Bob & Martha Williams

Beth Sloan Wilburn, great granddaughter of Bob and Martha Williams,

 provided these pictures and information.

Pictured in about 1938 are Robert Henry "Bob" Williams (July 26, 1882 - July 17, 1939) and Martha Jane Downs Williams (May 29, 1879 - May 3, 1967). They were married July 6, 1901 and were buried in the Dixon Springs Cemetery, Williams plot.  Bob Williams died during the middle of his successful career as a homebuilder and saw mill operator. (The sawmill is pictured on this website.) At age 51, he died after having a nasal polyp that got infected and led to blood poisoning.  This happened about a year before penicillin was discovered.  Dr. Beasley and Dr. Sloan, who treated him before they sent him to a Nashville Hospital where he died, said his life could have been saved if this had happened a year later after penicillin was available.  

Bob Williams was the son of A.L. "Lon" Williams (Jan. 28, 1846 - July 6, 1910) and Louisa Tennessee Hailey Williams (Feb. 1, 1847 - Oct. 4, 1913) who were married Nov. 13, 1864.  A.L (Lon) Williams was a farmer and carpenter. They are buried on the Williams farm on Smith Branch Road (near the 4 Way In community).

Martha Williams was the daughter of William (1843-1900) and Lucinda Downs (1853 - 1922).  The Downs lived in Monoville and are buried in the Woodard Cemetery near Hall's Hill.

Their children were:

Alton "Big Oot" Williams (Aug. 19, 1902 - May 13, 1960).  He married  Ramsey Porter and they had one daughter, Emogene (Mrs. Dwight) Sloan.  Her children were Kerry and John Sloan, Beth Wilburn, and Lugene Long.  Later, he was married to Lois Halliburton and they had two daughters: Gail (Mrs. Jackie) Preston whose children are Debbie, Penny, and Scott Preston; and Vicky (Mrs. Doug) Bell whose children are Tina, Tony, and Tonya Ford. Alton is buried in the Dixon Springs Cemetery, Williams plot.

Lawrence Williams (Nov. 5, 1903 - 1989) married Alma Mason (July 26, 1906 - 1998) and had one son, Larry Williams.  All three are buried at the Pleasant Shade Cemetery beside the Presbyterian Church.

Maude Williams (Oct. 25, 1905 - Mar. 1989) married Draper Jenkins (Jul. 1, 1904 - Jan. 2000).  One daughter is Joanne (Mrs. Ernest) Cotton of Lebanon, Tenn, whose children are: Billy Banks, Mary Jo, Danny, and Patricia.  Their other daughter is Bobbye Jane (Mrs. Ray) Phillips of Carthage whose children are Jimmy and Joe Gregory and Mike Phillips.  Maude and Draper are buried in the Ridgewood Cemetery, Carthage, Tenn.

Ruth Williams (Oct. 29, 1907 - Oct. 27, 1943) was married to Johnson Beasley (Oct. 2, 1904 - Oct. 27, 1947) and had one child, Jack Beasley, who married Gwendolyn Richmond and had one daughter, Jackie Cunningham.  Ruth died at age 36 of tuberculosis.  She is buried in the Beasley family cemetery near Mt. Tabor Church.

Franz "Little Oot" Williams (Feb. 25, 1910 - Jan. 16, 1932) was married to Minnie Pearl Hackett and they had one son, Rex Williams (May 6, 1927 - Nov. 6, 1967 - buried in Ridgewood Cemetery).  Little Oot took his own his life at age 22 with a gunshot wound on the front porch of the family home.  He is buried in the Dixon Springs Cemetery, Williams plot.  Minnie Pearl was later married to Jordan Gann.

Thelma "Sook" Williams Hiett Staines  (May 2, 1913 - Jun. 29, 2000)  was married to Harry Hiett.  They had one son, Billy Hiett.  Billy was married to Yvonne Pope Hiett, they had two daughters, Pam O'Brien and Cindy Shumate and one son Billy Hiett, Jr. Thelma is buried in the Dixon Springs Cemetery, Williams plot.

Alonzo "Lon" Williams (Jan. 30, 1915 - Apr. 25, 1942) was married to Joella Clay and they had one daughter, Mary Jo (who both live in Texas now). Lon was killed in a car accident at age 27 and is buried in the Dixon Springs Cemetery, Williams plot.

Tom Williams (Nov. 23, 1917 - Jan. 10, 1977) was married to Virginia McClellan.  They had no children.  They lived in Detroit most of their life, then moved back to Smith County after retirement.  They are buried in the Ridgewood Cemetery.

