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Edward Collier Williams
Edward
Collier Williams was born September 8, 1870 in Morgan County, Alabama.
At the age of twelve, Edward had pneumonia which almost proved fatal.
With the help of the local doctor, he was restored to health.
After enduring the illness, he decided to study medicine.
At the time of his mother's death, the family of eight children was separated with the older siblings marrying and the younger ones were sent to live with relatives. Edward provided for himself with jobs ranging from sawmill laborer to store clerk. While clerking, he heard "tales" from local citizens who had returned from Texas. After trying to interest cousins and friends into going to Texas to little avail, he set out for Texas along. His journey began on a hand bicycle, twenty dollars, and a few clothes. He stopped in Hunt County, Texas to earn money for the remainder of his trip and picked cotton. Edward arrived in the Ethel Community in October 1894. He worked at the local gin for two years. Edward was accepted by the Tennessee State Medical School in Memphis. He earned his M.D. degree in the spring of 1899 after passing the state board examination. He then returned to Ethel. Shortly after his arrival, the owner of the Ethel drug store hung a sign which read "E. C. Williams, M.D." In 1907, Dr. Williams purchased a two-story brick home in Collinsville. He remodeled his new home, turning it into a clinic which included a place to perform surgery. In 1916, Dr. Williams began taking patients to a Sherman hospital but still performed surgery in Collinsville until 1941. Bazie Moncrief Williams
Bazie Moncrief and Dr. Williams married January 17, 1923.
At
the age of seventeen, Bazie Moncrief worked as a bookkeeper for W. L.
Bruce, merchant and cotton buyer. About ten years later, she
opened her own millinery shop which was located in Pelphrey's store in
Collinsville. She also attended West Texas Normal School in Canyon,
Texas and taught school at Barron.
When Dr. Williams operated his hospital in his home, Bazie assisted him with the patients and during surgery. Upon her husband's death in December 1943, Bazie Williams became an agent and operated her own insurance business. Upon her death, one of her requests was that one-tenth of her estate be given to the Collinsville Church of Christ where she had been a member for 71 years. "Ethel, Then & Now"  Biography Index Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |
