A descendant of Christopher Branch, who arrived with his wife Mary in Virginia in 1620, William was the son of William A and Mary Jo (Walker) Branch. He was the oldest of, at least, five children. His mother died of pneumonia when he was only seventeen and half years old. At the time, his father was hospitalized due to the effects of an accidental blow to the head several years prior.
William married Jennie Williams, daughter of Joseph Bright and Jane Eliza (Cox) Williams, on Mar. 14, 1900. His uncles, Lafayette Crawley and Fletcher B Walker, were witnesses. The 1900 census shows William's sisters - eighteen year old Nina and sixteen year old Annie - living with William and Jennie. Siblings James and Maggie were at Oxford Orphan Asylum.
William's son, Charles, was born in Jan 1901 followed by a daughter, Jennie, in Nov 1902. William's wife never recovered from childbirth and died Nov 25, 1902.
William married a widowed Mattie (Icard) Marsh on Nov 18, 1903. Together, they were the parents of five children.
Not long after registering for the draft in Oct 1918, William became a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic. He died on Oct 18. His death was followed by the deaths of his sister Maggie on Oct 19th, his little daughter Jennie on Oct 23rd and his step-son William Eben Marsh on Oct 27th.
Obituary from The News-Herald:
Mr. W. W. Branch, who died Saturday of influenza-pneumonia at his home at Granite Falls, was buried at the cemetery here Sunday afternoon. Mr. Branch made a desperate fight for life but finally the disease proved conquerer [sic] and he passed to rest. His death is peculiarly sad in that almost every member of his family at home either have now or have had influenza, his eldest son, a mere boy - just seventeen years of age - was recently killed in France,* and his sister, Mrs. Loyd, of Winston-Salem, passed away the day following Mr. Branch's death.
Morganton was the former home of Mr. Branch and he always considered it "home." He had many staunch friends here, who admired his sterling traits of character and loved him for his goodness of heart. His death is a matter of keen regret to many here.
*This report was incorrect as Charles survived the war, however William died believing that Charles had died in France.
Great-grandparents:
Samuel Branch (1792 - before 1850)
Margaret "Peggy" Ann (Willis) Branch (1799 - before 1870)
William Clontz (1793 - 1873)
Mary "Polly" (Clark) Clontz (1804 - before 1880)
Rubin Walker (1811 - 1835)
Mira (Dorsey) Walker (1813 - 1887)
Elijah C. Cooper (1820 - 1904)
Mahala Martha (Williams) Cooper (1820 - 1899)
Grandparents:
James M. Branch (1818 - about 1900)
Mary Ann (Clontz) Branch (1828 - after 1910)
Elisha Fletcher Walker (1834 - 1902)
Caroline Virginia (Cooper) Walker (1840 - 1923)
Siblings:
Elnina 'Nina' (Branch) Gray (1882 - 1951)
Annie Lee (Branch) Berry (1884 - 1971)
James C. Branch (1889 - )
Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth (Branch) Loyd (1891 - 1918)
North Carolina Death Certificate #29246
William married Jennie Williams, daughter of Joseph Bright and Jane Eliza (Cox) Williams, on Mar. 14, 1900. His uncles, Lafayette Crawley and Fletcher B Walker, were witnesses. The 1900 census shows William's sisters - eighteen year old Nina and sixteen year old Annie - living with William and Jennie. Siblings James and Maggie were at Oxford Orphan Asylum.
William's son, Charles, was born in Jan 1901 followed by a daughter, Jennie, in Nov 1902. William's wife never recovered from childbirth and died Nov 25, 1902.
William married a widowed Mattie (Icard) Marsh on Nov 18, 1903. Together, they were the parents of five children.
Not long after registering for the draft in Oct 1918, William became a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic. He died on Oct 18. His death was followed by the deaths of his sister Maggie on Oct 19th, his little daughter Jennie on Oct 23rd and his step-son William Eben Marsh on Oct 27th.
