Person Page - 19

     William Easter was born circa 1715 at Princess Anne County, Virginia. He was the son of William Easter and Mary Grant. William Easter died.

     William Byron Easter was born on 2 July 1910 at Monroe County, Mississippi. He was the son of William Ira Easter and Leitha May Edge. William Byron Easter married Annie Theda Waycaster, daughter of Grover Cleveland Waycaster and Alma Eurania Goodson, circa 1935. William Byron Easter died on 20 February 1971 at Keiser, Mississippi County, Arkansas, at age 60. He was buried on 24 February 1971 at Masonic Cemetery, Amory, Monroe County, Mississippi.

     William Byron Jr. Easter was born on 6 April 1936.¹ He was the son of William Byron Easter and Annie Theda Waycaster. William Byron Jr. Easter died on 7 December 2009 at Amory, Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 73; AMORY - William Byron "Buddy" Easter Jr., 73, died Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, at the Golden Living Nursing Center in Amory after an extended illness. He was born April 6, 1936, in Monroe County to William Byron and Annie Waycaster Easter. He lived in Memphis and Osceola, Ark., and in Amory for many years. He was a member of Meadowood Baptist Church. He was an employee of Air Cap in Tupelo and a veteran of the U.S. Army. He enjoyed listening to his police scanner.

Services will be 11 a.m. today at the E.E. Pickle Funeral Home Chapel in Amory with Dr. Lloyd Sweatt officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic Cemetery.

Survivors include his uncle, Hank Waycaster of Pontotoc; and two aunts, Doris Brasfield of Aberdeen and Boots Weaver of Amory.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Pallbearers will be Frank Owen, Larry Goudelock, Jason Gallop, Van Ritter, Steve Reeves, Danny Stanford, Sam Roye and Tony Parker.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time today at the funeral home.² He was buried on 10 December 2009 at Masonic Cemetery, Amory, Monroe, Mississippi; Confirmed with E.E. Pickle Funeral Home, 500 Third Avenue South, P.O. Box 127, Amory, MS, 38821.
Phone: (662) 256-2644.³

     William C. Easter was born circa 1843 at Monroe County, Mississippi. He was the son of Oscar F. Easter and Charity Edwards. William C. Easter died.

     William Champion Easter was born on 13 January 1869 at Cherokee County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of William L. Easter and Mary Elizabeth Henderson.¹ William Champion Easter married Mary Jefferson Lucretia Shannon on 21 July 1896 at Tarrant County, Texas.¹ William Champion Easter died on 18 June 1933 at Ft. Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA, at age 64.¹ He was buried on 20 June 1933 at Everman Cemetery, Everman, Tarrant County, Texas, USA.¹

     William Champion Easter Jr. was born on 22 October 1862 at Alto, Cherokee County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of William Champion Easter Sr. and Nancy Caroline Evans.¹ William Champion Easter Jr. married Mary Josephine Cummings.¹ William Champion Easter Jr. died on 30 December 1933 at Mart, McLennan County, Texas, USA, at age 71.¹ He was buried on 2 January 1934 at Mart Cemetery, Mart, McClennan County, Texas, USA.¹

     William Champion Easter Sr. was born circa 1838 at Limestone County, Alabama.¹ He was the son of Champion Dorcas Easter and Sarah Paralee Grant. William Champion Easter Sr. married Nancy Caroline Evans on 28 May 1854 at Cherokee County, Texas; NANCY CAROLINE EVANS, b. Abt. 1834, Marion, Perry
Co., Alabama; d. Unknown; m. WILLIAM CHAMPION
EASTER, May 28, 1854, , Cherokee Co., Texas (Source:
Correspondence - Mary W. Carroll).

