My great-grandfather on my mother’s father’s side of the family, Arthur Jacob WILLIAMS Sr., was born in October 13, 1889, in Kansas to Nathaniel WILLIAMS (1862-1908) and Lillie Mae “Mamie” STANLEY WILLIAMS (1868-1935). Arthur died December 16, 1965, in Kansas City, Missouri.

I have successfully found census records for him and his family from the Federal Census for 1900-1940 (except for 1910) as well as the 1925 Kansas State Census.

Today’s post will include his 1920 Federal, 1925 Kansas, and 1930 Federal in order to share a sad story that he had in common with a few other of our ancestors: losing his wife while caring for young children. When I discovered the 1925 Kansas Census the other day, I discovered something that I did not know. Arthur went to live with his widowed mother-in-law for awhile after his first wife’s death and before he was remarried.

1920 Federal Census for Arthur Jacob WILLIAMS, Sr.

Name: Arthur J Williams
Age: 30
Birth Year: abt 1890
Birthplace: Kansas
Home in 1920: Fort Scott Ward 3, Bourbon,Kansas
Street: Lincoln Street
House Number: 116
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse’s Name: Martha A. Williams
Father’s Birthplace: Kansas
Mother’s Birthplace: United States
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Coal Miner
Employment Field: Own Account
Household Members:
Arthur J Williams  30
Martha A Williams  20

1925 Kansas Census for Arthur Jacob WILLIAMS, Sr.

Name: Arthur J Williams
Census Date: 1925
Residence County: Barton
Residence State: Kansas
Locality: Lakin
Birth Place: Kansas
Family Number: 4
Marital Status: Wid (Widow)
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Birth Year: abt 1889
Race: White
Relation (to head of house): Son-in-Law
Household Members:
Allice E. Frany (Alice E. Frary)  68
Arthur J. Williams  36
Lene J. Williams (Lena Genevieve Williams)  5
Carl N. Williams (Carlton Nathaniel Williams)  3

1930 Federal Census for Arthur Jacob WILLIAMS, Sr.

Name: Arthur J. Williams
Birth Year: abt 1890
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Kansas
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1930: Osage, Bourbon, Kansas
Dwelling Number: 98
Family Number: 98
Home Owned or Rented: Rented
Radio Set: No
Lives on Farm: Yes
Age at First Marriage: 28
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father’s Birthplace: Kansas
Mother’s Birthplace: United States
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Laborer
Industry: Coal Mine
Class of Worker: Working on own Account
Employment: Yes
Veteran: Yes
War: WW
Neighbors: Include two of his new wife’s sisters. Hazel was married to Robert CLENDENING and Inez was living with them at that time. Hazel was 22, Inez was 21, and Robert was 47.

Household Members:
Aurthur J Williams (Arthur)  40
Ether N Williams (Ethel Helen)  24
Genevieve L Williams (L. Genevieve – She mostly went by Genevieve… at least by this time and in family stories.)  10
Carlton N Williams  8
Evelyn J Williams  1 (13/12 or 13 months)
LaVaughn Williams  0

So, as you can see… Arthur’s life went through several huge changes in those ten years. Fortunately, many of those were happy events.

Arthur Jacob WILLIAMS went on to have over a dozen children with most of them living well into adulthood. His eldest daughter, Genevieve, however only lived for a short time after this last census. She passed away one day shy of a year after this page of the census was taken. (This page was enumerated on April 15, 1930). She was 11 years and 12 days old when she passed away (March 30, 1920 – April 14, 1931).

Arthur Jacob WILLIAMS was my great-grandfather and the father of grandpa: Carlton Nathaniel WILLIAMS, and he was the father of my mom: Carol Elizabeth WILLIAMS LAKEY.