Descendants of Benjamin Franklin Williams

Courtesy of www.museum.bmi.net   

 

Jessie               Carl                      Earl                   Aimee

Benjamin and Phoebe Rogers Williams

Generation No. 1

1. Benjamin Franklin1 Williams1 was born Abt. 1851, and died 12 Oct 1931 in Milton, Umatilla, OR. He married Phoebe Loretta Rogers1 8 Aug 1875 in Norton Kansas. She was born 7 Nov 1859 in Clinton County, Indiana, and died 21 Jun 1945 in Pendleton, Umatilla, Oregon.

Notes for Benjamin Franklin Williams:

Written by Mary Ellen Putnam

B. F. Williams and Phoebe Loretta Rogers eloped and were married August 8, 1875 in Norton, Kansas. Officiating was David Close, Justice of the Peace in Norton, Kansas. Phoebe's father W. B. Rogers chased them to the Kansas line as they headed west, but didn't stop the marriage and the new bride and groom returned to Norton Kansas where they stayed until 1882.

B. F. Williams was elected treasurer of Norton County, Kansas in 1873. He was a restaurant owner, and he owned 1/2 interest in the Cottonwood store until 1874. He was appointed Post Master in 1878.

He resigned in 1880 and 2 years later moved his family to Oregon with a wagon train. On the wagon trail west, as told to us by Grandma Phoebe Williams, she taught the children to lay down in a ditch or a low place if there should be a stampede. One day they camped by a little creek and Grandma put the butter in the creek to keep it cool. Later they sent Aimee, who was 4 years old, to get the butter and it had floated down the creek. Aimee saw it bobbing along and ran down the creek and rescued it. Grandma was real proud of her. Earl told us he walked most of the way to Oregon. He was the oldest of the children.

The settled on the Columbia River near Touchet Wn., where B. F. carpentered and was away from home sometimes. When he was away Phoebe took care of the children and the chores, and guarded the meat house with the shot gun, from the Indians. She separated their bull and the neighbor's bull as they were fighting, with a pitchfork. She gave birth to one of the children while alone with them. Son Earl rode the horse to the neighbor for help, but she had the baby on a pallet on the floor while he was gone. She was quite a woman. She recited poetry by the yard. Always kept new poems pinned to the window curtain in the kitchen so she could memorize them while she worked. She played the organ and sang. I remember her playing and singing after Xmas dinner at 'The Maples', about 1922.

They moved to Milton Oregon in 1898.

Benjamin and Phoebe celebrated their golden wedding (50 years) August 8, 1925, at their home, 'The Maples', in Milton Oregon.

Phoebe's father, W. B. Rogers, born Oct 1834, moved to Norton Kansas in 1873. He went to Milton Oregon in the summer of 1922, alone on the train. He died in 1934 in Norton Kansas; almost 100 years old.

 

 

More About Benjamin Franklin Williams:

Emigration: 1882, Wagon Train from Norton KS2

More About Benjamin Williams and Phoebe Rogers:

Marriage: 8 Aug 1875, Norton Kansas

Children of Benjamin Williams and Phoebe Rogers are:

2 i. Jessie2 Williams.

3 ii. Earl A. Williams, born 1876; died 1970.

Notes for Earl A. Williams:

Earl Williams had the contract on building the new Milton Christian Church.

 

More About Earl A. Williams:

Burial: IOOF Cem, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla, OR

Occupation: Building Contractor2

+ 4 iii. Aimee Elizabeth Williams, born 21 May 1878 in Norton KS; died 1 Nov 1930 in Portland, , OR.

5 iv. Carl M. Williams, born 1882; died 1965.

More About Carl M. Williams:

Burial: IOOF Cem, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla, OR

 

Generation No. 2

4. Aimee Elizabeth2 Williams (Benjamin Franklin1)2 was born 21 May 1878 in Norton KS, and died 1 Nov 1930 in Portland, , OR. She married Walter Ernest Putnam3 6 Jan 1898 in Milton, Umatilla, OR, son of Goyne Putnam and Lucinda Babcock. He was born 10 Jan 1862 in Laonia, Winnebago, IL, and died 1 May 1936 in Portland, , OR.

Notes for Aimee Elizabeth Williams:

More About Aimee Elizabeth Williams:

Burial: IOOF Cem, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla, OR

Notes for Walter Ernest Putnam:

Mary Ellen Putnam wrote that on August 8 1892, Walter Ernest Putnam bought 2 acres of land on the Mill Race near Milton Oregon from George T. Ireland. He built a 9 room, 2 story house where he, his mother and father, sister Mabel and her daughter Verna lived.

More About Walter Ernest Putnam:

Burial: IOOF Cem, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla, OR

Cause of Death: Prostate3

More About Walter Putnam and Aimee Williams:

Marriage: 6 Jan 1898, Milton, Umatilla, OR

Children of Aimee Williams and Walter Putnam are:

+ 6 i. Franklin Goyne3 Putnam, born 1 Oct 1898 in Milton, Umatilla, OR; died Bef. 1976.

