DEATH OF WOMAN OF REMARKABLE LIFE HISTORY
Mrs. W. J. Iiams Succumbs of Disease at Her Home in Jonesboro.
CROSSED CONTINENT THIRTY-FIVE TIMES
Her Clothes Twice Pierced by Bullets Fired by Indians.
Sarah A., wife of W. J. Iiams, of Jonesboro, died at her home on Sixth Street, Jonesboro, at 4:30 o'clock Friday afternoon after an extended illness of a complication of diseases. Although she had been in poor health for some time her death comes as a shock to the family and friends.
The life of Mrs. Iiams was one of varied incidents. She had one of the most interesting careers that could befall a citizen living in her time. A woman of the greatest refinement, few of her later acquaintances not knowing her interesting life history would guess her early experiences.
Born in Wells County, Ind., in 1840, Sarah A. Blount lived in this state until 1853 when she left with her father's family for Nebraska City, Neb., and there in 1856 she was married to W. J. Iiams. In 1859, with her husband and daughter Mary, who survive her, Mrs. Iiams made the trip overland from Nebraska City to California, leaving from their starting place on May 8, 1859, and arriving at their destination on Nov. 16 of the same year. They made the trip by wagon and were twice attacked by hostile Indians. Mrs. Iiams's clothing being twice pierced by bullets, but, as if bearing a charmed life, she escaped personal injury. Several members of the party in the wagon train were killed, their stock was all killed and the wagons burned.
The Iiams family lived in California fifteen years, Mr. Iiams, by the hardest kind of work, acquiring lands which afterward became valuable and netted him a comfortable fortune. Since 1874 Mr. and Mrs. Iiams have made Jonesboro their home, but have spent every winter in California. Mrs. Iiams had crossed the continent from Indiana to California with her husband thirty-four times by rail, seventeen round trips, and once by wagon train.
Mrs. Iiams was an expert shot with a rifle and with her husband had shot almost every kind of wild game. She always owned a rifle. It is told of her courage and great presence of mind while in California two years ago that a cow, stark mad, made a charge upon the horse which Mrs. Iiams and another lady were driving to a buggy. Mrs. Iiams caught up a rifle at her side and with quick, accurate aim, felled the mad cow within a few feet of their horse.
Besides her husband Mrs. Iiams is survived by a daughter, Mary, of Jonesboro, and a son, George, of Michigan. One sister, Mrs. Hildebrand, lives at Laton, California. The deceased had two brothers, one serving in the Union and one in the Confederate army. All trace of them has been lost to the family and there is no means of knowing whether either of them are living or not.
The funeral services of the deceased will be held at the Methodist church in Jonesboro at 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the Rev. W. T. Arnold officiating. Interment will be made in the Gas City I.O.O.F. cemetery.
The Marion Chronicle, Sat., Nov. 12, 1904, front page
Mrs. W. J. Iiams Succumbs of Disease at Her Home in Jonesboro.
CROSSED CONTINENT THIRTY-FIVE TIMES
Her Clothes Twice Pierced by Bullets Fired by Indians.
Sarah A., wife of W. J. Iiams, of Jonesboro, died at her home on Sixth Street, Jonesboro, at 4:30 o'clock Friday afternoon after an extended illness of a complication of diseases. Although she had been in poor health for some time her death comes as a shock to the family and friends.
The life of Mrs. Iiams was one of varied incidents. She had one of the most interesting careers that could befall a citizen living in her time. A woman of the greatest refinement, few of her later acquaintances not knowing her interesting life history would guess her early experiences.
Born in Wells County, Ind., in 1840, Sarah A. Blount lived in this state until 1853 when she left with her father's family for Nebraska City, Neb., and there in 1856 she was married to W. J. Iiams. In 1859, with her husband and daughter Mary, who survive her, Mrs. Iiams made the trip overland from Nebraska City to California, leaving from their starting place on May 8, 1859, and arriving at their destination on Nov. 16 of the same year. They made the trip by wagon and were twice attacked by hostile Indians. Mrs. Iiams's clothing being twice pierced by bullets, but, as if bearing a charmed life, she escaped personal injury. Several members of the party in the wagon train were killed, their stock was all killed and the wagons burned.
The Iiams family lived in California fifteen years, Mr. Iiams, by the hardest kind of work, acquiring lands which afterward became valuable and netted him a comfortable fortune. Since 1874 Mr. and Mrs. Iiams have made Jonesboro their home, but have spent every winter in California. Mrs. Iiams had crossed the continent from Indiana to California with her husband thirty-four times by rail, seventeen round trips, and once by wagon train.
Mrs. Iiams was an expert shot with a rifle and with her husband had shot almost every kind of wild game. She always owned a rifle. It is told of her courage and great presence of mind while in California two years ago that a cow, stark mad, made a charge upon the horse which Mrs. Iiams and another lady were driving to a buggy. Mrs. Iiams caught up a rifle at her side and with quick, accurate aim, felled the mad cow within a few feet of their horse.
Besides her husband Mrs. Iiams is survived by a daughter, Mary, of Jonesboro, and a son, George, of Michigan. One sister, Mrs. Hildebrand, lives at Laton, California. The deceased had two brothers, one serving in the Union and one in the Confederate army. All trace of them has been lost to the family and there is no means of knowing whether either of them are living or not.
The funeral services of the deceased will be held at the Methodist church in Jonesboro at 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the Rev. W. T. Arnold officiating. Interment will be made in the Gas City I.O.O.F. cemetery.
