Recently, I wrote about the family of John Christopher Williams and his first wife, Louisa Miller, who settled in Hopkins County, Texas, near Louisa’s family.
John and Louisa were the parents of four known children: James Benjamin, known as Bennie, born 22 November 1872 in Arkansas, Louella Jennie, born 24 November 1875, Levi, born c1877 and died 8 September 1879 and Minnie Mae, born 23 March 1879.
I’ve previously written about Minnie Mae’s life, as she was my husband’s great grandmother. My father-in-law, Ed, kept in touch with his grandmother until she passed away in 1945.
What became of James Benjamin and Louella Jennie?
First, James was known as Bennie and apparently called that all of his life. He was the only child to have been born in Arkansas and was probably born in Hempstead County, as John lived there at the time of his marriage to Louisa.
Bennie lived his entire life in Hopkins County. In 1880, he was at home with his parents:
By 1900, he had been married to Louie B. for five years and they had one son, John T., born in April 1900. Louise was born in May 1881, so married when she was fourteen years old.
Bennie died on 1 April 1936. Wife Louise had predeceased him.
Bennie and Louie apparently had only the one child. John T. was John Tracy Williams. He married Callie Toland; they had two children, daughter Katherine L., born 1930, and son Bennie Gene, born 23 August 1931.
Katherine appears in the 1940 census, but I haven’t found her after that time. Her birth certificate actually names her as “Cathaline Lue” and she was born 8 October 1929.
Bennie died in December 1974. His Social Security card was issued in Mississippi, but I haven’t found any more about him either. I haven’t found any death dates for John Tracy and Callie, so I only know that both were living in 1940.
Minnie’s other sibling, Louella Jennie or Junie, was born on 24 November 1875. She married Benjamin “Ivy” “Iverson” Hullender on 19 March 1899 in Hopkins County, Texas. Benjamin was born 8 October 1863 in South Carolina.
They were living in Hopkins County in 1900 and it appears that “Juna” had lost her first baby:
1900 Census, Hopkins County, Texas
By 1910, the Hullenders had gone back to Ben’s home in North Carolina, living in Kings Mountain, Cleveland, North Carolina:
Ivy, as Ben was known, and Junie had four surviving children:
- Mary Lee, born 8 March 1901, Texas; died 7 July 1971, Lincoln County, North Carolina; married Augustus Reynolds
- Emory, born 29 March 1907, North Carolina; died 1 August 1987, Cleveland County, North Carolina; married Gracie Philbeck
- Jonas Frank, 3 March1910, North Carolina; died 21 June 1969, Cleveland County, North Carolina; married Maggie Davis
- Richard Ira, born 19 May 1913, Cleveland County, North Carolina; died 20 January 2000; married Madge Louise Pruitt
It appears that all of these children have descendants. If you are part of the Hullender family of Cleveland County, North Carolina, I would love to share information with you. Please leave a comment. 🙂