*Death year on headstone states 1928, however her obituary was published in 1927.
The daughter of Matthew Watson and his wife Eliza Harris, Mattie was born at Idlewild in Caddo Parish. She married John R. Williams on May 25, 1864 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. (Louisiana Marriage Index 1780-2002)
The Watson plots are located on Lot 15, Section 18. The headstones are lined up within a wrought iron fence.
The most unique grave belongs to Mattie. Mattie has a bird bath located directly behind her headstone. On Jan. 26, 2010, it was leaning precariously over. *UPDATE: in January 2013, the birdbath is upright and full of water!
*Mattie also was the orgainizer of a juvenile society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in Shreveport [The Progress newspaper; March 5, 1892; page 4, column 2.
Writing on educational and social affairs, Mattie penned a column under the pen name "Busy Bee" for the Shreveport Journal in the late 1800's.
Mattie worked extensively in education including the Kate P. Nelson Seminary. After the close of that school, she devoted herself to public education in Shreveport and went to work as principal of the Avenue school. She was a formidable opponent to Prof. Blanton in 1907 when insisted Mattie secure a position for a young English teacher at double her salary. When she refused, Blanton had her up in front of the Shreveport School Board on charges of lack of cooperation. Prof. Blanton also punished the class of 1907 of the Central School by refusing a graduation ceremony to it's graduates. Mattie did not take this lying down. A trio of well respected teachers gave statements in favor of Mattie H. Williams: Miss Mary Dingle, Miss LeRosen, and Miss Phillips. A first hand account appeared in the June 30, 1907 edition of The Shreveport Caucasian with an outright verbal brawl resulting between editor Victor Grosjean and the Board over the matter of procuring the public record of the meeting. Also appearing at the end of the article was a letter against Prof. Blanton cancelling graduation exercises (and him blaming Mattie H. Williams) and in full support of Mattie. The letter was signed by a who's who of Shreveport: Mrs. R. N. McKellar, Mrs. Andrew Querbes, Mrs. E. B. Herndon, Mrs. B. B. Dickinson, Mrs. F. Hulsizer, Mrs. J. A. Pretz, Mrs. M. L. Beazley, Mrs. H. T. Keith, Mrs. M. L. Lowenthal and Miss A. Douglass.
The daughter of Matthew Watson and his wife Eliza Harris, Mattie was born at Idlewild in Caddo Parish. She married John R. Williams on May 25, 1864 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. (Louisiana Marriage Index 1780-2002)
The Watson plots are located on Lot 15, Section 18. The headstones are lined up within a wrought iron fence.
The most unique grave belongs to Mattie. Mattie has a bird bath located directly behind her headstone. On Jan. 26, 2010, it was leaning precariously over. *UPDATE: in January 2013, the birdbath is upright and full of water!
*Mattie also was the orgainizer of a juvenile society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in Shreveport [The Progress newspaper; March 5, 1892; page 4, column 2.
Writing on educational and social affairs, Mattie penned a column under the pen name "Busy Bee" for the Shreveport Journal in the late 1800's.
Mattie worked extensively in education including the Kate P. Nelson Seminary. After the close of that school, she devoted herself to public education in Shreveport and went to work as principal of the Avenue school. She was a formidable opponent to Prof. Blanton in 1907 when insisted Mattie secure a position for a young English teacher at double her salary. When she refused, Blanton had her up in front of the Shreveport School Board on charges of lack of cooperation. Prof. Blanton also punished the class of 1907 of the Central School by refusing a graduation ceremony to it's graduates. Mattie did not take this lying down. A trio of well respected teachers gave statements in favor of Mattie H. Williams: Miss Mary Dingle, Miss LeRosen, and Miss Phillips. A first hand account appeared in the June 30, 1907 edition of The Shreveport Caucasian with an outright verbal brawl resulting between editor Victor Grosjean and the Board over the matter of procuring the public record of the meeting. Also appearing at the end of the article was a letter against Prof. Blanton cancelling graduation exercises (and him blaming Mattie H. Williams) and in full support of Mattie. The letter was signed by a who's who of Shreveport: Mrs. R. N. McKellar, Mrs. Andrew Querbes, Mrs. E. B. Herndon, Mrs. B. B. Dickinson, Mrs. F. Hulsizer, Mrs. J. A. Pretz, Mrs. M. L. Beazley, Mrs. H. T. Keith, Mrs. M. L. Lowenthal and Miss A. Douglass.