The Marion Chronicle, Sat., Nov. 12, 1904, front page
DEATH OF WOMAN OF REMARKABLE LIFE HISTORY
Mrs. W. J. Iiams Succumbs of Disease at Her Home in Jonesboro.
CROSSED CONTINENT THIRTY-FIVE TIMES
Her Clothes Twice Pierced by Bullets Fired by Indians.
Sarah A., wife of W. J. Iiams, of Jonesboro, died at her home on Sixth Street, Jonesboro, at 4:30 o'clock Friday afternoon after an extended illness of a complication of diseases. Although she had been in poor health for some time her death comes as a shock to the family and friends.
The life of Mrs. Iiams was one of varied incidents. She had one of the most interesting careers that could befall a citizen living in her time. A woman of the greatest refinement, few of her later acquaintances not knowing her interesting life history would guess her early experiences.
Born in Wells County, Ind., in 1840, Sarah A. Blount lived in this state until 1853 when she left with her father's family for Nebraska City, Neb., and there in 1856 she was married to W. J. Iiams. In 1859, with her husband and daughter Mary, who survive her, Mrs. Iiams made the trip overland from Nebraska City to California, leaving from their starting place on May 8, 1859, and arriving at their destination on Nov. 16 of the same year. They made the trip by wagon and were twice attacked by hostile Indians. Mrs. Iiams's clothing being twice pierced by bullets, but, as if bearing a charmed life, she escaped personal injury. Several members of the party in the wagon train were killed, their stock was all killed and the wagons burned.
The Iiams family lived in California fifteen years, Mr. Iiams, by the hardest kind of work, acquiring lands which afterward became valuable and netted him a comfortable fortune. Since 1874 Mr. and Mrs. Iiams have made Jonesboro their home, but have spent every winter in California. Mrs. Iiams had crossed the continent from Indiana to California with her husband thirty-four times by rail, seventeen round trips, and once by wagon train.
Mrs. Iiams was an expert shot with a rifle and with her husband had shot almost every kind of wild game. She always owned a rifle. It is told of her courage and great presence of mind while in California two years ago that a cow, stark mad, made a charge upon the horse which Mrs. Iiams and another lady were driving to a buggy. Mrs. Iiams caught up a rifle at her side and with quick, accurate aim, felled the mad cow within a few feet of their horse.
Besides her husband Mrs. Iiams is survived by a daughter, Mary, of Jonesboro, and a son, George, of Michigan. One sister, Mrs. Hildebrand, lives at Laton, California. The deceased had two brothers, one serving in the Union and one in the Confederate army. All trace of them has been lost to the family and there is no means of knowing whether either of them are living or not.
The funeral services of the deceased will be held at the Methodist church in Jonesboro at 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the Rev. W. T. Arnold officiating. Interment will be made in the Gas City I.O.O.F. cemetery.
The Marion Chronicle, Sat., Nov. 12, 1904, front page
Mrs. W. J. Iiams Succumbs of Disease at Her Home in Jonesboro.
CROSSED CONTINENT THIRTY-FIVE TIMES
Her Clothes Twice Pierced by Bullets Fired by Indians.
Sarah A., wife of W. J. Iiams, of Jonesboro, died at her home on Sixth Street, Jonesboro, at 4:30 o'clock Friday afternoon after an extended illness of a complication of diseases. Although she had been in poor health for some time her death comes as a shock to the family and friends.
The life of Mrs. Iiams was one of varied incidents. She had one of the most interesting careers that could befall a citizen living in her time. A woman of the greatest refinement, few of her later acquaintances not knowing her interesting life history would guess her early experiences.
Born in Wells County, Ind., in 1840, Sarah A. Blount lived in this state until 1853 when she left with her father's family for Nebraska City, Neb., and there in 1856 she was married to W. J. Iiams. In 1859, with her husband and daughter Mary, who survive her, Mrs. Iiams made the trip overland from Nebraska City to California, leaving from their starting place on May 8, 1859, and arriving at their destination on Nov. 16 of the same year. They made the trip by wagon and were twice attacked by hostile Indians. Mrs. Iiams's clothing being twice pierced by bullets, but, as if bearing a charmed life, she escaped personal injury. Several members of the party in the wagon train were killed, their stock was all killed and the wagons burned.
The Iiams family lived in California fifteen years, Mr. Iiams, by the hardest kind of work, acquiring lands which afterward became valuable and netted him a comfortable fortune. Since 1874 Mr. and Mrs. Iiams have made Jonesboro their home, but have spent every winter in California. Mrs. Iiams had crossed the continent from Indiana to California with her husband thirty-four times by rail, seventeen round trips, and once by wagon train.
Mrs. Iiams was an expert shot with a rifle and with her husband had shot almost every kind of wild game. She always owned a rifle. It is told of her courage and great presence of mind while in California two years ago that a cow, stark mad, made a charge upon the horse which Mrs. Iiams and another lady were driving to a buggy. Mrs. Iiams caught up a rifle at her side and with quick, accurate aim, felled the mad cow within a few feet of their horse.
Besides her husband Mrs. Iiams is survived by a daughter, Mary, of Jonesboro, and a son, George, of Michigan. One sister, Mrs. Hildebrand, lives at Laton, California. The deceased had two brothers, one serving in the Union and one in the Confederate army. All trace of them has been lost to the family and there is no means of knowing whether either of them are living or not.
The funeral services of the deceased will be held at the Methodist church in Jonesboro at 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the Rev. W. T. Arnold officiating. Interment will be made in the Gas City I.O.O.F. cemetery.
The Marion Chronicle, Sat., Nov. 12, 1904, front page
Family Members
Parents
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
