WILLIAM W. WILLIAMS
William W. Williams, son of Daniel Maxce
Williams and Rachel Edwards Phillips, was born 7 May 1829 in Blackwood, Monmouthshire,
Wales.
He was the oldest of twelve children. He joined the LDS
Church in Wales
and was baptized 9 April 1849.
How he spent his early life in Wales
is not known. He married Mary Hodge and to them were
born ten children. Their oldest child, a son Jeremiah, was born in Wales.
They came to America
between April 1854 and April 1856. They lived in Schuylkill
County, Pennsylvania; some of
their children were born there. They lived there a few years, then moved to Salt Lake City
where more of their family were born.
After moving from Salt Lake City,
he homesteaded a farm at Pleasant View, Idaho.
He was a farmer and a stone mason. He excelled in this work. He spent much time
working on the Logan LDS
Temple. He did excellent work on
the engravings he made, and was very proud of his work.
He was medium height, dark complexioned, a stately
looking man, slender face and bushy hair, wore sideburns and sometimes a
goatee. He was very proud, always wanting the best for his family. He was very
jovial and friendly by nature and loved children. He claimed he was of royal
blood and was cheated out of his estate in England
when they came to America.
He was believed to be fairly well-to-do financially when he came to Samaria.
He returned to England
once or twice. His brother, Lewis, from Wales,
came here to visit him for a time. Most of his children settled in Samaria
or nearby and were very close to him. He was one of those who helped secure the
water from the Big Malad River
for irrigation for Samaria. He and
his son, Lewis, owned and operated the store known as the Williams and Williams
Store for a time.
After the death of his wife on 8 January 1894, his son, Lewis, and wife, Sarah, moved
into his home and lived with him. He was a man of sterling character. He died
May 1911 at his home in Samaria.
- Llewellyn Williams, Grandson