History of Bob Williams Parent's Family

Bob Williams was the son of A.L. "Lon" Williams (Jan. 28, 1846 - July 6, 1910) and Louisa Tennessee Hailey Williams (Feb. 1, 1847 - Oct. 4, 1913).  They were married Nov. 13, 1864.  A.L (Lon) Williams was a farmer and carpenter.

Bob Williams’ siblings were as follows:  Laura Jane (married John Nixon); Virginia Ollie (never married); Maude Alice (married J.C. Lewellen in Texas); Charlie (married Nonnie B. Lott); John William (married Mittie Craighead); Lucy (married Cicero Bradley - Carmack Bradley's parents); Luster (married Mattie Jane Craighead, sister to John's wife); Hailey (married Clara Hackett).  Hailey spent his life on the old Hailey/Williams farm on the Smith Branch near Monoville.

In 1889, Lon and Louisa Tennessee Williams moved to Heidenheismer, Texas (near Waco) via wagon train.  They came back to Smith Co. in the early 1900's and lived on family farm on Smith Branch near Monoville.  

Three of the sons: Charlie, Robert "Bob", and Luster were carpenters.  Bob owned a mill in Pleasant Shade, Tenn.  He was a contractor and his brothers, Charles and Luster, worked with him.  Many of the better homes in Smith County were built by the Williams brothers.

Note by Tom Dickerson: The Pleasant Shade area (like all communities) had its share of people with unusual or funny nicknames as above noted. Including the above nicknames, some other Pleasant Shade citizens were nicknamed:

Aunt Bide – Millie Ellender Russell,

Big Boy – Phocian Toney and Larry Williams (grandson of Bob Williams),

Big Horace – Horace Gregory,

Big Oot – Alton Williams,

Big Tom – Thomas Gregory,

Birdie – Ules Price,

Black Gnat – Lester Oldham,

Booger – Dalton Dickerson,

Bunkum – Vernice Dickerson,

Catsox – Fred Hesson,

Chigger – Mike Dickerson and John Gammons,

Clyde Cat – Clyde Gregory (There are many “Cats” in this family of Gregorys all descending from William Joseph “Bill Cat” Gregory),

Corker – Bob Dickerson,

Dodger – Diogenes Kittrell,

Dopher – Thomas Gregory (Calvin Gregory’s father),

Gad – Virgil Whitley,

Goat – Hayes Beasley,

Gob – Harry Gregory,

Goo Goo – Elston Oldham,

Hammer – Curtis Kemp and James Thomas Price,

Huts – Hudson Porter,

Ike – Isaac Gregory,

Little Bill – William Gregory,

Little Oot – Franz Williams,

Monk – Milton Dickerson,

Mutt – Johnny Parkhurst,

Ogg or Aug – Diogenes Ballou,

Old Cuff – Bry Gregory,

Pee Rod – Curtis Brown,

Pistol - Everett Beasley,

Pony – E. L. Hackett,

Rap – Johnny Gregory,

Shack – Marcellus Wilmore,

Slackum – Lester Gregory,

Sook – Thelma Williams (daughter of Bob Williams),

Spider – Judith Oldham and

Tank – John Russell.

ALTON and LAWRENCE WILLIAMS

Beth Sloan Wilburn, granddaughter of Alton Williams, provided this picture and information.

Pictured in about 1908 are Henry Alton and Lawrence Williams two of Bob and Martha Williams’ sons. Alton was born Aug 19, 1902 and died May 13, 1960. He was married first to Ramsey Porter (pictured on this website) and they became the parents of Emogene Williams Sloan, Beth Sloan Wilburn’s mother. Later, Alton married Lois Halliburton and they became the parents or Gail and Vickie Williams. Alton is buried in the Dixon Springs Cemetery.

Lawrence was born Nov 5, 1903 and died in 1989. He was married to Alma Mason Williams and they became the parents of Larry Williams. Lawrence later owned and lived on the old Dr. George W. Herod farm.  His house was located on the site of the Herod home-place shown under “Pleasant Shade Belles” on this website. Lawrence and Alma are buried in the Sloan Cemetery at Pleasant Shade.  

RUTH WILLIAMS

Beth Sloan Williams, great niece of Ruth Williams, provided this picture and information.

Ruth Williams Beasley, daughter of Bob and Martha Williams is pictured in front of her parent’s house in downtown Pleasant Shade in about 1930. This house was located immediately east of the Sanderson and Cleveland stores depicted on the Pleasant Shade schematic of this website. It was one of the larger homes in the area. It had a large front porch with columns and was equipped with an indoor bathroom and plumbing, which was uncommon for this time period. The house burned in 1940. Ruth was married to Johnson Beasley and had one son, Jack Beasley, who was married to Gwendolyn Richmond. (Johnson Beasley was the son of Henry and Alice Beasley and their pictures are shown on this website.) Ruth died at age 36 of tuberculosis.