Husband of Sophia Charlotte Zimmermann and son of Charles Cleaver, Esq. and Jane Barker Cleaver. William was Christened Saint Mary, Lambeth, London County, England. Oak Woods on Chicago's South Side, is one of Chicago's oldest and most magnificent historic cemeteries. It is located at 67th and Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL.
Obituary:
Chicago Tribune Nov 17 1896 Sat. page 5
DEATHS
CLEAVER -- Nov. 13, William Cleaver, aged 81 years. Funeral services at house, 20 E. 46th st. Sunday, 2 p. m., by carriages to Oakwoods.
HISTORICAL ENCYLOPEDIA of ILLINOIS and History of EVANSTON vol1 edited by Newton Bateman, LL. D. and P{aul Selby, A. M. Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co., Publisher 1904
CLEAVER, William, pioneer, was born in London, England, in 1815: came to Canada with his parents in 1831, and to Chicago in 1834; engaged in business as a chandler, later going into the grocery trade; in 1849, joined the gold-seekers in California, and six years afterwards, established himself in the southern part of the present city of Chicago, then called Cleaverville, where he served as Postmaster and mananged a general store. He was the owner of considerable real estate at one time in what is now a densely populated part of the city of Chicago. Died in Chicago, Nov. 13 1896.

Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov 1896:

Death of W. Cleaver. A Pioneer
He Came To Chicago In 1834 and Had Ever Since Been Active In Business
Here.

William Cleaver, who came to Chicago in 1834, when the settlement
contained less than 500 people, died at his home, No. 20 East
Forty-sixth St., yesterday morning at the age of 81. His funeral will
take place on Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the family residence.
Interment being at Oakwoods.
Born in London, England in 1815, Mr. Cleaver came to Canada with his
parents and located at Toronto in 1831. Three years later, he came to
Chicago and immediately started the Chicago Soap and Candle Works on
the river bank where is now the Madison St. bridge. Two years later,
he opened a grocery store, his establishment being the second of its
kind in the little settlement.
In 1855, Mr. Cleaver, who in 1849 had joined the gold seeker's
caravan to California, moved out to what is now 38th Street and Lake
Ave, then called Cleaverville. Here, he managed a general store and
served as postmaster. In 1878 he suffered a general financial loss,
but soon after, cleared up the wreck and established himself in the
laundry business, in which he was engaged at the time of his death.

He was married twice, first to Mary Whitely, and after her death, to
Sophia C. Zimmermann, the latter marriage took place in 1855. Six
children survive him, three by each marriage; W.H., F.C., A.W., and
H.E. Cleaver and Mrs. T.F. Swann and Mrs. G.N. Brown.