William Thomas King was born October 8, 1888 in Carroll County, Georgia to Martin Ambrose King and Polly Ann Williams King. He was the oldest of six children.

In 1906, he married Annie Ardelia McGuire, and they had twelve children. Every time that I was around any of their children over the years, it was always very clear that they all dearly loved and respected their parents and each other. There were very strong family ties and a strong work ethic within the family as each member was expected to pitch in and help with whatever work needed to be done.

William was a farmer and worked at a cotton mill, and he also owned a sawmill for several years until it caught fire and burned to the ground. You'll notice in one of the photos that he is missing a couple of fingers which were lost in a sawmill accident.

I remember my grandfather Olin Howard King telling one story about his father that has always stuck in my mind as a great example of who his father was. Will always stated that anyone could eat at his table at anytime, and that there would always be plenty of food for them to eat. He didn't care if it was a family member, friend, postman, or stranger. He had one requirement, though. The persons seated at the table could not complain about what they were served. It might only be potatoes and bread, but everyone would leave the table full, and he felt they should be grateful and uncomplaining.

William suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died a few days later on August 9, 1955. He is buried with his wife at Poplar Springs Primitive Baptist Church in Carroll County, GA.

As he was nearing the end of his life, William asked his children to make a promise to him. He asked that they all gather together every year on Christmas Day. It was his way of making sure the family ties that were so important to him would continue even after his death. The King Family Reunion happened for several decades after Will's death. As his great-granddaughter, I went to quite a few of them, and I was always amazed at the closeness among all of the children, grandchildren, and other family members who came to celebrate.


The following was written by Huland King, one of the sons of William T. and Ardelia King. It is a great tribute to his parents.

In Memory of Mr. and Mrs. W.T. King

How well do I remember, it seems like yesterday
When Mother and Daddy were pleased in every way
To see their children's faces as they all gathered in
For that's what made Christmas so jolly to begin.

Our mother always waited, she knew that we would be
So happy just to help her decorate the Christmas tree.
It seemed she knew just the way that everything should go
To make our Christmas merry back in the days of old.

While Daddy would be sitting in his old rocking chair
He might not always tell you but the spirit was there
You could tell it by his smiling face, though his hair had turned to gray
We always had a Christmas that was merry every way.

I knew that this Christmas was going to be sad
When all our family gathered without dear Mom and Dad
Although they are not with us their memories still live on
We never will forget them, although we know they're gone.

~Biography Written by Sabrina King Combs (Great-Granddaughter)

~Tribute Written by Robert Huland King (Son)