Ralph Williams Jr. and Jack Schraa Navy Picture

My maternal grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr., and his friend, Jack Schraa. Both men served with the United States Navy during World War II. Photo taken approx. 1942-1943.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr.

Ralph Scott Williams Jr. Zippo Lighter

Ralph Scott Williams Jr. Zippo Lighter

The above lighter was given to my grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr., as a safety (ironic) award by the Gulf Interstate Gas Company. It looks well used as my grandfather was a smoker. The lighter was manufactured by Zippo in Bradford, Pennsylvania (their corporate headquarters are still located there.)

This is the first family heirloom picture taken in the light tent my wife constructed for this purpose. Many thanks to her and my aunt, Terry Kaiser, for letting me borrow the lighter.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr.

Yearbook Cover

I saw this item on eBay last weekend and couldn’t resist buying it. It is the senior yearbook for my great grand aunt, Florence Edna Miller (Waits): the 1929 Lancaster (OH) High School Mirage. Due to the binding, individual pages were difficult to scan.

Florence was the yearbook staff photographer, an honor student, and a member of the Wa Wa Kee Club, the Junior and Senior high school girls division of the “Y.W.C.A.” She also wrote the Senior class history. Next to her Senior portrait, it says the following:

Little lady of the shining locks,
Sincerely loved by all,
Were we without you for a day,
The universe would fall.

Look for more yearbook profiles in the near future and please take some time to browse through the above pictures of Florence’s Senior year at Lancaster (OH) High School.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/sister of Florence Edna Waits)

I’m trying something new on Fridays… posting family tree items related to crime. I haven’t found many to-date (thankfully), but will eventually post them all.

Clinton and Margaret Waits Divorce Article

This Friday, I have chosen the divorce of my 2nd great grand uncle, Clinton Morris “Clint” Waits, from his wife, Margaret (Kramer) Waits Yontz. The two were married on 4/15/1896 in Pickaway County, Ohio. They had three children, Claude, Mildred, and Helen. Mildred died at the age of three from Whooping Cough, and Helen was stillborn.

Clinton and Margaret divorced in 1926, with the above article appearing in the 11/8/1926 issue of the Lancaster Daily Eagle.  The grounds for divorce was Margaret’s infidelity.  Due to the divorce, she was barred from her dower interest in Clinton’s property.

Clinton Waits Arrest Article

On 12/9/1926, Margaret charged Clinton with attempted murder, and he was arrested by the sheriff in Lancaster, Ohio. Clinton posted $700 bond and his case was bound over to the grand jury. The above article appeared in the 12/10/1926 edition of the Lancaster Daily Eagle.

I have been unable to find any additional articles on the murder charges, but did find Clinton living in Greenfield Township, Fairfield County, Ohio in 1930 as a farm hand, with Jesse Carpenter and his family.  I’m assuming that the case was settled or the charges were dropped. Prior to 1930, Clinton was a glass worker at the Lancaster (OH) Lens Company.

Margaret would later remarry Hamilton Yontz, also a glass worker, on 5/6/1928 in Franklin County, Ohio.  In 1930, they lived in Circleville, Ohio.  Margaret was employed as a restaurant cook.

Clinton Morris Waits Portrait

Clinton died 3/13/1943 in Lancaster, Ohio from a coronary thrombosis. Margaret died 4/20/1953 in Lancaster, Ohio from coronary occlusion. They, along with their daughters, are buried in Reber Hill Cemetery in Walnut Township, Pickaway County, Ohio.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits) – Harmon Clay Waits (brother of Clinton Morris Waits)

Waits Family Portrait

Bottom Row (L to R): Eli D. Waits and Mary Louise (Morris) Waits
Middle Row (L to R): Lydia Mae Waits and Harmon Clay Waits
Top Row (L to R): William Henry Waits, Clinton Morris Waits, and Perry Robert Waits

Photo taken approx. 1890-1895 in Ohio.

Many thanks to my cousin, Jane Mason, for contributing the portrait.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits) – Harmon Clay Waits – Eli D. Waits and Mary Louise Wait (Morris)

This obituary is of my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits, and was most likely featured in The Circleville (OH) Herald:

Charles Waits Listed Killed Fighting Nazis

Mrs. Charles R. Waits, Circleville, received word Thursday from the war department that her husband Cpl. Charles R. Waits had been killed in action.

Cpl. Waits has been in the Army three years, 26 months overseas. He was in the African, Sicilian, Italian campaigns. He was also in the French invasion.

At the time of his death he was assigned to General Patch’s Seventh Army in Germany. Mrs. Waits, who is employed at Isaly’s, last heard from him by letter dated March 30. The War Department announcement stated that he had been killed about April 6.

