| Notes |
William Thomas Stevenson was the eldest of twelve known (plus two un-named, died young?) children of John Wesley (went by Wesley) Stevenson (1842-1910) and Ellen Sophronia Shaver (1848-1932), who married 08 May 1864 near Patterson, Wayne County, Missouri.
William first married to Molly (born as Margaret? or Mabel?) Chilton (1868-1902) on 05 Jul 1885 at Iron County, Missouri. William and Molly were the parents of five known children, namely:
1. Lester May Stevenson (1886-1898)
2. Eva Stevenson Walcott (1891-1966)
3. Ethyl Stevenson Parker (1894-1967)
4. Lena Stevenson King (1896-1988)
5. Lela I. Stevenson Semands (1899-1969)
After Molly died, William remarried to Rhoda Permelia King (1883-1959) on 12 Apr 1904 at Des Arc, Iron County, Missouri. William and Rhoda were the parents of two known children, namely:
6. Woodrow Harold Stevenson (1913-1942)
7. Wilson Howard Stevenson (1916-2006)
In the book "History of Southeast Missouri" (published c1912) on pages 879 881 the following write up appeared:
WILLIAM T. STEVENSON. An able exponent of the progressive spirit and strong initiative ability that have caused Iron county to forge so rapidly forward commercially and in other lines is William T. Stevenson, who has done much for the material and civic development and upbuilding of the attractive town in which he has elected to establish his home. Mr. Stevenson is a man of great and diverse activity. He is engaged in the general merchandise business at Des Arc; he is a member of the firm of William Stevenson & Brothers, who conduct a general store at Scatterville, Wayne county; he owns the Des Arc Telephone Company, and in fact is one of the most prominent telephone men in this part of the state; he is vice president of the Bank of Des Arc and former president of this sound monetary institution; and he has given excellent service in public office. It is by no means to be gainsaid that he is one of the big men of Iron county. He built the Des Arc telephone system and he has Bell and other long distance phones connected locally in five counties and extending to Williamsville, Marquard, Lesterville, Ellington and all towns in that area. In addition to the enterprises above noted which benefit by his controlling ability he is also in the lumber and milling business. For two terms he has been elected one of the three county judges of Iron county and he is serving in that capacity at the present time.
Mr. Stevenson was born upon the farm where he now makes his residence on January 21, 1865, and is the son of J. W. and Ellen (Shaver) Stevenson, the later of whom is living at Des Arc at the age of sixty four years. She was born and reared in Madison County, Missouri, her parents having been pioneers to Missouri in the earlier part of the nineteenth century, and who took a part in the life of the country in an agricultural capacity. The father was born in Iron County; was reared near the site of Des Arc; was a farmer, and served in the Civil war. More is told of him in succeeding paragraphs. He and his wife became the parents of a round dozen of children, ten of whom were sons and two daughters, and of this number but one is deceased, the eldest, Per;oe, who married Napolean Lewis and died a year later, in 1898. The subject is the eldest of those living; David F., of Taskee, Missouri, is engaged in merchandising and farming; John H. resides at Des Arc and is interested in merchandising and real estate, owning a large number of houses in this place; Robert H. is a merchant of Des Arc; James W., of near Corydon, Reynolds county, owns and operates two saw mills; Ollie D. is the owner of a saw mill near Lesterville, Missouri; Charles C. is the partner of his brother, the subject, in the mercantile business; Ozro and Cicero, twins, are engaged in the tie and lumber business together; Marshall resides at home with his widowed mother; Bertha, now Mrs. Zell Lewis, resides at Pangborn, Arkansas, where her husband owns a sawmill and is engaged in the lumber business. It is an interesting coincidence that all the brothers are to more or less extent engaged in the lumber business and that all were reared upon the homestead farm a mile and a half north of the present town of Des Arc.
