Essie Mast (Williams) Obituary

Today’s obituary is of my great grand aunt, Essie Mast (Williams), and was featured in the 1/24/1968 edition of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette:

Mrs. Essa [Essie] M. Mast, 78, Rt. 1 Lancaster, died at 4:25 a.m. today in Crestview Nursing Home.  She was the widow of John W. Mast and member of Mills Memorial EUB Church.

Survivors include one son, Floyd Mast, Rt. 1 Lancaster; one brother, Ralph S. Williams, Columbus; several grandchildren.

Funeral services are tentatively schedules for Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Frank E. Smith Funeral Home; Rev. Roger Bishop officiating; burial, Tschopp Cemetery.  Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Ralph Scott Williams Sr. (brother of Essie Williams)

Marvin Foster Williams Obituary

Today’s obituary is of my great grand uncle, Marvin Foster Williams, and was featured in the 2/27/1910 edition of the Lancaster Daily Gazette:

Young Man Succumbs to Appendicitis – Death of Foster Williams

Foster Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Williams, died Sunday, February 27th, at his home on East Main street.  Young Williamson was born in April, 1898, and had lived in Lancaster all his life.  He is well known about town and his hosts of friends will sorrow to hear of his death.  About three weeks ago the young man was taken ill with appendicitis and on February 12th was operated upon at his home but the shock was too much for him and his death was the result.

The deceased leaves a mother and father, three brothers and one sister: Grant of Nelsonville, Otis and Ralph of Lancaster, and Mrs. John Mast of Lancaster.

The funeral services will be held Tuesday at the home of his parents at two o’clock, Rev. Hugh Leith and Rev M. M. Rader officiating.  Interment at Elmwood cemetery.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Ralph Scott Williams Sr. (brother of Marvin Foster Williams)

Ralph Scott Williams Jr. Dog Tag

This dog tag was given to me by my mother, Christine Davis (Williams), around the time I started doing genealogical research in 2001.  It belonged to my grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr.  The following information is on the dog tag:

Name: Ralph S. Williams; Service Number: 570-06-78; Tetanus Toxoid (Vaccination) Received 5/1944; Blood Type O; United States Naval Reserve; Religion: Protestant 

I am currently doing a lot of research on World War II service in my family.  Look for the launch of another website dedicated to this topic sometime next spring.

If you have any family treasures you’d like to contribute, please take a picture of the item and email it to me.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr.

Catharine Milligan (Woodring) Obituary

Today’s obituary is of my 3rd great grandmother, Catharine Milligan (Woodring), and was featured in the 7/28/1915 edition of the Lancaster Daily Eagle:

75 Years Old: Mrs. George Milligan, Well Known in This City, Dies in Oakland.

Mrs. George Milligan, aged 75, died Monday evening at 4 o’clock of urasitic poisoning, at her home in Oakland, Ohio.

She is survived by two sons and three daughters and a sister, Mrs. William Rogers, of this city.

The funeral will be held Wednesday morning at Oakland church and burial will take place in the Stoutsville cemetery. She had visited in Lancaster and was well known here.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits) – Mellie Waits (Milligan) – Catharine Milligan (Woodring)

Mike and Allan Davis Portrait

My father, James Michael “Mike” Davis, and his brother (my uncle), Kenneth Allan Davis.  Many thanks to Margie Richardson (Hargrave) for sending the picture.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis (brother of Kenneth Allan Davis)

Today’s obituary is of my great grand aunt, May Waits, and was featured in the 8/14/1948 edition of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette:

Attack Fatal: Chief Operator of Bell Telephone Dies Unexpectedly

Miss May Waits, 45, chief operator at the Lancaster office of the Ohio Bell Telephone Co., died unexpectedly Friday, 10 p. m. of a heart attack in her home, 712 N. Mt. Pleasant-av.

Miss Waits, widely known in Central Ohio telephone circles, had been with the Ohio Bell here for 28 years. She was a member of the N. C. Kingsbury Chapter of the Telephone Pioneers of American and the Auxillary to Fairfield Post No. 11, American Legion.

Surviving Miss Waits are her mother, Mrs. Mellie Waits of the home, and two sisters: Mrs. Ralph Williams, Columbus, and Mrs. Ernest Miller, Muskegon, Mich.