Notes for NANCY CAROLINE EVANS:
1850 U. S. Census - Cherokee Co., Texas - 601
Evan Evans 49 M SC Farmer $ 1000
Nancy C. Evans 15 F AL
1860 U. S. Census - Cherokee Co., Texas - 119
W. C. Easter 23 M Farmer $ 1500 AL
N. C. Easter 23 F Keeps House AL

Notes for WILLIAM CHAMPION EASTER:
1860 U. S. Census - Cherokee Co., Texas - 119
W. C. Easter 23 M Farmer $ 1500 AL
N. C. Easter 23 F Keeps House AL
E. D. Easter 5 F TX
N. J. Easter 2 F TX
M. A. Easter 3 F TX.¹ William Champion Easter Sr. died on 10 June 1862 at Richmond, Colbert County, Virginia.¹
     William Champion Easter Sr. and Andrew Coffman Legg lived on 3 July 1852 at Limestone County, Alabama; A Power of Attorney was entered from Sacksville R. Easter of Cherokee Co., Texas, guardian of Champion D. Easter's minor children (William C; Thomas T; John C; Ann F; and James J. Easter ) to Andrew C. Legg. Andrew C. Legg was the husband of Champion Dorcas Easter's sister, Terry Ann Easter Legg, who still resided in Limestone County, Alabama. The supposition is that while Sacksville, who lived in Texas, was the legal guardian of the children, the children actually lived in Limestone County, Alabama with their Aunt and Uncle, Andrew and Terry Easter Legg.²

     William Earle Easter was born on 21 November 1900 at Cooper, Delta County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of William Champion Easter and Mary Jefferson Lucretia Shannon.¹ William Earle Easter died on 25 November 1986 at Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA, at age 86.¹

     William Edward Easter was born on 19 December 1882 at Mart, McClennan County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of William Champion Easter Jr. and Mary Josephine Cummings.¹ William Edward Easter died on 19 January 1885 at Mart, McClennan County, Texas, USA, at age 2.¹

     William Ernest Easter was born on 12 October 1898 at Everman, Tarrant County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of Van Buren Easter and Terrah Jane East.¹ William Ernest Easter died on 11 January 1971 at Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA, at age 72.¹

     William F. Easter was the son of Richard Easter and Mary (?).

     William Fletcher Easter was born on 20 January 1846 at Limestone County, Alabama.¹ He was the son of Champion Easter and Martha Jefferson Walker. William Fletcher Easter married Martha J Pettus on 14 November 1866 at Madison County, Alabama. William Fletcher Easter married Elizabeth Smith on 31 August 1867 at Limestone County, Alabama.² William Fletcher Easter married Emily R. Gilbert on 15 January 1872 at Athens, Limestone County, Alabama. William Fletcher Easter died on 19 October 1884 at Limestone County, Alabama, at age 38.¹ He was buried on 21 October 1884 at Poplar Creek Cemetery, Section J7, Limestone County, Alabama.¹

     William Franklin Easter was born on 30 August 1846 at Monroe County, Mississippi. He was the son of Jasper Marion Easter and Sarah Catherine King. William Franklin Easter married Prudence Pryor Major in 1871 at Texas. William Franklin Easter died on 6 September 1929 at Dimmitt, Castro County, Texas, at age 83.

     William Ira Easter was born on 23 March 1872 at Monroe County, Mississippi.¹ He was the son of Lewis I. (Ivy) Easter and Regina A. D. J. Grubbs. William Ira Easter married Leitha May Edge, daughter of James Madison Edge and Frances Elizabeth "Frank" Easter, on 19 January 1896 at Greenwood Springs, Monroe County, Mississippi.^2,3 William Ira Easter died on 24 April 1945 at home, Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 73.¹ He was buried on 27 April 1945 at Main Easter Cemetery, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹
     William Ira Easter appeared on the census of 8 June 1880 in the household of Lewis I. (Ivy) Easter and Regina A. D. J. Grubbs at 1880 Census, Sup Dist 1, Enumeration District 126, Quincy Township, Monroe County, Mississippi.⁴ William Ira Easter was was baptized at the Soul's Chapel Church by Rev. L. T. Sargent. on 10 September 1913.⁵ William Ira Easter was a farmer in Monroe County Mississippi. He supported his large family on 80 acres of 'hard work' bottom land which bordered the Buddahatchie River swamps. The preparer personally remembers Ira as a taciturn old man who had little use for young children. In fairness , his impatience could have been due to the fact that more than a dozen young cousins collected in one place can create enough turmoil to try the patience of any man. In all probability, Ira, like many of his contemporaries, was a hard working farmer who realized that the responsibility for the survival of his family lay on his shoulders. In the Monroe County of the 1920's and 1930's there were no government survival net programs. Neighbors would help when they could but by and large a family's existance rested in their own hands. In his seventy-two years of life, Ira had struggled with the land, the weather, disease, and economies, all of which were beyond his control. He had seen eight children grow to adulthood and one die tragically of suicide in her early twenties (See notes on Erma Elaine Easter). In retrospect, it is reasonable to see Ira as a tired, spent, and troubled man driving a family to overcome the challenges they faced and make the best life they could.