Cpl. Waits was a resident of Lancaster at the time of his enlistment in the Army. His wife is living with her sister, Mrs. Paul Hang, Scioto street. Pfc. Hang is now home on furlough from the European theatre of war.

Many thanks to Paul Hang for providing the article and picture. On the back of the picture, it reads, “Hi Red!” The picture was sent from Dick to his wife, Margaret Ann “Peggy” Waits (Phillips), who had “strikingly” red hair.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits/sister of Charles Richard Waits)

Ralph Scott “Button” Williams Jr., my grandfather, was born 1/24/1922  in Lancaster, Ohio.  He died 6/20/1967 from cardiac arrest at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Ralph was 45 years-old at the time of his death.

Madrith Jean Williams (Williams), my grandmother, was born 11/5/1924 in Portsmouth, Ohio.  She died 10/15/1968 at the age of 43 in Minford, Ohio.

Their gravesite is located in Maple Hill Cemetery in Stoutsville, Ohio. The headstone was recently purchased by their daughters: my mother, Chris, and my aunt, Terry Kaiser. The headstone photo was taken on a recent family research trip to Ohio on 7/29/2010. Many thanks to my cousin, Jane Mason, for the portrait of my grandparents.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. and Madrith Jean Williams (Williams)

This obituary is of my 2nd great grandmother, Bertha Williams (Rowland), and was featured in the 07/30/1912 edition of The Portsmouth (OH) Daily Times:

Mrs. Wm. Williams

Jackson, July 30 – The home of William Williams of Bennett avenue, was thrown into deep mouring [sic] Sunday morning. Mrs. Williams gave birth to a child Saturday morning, which expired about 4 o’clock in the evening of the same day. Mr. Williams is employed in one of the mines in Kentucky and Mrs. Williams’ illness not appearing dangerous, word was not sent to Mr. Williams until after the death of the child.

The death of the child and complications incident to child birth effected Mrs. Williams’ heart, so that she also passed away about 3 o’clock Sunday morning. Attempts to get Mr. Williams by phone was futile as he had started for home Sunday morning. He failed to make connections and did not arrive until midnight Sunday night. He had not learned of his wife’s death until he came home.

Mrs. Williams, who was formerly Miss Bertha Rowland, was about 30 years of age. She was a sister of Mr. Joseph Rowland, proprietor of the Gem theatre. A sister resides in Portsmouth, two brothers in Newport, Ky, John and George, and Ed Rowland, of Covington, Ky. Her parents died several years ago.

Left to survive are the husband and three children, Evalyn, Donald and Rowland.

Many thanks to bobbie1401 on ancestry.com for sending the obituary link.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Madrith Jean Williams (Williams) – Donald Edwin Williams – Bertha Williams (Rowland)

In honor of Father’s Day, I wanted to post pictures of my father, grandfathers, great grandfathers, and 2nd great grandfathers. The only picture I do not have in my collection is that of my maternal 2nd great grandfather, Edward L Barlow (1867-1955).

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis

This obituary is of my maternal grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr., and was featured in the July 1967 edition of On Stream, the Columbia Gulf Transmission Company newsletter:

RALPH S. WILLIAMS JR. DIES OF HEART SEIZURE

Ralph S. Williams Jr., Measurement Superintendent since January 1960, died Tuesday, June 20, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Williams, 45, was attending an Advanced Management Course at the University of Virginia at the time of his death. He was playing golf during a classroom break when he suffered a heart seizure. He died early Tuesday evening at a hospital without regaining consciousness. Funeral services were held Saturday, June 24, in Lancaster, Ohio, his hometown. Burial was in Stoutsville, Ohio.

Surviving are his wife, Jean, two daughters, Teresa, 19, and Christine, 15, and his father, Ralph S. Williams Sr. of Columbus, Ohio.

Williams joined Columbia Gulf in 1954 as Measurement Engineer and later served as Corrosion Engineer and Transmission Engineer before his promotion to Measurement Superintendent. Previously he had worked for Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation and Ohio Fuel Gas Company.

He had served on committees of the American Gas Association, Southern Gas Association, Appalachian Gas Measurement Short Course and the Gulf Coast Gas Measurement Society of Houston. At the time of his death he was president of the Gulf Coast group. Members of that group, in a tribute, said, “Words cannot express the deep loss felt by our membership. Ralph’s knowledge of men and measurement, his dedication to his work and to his company and his many hours of extra commitment on behalf of our measurement science must not go without recognition. He will be missed at future gatherings of measurement men.”

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr.