical Sketch of Thomas Eugene Williams, Johnson County, Missouri, Hazel Hill Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Thomas Eugene Williams, a leading farmer and stockman of Hazel Hill township, has been a resident of Johnson county for nearly 60 years. He was born June 21, 1858, on his father's farm in Hazel Hill township, a place located seven miles northwest of Warrensburg. He is the son of Thomas Williams, Sr., who was born in Tennessee in 1821. In the autumn of 1857, Mr. Williams, Sr., moved from Tennessee to Missouri and sett- led on the farm in Johnson county, where his son, Thomas Eugene, was born the ensuing summer. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Williams, Sr., were born the following children: E. A., Warrensburg, Mo.; Parilee, who was the wife of J. W. Cleveland and who died in 1906; Vianna, the wife of R. D. Brandon, of Gilroy, California; Melissa, the widow of Samuel K. Heck since 1884, now residing at Flagler, Colorado; Dufa, who died in childhood in 1862; E. D., a prominent citizen of Franklin, Kentucky, where he has been a merchant for 40 years and is now the president of one of the best banks in that city; and Thomas Eugene, the subject of this review. The father died in 1859 and the mother in 1863. Thomas Williams was buried in the old cemetery at Warrensburg and Mrs. Will- iams was laid to rest at Mount Moriah. Thomas Eugene, the youngest of the six children, was left an orphan at the age of five years. In the country schools of Johnson county, Thomas E. Williams obtained his primary education. He later attended the Warrensburg State Normal School, from which institution he graduated with the class of 1880. He then began teaching school and for 19 consecutive years was thus employed. His first school was at Mount Moriah. Eight successive terms, Mr. Williams was employed as teacher of the Aullville School, two terms at Number 61 in Salem district, five terms at McCoy and dur- ing his long career as teacher Mr. Williams never applied but for one school. As an educator, he was remarkably successful and highly re- garded. In 1891, Mr. Williams moved to his present country home, for which he traded a stock of merchandise in 1885. This place comprises 130 acres of good farm land, conveniently located within a mile and a half southwest of Robbins and nicely improved. Mr. Williams has him- self improved the farm, building the residence in 1913 and the bar in 1909, and since he has owned this place, he has not only added all the improvements now on it but has also given his three children the best of educational advantages. The Williams home is one of the pretty, attractive country places for which Johnson county is noted and of which all are proud. All the trees Mr. Williams himself planted. The cyclone of 1913 wrought great havoc on the Williams farm, blowing away all the farm buildings except the barn, which was unroofed, and the residence was badly demolished, totaling a loss of more than $1,000. Undaunted, Mr. Williams has his beautiful place again in excellent repair. In 1883, Thomas Eugene Williams was united in marriage with Minerva Ellen Stewart, the daughter of Eli Stewart, an honored pioneer of Simpson township, and Mary Ellen (Roach) Stewart, who now lives at Leeton, Missouri. The father is now deceased. To Thomas Eugene and Mary Ellen Williams have been born four children: Elmer Eugene, who attended the Warrensburg State Normal School and is a graduate of the Warrensburg Business College, now engaged in the mercantile business at Robbins; Nettie Maude, who died at the age of one year and eleven mon- ths; Mary Ola, who is a graduate of the Warrensburg State Normal School in the class of 1915 and is now engaged in teaching school, having taught school for the past seven years, employed at the home school, in Columbus township, at Hazel Hill, and for the past three years at Salem; and Alma Leota, who also is a graduate of the Warrensburg State Normal School in the class of 1915, and of the Warrensburg High School prior to that, and now is employed as teacher in the new Consolidated Dis- trict Number 3, having taught her first term of school in Coleman Number 65, consolidated district, and in 1916 and 1917 at Rye, Colorado Pueblo county, where she was assistant superintendent, and last term she taught at Coleman. Mr. Williams, on October 18, 1917, succeeded in getting the Williams family together for a family reunion. His entire family were gathered at the Williams home for the first time since 1876. This family has always been one of the most public spirited, conspicu- ous families in this section of Missouri, every member of which is known widely for his honesty, charity and humanity. No other people in Johnson county are more interested in the public welfare and the well being of their particular community than are the members of this splendid family. ==================================================================== 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. 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