She was living under the roof of her grandparents at this time. At twenty-eight years of age, her mother Martha Ann was there, and if you go up a few lines you'll see Aladelphia Keel. This was Martha's older sister bearing her husband's surname. As you can see, Martha apparently admired her sister enough to honor her by so naming her daughter the same. Of course, it seems that little Aladelphia later decided to go by Allie Delphia. Most of her descendants know her as Mother Bridges, and so we will sometimes refer to her by this appellation.
An only child, Allie Delphia was born on July 26, 1860. Her father was Benjamin L. Harned, the son of Larkin Harned. He and Martha were married on February 2, 1859 (see highlighted details in the marriage register below). However, they reportedly went through a bitter divorce while Allie was in her teens. If the census record above is any indicator, there might have been problems even earlier. Benjamin is missing from the list.
An only child, Allie Delphia was born on July 26, 1860. Her father was Benjamin L. Harned, the son of Larkin Harned. He and Martha were married on February 2, 1859 (see highlighted details in the marriage register below). However, they reportedly went through a bitter divorce while Allie was in her teens. If the census record above is any indicator, there might have been problems even earlier. Benjamin is missing from the list.
We'll cover Allie's parents a bit more in a separate post. After her parents split up, Allie Delphia was sent to a boarding school in the Louisville area. She was discontent with her experience there, so she eventually ran away and returned to her home in Logan County.
At age 16, Allie convinced William Wesley Williams to marry her, and they were wedded on September 17, 1876 in Logan County . Prior to this, William had worked on his father's Kentucky farm. The 1870 federal census lists him at twenty-one years old and already in possession of an estate valued at $150.
Texas had returned to the Union by 1870, and its new constitution was in effect by 1876. It was at this time that Texas began to sell public lands to support the development of agricultural education at the college level. Texas A&M was established in 1876 as a result, and University of Texas followed just a few years later. Word of land opportunity must have come to the attention of William and Allie. It was just a matter of time before they packed their things and headed south, ultimately settling in Johnson County, Texas.
Together, they brought into the world nine sons and three daughters, all of whom were born in Rio Vista, Texas. Here's a list of their names in birth order:
Earnest B. Williams (1877-1937)
Pearl Williams Graham (1879-1950)
Eugene Arthur Williams (1880-1918)
Lucien Elmo Williams (1882-1883)
William Roscoe Williams (1884-1904)
Christopher Franklin Williams (1885-1941)
John Wesley Williams (1887-1955)
Jerome Larkin Williams (1889-1945)
Beulah Ann Williams (1890-1891)
Eulah Peyton Williams White (1890-1973)
Robert Oddy Williams (1895-1970)
Pearl Williams Graham (1879-1950)
Eugene Arthur Williams (1880-1918)
Lucien Elmo Williams (1882-1883)
William Roscoe Williams (1884-1904)
Christopher Franklin Williams (1885-1941)
John Wesley Williams (1887-1955)
Jerome Larkin Williams (1889-1945)
Beulah Ann Williams (1890-1891)
Eulah Peyton Williams White (1890-1973)
Robert Oddy Williams (1895-1970)
William's life was cut short when he passed away on February 13, 1897. He was forty-eight. Of course, this left Allie Delphia with the formidable task of raising a large family on her own. Thankfully, at least four of her children were either adults or in their teens and could help out. Eugene Arthur (E.A.) Williams was especially helpful in taking care of his mother during this difficult time. |
Allie was married to her second husband John Oliver Bridges around 1901. This leads us into her years as the independent and industrious Mother Bridges. More on this active part of her life coming soon!