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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
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Welcome to
Fulton County, Ohio
History & Genealogy
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Source:
The County of Fulton
A History of Fulton County, Ohio
Publ.: Madison, Wis. Northwestern Historical Association
1905
Transcribed by
Sharon Wick
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EDWARD EVERETT
WILLIAMS, of Wauseon, probate judge of Fulton county,
a descendant of one of the pioneers of that county, was born
in Clinton township in 1864. He is the son of
Jeremiah M. and Matilda (Biddle) Williams, both natives
of Ohio. Jeremiah M. Williams was born near
Tiffin, Seneca county, O., in 1822, and when brothers,
John H. and Burt, and his sister, Mrs. Thomas Lingle,
to Clinton township in 1834. Here he grew to
manhood and took an active part in local affairs, serving as
township trustee for some years. His wife, Matilda
Williams, was the daughter of Samuel Biddle who
came to York township, Fulton county, from Wayne county.
He was deeply interested in township affairs and served as
justice of the peace for a number of years. Edward
Everett Williams, the subject of this sketch, was reared
on a farm and educated in the public schools of Fulton
county, being a graduate of the Wauseon high school.
He remained on the farm until he embarked in the grocery
business at Archbold, Fulton county, which business he
conducted successfully for two and one-half years, when he
sold it. For seven years he served as deputy probate
judge of Fulton county. So well did he perform the
duties of his office that in 1899 the people elected did he
perform the duties of his office that in 1899 the people
elected him to the office of probate judge, a just
recognition of the ability that he displayed while serving
as deputy. Three years later he was re-elected and he
is now serving in that capacity. In him the people
realize that they have an impartial judge and a man who has
the moral courage to do what is right, regardless of the
cost. To fill this important office successfully
executive ability of no mean order and a ripened judgment
are required, both of which qualities Judge Williams
possesses. He is Worshipful Master of Wauseon Lodge,
No. 349, Free and Accepted Masons, and a Knight Templar.
He married Miss Alice B. Meeks, the daughter of
William J. Meeks, Jr., and Mary J. (Cornell) Meeks.
William J. Meeks, Jr., was born in Wayne county, Apr.
4, 1832, and married Mary Jane Cornell. They
had the following children: Flora B.; Alert M.; James,
deceased; Franklin and Alice B., who is the
wife of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Meeks
was one of the leaders of the Democratic party of Fulton
county. President Cleveland recognizing his
worth, appointed him postmaster of Wauseon, in which he was
serving at the time of his death, in 1885. His father,
William J. Meeks, Sr., was born in Fairfield county, O.,
in 1800, and died in Fulton county in 1875. Mary
Jane (Cornell) Meeks was the daughter of James
Cornell, Jr., and Margaret (Baggs) Cornell.
James Cornell, Jr., was born in Trenton, N. J., Jan.
26, 1805, and come to Fulton county in 1837, being one of
the pioneer settlers of Clinton township. His
prominence in public affairs is shown by the fact that he
served as county commissioner for three terms. He died
at his home aged seventy-nine years. His father,
James Cornell, Sr., together with four brothers settled
in Manhattan Island, N. Y. Ezra Cornell, the
founder of Cornell university, was the son of one of these
brothers and a first cousin of James Cornell, Jr., of
Fulton county. Margaret (Baggs) Cornell was the
daughter of John and Nancy Jane (Wright) Baggs, of
Somerset county, Pa., who located in Holmes county, O.,
where John Baggs died in 1846. Thomas Baggs,
the brother of John, settled in Clinton township in
1836. They were the sons of Jewell A. and Nancy
(McWilliams) Baggs. Jewell A. Baggs, a civil
engineer and a Methodist minister, came with his brother,
Hugh, from Scotland and settled in Somerset County, Pa.,
in 1755.
Source 4: The County of Fulton - A History of Fulton County,
Ohio - Publ.: Madison, Wis. Northwestern Historical
Association - 1905 - Page 626 |
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JOHN WILLIAMS (deceased),
one of the pioneer settlers of Fulton county, was born July
20, 1814, and died at the homestead on Jan. 23, 1890, aged
seventy-five and one-half years. When twenty years old
he came with his parents to what is now Fulton county and
spent his early life in the avocations of a pioneer, for
which he was well fitted, being strong and robust. The
first farm that he opened was located two and one-half miles
northeast of Delta, where he lived for many years. In
1849 he made the overland trip to California, and, after
meeting with marked success in his search for gold, returned
to Ohio and opened up another farm three miles east of
Delta, where he spent the remainder of his life.
John Williams was very prominent in the organization of
Fulton county and was a useful citizen throughout his long
residence there. His life was spent in agricultural
pursuits, in which he was unusually successful. He
could truthfully boast of having cleared more land than any
other man in the county. On Sept. 14, 1840, he was
married to Miss Elizabeth A. Norton, daughter of
Hiram and Sarah (Gamble) Norton, and their union was
blessed with ten children. They are: Emily, now
Mrs. Fashbaugh, a resident of Colorado; David,
a farmer of Delta; Elsie (deceased), who was the wife
of John Westbrook; Phoebe, now Mrs. George
Westbrook, residing on the homestead; Sarah, the
wife of John N. Petersen of Delta; John, a
farmer of Swan Creek township; George, a farmer near
Delta; Anson, a railroad man, a resident of Toledo,
Ohio; Ida, who died at the age of seven years, and
Lovina, who died in her second year. His widow is
still living and makes her home with Mrs. Pattersen,
her daughter. John N. Patersen, the son-in-law
of the subject of this sketch, was born in New York City
July 30, 1852. He is the son of John Jacob and
Sophia (Winkleseth) Petersen, both natives of Germany,
the former having been born in Houston, near Denmark, and
the latter in Bremen. They were married in New York
City, whence they removed to Ohio during the early part of
the Civil war, locating on a farm east of Delta.
Afterwards they removed to a farm in Fulton township, where
the father died, Oct. 22, 1892, aged seventy-eight years.
His widow is still living on the homestead at the age of
eighty-two years. They were the parents of five
children, three sons and two daughters, all living and
married. They are: John N., the eldest;
Anna, now Mrs. Wallace Smith, a resident of
Paulding county, O.; Theresa, now Mrs. Eugene
Wales of Swanton; Henry H., section foreman on
the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway at Wauseon; and
William B., living with his mother on the homestead.
John N. Petersen grew to manhood on a farm, receiving a
fair common school education. In public affairs he has
always taken a deep interest. So well does he stand in
his community that he was elected township assessor on the
Democratic ticket, notwithstanding the township is strongly
Republican. He is a member of Fulton Lodge, No. 248,
Free and Accepted Masons, of Lodge No. 199, Knights of
Pythias, and has also been an Odd Fellow; having passed the
official chairs of Swanton Lodge in that organization, as
well as that of the Knights of Pythias. Mr.
and Mrs. Petersen are both members of the adjunct order
of the Knights of Pythias, known as the Rathbone Sisters,
the name of the lodge being Thirza Temple No. 189, Delta,
Ohio. Mr. Petersen is also a member of the
Uniformed Rank Knights of Pythias No. 122, at Delta.
In 1880 he was wedded to Miss Sarah R. Williams,
daughter of John and Elizabeth A. (Norton) Williams,
and their union was blessed with two children: Ocie E.,
the wife of Jacob F. Perkins, a farmer and contractor
of this county, and they have one daughter, Grace
Elizabeth; Opal L. the younger daughter, is now
attending the Delta schools.
Source: The County of Fulton - A History of Fulton County,
Ohio - Publ.: Madison, Wis. Northwestern Historical
Association - 1905 - Page 627 |
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