Biography written by DONALD EDWARD PARK (1934-2014) with significant edits by Evelyn Park Blalock. Please DO NOT publish elsewhere without providing full and proper credit. Thank you.
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William Hawkins was born 19 Apr 1851 in Franklin County, Indiana, the son of Robert Hawkins and Mary Ann Jones Hawkins. His family moved to Paulding County, Ohio, sometime between Apr 1851 and Dec 1863. His father, Robert, enlisted in the Army and was killed 22 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Mary Ann, initially received a pension of $8.00 per month, which undoubtedly made it very difficult to raise a family with seven children. Mary Ann married Zephaniah Bell on 26 Jan 1873. In that same year, William married Matilda Sines.
William and Matilda had at least three children. They are:
John Hawkins (1874-1925)
Samantha Ellen "Mattie" Hawkins Park (1880-1949)
Lodenna Hawkins (1881- )
On the 1880 U.S. Census, the family is shown living in Carryall, Paulding County, Ohio, and Matilda was expecting another child. Their youngest child, Lodenna, was born in February 1881, but the joy of this event was soon replaced with grief. Matilda's sister Harriet died of tuberculosis in March 1881. From other deaths in the area, it appears that an epidemic occurred during that year. Matilda also succumbed to the disease, dying in March 1882. Her mother followed soon thereafter, dying in June 1882. It is presumed that Matilda's infant, Lodenna, also died about the same time, as the only evidence of her existence is her birth record.
As the Census records for 1890 were destroyed, it is difficult to trace what happened to son John immediately after Matilda's death. It is known that daughter Samantha Ellen went to live with Matilda's sister, Samantha Jane Sines Bell, and the Bells raised Samantha Ellen like a daughter. Very little is known about what role, if any, William had in raising Samantha Ellen. Samantha Jane Bell and her husband, Lovirus Addison Bell, moved to White Cloud, Doniphan County, Kansas, and William Hawkins arrived there many years later, appearing on the 1910 U.S. Census residing with the family of his son, John Hawkins, who had remained in contact with members of the Hawkins family and joined them in Kansas before removing to Michigan.
William Hawkins was a day laborer during his working career. In his later years, he reportedly spent his time either in the saloon or in the livery stables in White Cloud. Nobody in the family who knew him wanted to talk much about him and inquiries about him in White Cloud, Kansas, went unanswered. While William's burial in Olive Branch Cemetery is documented, his date of death is not. Additional information regarding his final years and death would be appreciated and may be submitted via the "edit" button.
The children and grandchildren of Samantha Ellen Hawkins Park knew Samantha Jane Bell as "Grandma Bell." Grandma Bell frequently called Samantha Ellen "Little Mattie," which undoubtedly was a reference to Samantha Ellen's mother and Samantha Jane's sister, Matilda.
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William Hawkins was born 19 Apr 1851 in Franklin County, Indiana, the son of Robert Hawkins and Mary Ann Jones Hawkins. His family moved to Paulding County, Ohio, sometime between Apr 1851 and Dec 1863. His father, Robert, enlisted in the Army and was killed 22 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Mary Ann, initially received a pension of $8.00 per month, which undoubtedly made it very difficult to raise a family with seven children. Mary Ann married Zephaniah Bell on 26 Jan 1873. In that same year, William married Matilda Sines.
William and Matilda had at least three children. They are:
John Hawkins (1874-1925)
Samantha Ellen "Mattie" Hawkins Park (1880-1949)
Lodenna Hawkins (1881- )
On the 1880 U.S. Census, the family is shown living in Carryall, Paulding County, Ohio, and Matilda was expecting another child. Their youngest child, Lodenna, was born in February 1881, but the joy of this event was soon replaced with grief. Matilda's sister Harriet died of tuberculosis in March 1881. From other deaths in the area, it appears that an epidemic occurred during that year. Matilda also succumbed to the disease, dying in March 1882. Her mother followed soon thereafter, dying in June 1882. It is presumed that Matilda's infant, Lodenna, also died about the same time, as the only evidence of her existence is her birth record.
As the Census records for 1890 were destroyed, it is difficult to trace what happened to son John immediately after Matilda's death. It is known that daughter Samantha Ellen went to live with Matilda's sister, Samantha Jane Sines Bell, and the Bells raised Samantha Ellen like a daughter. Very little is known about what role, if any, William had in raising Samantha Ellen. Samantha Jane Bell and her husband, Lovirus Addison Bell, moved to White Cloud, Doniphan County, Kansas, and William Hawkins arrived there many years later, appearing on the 1910 U.S. Census residing with the family of his son, John Hawkins, who had remained in contact with members of the Hawkins family and joined them in Kansas before removing to Michigan.
William Hawkins was a day laborer during his working career. In his later years, he reportedly spent his time either in the saloon or in the livery stables in White Cloud. Nobody in the family who knew him wanted to talk much about him and inquiries about him in White Cloud, Kansas, went unanswered. While William's burial in Olive Branch Cemetery is documented, his date of death is not. Additional information regarding his final years and death would be appreciated and may be submitted via the "edit" button.
The children and grandchildren of Samantha Ellen Hawkins Park knew Samantha Jane Bell as "Grandma Bell." Grandma Bell frequently called Samantha Ellen "Little Mattie," which undoubtedly was a reference to Samantha Ellen's mother and Samantha Jane's sister, Matilda.
Biography written by DONALD EDWARD PARK (1934-2014) with significant edits by Evelyn Park Blalock. Please DO NOT publish elsewhere without providing full and proper credit. Thank you.
----------
William Hawkins was born 19 Apr 1851 in Franklin County, Indiana, the son of Robert Hawkins and Mary Ann Jones Hawkins. His family moved to Paulding County, Ohio, sometime between Apr 1851 and Dec 1863. His father, Robert, enlisted in the Army and was killed 22 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Mary Ann, initially received a pension of $8.00 per month, which undoubtedly made it very difficult to raise a family with seven children. Mary Ann married Zephaniah Bell on 26 Jan 1873. In that same year, William married Matilda Sines.
William and Matilda had at least three children. They are:
John Hawkins (1874-1925)
Samantha Ellen "Mattie" Hawkins Park (1880-1949)
Lodenna Hawkins (1881- )
On the 1880 U.S. Census, the family is shown living in Carryall, Paulding County, Ohio, and Matilda was expecting another child. Their youngest child, Lodenna, was born in February 1881, but the joy of this event was soon replaced with grief. Matilda's sister Harriet died of tuberculosis in March 1881. From other deaths in the area, it appears that an epidemic occurred during that year. Matilda also succumbed to the disease, dying in March 1882. Her mother followed soon thereafter, dying in June 1882. It is presumed that Matilda's infant, Lodenna, also died about the same time, as the only evidence of her existence is her birth record.
As the Census records for 1890 were destroyed, it is difficult to trace what happened to son John immediately after Matilda's death. It is known that daughter Samantha Ellen went to live with Matilda's sister, Samantha Jane Sines Bell, and the Bells raised Samantha Ellen like a daughter. Very little is known about what role, if any, William had in raising Samantha Ellen. Samantha Jane Bell and her husband, Lovirus Addison Bell, moved to White Cloud, Doniphan County, Kansas, and William Hawkins arrived there many years later, appearing on the 1910 U.S. Census residing with the family of his son, John Hawkins, who had remained in contact with members of the Hawkins family and joined them in Kansas before removing to Michigan.
William Hawkins was a day laborer during his working career. In his later years, he reportedly spent his time either in the saloon or in the livery stables in White Cloud. Nobody in the family who knew him wanted to talk much about him and inquiries about him in White Cloud, Kansas, went unanswered. While William's burial in Olive Branch Cemetery is documented, his date of death is not. Additional information regarding his final years and death would be appreciated and may be submitted via the "edit" button.
The children and grandchildren of Samantha Ellen Hawkins Park knew Samantha Jane Bell as "Grandma Bell." Grandma Bell frequently called Samantha Ellen "Little Mattie," which undoubtedly was a reference to Samantha Ellen's mother and Samantha Jane's sister, Matilda.
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William Hawkins was born 19 Apr 1851 in Franklin County, Indiana, the son of Robert Hawkins and Mary Ann Jones Hawkins. His family moved to Paulding County, Ohio, sometime between Apr 1851 and Dec 1863. His father, Robert, enlisted in the Army and was killed 22 Jul 1864 at Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Mary Ann, initially received a pension of $8.00 per month, which undoubtedly made it very difficult to raise a family with seven children. Mary Ann married Zephaniah Bell on 26 Jan 1873. In that same year, William married Matilda Sines.
William and Matilda had at least three children. They are:
John Hawkins (1874-1925)
Samantha Ellen "Mattie" Hawkins Park (1880-1949)
Lodenna Hawkins (1881- )
On the 1880 U.S. Census, the family is shown living in Carryall, Paulding County, Ohio, and Matilda was expecting another child. Their youngest child, Lodenna, was born in February 1881, but the joy of this event was soon replaced with grief. Matilda's sister Harriet died of tuberculosis in March 1881. From other deaths in the area, it appears that an epidemic occurred during that year. Matilda also succumbed to the disease, dying in March 1882. Her mother followed soon thereafter, dying in June 1882. It is presumed that Matilda's infant, Lodenna, also died about the same time, as the only evidence of her existence is her birth record.
As the Census records for 1890 were destroyed, it is difficult to trace what happened to son John immediately after Matilda's death. It is known that daughter Samantha Ellen went to live with Matilda's sister, Samantha Jane Sines Bell, and the Bells raised Samantha Ellen like a daughter. Very little is known about what role, if any, William had in raising Samantha Ellen. Samantha Jane Bell and her husband, Lovirus Addison Bell, moved to White Cloud, Doniphan County, Kansas, and William Hawkins arrived there many years later, appearing on the 1910 U.S. Census residing with the family of his son, John Hawkins, who had remained in contact with members of the Hawkins family and joined them in Kansas before removing to Michigan.
William Hawkins was a day laborer during his working career. In his later years, he reportedly spent his time either in the saloon or in the livery stables in White Cloud. Nobody in the family who knew him wanted to talk much about him and inquiries about him in White Cloud, Kansas, went unanswered. While William's burial in Olive Branch Cemetery is documented, his date of death is not. Additional information regarding his final years and death would be appreciated and may be submitted via the "edit" button.
The children and grandchildren of Samantha Ellen Hawkins Park knew Samantha Jane Bell as "Grandma Bell." Grandma Bell frequently called Samantha Ellen "Little Mattie," which undoubtedly was a reference to Samantha Ellen's mother and Samantha Jane's sister, Matilda.
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