William Farrar Ponder "Billy" never knew his father. JOHN PIERSON (Pearson) PONDER born 1818 NC and died Oct. 16, 1846 in Randolph Co, Alabama. His mother was CATHERINE CARTER PRUITT (1823 – 1915). Billy was the youngest and last Ponder child. He had twin brothers Berryman Shumate and Perryman Lafayette, also Francis Marion "Frank", Martha Nancy "Sis", and John Teague. His mother married again to Elijah Wilmins Pruett and they had two children John and Mary Catherine "Molly". Elijah died in 1866 in Mississippi and she married William P Ezell. She moved to Mississippi to be near her three remaining sons Berry, Perry, and Billy after Frank and Teague were killed during the war.
Billy served in CSA - Co. F 62nd Ala Inf from Alabama during the Civil War. He later wrote a story about the his life and his adventures and the hardships during war. He moved to Mississippi to be near his brothers Berry and Perry and met and married 1866 in Mississippi to Angeline M Roberts (1846 -1924). Her parents were both dead and she lived with her sister Frances Roberts who had married John Pierson Ponder a first cousin to Billy. They lived in Covington Co, MS for awhile.They had Martha Jane 1867. They moved to Marion Co, MS by 1870 and had Franklin B "Frank", William Thadeus "Thad", Thomas Jefferson "Jeff", Perry Monroe, Frances C A "Fannie",and Mary Elizbeth. A son Ervin Houston was born in Lauderdale Mississippi in 1882. They moved to San Augustine Co, Texas before 1885 when John Coleman was born there. Their last child was Berry born in 1888. Angeline died in 1924 and Billy lived with several different children. He live with Monroe near Broaddus and Mary and Cal Halsey. He was living with Mary when he died in Nacogdoches. He was buried next to his beloved wife Angeline.