*Death year on headstone states 1928, however her obituary was published in 1927.
The daughter of Matthew Watson and his wife Eliza Harris, Mattie was born at Idlewild in Caddo Parish. She married John R. Williams on May 25, 1864 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. (Louisiana Marriage Index 1780-2002)
The Watson plots are located on Lot 15, Section 18. The headstones are lined up within a wrought iron fence.
The most unique grave belongs to Mattie. Mattie has a bird bath located directly behind her headstone. On Jan. 26, 2010, it was leaning precariously over. *UPDATE: in January 2013, the birdbath is upright and full of water!
*Mattie also was the orgainizer of a juvenile society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in Shreveport [The Progress newspaper; March 5, 1892; page 4, column 2.
Writing on educational and social affairs, Mattie penned a column under the pen name "Busy Bee" for the Shreveport Journal in the late 1800's.
Mattie worked extensively in education including the Kate P. Nelson Seminary. After the close of that school, she devoted herself to public education in Shreveport and went to work as principal of the Avenue school. She was a formidable opponent to Prof. Blanton in 1907 when insisted Mattie secure a position for a young English teacher at double her salary. When she refused, Blanton had her up in front of the Shreveport School Board on charges of lack of cooperation. Prof. Blanton also punished the class of 1907 of the Central School by refusing a graduation ceremony to it's graduates. Mattie did not take this lying down. A trio of well respected teachers gave statements in favor of Mattie H. Williams: Miss Mary Dingle, Miss LeRosen, and Miss Phillips. A first hand account appeared in the June 30, 1907 edition of The Shreveport Caucasian with an outright verbal brawl resulting between editor Victor Grosjean and the Board over the matter of procuring the public record of the meeting. Also appearing at the end of the article was a letter against Prof. Blanton cancelling graduation exercises (and him blaming Mattie H. Williams) and in full support of Mattie. The letter was signed by a who's who of Shreveport: Mrs. R. N. McKellar, Mrs. Andrew Querbes, Mrs. E. B. Herndon, Mrs. B. B. Dickinson, Mrs. F. Hulsizer, Mrs. J. A. Pretz, Mrs. M. L. Beazley, Mrs. H. T. Keith, Mrs. M. L. Lowenthal and Miss A. Douglass.
The daughter of Matthew Watson and his wife Eliza Harris, Mattie was born at Idlewild in Caddo Parish. She married John R. Williams on May 25, 1864 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. (Louisiana Marriage Index 1780-2002)
The Watson plots are located on Lot 15, Section 18. The headstones are lined up within a wrought iron fence.
The most unique grave belongs to Mattie. Mattie has a bird bath located directly behind her headstone. On Jan. 26, 2010, it was leaning precariously over. *UPDATE: in January 2013, the birdbath is upright and full of water!
*Mattie also was the orgainizer of a juvenile society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in Shreveport [The Progress newspaper; March 5, 1892; page 4, column 2.
Writing on educational and social affairs, Mattie penned a column under the pen name "Busy Bee" for the Shreveport Journal in the late 1800's.
Mattie worked extensively in education including the Kate P. Nelson Seminary. After the close of that school, she devoted herself to public education in Shreveport and went to work as principal of the Avenue school. She was a formidable opponent to Prof. Blanton in 1907 when insisted Mattie secure a position for a young English teacher at double her salary. When she refused, Blanton had her up in front of the Shreveport School Board on charges of lack of cooperation. Prof. Blanton also punished the class of 1907 of the Central School by refusing a graduation ceremony to it's graduates. Mattie did not take this lying down. A trio of well respected teachers gave statements in favor of Mattie H. Williams: Miss Mary Dingle, Miss LeRosen, and Miss Phillips. A first hand account appeared in the June 30, 1907 edition of The Shreveport Caucasian with an outright verbal brawl resulting between editor Victor Grosjean and the Board over the matter of procuring the public record of the meeting. Also appearing at the end of the article was a letter against Prof. Blanton cancelling graduation exercises (and him blaming Mattie H. Williams) and in full support of Mattie. The letter was signed by a who's who of Shreveport: Mrs. R. N. McKellar, Mrs. Andrew Querbes, Mrs. E. B. Herndon, Mrs. B. B. Dickinson, Mrs. F. Hulsizer, Mrs. J. A. Pretz, Mrs. M. L. Beazley, Mrs. H. T. Keith, Mrs. M. L. Lowenthal and Miss A. Douglass.
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