Another Family Poem by Annette Hughey Cash

I thought with our reunion just a week and a half away that this poem about the Hughey reunion of years gone by was just the perfect thing for this posting.

Before I start let me go ahead and tell you that the first sentence is not accurate, according to census records. We did come from Virginia, but not during the Civil War. This is what has been told over the years, but I have found no proof to support the time frame.

Annette did give me premisson to use her poems in my family history research before she passed away a few years ago.

With that being said here is the poem.



This was written by Annette Hughey Cash Elder for the Hughey Reunion, Sunday, June 23, 1963



Our Forefathers came from Virginia

It was during the Civil War

They settled around old Buck Creek

When they were little girls and boys.



There was Uncle Dave, Aunt Mary Jane,

Uncle Jim Abb and Granpa Mac;

Now we don't know our forefathers

any farther back.



This is the old homestead

of Uncle Jim Abb and Aunt Lou

Here their children spent a happy childhood

where they played and worked hard, too.



Soon, they grew up and left here

But it's still a dear old place

and, as we look around today

we miss many a face.



First, Uncle Jim Abb left us

followed by Aunt Lou;

Then, a few years later, it was Howard,

then, Ida, Ethel, and Wofford, too.



Now, Irene has lost her husband,

others have lost a child or two;

But won't that be a Great Reunion

When we meet Beyond the Blue!



Uncle Jim Abb was so jovial

and loved to have his fun;

But Aunt Lou was a quiet mother

and was loved by everyone.



Everybody liked to visit here;

You were as welcome as could be;

Such a table was prepared,

You'd never leave hungry.



We're here for this reunion

and hope you enjoy it, too;

May this day long be remembered!

I'm glad I'm a Hughey, aren't you?

Parents of William Pinckney Williams

The parents of William Pinckney Williams are Elial and Eliza Self Williams. The proof for this connection comes in the form of the will of Elial Williams, where he list his 4 children's names.

William P. Williams, born Oct 21, 1836- June 18,1902

Martha C. Williams

Andrew Jackson Williams, born Jan 14, 1839-Nov 12,1879

Benjamin Franklin Williams, Oct 1842

Elial owned land on Lawson Fork Creek and Fair Forest Creek. He apparently bought and sold land as a way of income, since I found several deeds from transactions he made, of course this is speculation. Elial was also a farmer, owning several hundred acres of land.

Elial died sometime between 1842 and Oct 24, 1844. I know this because his youngest child has born in 1842 and his widow remarried on Oct 24, 1844. I have not been able to find the name of Elial's parents, although a good bet would be Frederick Williams since he is listed as a neighbor of Elial in the 1830 census. It was common for children to be the neighbors of their parents during this time period. So far this is the only hint regarding his parents.

The 1850 census shows Eliza married to Henry Jefferson Bishop at that time. The census taker made a mistake by listing William as a Bishop, but the other children were listed as Williams'.

Eliza had at least 9 children with Henry Jefferson Bishop. Jefferson Bishop was also a neighbor of Elial and Frederick Williams. He is also mentioned in the will of Elial as one of the witnesses.

Williams Family Reunion

Hello Everyone
It seems this year has been so busy that I haven't had time to post a blog lately.
Wanted to take time to remind everyone that our annual reunion is coming.
The Williams Family Reunion is held every year on the 1st Sat in May. It will be at Bobbie and O'Neal's house as usual. Remember to mark your calendar so you want miss out on seeing your family.

Buck Creek Baptist Church

The Holiday's are over and a new year has begun. With the beginning of a new year we'll look at the beginning of the first church building for Buck Creek Baptist Church. I have come to realize that our family history can not be researched without also researching the history of Buck Creek Church. The two are intertwined to the point that one would be incomplete without the other. Our ancestor's have been attending Buck Creek Church since the very beginning.

The people of the community came together in worship 230 years ago and among those attending was Smith and Rebecca Bostick Elder. Smith and other men of the congregation came prepared with guns to fight off the Indians during worship. The services were held outside until the construction of the first church building. The land for this church was donated by Smith and Rebecca. I have been told by some that the first church was actually located behind the cemetery, but I have no proof.