Obituary from The News-Herald:
Mr. W. W. Branch, who died Saturday of influenza-pneumonia at his home at Granite Falls, was buried at the cemetery here Sunday afternoon. Mr. Branch made a desperate fight for life but finally the disease proved conquerer [sic] and he passed to rest. His death is peculiarly sad in that almost every member of his family at home either have now or have had influenza, his eldest son, a mere boy - just seventeen years of age - was recently killed in France,* and his sister, Mrs. Loyd, of Winston-Salem, passed away the day following Mr. Branch's death.
Morganton was the former home of Mr. Branch and he always considered it "home." He had many staunch friends here, who admired his sterling traits of character and loved him for his goodness of heart. His death is a matter of keen regret to many here.
*This report was incorrect as Charles survived the war, however William died believing that Charles had died in France.
Great-grandparents:
Samuel Branch (1792 - before 1850)
Margaret "Peggy" Ann (Willis) Branch (1799 - before 1870)
William Clontz (1793 - 1873)
Mary "Polly" (Clark) Clontz (1804 - before 1880)
Rubin Walker (1811 - 1835)
Mira (Dorsey) Walker (1813 - 1887)
Elijah C. Cooper (1820 - 1904)
Mahala Martha (Williams) Cooper (1820 - 1899)
Grandparents:
James M. Branch (1818 - about 1900)
Mary Ann (Clontz) Branch (1828 - after 1910)
Elisha Fletcher Walker (1834 - 1902)
Caroline Virginia (Cooper) Walker (1840 - 1923)
Siblings:
Elnina 'Nina' (Branch) Gray (1882 - 1951)
Annie Lee (Branch) Berry (1884 - 1971)
James C. Branch (1889 - )
Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth (Branch) Loyd (1891 - 1918)
North Carolina Death Certificate #29246
A descendant of Christopher Branch, who arrived with his wife Mary in Virginia in 1620, William was the son of William A and Mary Jo (Walker) Branch. He was the oldest of, at least, five children. His mother died of pneumonia when he was only seventeen and half years old. At the time, his father was hospitalized due to the effects of an accidental blow to the head several years prior.
William married Jennie Williams, daughter of Joseph Bright and Jane Eliza (Cox) Williams, on Mar. 14, 1900. His uncles, Lafayette Crawley and Fletcher B Walker, were witnesses. The 1900 census shows William's sisters - eighteen year old Nina and sixteen year old Annie - living with William and Jennie. Siblings James and Maggie were at Oxford Orphan Asylum.
William's son, Charles, was born in Jan 1901 followed by a daughter, Jennie, in Nov 1902. William's wife never recovered from childbirth and died Nov 25, 1902.
William married a widowed Mattie (Icard) Marsh on Nov 18, 1903. Together, they were the parents of five children.
Not long after registering for the draft in Oct 1918, William became a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic. He died on Oct 18. His death was followed by the deaths of his sister Maggie on Oct 19th, his little daughter Jennie on Oct 23rd and his step-son William Eben Marsh on Oct 27th.
Obituary from The News-Herald:
Mr. W. W. Branch, who died Saturday of influenza-pneumonia at his home at Granite Falls, was buried at the cemetery here Sunday afternoon. Mr. Branch made a desperate fight for life but finally the disease proved conquerer [sic] and he passed to rest. His death is peculiarly sad in that almost every member of his family at home either have now or have had influenza, his eldest son, a mere boy - just seventeen years of age - was recently killed in France,* and his sister, Mrs. Loyd, of Winston-Salem, passed away the day following Mr. Branch's death.
Morganton was the former home of Mr. Branch and he always considered it "home." He had many staunch friends here, who admired his sterling traits of character and loved him for his goodness of heart. His death is a matter of keen regret to many here.
*This report was incorrect as Charles survived the war, however William died believing that Charles had died in France.
