The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-03
A FAMILY REUNION
OF Former Wheeling Family of Promi.

OF n Former wheeling FAmlly OF froml'
nence.
The following is from the st. Paul,
Mimi, Globe, OF last Saturday, and the
Prof. Williams therein mentioned is re-
membered as q former Superintendent
OF the Wheeling city schools, while his
family is all well known here:
About as enjoyable and pleasant an
event as the Eighth ward social annals
record was family reunion which oc-
Cured yesterday at the residence of
Prof. +. S. Williams, 3045 First avenue
south. Gathered beneath the family
roof tree were the three generations, in
which death has never yet made Il gap,
and to the venerable couple was permit
ted the happiness OF gazing upon fam
ily circle all but complete, three OF the
thirty-two members being unavoidably
detained away. Prof. Williams and his
estimable wife are now enjoying hale
old age toward the close Of life of UNI
usual usefulness. For quarter OF a
century Prof. Williams has been init
mately connected with the public school
system OF West Virginia, and for the
last ten years OF that time was superin-
tendent OF public instruction at Wheel
ing, which office he resigned in 1876,
Just after reelection, on account OF ill
health. AS the ardent champion OF the
free school system, he wrote his history
through the statutes of West Virginia,
and OF nearly every educational law he
was the author or protector. Just after
the time when the young State
was striving to come to the
front through the misery of
test oaths and disfranchisement he
entered the lists for free schools and
ovcrcame all opposition, both at the bar
of public opinion and through the
successive legislatures. His work was
about completed when he left the little
Commonwealth, and in the purer air
of Minnesota regained his falling
health.
The reunion of yesterday brought to.
gether for the first time since manhood
and business pursuits had scattered
them, the various members OF the fam
lily, and it was made gala occasion.
Prof. Williams entertained his children
and grandchildren with a personal biog-
raphy and family history OF great inter-
est to all present, and even OF general
interest, detailing, as he did, his expert
ence as an educator years before the
war, and the growth which he depicted
in the system OF public education dur
ing this period Of his active labors, first
rs country school teacher and later as
an active worker in the cause OF free
schools. A family poem was then read,
followed by addresses on behalf OF the
children, the children by marriage and
the grandchildren. Gifts and souvenirs
were then exchanged, and the party sat
down TO an elaborate family dinner.
Later in tho day the entire group were
photographed. The family consists OF
the following members: W. +. Williams
and wife, Buffalo, Wyoming; Mr.. Viii.
liams is Secretary Of the Wyoming Land
& Cattle Company; l.. D. Williams and
wife, Minneapolis; Lieut.. Charles A.
Williams, U. S. A., and wife, Sidney,
Neb. G. +. Williams and wife, Mime
apolis; Sylvester G. Williams, attorney
at law, and wife, Cincinnati; Capt. ]. ].
Glover and wife, Washington, D. G.;
Henry NJ. Harper and wife, Wheeling,
w. Va, and Mr.. and Mrs. William
saiger, Minneapolis. These, with the
grandchildren, made up the party OF
thirty-two, of whom W. F. Williams and
II. NJ. Harper were absent. The eldest
OF the family is forty-nine and
the youngest thirty-two.