52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: William George Woolsey - A Tale of Lost and Found Connections
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to start your life over, leaving behind everything and everyone you've ever known? That's exactly what my 2x great-grandfather, William George Woolsey, did. Born on December 15, 1865, in Iowa, William's story is one of lost connections and new beginnings, set against the backdrop of America's westward expansion in the late 19th century.
A Tumultuous Beginning
Imagine being the youngest child in a blended family with six older half-siblings from your father's first marriage and three from your mother's. That was William's reality. His father, Richard W. Woolsey (1822-1908), was a restless soul after loosing his first wife, always chasing the next big thing. His mother, Charlotte Ann (Beck) Nolan Woolsey Kenneday (1838-1876), had already known loss, having lost her first husband in the Civil War before marrying Richard.
But the tumult in William's life started early. Within five years of his birth, his parents were already separated. Though today that may seem like the norm, in Williams life it was not and likely set him up for looks and gossiping whispers. The records tell us that his life was unstable, and his reaction to it tells us it was likely and unhappy childhood.
It's no wonder that William's childhood was marked by movement and change. By 1870, the family had packed up and moved to Lincoln, Linn County, Kansas. But stability wasn't in the cards for young William.
The Journey West
Family stories paint a picture of Richard abandoning the family and heading west, possibly lured by the siren song of gold or new opportunities. Can you imagine how this must have felt for William? At just 15 years old, the 1880 census finds him living with his older half-sister, Caroline Woolsey, in Bolton, Cowley County, Kansas.
Life as a Ranch Hand
Now, picture a young man of 15, working as a ranch hand in the booming cattle industry of 1880s Kansas. Long days under the sun, herding cattle, mending fences, and learning the ropes (quite literally) of ranch life. It's not hard to see how this experience might have sparked William's lifelong passion for farming.
The hard life of a ranch hand and the disconnected family he came from likely made him long to set down roots and create the strong, loving, stable family he never had. This desire would shape the course of his life in the years to come.
The Texas Connection
Here's where the story takes an interesting turn. Somehow, William's journey took him from Kansas to Texas, where he married Lillie Ann Graham on December 8, 1889, in Montague County. How did a ranch hand from Kansas meet a girl from Texas? Were there sparks on a cattle drive? A chance meeting in a growing town? We may never know, but it's fun to imagine the possibilities.
Building a New Life in Indian Territory
By 1900, William and Lillie had moved to Indian Territory, soon to become Oklahoma. They were living in Township 3 of the Chickasaw Nation, where William was working as a farmer. Talk about a fresh start! The 1900 census shows them with three children: Ewing R. (age 9), my great grandfather, Minnie A. (age 7), and Eva P. (age 5).
Despite the hardships of his youth, William had established himself as a farmer and family man. He could read and write too - not bad for someone with such an unsettled childhood! It seems William was well on his way to creating the stable, loving family he had always longed for.
Prosperity in Oklahoma
Fast forward to 1910, and we find the family in Bradley, Grady County, Oklahoma. William's family had grown to seven children, ranging from 19 years to 3 months old. He owned his farm (though it was mortgaged), a far cry from the unsettled life of his youth. This growth in both family and property shows how William had successfully built the roots and stability he craved.
The Legacy of Lost Connections
Throughout his life, William seemed reluctant to talk about his parents or his early years. Can you blame him? But here's an interesting twist - he named some of his daughters after his half-sisters. It seems those connections, at least, held a special place in his heart. Perhaps this was William's way of honoring the family bonds that had sustained him in his difficult early years. Despite the soft spot in his heart for his sisters, it's clear that when his father passed in 1908 that none of them knew where he was as he was listed in his father's will, but it was stated that his whereabout were unknown. This would be the case for four more generations as his Woolsey half-siblings and their descendants would not know the fate of William.
William George Woolsey passed away on June 26, 1913, in Garvin County, Oklahoma, at the age of 47. He left behind a legacy of hard work and family commitment, having overcome the challenges of his youth to establish deep roots in his adopted home.
As I dig into William's story, I'm struck by the resilience of our ancestors. From a fractured family life to building a stable and prosperous future for his children, William's journey mirrors the broader movement of American society in the late 19th century.
His story reminds me that family history isn't always neat and tidy. It's often complex, sometimes painful, but always fascinating. William's life, with its lost and found connections, is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the power of creating one's own path in life.
A Modern-Day Connection
Now, here's where this story takes an unexpected turn into the present day. For years, I was driven crazy by the mystery of who William's parents actually were. The search for William's true identity led me down some fascinating, albeit misleading, paths.
At one point, I even connected him to another family because I found a ranch hand named William Woolsey of about the same age in the same area. It seemed like a perfect match! But genealogy has a way of humbling us. As I dug deeper, I unraveled this mystery and determined that this other William couldn't be my William. The clincher? Documents clearly showed my William living in Oklahoma at the same time that this other William was documented as living up north with his family in Montana and then Washington.
Here's where it gets really interesting - and shows just how small the world can be. I later discovered that this other William, who went north, actually died near where I live now. And get this - he turned out to be a cousin to my William! Talk about a twist in the family tree.
Despite all my research, I never found any indication that Richard, William's father, was involved in William's life after the initial separation. Charlotte, William's mother, was present for at least some time, but interestingly, William seemed to have maintained a stronger connection to his Woolsey half-siblings, including his sisters Eva and Caroline, than to his parents.
This mystery might have remained unsolved if it weren't for the power of the internet and the kindness of strangers - or should I say, distant relatives! Thanks to a message board post I made, I connected with John Woolsey, a descendant from one of William's half-siblings. John had the missing pieces of the puzzle I'd been searching for, and he had also been looking for the lost child, William.
Here's the kicker - John and I discovered we were both born and raised in the same town in Modesto, CA. Can you believe it? He even told me a story about how he'd once asked his dad if they were related to the Woolseys in the phone book. Turns out, those Woolseys were my grandfather, father, and his siblings!
It just goes to show what a small world we live in. You might be more closely related to your neighbors than you realize! It's almost like our ancestors have a way of reaching out to us and guiding us in ways that keep us close and give us the opportunities to reconnect. We just have to stop and listen once in a while.
Comments