THE_FARM The Ira Easter farm lay alongside the road leading south from Greenwood Springs. The bulk of the 80 acres was 'bottom land' with about one fourth being timber covered hills. The house sat atop one of the smaller hills, overlooking the fields below. The house itself was an evolutionary dwelling, having grown as the family grew. The oldest portion of the house was made of rough trimmed timbers that had been flattened, notched and then 'chinked' with mud. In the beginning, this one room was the sum total of the house. Later, it became the main sleeping room and the sitting room for visiting with guests. Cooking was done on the large fireplace that dominated the one room. As the family grew a small room was built onto the back of the cabin as a sleeping room for the smaller children. This room built from hand sawn lumber cut from the hill behind the house. It was very tiny, being only about five by eight feet in dimension, but it served to sleep small children and later held the family's sparse clothing in hand made wardrobes. As the number and size of the bodies requiring food grew, a rather large kitchen and eating room was added to the back of the house. Today we can only speculate, but it would appear that the year the kitchen was built must have been a very good crop year because the kitchen was built from lumber purchased from a sawmill. Continued growth of the family resulted in another 'side' of the house being added. The result was a typical house of the time, consisting of two sets of rooms, divided by an open hallway. The "residence" was completed by a hand dug well behind the house, a smoke- house, which held the most delicious cured hams and bacon, and further up the hill the standard fixture of all Monroe County farms, an outhouse.

To the north of the house was a small structure, whose use is almost forgotten in our modern times. A little "house" style structure with a roof that was hinged with leather straps sat about ten yards from the home. This little structure was used to collect the ashes from the fireplace and cook stove. These ashes were collected through the year until Spring, as were the fat drippings from all cooking were saved in jars in the kitchen. In the Spring, Leitha Easter and all the girls would fill the big iron washpot half full of water and build a fire under it. They would then begin to fill the pot with the ashes. Continued cycles of boiling the ashes, dipping out the resulting "mud" with a cloth streched over a hoop and refilling with fresh ashes resulted in a very strong alkaline solution, as the lye was leached from the ashes. When the last of the ashes were processed and the last trace of ash had been removed from the water the women began to add the filtered grease from the kitchen drippings. What followed was a tedious process of boiling the lye water and fat while continually stirring it to introduce air into the liquid. As the volume in the pot was reduced by boiling and the vigorous stirring added more and more air bubbles, the liquid began to turn white. By late in the day, the pot contained a mass of thick, white liquid and the fire was allowed to die down so that the liquid could begin to cool. The women took turns with one continuing the stirring while the rest applied some cooking drippings that had been set aside to shallow pans made of wood. The liquid was then dipped from the washpot into these wooden pans and placed under the roof on the porch to cool overnight. The task was completed by scraping the washpot clean and then collecting all the wood ashes from under the pot and placing them in the little ash-house. The product of processing a whole year's accumulation of ashes became the first contribution to the next years processing. The next day the hardened mixture in the wood pans was cut into blocks and spread about the porch to dry further. When dried, the blocks would be collected and then stored away carefully. The women could then sit for a moment, a very short moment, before they started their next task. They had accomplished, in about twenty hours of work, something we do in moments at a grocery store. They had made the soap that would wash the clothes and the bodies of a Monroe County farm family for the next year.

