Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Harriet Cordelia Williams

Female 1829 - 1907  (77 years)


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  • Name Harriet Cordelia Williams 
    Born 10 Nov 1829  Ridgeway, Orleans, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 2 Nov 1907  Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 5 Nov 1907  Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I1416  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family John Wesley Adair,   b. 18 Feb 1820, , Greene, Alabama, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 May 1903, Nutrioso, Apache, Arizona, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years) 
    Married 8 Feb 1849  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Francis William Brooks,   b. 9 Feb 1850, , , California, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 3 Jun 1851, At Sea Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 1 years)
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F241  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Several IGI entries show parents as Daniel Randall Williams and Mary Ayers, with proper birth, and a death date of 7 Nov 1907. Variant mother from 1937 entry is Electa Caroline Briggs.

      2. Ancestral File shows Daniel Randall Williams b. 7 Aug 1802 at Lima, Livingston, NY; d. 3 Oct 1880 at Farmington, Davis, Utah and bur. in Farmington Cemetery.
      A. Two wives for him are shown:
      a. Mary Ayers, md., 1822 in Livingston Co., NY
      b. Electra Caroline Briggs, md. 13 Jan 1836 at St. Joseph Co., MI; b. 26 Jan 1805 at Castleton, Rutland, VT; d. 10 Nov 1889 at Big Cottonwood (Holladay), Salt Lake, UT; bur. at Farmington Cemetery.
      B. Additional siblings for Harriet are shown:
      a. George Oscar Williams, b. Abt 1825 and died young.
      b. Sarah Elizabeth Williams, b. Abt 1831 and died young.
      c. Various others from father's second wife.

      3. Censuses:
      A. Various notes:
      a. Not with father's family in 1860 US in Farmington, Davis, Utah.
      b. Rufus Beach shows up in Utah in 1850 census for Great Salt Lake at age 54 from New York with a different wife Laura Ann, age 37 and 3 children ages 8, 3, and 1.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. This child is mentioned in the following biography of his mother from the book "Women of Faith and Fortitude"; unfortunately no name is given:
      "Harriet Cordelia Williams Beach Adair Brooks Lasell (Lasella)
      Birthdate: 10 Nov. 1829 Ridgeway, Orleans, N.Y.
      Death: 26 Nov. 1907 Burlington, Iowa
      Parents: Daniel Randall Williams, Mary Allard Ayers William
      Pioneer: 24 Sep. 1847 Daniel Spencer Wagon Train
      Spouse I: Rufus Beach, m. abt. 1846 Council Bluffs, Iowa, d. 1850. Children: Aaron William, 27 Oct. 1847
      Spouse II: Wesley Adair, m. 8 Feb. 1849
      Spouse III: Francis Wm. Brooks, m. 27 Apr. (Jun) 1851. Children:
      Caroline, 9 Feb 1852
      James Wilson, 18 Dec 1853
      Clara Arabella, 29 Feb 1856
      Annis Copp, 14 Feb 1858
      Charles Edward, 26 Jan 1860
      Francis Wm, 27 Mar 1862
      Harry Edward, 2 Mar 1865
      Frederick Hesford, 24 Dec. 1866
      Mary Peasley, 11 May 1869
      Spouse IV: James Lasell, m. 4 Jun 1873. Children: Ruth Cordelia, 3 May 1876
      Harriet Cordelia Willams was born in 1829 in the state of New York to Daniel and Mary Ayers Williams. She was the third of four children and the only one who survived infancy. The Williams family migrated to Grand Blanc, Michigan shortly after Cordelia's birth and her mother died there. Daniel Williams married for a 2nd time in 1838 to Electa Caroline Briggs, a widow with two young daughters. They had three children. Cordelia shouldered a great deal of the responsibility of caring for her father's second family. They were introduced to the Gospel and the entire family, including two step sisters, two half sisters and a half brother, joined the church and moved to Lee County, Iowa and then to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1843. At the age of seventeen Cordelia was camped with her family on the banks of the Des Moines River in Iowa. Opposite them, across the river, was another group of Saints including Rufus Beach, a wealthy tavern owner, his wife Laura Ann and two children. Harriet's father knew Rufus in Nauvoo, and even though Rufus was three times her age, a plural marriage was arranged between them. Their honeymoon began traveling with the Saints to Winter Quarters in 1846. Rufus provided Cordelia with her own wagon and provisions, and they crossed the plains with the Daniel Spencer Company and arrived in Salt Lake 24 Sep 1847. Rufus began to build a log cabin, but not soon enough. A baby was born to them 27 Oct 1847, the second white child born in the Salt Lake Valley. They named him Aaron Williams Beach and it was said that he was born in a covered wagon on old Pioneer Square.
      Cordelia lived a colorful and prosperous life, marrying three more times after being widowed. She bore one child with her second husband, and he died at sea as they returned to the east. Nine children were born with her third husband. All of these children were born in Iowa except Caroline. She had one child born with her fourth husband. Cordelia was sealed to her second husband 8 Feb 1849 in Salt Lake City. She returned to the East where she met and married the third time-Francis William Brooks 27 Apr or Jun in 1851 at Warren Illinois. She was again widowed when he died 1 Apr 1869, a little over one month before her 9th child was born to them. She married a fourth time 4 Jun 1873 to James Lasell (or Lasella), at Burlington, Iowa. They had one daughter, Ruth Cordelia. James died Nov 1888.
      Harriet Cordelia survived her last husband by about 19 years. She died in Burlington, Iowa on 26 Nov 1907 at the age of seventy eight years."

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Ancestral File indicates marriages as follows:
      Rufus Beach, 1846 "on the Plains near Ohio." Rufus Beach, b. 8 May 1795 at Roxbury Litchfield, CT to John Beach and Sarah Cole and d. 1850 in California. Other wives without dates show Laura Ann Gibbs, Nancy C. Aber, and Elizabeth J. Fosdick. One child is shown of the first marriage: Aaron Williams Beach, b. 27 Oct 1847 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah; d. 19 Sep 1912 at Lincoln, Bonneville, Idaho; bur. 22 Sep 1912 at Iona, Bonneville, Idaho; md. Sarah Elizabeth Thomas, 14 Dec 1867 in Salt Lake City.
      Wesley Adair.
      Francis W. Brooks
      James Lasell

      DEATH:
      1. Per cemetery records.

      BURIAL:
      1. Per cemetery records.