Mr. Stevenson received his general education in the district schools and remained home until the attainment of his majority. His first experience as a wage earner was as a book keeper in a sawmill. As early as 1886 he realized his ambitions of placing himself upon an independent footing and started in business for himself. He subsequently formed a partnership with his brother, John H., and these two gentlemen still retain some associate interests. In 1905 Charles C. Stevenson entered into partnership with his brother and at the present time he manages jointly with the subject the mill, the store at Des Arc and a farm south of town. The other interests of the subjects are individual.
Mr. Stevenson was first married to Miss Mollie Chilton, who died August 29, 1902, the mother of four daughters, Eva, Ethel, Lena, and Lela, all of whom are at home. The subject was married in the year 1904 to Miss Rhoda King, daughter of the late Samuel King. This honored and venerable citizen died in May, 1911, when nearly eighty years of age.
Politically, William T. Stevenson is a stanch and stalwart Democrat, as are all his brothers. In speaking of his public service mention should be made of his four years of office as deputy with Sheriff M.T. O'NEAL. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America of Des Arc and he and his family favor the Baptist church.
The J. Wesley Stevenson, father of the subject, was summoned to the Great Beyond on January 20, 1910, at his home near Des Arc, the very farm upon which he was born November 13, 1832. He is a son of Henderson C. and Angeline (McFadden) Stevenson, who came to Missouri from Kentucky and Virginia, respectively. Angeline McFadden's parents were Samuel and Lucy McFadden, early pioneers of this section of Missouri. The family all were farmers and none of the name of McFadden now reside in this section.
J. Wesley Stevenosn, himself the father of twelve children, was one of a family of ten, and of that number only three survive at the present time, namely: Mrs. Lucinda Shaver, of near Des Arc; Mrs. Annie Lloyd, of near Des Arc; and James A., of Iron county. Mr. Stevenson was one of those who paid the county the compliment of remaining within its favored boundaries throughout the entire course of his life. He was a farmer and stockman, in particular raising great numbers of horses and furnishing teams for the lumber business. He was Democrat in his political conviction, ever giving heart and mind to the party's causes.
Mr. Stevenson was married May 8, 1864, to Miss Ellen Shaver, born in 1848, in Madison County, Missouri, on the Saint Francois River. This worthy lady is now residing at Des Arc. She is a daughter of David W. and Mary (Ramsey) Shaver, they having been married in Illinois. The mother died when Ellen was an infant in about 1850 and the father survived for more than a score of years, his demise taking place in 1872. He was latterly in the mercantile business at Des Arc, and when the railway was built through which brought the town into being he sold the lots upon which the town was built. Mrs. Ellen Stevenson was one of a family of four children, and of these, besides herself, one brother, John Shaver, is living at Des Arc. J. Wesley Stevenson was a soldier in the civil war, serving in Company H, Forty Seventh Missouri Regiment. The military part of this organization for the most part was in the state, but toward the close of the war he was in the United States service in Tennessee. Altogether, he wore the uniform of the Union Army over three years and was honorably discharged at the end of the great conflict. It is indeed remarkable that all of the sons of this fine man are still living and in business, nearly all near the old home, and the name of Stevenson is one which enjoys high regard in Iron County. The STEVENSON brothers are engaged in lumber manufacturing, mercantile business and farming and together they operate three thousand acres of land. All are prominent and successful business men and all are sound, law abiding citizens, none of the ten ever having been arrested. All are married with the exception of the youngest son, Marshall, who resides with his widowed mother. There are thirty _____ grandchildren.
- Find A Grave Memorial# 64371002
- Residence
1870
Age: 5
Township 30 Range 4 East, Iron, Missouri, United States
Residence
1880
Age: 15
Union, Iron, Missouri, United States
Residence
1910
Age: 45
Union, Iron, Missouri
Residence
1920
Age: 55
Des Arc, Iron, Missouri
Residence
1920
Age: 55
Des Arc, Iron, Missouri
Death
1930
3 Oct
Age: 65
Butler, Missouri
Residence
1930
Age: 65
Williams, Wayne, Missouri
|
1865 - 1930 (65 years)