+ 7 ii. Elwyn Walter Putnam, born 21 Jul 1900 in Milton, Umatilla, OR.

8 iii. Alta Ames Putnam, born 6 Jun 1905 in Milton, Umatilla, OR3. She married Christian Church 14 Feb 1926 in Milton, Umatilla, OR.

More About Alta Ames Putnam:

Residence: 1976, Yakima, , WA4

More About Christian Church and Alta Putnam:

Marriage: 14 Feb 1926, Milton, Umatilla, OR

9 iv. Jessie Mostelle Putnam, born 19 Mar 1907 in Milton, Umatilla, OR5; died Bef. 19766. She married Errol Kingsley Oct 1925 in Le Grande, OR.

More About Errol Kingsley and Jessie Putnam:

Marriage: Oct 1925, Le Grande, OR

10 v. Nona Miriam Putnam6, born 10 Jun 1914 in Milton, Umatilla, OR7. She married Willard L. Kurtz8 11 Apr 1936 in Portland, Multnomah, OR8; born 18 Dec 1914.

More About Nona Miriam Putnam:

Residence: 1976, Bend, , OR

More About Willard Kurtz and Nona Putnam:

Marriage: 11 Apr 1936, Portland, Multnomah, OR8

 

Generation No. 3

6. Franklin Goyne3 Putnam (Aimee Elizabeth2 Williams, Benjamin Franklin1) was born 1 Oct 1898 in Milton, Umatilla, OR9, and died Bef. 197610. He married Lena Katherine Schneider 21 Sep 1922 in Walla Walla, Walla Walla, WA. She was born 27 Jan 1893 in Harmony, WA.

More About Franklin Goyne Putnam:

Residence: 1970, Seattle, King, WA

More About Franklin Putnam and Lena Schneider:

Marriage: 21 Sep 1922, Walla Walla, Walla Walla, WA

Child of Franklin Putnam and Lena Schneider is:

11 i. Gerald4 Scheider, Stepchild.

 

7. Elwyn Walter3 Putnam (Aimee Elizabeth2 Williams, Benjamin Franklin1) was born 21 Jul 1900 in Milton, Umatilla, OR11. He married Mary E. Hall 27 Nov 1920 in Yakima, WA, daughter of Henry Hall and Sarah Hendricks. She was born 3 Apr 1901 in Urich, MO.

More About Elwyn Walter Putnam:

Residence: 1976, Bend, , OR12

More About Elwyn Putnam and Mary Hall:

Marriage: 27 Nov 1920, Yakima, WA

Children of Elwyn Putnam and Mary Hall are:

12 i. Elwyn Lee4 Putnam, born 25 Dec 1921 in Milton, Umatilla, OR.

13 ii. Mary Ellen Putnam, born 23 Oct 1927 in Bend, OR.

Notes for Mary Ellen Putnam:

THE PUTNAM FAMILY

By Mary E. Putnam

General George Putnam and Joseph Putnam were the first Putnam's to come to the New World. My husband's father, Walter E. Putnam, told us about the two brothers; the first Putnam's to come to America. He said they decided that one would spell his name 'Putnam' and the other 'Putman', to better identify members of each family. He also said the Putnam's first lived in Holland and emigrated to England and Wales.

The Putnam surname is believed to be associated with the English, meaning 'dwelling near a pit'. One who comes from Puttingham or 'Putta's Homestead'.

Israel Putnam 1718 - 1790

In 1755, he helped as a captain in the army to repel the French invasion of New York. In 1759, he was given command of a regiment. In 1764, he helped to relieve Detroit, which was then besieged by the Indian Chief Pontiac. He also served at Bunker Hill. In 1769, he went on the West Indies Campaign.

George Palmer Putnam 1814 - 1874

George Putnam was born in Maine; went to London in 1840 and the same year went into partnership in a New York firm. In 1848, he started his own business. He established the firm of G. P. PUTNAM AND SON.

In a letter written by a relative, Dr. F. M. Babcock of Northfield, Minnesota, he said George Palmer Putnam, husband of Amelie Earhard, must be a relative of this Putnam family. His middle name 'Palmer' occurred in the Babcock records quite often.

The Palmer family dates back to 1629 in this country. Dr. F. M. Babcock was a relative of Elwyn Putnam's grandmother, Lucinda Lavina Babcock Putnam. The letter was written to Elwyn W. Putnam in 1939. I answered this letter and others F. M. Babcock wrote, and sent him information. He promised to send us a copy of his records but I did not hear from him again. I later heard he had died.

 

 

 

Endnotes

1. Mary E. Putnam.

2. Nona Miriam Putnam Kurtz.

3. Mary E. Putnam.

4. Nona Miriam Putnam Kurtz.

5. Mary E. Putnam.

6. Nona Miriam Putnam Kurtz.

7. Mary E. Putnam.

8. Nona Miriam Putnam Kurtz.

9. Mary E. Putnam.

10. Nona Miriam Putnam Kurtz.

11. Mary E. Putnam.

12. Nona Miriam Putnam Kurtz.