Falling Walls Friday Part I - Henry King Williamson and Helen

I wrote a couple weeks ago in my Madness Monday about Henry King Williamson. Well unfortunately he is still a brick wall. However, I also wrote a deal about his wife Helen F. Let's just say though I need more proof to fully disintegrate this wall, it certainly is crumbling. I think I may have found her parents and even grandparents in KY.

It all started last week when my dad's cousin, Debbie whom we haven't heard from in many years read my Madness Monday post.....imagine that! So it does really work to post your brick walls! She emailed me and began to fill in some blanks right away. She had a family bible that had been my great Aunt Lillie Mae Woolsey's bible. Lillie Mae had never married and had no children, so some how Debbie ended up with her bible. Here is what she sent me transcribed from the bible.

We have one of Lillie Mae's Bibles and the Family Register shows the following information:

Mary Joan Williamson's Family
Date of Birth: Sept. 1, 1890 in KY
Date of Death: July, 1981
Buried: Elmore City , OK - Garvin County

H. K. Williamson (father)
Date of Birth: April 10, 1866
Date of Death: Feb. 4, 1931
Married:
Helen Fannie Burnett (mother)
Date of Birth: Aug. 24, 1862
Date of Death: Sept. 15, 1909

Ewing Richard Woolsey's Family
Date of Birth: Sept. 6, 1890
Date of Birth: Feb. 15, 1959
Buried: Elmore City , OK - Garvin County
W. G. Woolsey (father)
Date of Birth: December 15, 1865
Date of Death: June 26, 1913
Buried: Lindsay , OK - Garvin County
Married:
Lillie A. Graham (mother)
Date of Birth: June 20, 1873
Date of Death: March 23, 1951
Buried: Lindsay , OK - Garvin County

Mary Joan Williamson married Ewing Richard Woolsey on June 3, 1911 in Bradley , OK at W. G. Woolsey's home.

So now I have Helen's maiden name, when she was born and died as well as birth and death dates for Henry. All information I didn't have before.

I don't know why but I choose to start doing my search on Helen. I finally had a clue on her death. I wouldn't call bible records proof, but they are rather a clue. They can sometimes be wrong. But I had a feeling that she had died after 1900 and before 1910 based on the 1900 and 1910 census records I already had of the family. So this tells me that she did in fact died before 1910. Now the next question is where and where is she buried. So I took this opportunity to use a new form I discovered and wrote about on my Wordless Wednesday post Family History Made Easy. I don't want to take up to much room, so I'll just do a quick overview of how I did to find this piece of information.

Research Objective:
Find the place of death for Helen F Burnett Williamson.

Known Facts:

• 1900 Census family in Central City Mahlenburg, KY
• 1910 Census family with out Helen in Grady Co., OK
• Husband is Henry King Williamson
• According to Mary Joann Williamson told to her children that her family lived in St Joe Texas before Oklahoma.
• She died 15 Sep 1909
• Born 24 Aug 1862 in KY.

Working Hypothesis:

• It's possible she died in Muhlenburg Co., KY based on the last known place she lived and we find her with the family in 1900
• She died in Grady Co., OK based on her death being so close in time to the 1910 census where we find her husband and children after her death.
• She died in Saint Joe, Texas based on the account of her daughter about living there between OK and KY.

Research Strategy:

1. Quick search of death records on Footnote and Ancestry.com for her.
2. Search Muhlenburg Co., KY on USGenWeb
3. same for Grady, OK
4. same for St Joe, TX
5. Search Find-A-Grave for a burial
6. Search Genealogy Trails if the three counties are hosted and have information yet.

Results:

1. Nothing for Footnote of Ancestry
2. Nothing in Muhlenburg that fit
3. Found!! Bradley Cemtery in Grady Co., OK on the USGenWeb archives for Bradley Cemtery "Williamson, Helen 1863, 19??, W2-7." Ironicly I've search this site before when I was looking for grandma Woolsey two daughters that died while they were still in OK. So Helen's two great granddaughter Mary Leota Woolsey 1956 and Marcella Ann Woolsey 1958 are buried right there in the same cemetery. At the time I found that records I did not know Helen was even their great grandmother. It makes you wonder how many other relatives I'll come back here to find later.
   

Source:

Transcription of Cemetery: Bradley Cem, Grady Co., OK, UsGenWeb Archives, Cemeteries, Bradley, Transcribed by Molly Nye.

Final Conclusion:

Helen died in Grady Co., OK and is buried in Bradley Cemetery. Bradley Cemetery is free and only for residents. So since the family was in Bradley in 1910 and she is buried there it's likely she died there.

So now I know Helen Fannie (Burnett) Williamson died 15 Sep 1909 most likely in Bradley, Grady Co., Ok and is buried in the Bradley Cemetery.

Now on to the next part. I think I'm on the trail to finding her parents, but I will continue this part tomorrow as this post is getting long enough and I've got to go to work.