Her father, Harmon Waits, died last September and an only brother, T-3 Cpl. Charles Waits, serving with a tank corps in World War II, was killed in action in Germany on April 6, 1945.

Funeral services will be held Monday, 2 p. m. at the Ray Wise funeral home with the Rev. Geo. W. Herd, First Methodist Church officiating. Burial is to be made in Maple Grove [Hill] cemetery, Stoutsville. Friends will be received at the funeral home after 7 p. m. today.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (sister of May Waits)

Woody Burl Davis, my grand uncle, was born 9/26/1925 in Mexia, Texas, to Sherman and Margie Davis (Kirkpatrick.)  The oldest of four children, Woody served as a Private with the United States Marine Corps during World War II (see earlier post.) 

“W. B.” married Marjorie Ann Johnson and had three children: Judy Kay, Cheryl, and John.  He worked for the Mexia State School, a residential facility for those with developmental disabilities.  Woody passed away on June 22, 2001, in College Station, Texas.  He was buried in Point Enterprise Cemetery, located in Mexia.

I remember visiting the Point Enterprise Cemetery while living in College Station.  My wife and I took a short road trip to visit Woody’s gravesite and took the pictures just before sunset. 

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis (brother of Woody Burl Davis)

Today’s obituary is of my 2nd great grandmother, Mellie Waits (Milligan), and was featured in the 5/12/1952 edition of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette:

The death of Mrs. Mellie Waits, 71, widow of Harmon Waits, occurred Sunday, 3 p. m., in Lancaster-Fairfield Hospital, where she had been receiving treatment for the past week. She lived at 712 North Mt. Pleasant-av.

Surviving are two daughters: Mrs. Ralph Williams, Columbus, and Mrs. Ernest Miller, Muskegon, Mich.; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister, Mrs. H. A. McCoy, Columbus.

Services will be conducted Wednesday, 2 p. m. in the Ray Wise Funeral Home. The Rev George W. Herd of First Methodist Church is to officiate, and burial will be made in Maple Hill cemetery, Stoutsville. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p. m. today.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits) – Mellie Waits (Milligan)

Harmon C. Waits, 68, died Wednesday, 7:30 p. m., in his home at 702 Eastwood-av, following an illness caused by a cerebral hemorrhage.

Surviving are his widow, Mellie; three daughters: Miss May Waits of the home, Mrs. Ralph Williams, Columbus, and Mrs. Ernest Miller, Muskegon, Mich.; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A son, Charles Richard, was killed in action in Germany, April 6, 1945, while serving with the Army as a tank gunner.

The deceased also leaves two brothers: William Waits, Columbus, and Perry Waits, Lancaster; and one sister, Mrs. May Hedges, Lancaster.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, 2 p. m., at the Ray Wise funeral home with the Rev. George W. Herd of First Methodist Church officiating.  Burial is to be made in Maple Grove [Hill] cemetery in Stoutsville.  Friends may call the the funeral home after 7 p. m. today.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits) – Harmon Clay Waits

Today’s obituary is of my 3rd great grandfather, Eli D. Waits, and was featured in the 5/14/1934 edition of the Lancaster Daily Eagle:

Taps Sound For Civil War Veteran

Eli D. Waits, 86, retired farmer, passed away at the home of his son, Herman [Harmon] C. Waits, 702 Eastwood avenue, at 2:45 a. m. today following a ten months illness of complications.

Three other sons, Perry R. Waits, Clinton M. Waits, of Lancaster and William H. Waits of Columbus, one daughter, Mrs. Mary L. Hedges of Drinkle, two half-brothers, William Hedges of Lancaster and Allen Hedges of Commercial Point survive.

Funeral services will be held from the Mills Memorial United Brethren church Wednesday at 10 a. m. with the Rev. P. E. Wright officiating.

Burial in Maple Hill cemetery at Stoutsville by Crites and Van Cleve, Stoutsville funeral directors.

The deceased was a Civil War veteran, serving in Company G, Regiment 88 of the Union army.

Friends may call at the home any time from 2:30 Tuesday to time of funeral.

Many thanks to Jane Mason (Miller) and Martie Essebaggers (Miller) for all of their contributions, including the picture of the Waits family home above.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. – Nellie Ruth Williams (Waits) – Harmon Clay Waits – Eli D. Waits