BIO: Albert Young WILLIAMS, Centre County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/1picts/commbios/comm-bios.htm _____________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _____________________________________________________________________ ALBERT YOUNG WILLIAMS, proprietor of the Port Matilda Flouring Mills, which are located at Port Matilda, Worth township, Centre county, is one of the representative and prominent citizens of the community, and has done much to promote the commercial and industrial activity, advance the general welfare, and secure the materiavelol depment [material development] of the county. As a business man he has been enterprising, energetic and always abreast with the times, and has been rewarded with a comfortable competence. Mr. Williams was born in Worth township, September 1, 1849, a son of Joseph and Margaret (Wagner) Williams, in whose family were five children: Thomas (deceased), who was a wagon maker by trade; Ebenezer, who operates a flouring mill in Bald Eagle, Penn.; Wagner W. (deceased), who was a miller and merchant; Albert Y., of this sketch; and Jane, who died in infancy. The father's birth occurred in May, 1809, in Centre county, at the home of his parents, Joseph and Jane (Williams) Williams, who were natives of Wales, and were married in Centre county, Penn., February 3, 1796. In their family were the following children: Margaret, William, Susan, James, Mary, Ellen, Joseph, Maria, Philip, Jane, Nancy and Ebenezer. By trade the grandfather was a farmer and weaver. The parents of our subject were married in Centre county, where they spent their remaining days. By occupation the father was a farmer, carpenter and lumberman, and at the time of his death was operating a water sawmill in Worth township. He was Democratic in politics, served in several local offices, and held membership in the Baptist Church, to which his wife also belonged. He died in May, 1856. The mother of our subject was born in Union county, Penn., December 22, 1819, and was a daughter of Adam and Mary (Scherfler) Wagner, who were born and married in Union county, where they remained until 1829, when they took up their residence in Worth township, Centre county, and there spent their last days. They were of German extraction, and the parents of the following children: Catherine, Sarah, Mary, Leah, Eliza, Margaret, Jane, John and Nancy. After the death of her first husband, Mrs. Williams married John G. Jones, who was born in Centre county in May, 1821, and is now a resident of Port Matilda, where he is engaged in shoemaking. In early life he engaged in merchandising, lumbering and the manufacture of tile. Living with him is Margerie B., the only child born of the second union of the mother of our subject. She passed away September 5, 1896, leaving many friends as well as her immediate family to mourn her death. Albert Y. Williams was nine years of age when he became a resident of Port Matilda, and for seven years attended its schools, acquiring a good practical education. At the age of eighteen he left home, and for two years was in the em- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 323 ploy of the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, after which he served an apprenticeship in the flouring mills of Irwin Brothers at Curwensville, Clearfield county, operated by William D. Smith. Eight months later Mr. Smith bought the Unionville flouring mill, and our subject accompanied him to that place, remaining in his employ until May, 1870. The following two years he worked in a mill at Grahamton, Penn., and then came to the mill of which he is now proprietor, purchasing the same in May, 1886. Being a practical and skilled miller, he has met with a well-deserved success in his operations, receiving a liberal share of the public patronage, and the quality of flour turned out is of a most superior grade, commanding the highest market price. On July 2, 1871, Mr. Williams was united in marriage with Miss Delilah McDowell, and they have nine children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Abbie M., June 15, 1872; Margaret B., November 19, 1873; John M., October 16, 1875; Florence E., December 23, 1877; Edith W., February 12, 1880; Mabel E., September 11, 1882; Edgar W., January 29, 1885; Belva L., August 5, 1888; and Blake, December 29, 1891. All are still at home with the exception of Abbie M., the eldest, who is now the wife of Rev. J. C. Young, of Three Springs, Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania. A native of Clearfield county, Mrs. Williams was born June 20, 1851, in Graham township, a daughter of David and Maria (Snell) McDowell, who were born in the same county and died in Graham township, the former in August, 1870, aged fifty-four years, and the latter in 1893, aged seventy-six. He was a man of great prominence, a farmer and lumberman by occupation, and held several official positions of honor and trust in his township. He voted with the Democratic party, and in religious belief he and his wife were Methodists. In their family were six children, namely: Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Heinhart, a farmer of Clearfield county; John, who resides on the old homestead in that county; Sarah, wife of James Little, an agriculturist of Clearfield county; Margaret, who died in infancy; Eliza J., wife of E. Bush, a farmer of Clinton county, Penn.; Catherine, wife of John Powell, a farmer of Clearfield county; and Delilah, the worthy wife of our subject. Mr. Williams uses his right of franchise in support of the principles and candidates of the Republican party, and has most creditably served as school director, auditor, and overseer of the poor for the past eight years. His life has been a success owing to his own perseverance, industry and good management, and his career is illustrative of the fact that certain actions are followed by certain results. Honorable and upright in all his dealings he justly deserves the high regard in which he is universally held. With the Methodist Episcopal Church he and his wife hold membership, and their standing in social circles is high.