Great-grandparents:
Samuel Branch (1792 - before 1850)
Margaret "Peggy" Ann (Willis) Branch (1799 - before 1870)
William Clontz (1793 - 1873)
Mary "Polly" (Clark) Clontz (1804 - before 1880)
Rubin Walker (1811 - 1835)
Mira (Dorsey) Walker (1813 - 1887)
Elijah C. Cooper (1820 - 1904)
Mahala Martha (Williams) Cooper (1820 - 1899)
Grandparents:
James M. Branch (1818 - about 1900)
Mary Ann (Clontz) Branch (1828 - after 1910)
Elisha Fletcher Walker (1834 - 1902)
Caroline Virginia (Cooper) Walker (1840 - 1923)
Siblings:
Elnina 'Nina' (Branch) Gray (1882 - 1951)
Annie Lee (Branch) Berry (1884 - 1971)
James C. Branch (1889 - )
Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth (Branch) Loyd (1891 - 1918)
North Carolina Death Certificate #29246
William married Jennie Williams, daughter of Joseph Bright and Jane Eliza (Cox) Williams, on Mar. 14, 1900. His uncles, Lafayette Crawley and Fletcher B Walker, were witnesses. The 1900 census shows William's sisters - eighteen year old Nina and sixteen year old Annie - living with William and Jennie. Siblings James and Maggie were at Oxford Orphan Asylum.
William's son, Charles, was born in Jan 1901 followed by a daughter, Jennie, in Nov 1902. William's wife never recovered from childbirth and died Nov 25, 1902.
William married a widowed Mattie (Icard) Marsh on Nov 18, 1903. Together, they were the parents of five children.
Not long after registering for the draft in Oct 1918, William became a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic. He died on Oct 18. His death was followed by the deaths of his sister Maggie on Oct 19th, his little daughter Jennie on Oct 23rd and his step-son William Eben Marsh on Oct 27th.
Obituary from The News-Herald:
Mr. W. W. Branch, who died Saturday of influenza-pneumonia at his home at Granite Falls, was buried at the cemetery here Sunday afternoon. Mr. Branch made a desperate fight for life but finally the disease proved conquerer [sic] and he passed to rest. His death is peculiarly sad in that almost every member of his family at home either have now or have had influenza, his eldest son, a mere boy - just seventeen years of age - was recently killed in France,* and his sister, Mrs. Loyd, of Winston-Salem, passed away the day following Mr. Branch's death.
Morganton was the former home of Mr. Branch and he always considered it "home." He had many staunch friends here, who admired his sterling traits of character and loved him for his goodness of heart. His death is a matter of keen regret to many here.
*This report was incorrect as Charles survived the war, however William died believing that Charles had died in France.
Great-grandparents:
Samuel Branch (1792 - before 1850)
Margaret "Peggy" Ann (Willis) Branch (1799 - before 1870)
William Clontz (1793 - 1873)
Mary "Polly" (Clark) Clontz (1804 - before 1880)
Rubin Walker (1811 - 1835)
Mira (Dorsey) Walker (1813 - 1887)
Elijah C. Cooper (1820 - 1904)
Mahala Martha (Williams) Cooper (1820 - 1899)
Grandparents:
James M. Branch (1818 - about 1900)
Mary Ann (Clontz) Branch (1828 - after 1910)
Elisha Fletcher Walker (1834 - 1902)
Caroline Virginia (Cooper) Walker (1840 - 1923)
Siblings:
Elnina 'Nina' (Branch) Gray (1882 - 1951)
Annie Lee (Branch) Berry (1884 - 1971)
James C. Branch (1889 - )
Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth (Branch) Loyd (1891 - 1918)
North Carolina Death Certificate #29246
Inscription
Gone from this weary world,
Asleep in death to rest with Jesus.
Gravesite Details
A special Thank You to Buck Buchanan who was able to use his photographic tricks to capture the beautiful headstone photo of William's very dark, uncooperative stone.
Family Members
Siblings
