I Rock the Williamson Tree

I had one last marathon session at the Clayton library before the trip to Arkansas. It was a very productive visit, to say the least.

I found death dates for the Williamson girls, as I call the daughters of WWW. It's been easy to get information on the males, but not so much on the daughters of William Woodberry Williamson (1853-1942) and John Laurens Williamson (1811-1862).

I knew Bessie Williamson was widowed young (in 1909, age 29, with a newborn to boot), but I didn't know what happened to her after the 1930 census. Now I know she lived to the ripe old age of 94 and now rests at Rankin Cemetery.

I knew Josephine Williamson married William J. Bowden, but I'd lost track of her after the 1930 census as well. She lived to be 83 and now can be found in Atkins Cemetery.

Julia Buena Vista Williamson has always been tricky. Her mother died young as well, and I lost track of "Buena" in the censuses because she was sent to live with someone else. I knew she married Christopher C. Fulton. He died in Missouri in 1943 (horray for MO online death certificates), but Buena disappears after that. She wasn't in the Missouri death index, and I didn't have a date I could use to see if she was in the Arkansas index. Now I know she lived to be 90 and is buried with her family in Shiloh-Williamson Cemetery.

I should be able to get death certificates for all these ladies. If so, I will have records for all 7 of William Woodberry Williamson's children.

In the John Laurens Williamson department, I got a death year for daughter Betsy Williamson and a confirmation that she's in the Shiloh-Williamson cemetery. I ran out of time before I found information on Sarah Williamson. Can't win 'em all.

From all this infomation I gathered yesterday, I learned that the Williamsons are buried all over Pope County. Today I will sort the names by cemetery and compile a list of who rests where for graveyard visits. Then I will take lots and lots of pictures.

It's not a vacation. It's a preservation mission. :)