Beulah Wiley Franks
Grant County Coordinator, KY/ALHN

The Stephens Family
by Lynn Stephens Headley. Thank you!

William Lewis Stephens, a son of Lewis and Sarah A. (Draper) Stephens of Pendleton County, KY, was born October 25, 1848. He married December 28, 1871 Susan Burdella Gregory, born November 9, 1851, a daughter of Thurston and Rachel (Hicks) Gregory of Grant County. They were married at the Gregory home by Rev. Thomas Stephens Jr., uncle of the groom.

William Lewis and Susan B. Stephens resided on Falmouth St. in Williamstown. He was a member of the Knights of Phythias, the Oswego Tribe of Red Men, the Centurion Lodge No. 100 and a trustee of the Williamstown Baptist Church. Susan was a member of Rose Rebekah Lodge No. 26.

William Lewis died June 15, 1907 in Lexington, KY and Susan B. died December 22, 1922 at Campbell Cty, Ky. They are buried in Williamstown Cemetery. Their family:

1. Walter Stephens was born July 4, 1873 in Williamstown, KY, died October 27, 1960 in Orlando FL. He married September 19, 1897 Sudie Rafferty of Dry Ridge in Williamstown, Ky. Their children: (A) Rayburn b. August 6, 1898 Dry Ridge, Ky; (B) Lorraine b. May 21, 1901 Dry Ridge, Ky. And (C) Wilbur Burnley b, February 18, 1904 Dry Ridge KY. ;

2. Ben Johnson Stephens was born May 1, 1876, Williamstown, Ky, died February 4, 1960, Rushville, IL. He married May 7, 1899 Delana Melvina Carter (a daughter of William J and Ida Lovell Carter, b. August 6, 1876 in Astoria, IL) in Ipava, IL Buried in Ipava Cemetery, Ipava, IL

Their children:

(A) Paul Richard b. September 26, 1901 Canton, IL d. 4 May 1983 Rushville, IL m. Golda Estes October 29, 1922 in Rushville, IL. Buried in Rushville Cemetery, Rushville, IL

(B) William Carter b. August 7, 1904 in Canton, IL d. May 9, 1998 St. Petersburg, Fl. m. Madeline Settles, daughter of Harvey Settles, June, 1923 in Rushville, IL. Buried in Rushville Cemetery, Rushville, IL.

(C) Howard Gregory b. June 15, 1906 Canton, IL d. December 31, 1981, Minneapolis, Minnesota m. Helen C. Ward, daughter of Charles and Martha Rinehart Ward, February 3, 1928 in Galesberg, IL Buried in Rushville Cemetery, Rushville, IL

(D) Ben Johnson Jr. b. December 12, 1910 Table Grove, IL d. May 15, 1991 at St. Paul MN. M. Marguerite Brunke, daughter of Conrad Brunke of St. Paul MN on March 17, 1942 in Beardstown, IL. Buried in Ft. Snelling Cemetery, St. Paul MN

(E)E. Robert Alan b. March 19 1916 in Rushville, IL m. Dorothy Jones, daughter of Albert Jones of Browning, on August 7, 1944, in Rushville, IL

(F) Walter DeVere b, January 25, 1918 Rushville, IL d. March 5, 1988 Mesa, AZ m. Alene Ham, daughter of L. E. Ham of Ripley, IL on May 31, 1941 Rushville, IL Buried Rushville Cemetery, Rushville, IL

3. Gus Stephens was born June 1, 1878 in Williamstown, Ky, died July 14, 1935 in a traffic accident in Covington, Ky. He married Grace Kell

4. Napoleon Vernon Stephens was born January 30, 1882 in Williamstown, Ky, died December 19, 1944 in Jefferson Cty, Ky. He married November 4, 1903, Cairo, IL Anna Tommie Walker.

Their deceased children: (A) Theophilus (B) Lillian Golda b. Bardwell, Ky m. James H. Gilbert, East St. Louis Mo., d. Houston Tx; and (C) Sue Virginia b. Bardwell, KY d. Bardwell, Ky;

5. William Thomas Stephens was born January 13, 1884 in Williamstown, KY, died February 11, 1935 in Williamstown, Ky. He served as manager of the Citizens Telephone Company and as a member of the Democratic Executive Committee from the East Williamstown Precinct. William married September 25, 1906 Icy May Fite, dau. of Ben Fite, in Williamstown, Ky.

Their children: (A) Naomi Burdella b. Williamstown April 27, 1908 m. Delphine Morgan February 23, 1943 in Williamstown d. May 16, 1991, Florence Ky; and (B) Clyde Walben b. 1913 d. 1914 Williamstown Ky;

6. Ida Stephens was born May 12, 1888 Williamstown, Ky, died May 14, 1889 Williamstown, Ky. Buried in Williamstown Cemetery;

7. Claude Stephens was born March 1891 Williamstown Ky, died March 14, 1908 in Williamstown while a student at Williamstown Graded Free School. Buried in Williamstown Cemetery

Submitted  to this site by Sandra Burbridge and Bonnie Snow - Thanks!
April 2008

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