     William L. Easter was born in 1846 at Cherokee County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of Azmond Rucker Easter and Margaret C. Tindall.¹ William L. Easter married Mary Elizabeth Henderson on 25 December 1865 at Cherokee County, Texas.¹ William L. Easter died in 1910 at Sayre, Becham County, Oklahoma, USA.¹

     William Oscar Easter was born on 22 December 1888 at Mart, McClennan County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of William Champion Easter Jr. and Mary Josephine Cummings.¹ William Oscar Easter died on 24 May 1957 at Mart, McClennan County, Texas, USA, at age 68.¹

     William Riley Easter was born on 19 November 1859 at Monroe County, Mississippi.¹ He was the son of Alson E. Easter and Amanda Maud Neeland. William Riley Easter married Martha Emaline Edge, daughter of Hiram C. Edge and Sarah Morrow, on 19 December 1883 at Monroe County, Mississippi.² William Riley Easter died on 25 December 1920 at Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 61.¹ He was buried on 28 December 1920 at Main Easter Cemetery, Greenwood Springs, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹
     William Riley Easter appeared on the census of 8 June 1880 in the household of Alson E. Easter and Amanda Maud Neeland at Sup Dist 1, Enumeration District 126, Quincy Township, Monroe County, Mississippi.³

     William Thomas "Bob" Easter was born on 11 January 1877 at Mary, McClennan County, Texas, USA.¹ He was the son of Evan Dorcas Easter and Mary Matilda "Molly" Breland.¹ William Thomas "Bob" Easter married Susie Emma Squires on 12 July 1899 at Albany, Shackelford County, Texas, USA.¹ William Thomas "Bob" Easter died on 19 June 1935 at Ralls, Crosby County, Texas, USA, at age 58.¹ He was buried on 22 June 1935 at Ralls, Crosby County, Texas, USA.¹

     William Thompson Easter was born circa 1770 at Elbert County, Georgia. He was the son of James Easter and Sarah Thompson. William Thompson Easter married Martha Jane Pettus on 27 August 1789 at Wilkes County, Georgia. Martha Easter by next friend, John W. Thompson, sue WILLIAM EASTER for divorce, 1816. They were married "about 27 years ago" in Wilkes County, Georgia. Lived in harmony for 20 years, then came to Madison County, Alabama. Subpoena issued requiring David Bruton, James Trotter, and James Mauldin to appear.¹ William Thompson Easter separated from Martha Jane Pettus 27 August 1821; "Whereas an unfortunate difference exists between William Easter and Martha his wife...(who deem it necessary to separate)...William Easter to Thomas OBanion and Beverly Hughes, trustees for said Martha Easter, livestock, furniture, one man slave and $2,335.50, to said Martha for her life and subject to her disposal by will, and if she makes no will, to be distributed among her next of kin according to the law of distribution." Witnesses: David Brewton, James Trotter, James Mauldin.²
     William Easter acquired 157 1/2 acres of land in Elbert County, Georgia from Zachariah Butler.³ A William Eastes is listed as a deserter from the 3rd Continental Regiment, 8th Company which was stationed in the State of Georgia.⁴ James Easter witnessed a deed for James Easter and William Aycock on 6 March 1789 at Elbert County, Georgia; James sold two slaves, Crias and Chito, to William Aycock.⁵

William Thompson Easter served as guardian for Champion Easter in 1803, at Elbert County, Georgia.⁶ NOTES BY MEIGE EASTER

The oldest child of James Easter and older brother to Major Lewis and Champion, William Thompson Easter was born around 1761 in Virginia. He married Martha Jane Pettus (born ca 1770) on 27 August 1789 in Wilkes County, Georgia and was given 300 acres of land by his father. He moved to north Alabama around 1799. A messy, public divorce case in Madison County, Alabama ended his first marriage in 1817; and he moved to Yazoo County, Mississippi. Apparently he then married Delphia Majers and had one child -- Lucinda M. Easter (7 October 1823 - 31 August 1832). He died around 1827. The details follow. James Easter first married Elizabeth (probably a Thompson) in Virginia. The first mention of wife Elizabeth in legal proceedings was 1 March 1758 when James Easter of Cumberland Parish, Lunenburg County, Virginia, sold 683 acres of land to Thomas Nash. This deed was signed by James Easter (readers will remember that he made a mark on his will). The note attached to the deed read “Elizabeth, wife of Easter, relinquished her dower right.” It would seem that she and James were married prior to the 1758 date. William Thompson Easter was the oldest son. Apparently Elizabeth died prior to 1767 when William was about 6 years old, and James married Sarah (also probably a Thompson). According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, the dower is “that portion of the lands or tenements of a man which his widow enjoys during her life after the death of her husband.” In the lower left hand corner of most old deeds, you will find signatures of two to four witnesses. The wife was to be interviewed at the time of the sale of the property. If the wife is not interviewed at the time of the indenture because of pregnancy or inclement weather, she was to be interviewed and release her right of dower before the transfer became legal. Land sales prior to the 1 March 1758 sale where Elizabeth’s name appears were signed by James Easter and there were no witnesses.