If you come from my generation and you are a grandchild of Wyatt and Ethel Hughey Williams then Smith and Rebecca would be your great great great grandparents. The tree would go like this: Smith and Rebecca were the parents of Elizabeth and Susan who in turn were the Mothers of Jim Ab and Lou Humphries Hughey, respectively. As I told you once before Jim Ab and Lou were first cousins.

One other note. The church was named Buck Creek after the creek that once ran just a few yards away. The creek is know part of Lake Blalock. The pioneer's of the area named the creek buck because buck's came to satisfy their thirst on it's shores.

Mother

Mother was the best friend
That anyone could find.
She was always near when needed
and never seemed to mind.

She was humble and plain
and kind as could be.
She loved her family
and their company.

She'd get the water buckets
and start to the spring.
That's when it seemed
she'd make Heaven's bells ring.

She'd raised her voice
in songs of praise;
She'd sing "Near The Cross"
and "Amazing Grace".

She told us so often about God
and his love;
How Jesus died to save us and
prepare us a home above.

One day she slipped away
and left us all;
But someday we will meet her
In that land beyond the sky.

By Annette Hughey Cash
In memory of Ethel Hughey Williams


I spoke with Annette often regarding our family history before she died. She said that Granny really did sing on her way to the spring. They could hear her across the field. Granny's Daddy and Annette's Grandpa were half brothers. There names are James Absalomn "Jim Ab" and Green McKibben C. "Mack" Hughey.

Mary Ethel Hughey Williams

Lets look at another line of our family. With each marriage comes another line of family.

Mary Ethel Hughey married Wyatt Williams on June 14, 1914. Ethel was 18 years old and Wyattie was 24 years old. This marriage leads us to the Hughey line. The Hughey's also lived in the Buck Creek area and a large part of them attended Buck Creek Baptist Church.

Ethel was born on 18 Feb 1896 to James Absalomn, "Jim Ab", Hughey and Rebecca Lougenia, "Lou" Humphries. They were actually 1st cousins, children of sisters Elizabeth Elder Hughey and Susan T. Elder Humphries.

We have listed the children of Wyatt and Ethel in the second blog, so check it to determine the names of the children of Wyatt and Ethel.

Wyatt and Ethel lived and raised their family on a farm in Buck Creek Community. I have posted pictures of the home place on my facebook account. If you'd like to view them and I'm not yet your friend send me an invitation.

I never knew this woman personally she died long before I was born. But I have heard that she was a great christian lady and dearly loved her family and friends. I've been told that this dear lady prayed constantly for her children,grandchildren and her grandchildren from now till Jesus comes. Whether you are her child, grandchild, great grandchild, great great grandchild, etc., you have been prayed for by Granny. Even though most of us never knew her, she wanted to make sure that we knew her Savior.

There's more to come on Granny in the next post.

Parents of Wyatt Williams

Papa was born Feb. 8, 1890 to William Pinckey Williams, born 21 Oct 1836, and Emily Catherine Seay, born about 1857. Unfortunately, his mother died while he was just an infant. Family stories have told us he was only 6 months old when his mother died. Since death certificates were not used in that time period I haven't discovered her cause of death or exact date. YET.
William already had at least 2 children from his first marriage to Nancy Cantrell. I have found him with as many as 3 children on census reports, but one, Elias Martha is listed as domestic help. If it was his child why would she be listed as anything other than his daughter. In a later census I find the same person listed as his daughter. Clearly the census taker made a mistake.
This would be the second time that William had been left widowed. However he didn't remain a widower for long. He married Lucinda Cartee and together they had 2 children. Lucinda did manage to outlive William. William died 18 June 1902 and is buried at the Mountain View Baptist Church Cemetery. Not sure where any of his wives are buried at this time.
Papa's half siblings would be Elial "Eli", Martha, Franklin P. from the first marriage, then Papa, born to Emily and William, then John Coleman, and Minnie born the last union.