William A. Oliver 1844 - 1924
William was the son of Job Oliver and Elizabeth Jones, born in Posey County, Indiana, USA, on 1 December 1844.
He married Rachel Causey (1844-1870) on 20 December 1866 in Posey County. The following children were born to this union:
John Oliver (1867-1867)
Walter Oliver (1870-1870)
William next married Cornelia Fillingim in Posey County on 16 January 1873. They had the following children:
Infant son Oliver (1874-1874) (Born and died in Posey County, buried in Fillingim Cemetery along with his brother and parents)
Otis Oliver (1875-1892)
Elsie M. Oliver (1879-After 1930)
William was first listed in the 1850 census with his family in Robinson Township, Posey County, Indiana, USA (census image here) (View neighbors in HTML)
William's mother Elizabeth Jones Oliver died in 1855, but his father remarried in 1857 and William and the rest of the family along with his stepmother Elizabeth Ann Shaw can be found in the 1860 census, still in Robinson Township, Posey County. (census image here)
By 1870 the family had moved to Center Township in Posey County, where they appear in the census that year. William and Rachel Causey Oliver and Rachel's brother Berry are found together, not far from the rest of William's family. (census image here)
Rachel must have literally died just a few days after the census was taken, in September 1870. Not having any children to worry about taking care of, William was able to take his time in finding a new wife, not marrying Cornelia until 1873.
In 1880 William appears with his second wife Cornelia, their son and daughter, and Cornelia's son from her first marriage, Ally Anderson, in the census for Center Township, Posey County.(census image here)
By 1900 the household (still in Center Township) was probably a much lonelier place. William and Cornelia's son Otis died in 1892, Cornelia's son Ally had moved out by then, and their daughter Elsie married William Hoggatt in 1898 and was starting her own family with him. (census image here)
1910 found William and Cornelia apparently at the same place. William's father Job was still around but in the last year of his life, I can't tell if he was a close neighbor but he couldn't have been too far away since his household showed up on the census page just before William and Cornelia's. (census image here)
The last census the couple would show up in was 1920. (census image here)
William died on 2 October 1924 at the age of 79, probably in Posey County at or near his home. Cornelia died three years later in 1927 and the couple rejoined their two sons at Fillingim Cemetery.
There is a section on William in the History of Posey County, Indiana (Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, 1913, edited by John C. Leffel). This is what it had to say about him:
William A. Oliver, extensive land owner and farmer of Center township, Posey county, and a member of one of the most prominent pioneer families of southwestern Indiana, was born on his father's farm in Robinson township on December 2, 1844, a son of Job and Elizabeth (Jones) Oliver. William was reared on his father's farm and his education was acquired in the schools of Robinson township. Farming has been his occupation since boyhood and he is recognized as not only one of the successful men in that field of endeavor within his county, but is also one of the influential citizens of his township. Political office has never appealed to him, although he takes an active interest in the questions of the day and never neglects his civic duties. He is a Democrat. His farm of 128 acres is well improved, well stocked and has been his place of residence since 1873. Mr. Oliver has been twice married. In December, 1866, he married Miss Rachel Causey, who died August 9, 1870. She bore him two children: John, born September 10, 1867, died October 22, 1867, and Walter, born July 13, 1870, died October 8, 1870. On January 16, 1873, he married for his second wife Miss Cornelia Fillingim, the daughter of Gracchus and Lurana (Cox) Fillingim. She was born on January 15, 1849. Of this second union three children were born, of whom the eldest died in infancy. Otis L. Oliver, born December 3, 1875, died on February 3, 1892. Elsie M., born December 28, 1879, is the wife of William W. Hoggatt, M. D., of French Lick Springs, Ind. They are the parents of five children, viz.: Verne D., born January 16, 1900; Eunice M., born August 7, 1902 ; Vera Fae, born June 10, 1905 ; Doris and Dorothy, twins, who were born May 1, 1912.
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William Oliver page at Find A Grave
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