William T. Brown was the 6th child born to Pricilla H. (Burkhart) Brown [1820-1867] and John Franklin Brown [1816-1894] while they were still living in Knox County, Tennessee on Oct 6, 1849. It is interesting to note that when their parents completed the 1850 census on Oct 12, 1850, John and Pricilla Brown listed William as "William A. Brown, age 8 months". On that date, they were still residing in Tennessee, however the family relocated in the early to mid 1850's to what would become their permanent home of Mulberry Grove, Bond County, Illinois. He was still residing with his parents at their farm in Mulberry Grove, Illinois at the age of 20 yrs. when the 1870 census was taken on June 18, 1870. He was listed as a farmer, along with his brothers Morgan and Phillip. His father was still a carpenter as was his older brother, Milas H. Sadly, his eldest brother, James F., who had been born in 1840, died in 1868 and was buried at the Union Grove Cemetery in Williamson County, Illinois. [I was not aware of this until recently when another FAG member contacted me with the news she had found him and made the family connection]. William married Martha Elizabeth Harper, a farmer's daughter, also of Bond County, on March 28th 1875 in Bond Co., Illinois. Their marriage would go on to produce seven children that I am aware of. They were:
1. Willa, b.1872, d. 1875
2. Elmer G., b. Jan 1880, d. Feb 1918
3. Lettie Grace, b. Jun 1884
4. Golda B., b. Aug 1887
5. Harry, b. May 1890
6. John H., b. Jun 1894, d. 1918
7. Wayne Floyd, b. 1901, d. 1962
All of the children were born in the Mulberry Grove Township, Bond County, Illinois, on the family farm, which was initially adjacent to Martha's parents' farm (from which they moved between 1880-1900). William listed himself as a farmer on both the 1880 & 1900 U.S. censuses. Things began to go awry, I believe, after this time. By the 1910 U.S. census, which was taken Apr 16, 1910, William was now 60, which would mean he had been born in Oct 1849, the date he is identified with on his headstone, (which I just recently learned he had). However, he had changed his middle initial from A. to M. and now stated he was a laborer, performing "odd jobs". In effect, their farm was gone, although they were living in the same area. Their daughter, Goldie, age 21, was "working out to a private family". Henry, now 19, John, now 16, and a late child, Wayne Floyd, was 8, and they were in school. There was also a granddaughter, Edna, age 3 yrs., in the home, but there was no son-in-law in the home and the father's birth state was "unknown". Edna's mother wasn't identified. It appeared that he may have changed his identity, just a bit, to avoid creditors during that time. Worst of all, both their sons John H. and Elmer G. would both die in 1918. John would go off to war and die in France; his mother would have his body returned to Illinois for burial (and she would be buried with him, when she passed). Elmer would die just a month after his 38th birthday, in Feb 1918. [However, I wonder if Elmer died in the Flu epidemic of 1918, but this is only a guess.] Everything became much clearer when I found the 1920 U.S. Census records. Martha, in 1920, was now living on her parents' farm at Pleasant Mound, a farming township in Bond County, Illinois, and she listed herself as "divorced". Her sons, Wayne and Harry, were living with her; Wayne was in school and Harry was working as a farm laborer on their home farm, which she had inherited when her parents had died (father d.1906, mother d.1915), mortgage free. However, William listed himself as owner of a farm ("the" farm?) in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, also free of any mortgage. His daughter, Lettie Grace, was widowed at age 35, married name Evans, and his granddaughter, little Edna from so many years before, was now 17 and in high school. [I am sure that Grace was her mother]. No income or employment was listed for any of them that day when the census taker came, on Jan 2nd, 1920, and William gave no middle initial at all. He died on Sept 10th of that year, within a month of his 70th birthday, if his headstone is correct. On a sad note, when the census taker came that day he stated he was still married to Martha. (A census taker visited Martha on Jan 27th, 1920). This is the reason that Martha is buried with her son, John H., who died in the "Great War" in 1918, rather than with William T. Brown, who is also buried at Mulberry Grove Cemetery in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, Illinois. May they both Rest in Peace.