The first time Sarah appears in any legal records as James’ wife is 14 December 1767 when James Easter and Sarah sold 300 acres on the South Side of Allen’s Creek to Thomas Norvell for 50 £(From Deed Book 2, Mecklenburg Co., Virginia, p. 31). We do not know when James Easter married Sarah. Tabby or Tabitha Easter was born around 1771 in Virginia. After James and Sarah moved to Georgia around 1778, their son Lewis was born around 1782 and Champion in 1785. James died 6 years later. William is mentioned in James Easter’s will as follows: “I give and bequeath to my son William Thompson Easter the tract of land whereon he now lives containing by estimation three Hundred Acres. Likewise one Negro boy named Simon to him and his heirs forever.”

“Lastly I do constitute my well beloved wife Sarah Easter Executrix and William Thompson Easter, my nephew Richard Easter, my friends William Thompson, Sr., Robert Thompson Sr., and Benjamin Taliaferro, Executors of this my last will and testament, revoking and disannulling all other wills made by me heretofore, in confirmation thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal, this nineteenth day of May Anno Dom. one thousand seven Hundred and ninety one.” Letters Testamentary granted the above Will 21st day of February 1792/ Sarah Easter Executrix, William Thompson Easter, Richard Easter. William Thompson, Sr., Robert Thompson, Sr. Executors and Executrix. The practice of the day was for the father to give the son land when the son married, and William married Martha in 1789. William was undoubtedly the elder son because he was made an executor of his father's will. It was also the custom in those days for relatives and inlaws to serve as "next friend" in a will or legal document–thus explaining the naming of William Thompson, Sr. and Robert Thompson, Sr. Probably because Sarah married Edmond Brewer sometime after May 1792, William Thompson Easter was made the guardian of Champion Easter. In 1912 he turned in a report to the court to show what money he had spent on 17-year old Champion that year. NOTES BY MEIGE EASTER
About 1809 William Thompson Easter, moved to Alabama. In the Madison County, Alabama records there is given an account of divorce proceedings between one William Easter and wife, Martha, who married in Wilkes County, Georgia in 1789. William is mentioned in Chancery Court Case Book A, Madison County, Alabama pp. 78-80 dated 13 July 1816 summarized as follows (from Ganrud’s Alabama Records, Vol. 138, Madison County): "Martha Easter by her next friend John W. Thompson vs. William Easter.... About 27 years ago she was legally but unfortunately married to William Easter in Wilkes County, Georgia, and they lived in Georgia for 20 years......about seven years ago the said William Easter determined and on removing and did remove from said state of Georgia to Said of County of Madison in the Territory aforesaid when he settled and had continued to reside in ever since and the said William Easter also brought your petitioner with him from the State of Georgia aforesaid and continued and retained your petitioner with him the Said William as his lawful wife after and during his residence in Said County ....But now so ....may it please your honor, the said William Easter without any cause within the knowledge of your petioner but there she........depravity of his own heart irregardless of his obligations as a husband and every principle of humanity on or about the 20th of January last barred your petitioner out of doors aged blind and helpless as she was and violently commanded and compelled your petitioner to abandon his house never again to enter it as his wife without making any....provision for her subsistence......Said William Easter has by an advertisement published in the Madison Gazette in the Town of Huntsville in the County and Territory aforesaid publicly denounced and denied petitioner as his wife......John W. Thompson and C.C. Clay, Attys...... Said William Easter intends shortly to remove himself and all his property from the county aforesaid.“
On 18 February 1817 William was put under a $5,000 bond. On the 2nd Monday in May 1817 the "Complainant does not wish to further prosecute." William did make a property settlement (Ganrud’s Alabama Records, Vol. 119, p. 27). After this court case where Martha sued, William seems to disappear from the records in the area. A Champion and a William Easter are both on the tax roll of Yazoo County for 1823. A William Easter died in Yazoo City, Mississippi leaving his estate to a very young girl. The February 1829 records there state: "...Guardian of the persons property of Lucinda M. Easter infant child of Wm Easter, deceased." In January of the same year there is a document that says: "...Arnold Rupell guardian of Lucinda M. Easter infant child of Wm Easter deceased." Probate court says "...standing? Of said Estate and have just reasons to believe and do believe that there are...just debts...and there is no personal property belonging to the said estate and there is only one eight of a section of land." There is a similarity between the names Lucinda M. Easter and Terinda Moore Easter, and the difference in spelling may have come from the difficulties in deciphering the spidery cursive writing of the records keeper. In a later correspondence, Harriet wrote to say “It seems that my Terinda Moore Easter who was born October 7, 1823 died August 31, 1832. I do not have this documented, but it is mentioned in a record provided by a researcher in Vicksburg, Mississippi, named Salassi. She may be buried in Yazoo County with Arnold Russell and Delphia, but there is not a marked grave there.” How little we know about William Thompson Easter (ca 1761 - ca 1827)! One William Easter patented land in Madison County, Alabama in 1812. William Thompson Easter was living on 22 March 1819 at Madison County, Alabama, In an account of sale of items of the Benjamin Eddins estate in Madison County, Alabama, William Easter, along with brothers Lewis and Champion, bought items from the sale.⁷

