Richard F. Williams was born in Wales, May 27, 1833, and departed this life July 15, 1914, aged 81 years, one month and 18 days. When a boy of seven years of age he came with his parents, who emigrated to the United States, and settled in Delaware county Pennsylvania. Two years later they came to Ohio, settling at Radnor in Delaware county.
When a young man of eighteen he went to Columbus, where he became a master mechanic, helping to build railroad engines, largely by hand work. In the capitol city of Ohio Brother Williams found his first wife and on June 9, 1957 he was married to Miss Sarah Sells.
To this happy union were born three children - two boys, Frank and Charles, both deceased, and one girl whom he named, Margaret, who afterwards became Mrs. W.D. Yates, and is now living in Missouri.
On May 10th 1861, he was bereft of his devoted wife and companion. About this time the Civil War began and on October 1, 1964 he enlisted for one year, or till the close of the war; but fortunately the war was brought to a close the following year and on July 1, 1965 he was honorably discharged from the duties of war.
Since the closing of the war Brother Williams has been a respected and honorable citizen of the town of Sedelia, the village blacksmith for many years, always ready to serve his patrons with the best kind of workmanship of which he was capable.
His domestic inclinations led him to again seek the companionship of a woman and in due time, April 15, 1866, Miss Adline Straley became his second wife, and the mother of his four children, all of whom survive him, save the wife and his son, Morgan. The surviving children of his second marriage are George [my great grandfather], and Mrs. Louella Weller of Sedalia and Mrs. Gertrude Sheets of Missouri.
Brother Williams' parents were Presbyterians, but he and his wife joined the Sedelia Methodist Episcopal church under the pastorate of the Rev. S.M. Bright, who also officiated at their wedding, making them husband and wife.
On April 20, 1906, the dark shadow of death came over his home again and tore from his bosom the companion of his heart, and transferred her to the home above. By a sad accident in September of the same summer in which he lost his wife, he was deprived of the sight of one of his eyes and in March following, 1907, he became blind in the other eye which left him in total darkness and so disqualified him for further toil at the forge and the sound of his anvil was heard no more, after a period of nearly fifty years of faithful jingling.
He was a good citizen upright and true and his many friends rise up and call him a man among men. As a husband, father and grandfather he endeavored to be sincere, lovable and a lover of all. He belonged to the Masonic Fraternity of Midway, being the first man raised from the horizontal level to a perpendicular height after the Lodge was instituted.
As a church man, he was ever faithful and true to the vows he had taken, a prayer-meeting man and the Sunday school superintendent for about twenty-one years and with the aid of his daughter he tried to teach a Sunday school class for a year after he became blind. how true it seems to be that the longest life is short after it is past: He has been in declining health for sometime past and his end was very peaceful.
The funeral services were conducted by his pastor N.C. Patterson in the Methodist church, Friday morning at 9 o'clock, July 17th assisted by Rev. George F. Creamer of Good Hope, and the body was laid to rest between the remains of his two wives in Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, where he surely awaits the resurrection of the just, and the redeemed of God.
Card of Thanks
We desire to express our sincere thanks to those who were so kind to us during the illness and at the time of death of our beloved father.
Submitted by Felicia Bridges