1. Willa, b.1872, d. 1875
2. Elmer G., b. Jan 1880, d. Feb 1918
3. Lettie Grace, b. Jun 1884
4. Golda B., b. Aug 1887
5. Harry, b. May 1890
6. John H., b. Jun 1894, d. 1918
7. Wayne Floyd, b. 1901, d. 1962
All of the children were born in the Mulberry Grove Township, Bond County, Illinois, on the family farm, which was initially adjacent to Martha's parents' farm (from which they moved between 1880-1900). William listed himself as a farmer on both the 1880 & 1900 U.S. censuses. Things began to go awry, I believe, after this time. By the 1910 U.S. census, which was taken Apr 16, 1910, William was now 60, which would mean he had been born in Oct 1849, the date he is identified with on his headstone, (which I just recently learned he had). However, he had changed his middle initial from A. to M. and now stated he was a laborer, performing "odd jobs". In effect, their farm was gone, although they were living in the same area. Their daughter, Goldie, age 21, was "working out to a private family". Henry, now 19, John, now 16, and a late child, Wayne Floyd, was 8, and they were in school. There was also a granddaughter, Edna, age 3 yrs., in the home, but there was no son-in-law in the home and the father's birth state was "unknown". Edna's mother wasn't identified. It appeared that he may have changed his identity, just a bit, to avoid creditors during that time. Worst of all, both their sons John H. and Elmer G. would both die in 1918. John would go off to war and die in France; his mother would have his body returned to Illinois for burial (and she would be buried with him, when she passed). Elmer would die just a month after his 38th birthday, in Feb 1918. [However, I wonder if Elmer died in the Flu epidemic of 1918, but this is only a guess.] Everything became much clearer when I found the 1920 U.S. Census records. Martha, in 1920, was now living on her parents' farm at Pleasant Mound, a farming township in Bond County, Illinois, and she listed herself as "divorced". Her sons, Wayne and Harry, were living with her; Wayne was in school and Harry was working as a farm laborer on their home farm, which she had inherited when her parents had died (father d.1906, mother d.1915), mortgage free. However, William listed himself as owner of a farm ("the" farm?) in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, also free of any mortgage. His daughter, Lettie Grace, was widowed at age 35, married name Evans, and his granddaughter, little Edna from so many years before, was now 17 and in high school. [I am sure that Grace was her mother]. No income or employment was listed for any of them that day when the census taker came, on Jan 2nd, 1920, and William gave no middle initial at all. He died on Sept 10th of that year, within a month of his 70th birthday, if his headstone is correct. On a sad note, when the census taker came that day he stated he was still married to Martha. (A census taker visited Martha on Jan 27th, 1920). This is the reason that Martha is buried with her son, John H., who died in the "Great War" in 1918, rather than with William T. Brown, who is also buried at Mulberry Grove Cemetery in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, Illinois. May they both Rest in Peace.
William T. Brown was the 6th child born to Pricilla H. (Burkhart) Brown [1820-1867] and John Franklin Brown [1816-1894] while they were still living in Knox County, Tennessee on Oct 6, 1849. It is interesting to note that when their parents completed the 1850 census on Oct 12, 1850, John and Pricilla Brown listed William as "William A. Brown, age 8 months". On that date, they were still residing in Tennessee, however the family relocated in the early to mid 1850's to what would become their permanent home of Mulberry Grove, Bond County, Illinois. He was still residing with his parents at their farm in Mulberry Grove, Illinois at the age of 20 yrs. when the 1870 census was taken on June 18, 1870. He was listed as a farmer, along with his brothers Morgan and Phillip. His father was still a carpenter as was his older brother, Milas H. Sadly, his eldest brother, James F., who had been born in 1840, died in 1868 and was buried at the Union Grove Cemetery in Williamson County, Illinois. [I was not aware of this until recently when another FAG member contacted me with the news she had found him and made the family connection]. William married Martha Elizabeth Harper, a farmer's daughter, also of Bond County, on March 28th 1875 in Bond Co., Illinois. Their marriage would go on to produce seven children that I am aware of. They were:
1. Willa, b.1872, d. 1875
2. Elmer G., b. Jan 1880, d. Feb 1918
3. Lettie Grace, b. Jun 1884
4. Golda B., b. Aug 1887
5. Harry, b. May 1890
6. John H., b. Jun 1894, d. 1918
7. Wayne Floyd, b. 1901, d. 1962