     William Urvin "Willie" Easter was born on 18 July 1876 at Johnson County, Texas. He was the son of Sackville Evan "Sag" Easter and Kizeye E. Collins. William Urvin "Willie" Easter died on 15 April 1941 at Hollis, Harmon County, Oklahoma, at age 64.¹ He was buried on 18 April 1941 at Dryden Cemetery, Hollis, Harmon County, Oklahoma.¹

     Willie Easter was born on 26 May 1892 at Greenwood Springs, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹ He was the son of Lucien Stanford Easter and Nancy Robinson.

     Willie Walker Easter was born on 22 July 1873 at Limestone County, Alabama, USA.¹ He was the son of Markham Champion Easter and Lydia Ann Kennemer.¹ Willie Walker Easter died on 30 August 1873 at Limestone County, Alabama, USA.¹

     Willis Easter was born in 1896.¹ He was the son of Sampson Easter.

     Woody Easter was born on 22 August 1897 at Greenwood Springs, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹ He was the son of Lucien Stanford Easter and Nancy Robinson.

     Y. M. Easter was born circa 1851 at Monroe County, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Elbert Jefferson Easter and Sarah Ann Rucker. Y. M. Easter died.

     Z. Verret Easter was born in 1851 at Monroe County, Mississippi. She married Louis D. Easter, son of Alson E. Easter and Amanda Maud Neeland, on 24 January 1877 at Monroe County, Mississippi.¹ Z. Verret Easter died in 1934 at Monroe County, Mississippi. She was buried in 1934 at Main Easter Cemetery, Monroe County, Mississippi.
     As of 24 January 1877,her married name was Easter.¹ She and Louis D. Easter appeared on the census of 8 June 1880 at Sup Dist 1, Enumeration District 126, Quincy Township, Monroe County, Mississippi.²

     
     As of before November 1805,her married name was Walker.

     E. Alfora J. Edge was born circa 1857 at South Carolina.¹ She was the daughter of Thomas D. Edge and Elmira Baker.¹
     As of 26 October 1886,her married name was Carter.²

     Flora Edge was born on 3 August 1885 at Monroe County, Mississippi.¹ She was the daughter of Thomas L. Edge. Flora Edge died on 21 August 1887 at Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 2.¹