Ralph Scott “Button” Williams Jr., my grandfather, was born 1/24/1922  in Lancaster, Ohio.  He died 6/20/1967 from cardiac arrest at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Ralph was 45 years-old at the time of his death.

Madrith Jean Williams (Williams), my grandmother, was born 11/5/1924 in Portsmouth, Ohio.  She died 10/15/1968 at the age of 43 in Minford, Ohio.

Their gravesite is located in Maple Hill Cemetery in Stoutsville, Ohio. The headstone was recently purchased by their daughters: my mother, Chris, and my aunt, Terry Kaiser. The headstone photo was taken on a recent family research trip to Ohio on 7/29/2010. Many thanks to my cousin, Jane Mason, for the portrait of my grandparents.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams) – Ralph Scott Williams Jr. and Madrith Jean Williams (Williams)

This obituary is of my maternal grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr., and was featured in the July 1967 edition of On Stream, the Columbia Gulf Transmission Company newsletter:

RALPH S. WILLIAMS JR. DIES OF HEART SEIZURE

Ralph S. Williams Jr., Measurement Superintendent since January 1960, died Tuesday, June 20, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Williams, 45, was attending an Advanced Management Course at the University of Virginia at the time of his death. He was playing golf during a classroom break when he suffered a heart seizure. He died early Tuesday evening at a hospital without regaining consciousness. Funeral services were held Saturday, June 24, in Lancaster, Ohio, his hometown. Burial was in Stoutsville, Ohio.

Surviving are his wife, Jean, two daughters, Teresa, 19, and Christine, 15, and his father, Ralph S. Williams Sr. of Columbus, Ohio.

Williams joined Columbia Gulf in 1954 as Measurement Engineer and later served as Corrosion Engineer and Transmission Engineer before his promotion to Measurement Superintendent. Previously he had worked for Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation and Ohio Fuel Gas Company.

He had served on committees of the American Gas Association, Southern Gas Association, Appalachian Gas Measurement Short Course and the Gulf Coast Gas Measurement Society of Houston. At the time of his death he was president of the Gulf Coast group. Members of that group, in a tribute, said, “Words cannot express the deep loss felt by our membership. Ralph’s knowledge of men and measurement, his dedication to his work and to his company and his many hours of extra commitment on behalf of our measurement science must not go without recognition. He will be missed at future gatherings of measurement men.”

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

The above article, “Calculating System Gas Balance”, written by my maternal grandfather, Ralph Scott Williams Jr., appeared on pages 65-68 of the May 1967 issue of Pipe Line Industry.  At the time the article was written, Ralph was a measurement superintendent for Columbia Gulf Transmission Company of Houston.  He passed away the following month, on 6/20/1967, while golfing in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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

This obituary is of my great grand uncle, Charles Richard “Dick” Waits. At the time, he was the 90th Fairfield County, Ohio serviceman killed in action, and the 109th war death from that county since Pearl Harbor. The article was featured in the 4/20/1945 edition of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette:

Three Lancastrians Lose Lives At War

… T-5 Corporal Charles Richard (Dick) Waits, 25, husband of Mrs. Margaret Ann Waits, 111 North Pearl-av, and only son of Mr. and Mrs. Harmon C. Waits, 702 Eastwood-av. A tank gunner in an armored division of the Seventh Army, Cpl. Waits was reported by the War Department as killed in action April 6 in Germany.

T-5 Corporal Waits, who would have been 26 years old on April 27, has been reported by the War Department as killed in action April 6, somewhere in Germany. His wife is the former Margaret Ann Phillips, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Phillips of the Pearl-av address. For the past year, Mrs. Waits has been helping her sister, Mrs. Paul Hang (Betty Phillips) operate the Isaly Company store in Circleville during the absence of Paul Hang, formerly of Lancaster, who has been serving overseas. Twice wounded, Pvt. Hang has been returned to the States and is now visiting his family in Circleville.

Cpl. Waits entered the Army here December 9, 1941, received training at Fort Knox, Ky. and Camp Polk, La., in the Armored Force, then was at Temple, Texas, Camp Hood, Texas, receiving further instruction in tank and tank destroyer operation and maintenance, and also at Camp Pickett, Va. He sailed overseas in April, 1943, two years ago; arriving in North Africa where he served in the North African campaign.

Waits took part in the invasion of Sicily in July, 1943 and also in the invasion of Italy at Salerno in September, 1943, attached to a unit of the 45th Division, then a part of the U.S. 5th Army.

He also saw service at Cassino, Gela, Palermo and during the drive on Rome with the armored force. Last August Waits participated in the invasion of Southern France. He was in maintenance, then a half-track crew member, then a tank driver, and at the time of his death was a tank gunner attached to the 753rd Tank battalion of an armored division in the 7th Army, possibly in the Nuermberg (sic) sector of Germany.

Battalion Honored

Cpl. Waits and other members of the battalion had received the French Croix de Guerre, and the Vermillion Star recently for their outstanding operations with French units during a phase of the Italian campaign last year.

Prior to his induction T/5 Cpl. Waits was employed at the Sohio filling station, corner Broad and Chestnut-sts. He was a graduate of Lancaster High School, where he played football.

In addition to his wife and parents, Cpl. Waits leaves three sisters, Miss May Waits, chief telephone operator here, Mrs. Ernest Miller, Muskegon, Mich., and Mrs. Ralph Williams, Columbus.

The last letter Mrs. Waits received from her husband was dated March 30, from somewhere inside Germany.

I’d also like to mention the other two servicemen mentioned in the article:

First Lieutenant William S. Massey (5/9/1917 – 3/26/1945), 187th Glider Infantry, 11th Airborne, United States Army, died of battle wounds in the Philippines. He is buried in the Manila American Cemetery.

Corporal Kenneth Kinney Metcalf (8/15/1922 – 4/5/1945), 6th Division, United States Marine Corps, was KIA at Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands, 350 miles from Japan. He is buried in Forest Rose Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio.

Through my many internet wanderings and various Ohio contacts, I had never been able to locate this newspaper article. Many, many thanks to Jane Mason (Miller) for locating and mailing a copy!

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