All of the children were born in the Mulberry Grove Township, Bond County, Illinois, on the family farm, which was initially adjacent to Martha's parents' farm (from which they moved between 1880-1900). William listed himself as a farmer on both the 1880 & 1900 U.S. censuses. Things began to go awry, I believe, after this time. By the 1910 U.S. census, which was taken Apr 16, 1910, William was now 60, which would mean he had been born in Oct 1849, the date he is identified with on his headstone, (which I just recently learned he had). However, he had changed his middle initial from A. to M. and now stated he was a laborer, performing "odd jobs". In effect, their farm was gone, although they were living in the same area. Their daughter, Goldie, age 21, was "working out to a private family". Henry, now 19, John, now 16, and a late child, Wayne Floyd, was 8, and they were in school. There was also a granddaughter, Edna, age 3 yrs., in the home, but there was no son-in-law in the home and the father's birth state was "unknown". Edna's mother wasn't identified. It appeared that he may have changed his identity, just a bit, to avoid creditors during that time. Worst of all, both their sons John H. and Elmer G. would both die in 1918. John would go off to war and die in France; his mother would have his body returned to Illinois for burial (and she would be buried with him, when she passed). Elmer would die just a month after his 38th birthday, in Feb 1918. [However, I wonder if Elmer died in the Flu epidemic of 1918, but this is only a guess.] Everything became much clearer when I found the 1920 U.S. Census records. Martha, in 1920, was now living on her parents' farm at Pleasant Mound, a farming township in Bond County, Illinois, and she listed herself as "divorced". Her sons, Wayne and Harry, were living with her; Wayne was in school and Harry was working as a farm laborer on their home farm, which she had inherited when her parents had died (father d.1906, mother d.1915), mortgage free. However, William listed himself as owner of a farm ("the" farm?) in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, also free of any mortgage. His daughter, Lettie Grace, was widowed at age 35, married name Evans, and his granddaughter, little Edna from so many years before, was now 17 and in high school. [I am sure that Grace was her mother]. No income or employment was listed for any of them that day when the census taker came, on Jan 2nd, 1920, and William gave no middle initial at all. He died on Sept 10th of that year, within a month of his 70th birthday, if his headstone is correct. On a sad note, when the census taker came that day he stated he was still married to Martha. (A census taker visited Martha on Jan 27th, 1920). This is the reason that Martha is buried with her son, John H., who died in the "Great War" in 1918, rather than with William T. Brown, who is also buried at Mulberry Grove Cemetery in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, Illinois. May they both Rest in Peace.
1. Willa, b.1872, d. 1875
2. Elmer G., b. Jan 1880, d. Feb 1918
3. Lettie Grace, b. Jun 1884
4. Golda B., b. Aug 1887
5. Harry, b. May 1890
6. John H., b. Jun 1894, d. 1918
7. Wayne Floyd, b. 1901, d. 1962
All of the children were born in the Mulberry Grove Township, Bond County, Illinois, on the family farm, which was initially adjacent to Martha's parents' farm (from which they moved between 1880-1900). William listed himself as a farmer on both the 1880 & 1900 U.S. censuses. Things began to go awry, I believe, after this time. By the 1910 U.S. census, which was taken Apr 16, 1910, William was now 60, which would mean he had been born in Oct 1849, the date he is identified with on his headstone, (which I just recently learned he had). However, he had changed his middle initial from A. to M. and now stated he was a laborer, performing "odd jobs". In effect, their farm was gone, although they were living in the same area. Their daughter, Goldie, age 21, was "working out to a private family". Henry, now 19, John, now 16, and a late child, Wayne Floyd, was 8, and they were in school. There was also a granddaughter, Edna, age 3 yrs., in the home, but there was no son-in-law in the home and the father's birth state was "unknown". Edna's mother wasn't identified. It appeared that he may have changed his identity, just a bit, to avoid creditors during that time. Worst of all, both their sons John H. and Elmer G. would both die in 1918. John would go off to war and die in France; his mother would have his body returned to Illinois for burial (and she would be buried with him, when she passed). Elmer would die just a month after his 38th birthday, in Feb 1918. [However, I wonder if Elmer died in the Flu epidemic of 1918, but this is only a guess.] Everything became much clearer when I found the 1920 U.S. Census records. Martha, in 1920, was now living on her parents' farm at Pleasant Mound, a farming township in Bond County, Illinois, and she listed herself as "divorced". Her sons, Wayne and Harry, were living with her; Wayne was in school and Harry was working as a farm laborer on their home farm, which she had inherited when her parents had died (father d.1906, mother d.1915), mortgage free. However, William listed himself as owner of a farm ("the" farm?) in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, also free of any mortgage. His daughter, Lettie Grace, was widowed at age 35, married name Evans, and his granddaughter, little Edna from so many years before, was now 17 and in high school. [I am sure that Grace was her mother]. No income or employment was listed for any of them that day when the census taker came, on Jan 2nd, 1920, and William gave no middle initial at all. He died on Sept 10th of that year, within a month of his 70th birthday, if his headstone is correct. On a sad note, when the census taker came that day he stated he was still married to Martha. (A census taker visited Martha on Jan 27th, 1920). This is the reason that Martha is buried with her son, John H., who died in the "Great War" in 1918, rather than with William T. Brown, who is also buried at Mulberry Grove Cemetery in Mulberry Grove, Bond County, Illinois. May they both Rest in Peace.
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