I have a group photo with you when you went to school at Weston. Your brother Porter Williams (Porter A Williams born 29 September 1907; died 31 August 1975 Hardin Co IL) was named for your uncle Porter Todd. (Porter Todd born Crittenden Co KY; died 16 June 1920, Pope Co IL) Porter Todd and George Todd were your mother’s (Lola Todd born 07 February 1878, Crittenden Co KY; died 05 April 1919, Hardin Co IL) half brothers. They had a sister that lived at Paducah KY. She was married to a man named Bruton. I’m not sure about the spelling.

Your grand father was Samuel Watson Williams. (Samuel Williams born 1833 Hopkins Co KY; died 23 January 1913 Weston, Crittenden Co KY) Every one called him uncle Sam. Your father Samuel E. (Samuel E. Williams born 26 December 1875 Webster C KY; died 28 October 1915 Hardin Co ILL) was named after him. Photo of Samuel E. Williams and Family Bible Record.

Your grandmother’s maiden name was Prudence Edmondson. (Prudence Edmondson born 1836 Hopkins Co KY; died November 1879, Claysville, Webster Co, KY.) That is where Prudy (Prudy Williams born 1910 Crittenden Co KY; died Hardin C IL) gets her name. Your great-grandmother’s maiden name was Devine. I never knew her father’s name.

We came to Rosiclare (Rosiclare, IL) quite often and stayed all night. Your mother was living with you folks but later married again. I never knew his name. (John Henry Joiner born 29 June 1873; died 16 March 1925 Hardin Co, IL) After that time I lost track of where you folks were.

I’m glad Lillian that you have folks living with you, your two sons (Warren G. Osman born 22 Sept 1922 Herod IL; died 06 November 2001 Safety Harbor, FL and Wilfred D. Osman born 1924 Hardin Co IL) and Porter's daughter. (Lola C Williams born 02 April 1931 Hardin Co IL; died 05 August 2005). I don’t have anyone except a half-sister (Laura Williams Denton, born 1904 Caseyville, Union Co KY) that I scarcely know. I only saw her as a baby three months old.

I was very fond of uncle Sam and aunt Lola. (Samuel E. Williams born 1875 Webster Co KY and Lola Todd born 1878 Crittenden Co KY; died April 1919 Hardin Co IL). Uncle Sam was so much a lively fellow while he was young. I visited you a lot while you were at Weston and you all came to our farm when we lived near Mt. Zion. (Crittenden Co KY) The town of Weston is completely gone, just the cemetery (Mt. Zion cemetery) and the house is all that is left of what once was.

I will be glad for any of you folks to come see me. (in Lexington KY). You will always be welcome.

I hope I have answered your questions. I never hear from aunt Emma’s ( half first Aunt Emma F. Williams Franks born 1883 Crittenden Co KY; died 26 September 1961 in Marion, Crittenden Co KY) folks or the Franks boys. ( half first cousins Roy Franks born 1914 Crittenden Co KY, Ernest Franks born 1914 Crittenden Co KY, Raymond D. Franks born 1922 Crittenden Co KY, died 2004 in Arizona, William J. Franks born 1925 Crittenden Co KY)

I will read your letter over again carefully in case I can think of anything I’ll write. I want you Lillian to keep on writing because I feel so alone. I loved you all of you when I was a kid and still do. I thought of you so many times.

Write soon, love,
your cousin Clarence

I am proud you are a Chaplin at the hospital

Clarence continues: I thought this might be of some interest to you. I will tell you a little about myself. I can still drive my car but I only drive around town. I did drive to Marion KY about two years ago and may drive down there again if I can.

I think I told you I am 81 years old and will be 82 the 16th of July. I have been a member of the Methodist church since 1922. That was the year I married. We were married the next day after I joined the church. We lived together 55 years. Myrtle ( spouse Myrtle Perkins, born 1899, KY died 25 June 1977 Bagdad KY and is buried at Bagdad KY .

I am a veteran of world war one. (Clarence was a medic in the battle for France) and a Life member of the Masonic Lodge, Life member of the Eastern Star, Life member of the American Legion. I served two terms on city council of Frankfort. I have been treasure of Edwardian United Methodist church of Lexington for twenty five years. I still am treasurer. I am a member of Temple so Shrine Frankfort, KY and Commanders Knight Temple Frankfort KY.

My Family:

Father - Armstead Summerfield Williams died 1905 (born 1863 Webster Co KY
Mother - Mary Alice (Smith) Williams died 1902 (born May 1867)
Sister - Cora Ethel (Williams) Stone died 1970 St. Petersburg FL (born 1886 Webster Co KY)
Brother - Samuel Edward Williams died 1919; buried Frankfort KY (born 1890 Webster Co KY)
Thomas Reed Williams died 1975 buried Renfrew SC (born 1893 Webster Co KY)
David Lodge Williams died 1908 buried (?) Frankfort, KY (born Aug 1899 Webster Co KY)
Clarence Armstead Williams born July 16, 1896 (died August 1985, Lexington, KY)
Laura Williams Denton born 1904 Caseyville, KY; now lives in Harrisburg, IL
The town of Caseyville is gone, my mother and father, Armstead S Williams & Mary A Smith are buried there.

Clarence was only nine living in Union Co KY when his father died and he went to live with his grandfather Samuel W. Williams and his uncle Martin Williams and his family on a farm near Weston KY. He lived in a time when the railroad could get you to the big city of Henderson or a steam boat on the Ohio river could get you the even bigger city of Paducah KY. I’m sure he was awe struck seeing his first automobile and a little later a aero plane that flew like a bird . I’m sure the farm boy never thought he would be asked to board a even bigger ship to go to France to defend his country. And finally Clarence lived to see man on the moon. Clarence’s picture and school records can be found in the book “Weston Kentucky - Once Upon a Time” by Bonnie Gass and Mathew Patton.
About 1912 Clarence went to live with his sister Cora Williams Stone in Lexington KY. And in 1918 while working as a shoe sales man, he was drafted into the army and served as a medic in France until the war ended. Returning to Lexington he married Myrtle Perkins. In 1920 he was back working as a sales clerk at the shoe factory where at about 1930 he was promoted to factory foreman. Clarence died in the veterans hospital in Lexington in 1985 and is buried in the Frankfort cemetery overlooking the Capital building. His grave isn’t too far from Daniel Boon’s grave. He wasn’t a famous KY explorer but Dan’l would have been interested in Clarence’s stories about World War I, and I bet Clarence could sell him a good pair of shoes.