William Butter (1850 - 1923)

Born 8 Jun 1850 in Forest Hill, Rapides, Louisiana, United States

Ancestors

Son of Henry Butter and Susan Eliza (O'Neal) Butter

Husband of Emily (Graham) Butter — married 29 Oct 1868 in Forest Hill, Rapides, Louisiana

Descendants

Died 8 Feb 1923 at age 72 in Forest Hill, Rapides, Louisiana, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Virginia Fields [send private message]

William Butter lived in Louisiana.

Biography

Native of Louisiana

http://butterfamilyhistory.blogspot.com Butter Family History including collateral surnames, O'Neal, Dunn, Graham, Henderson and Odom.

William Butter was born in what is now Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana on 8 June 1850 to parents Henry Butter and Susan O'Neal. ^[1] William was the oldest of ten children. He made his living and supported his family by farming. He was educated as his parents, Henry and Susan were both educated and made sure their children could read and write. Their house was full of books on many subjects. William assumed the responsibility of church clerk when his father was no longer able to fulfill those duties.

William Butter and Emily Graham married 29 October 1868 and made their home in Forest Hill.^[2] They had seven children and were married 55 years.

In the 1870 census William and Emily have had their first child, Henry Robert Butter who was born the previous April. A seven year old female, Elizabeth Walker, is also in the household. Elizabeth is the niece of Emily Graham Butter. Her sister and brother-in-law both died and their children went to live with various family members in the Spring Hill area.^[3]

1880 shows William and Emily with five children. They are in the same community where they always lived. ^[4]

William Butter died at his home on 8 February 1923.^[5] He was buried at the Butters Cemetery in Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.^[6]

Opal Butter related to her niece Virginia Butter Fields that she remembered when her Grampa Butter died. Opal would have been about 11 years old and her younger sister 6 years old. It was February and a cold night when they got word that her grandfather had died. Her parents bundled them into their wagon and they went to their grandparent's house (probably a mile or two away). She said they were there quite a while and then made the journey back home. The roads in this community were dirt roads and rutted in the winter from rain that turned them to mud so a mile or two could take quite a while.

Research

There is some confusion on names between William Butter and his son William Marshall Butter. William Butter did not have a middle name and never used an initial as a middle name. Every surviving document that he signed in his lifetime used only William Butter. His son was William Marshall Butter and was called "Uncle Marsh" by his nieces and nephews. The confusion has happened because when William Butter died in 1923, his widow, Emily Graham Butter, provided the information on the death certificate and gave his name as William Marshall Butter. It appears that she, perhaps in her grief and maybe some forgetfulness, confused the names. The death certificate is the only place in a lifetime that William, the father, was tagged with a middle name; it is a mistake. The other misconception might come from the fact that an abbreviation for William is Wm. There is an example that should clarify this. There is a land transaction on file where William Butter sold a piece of land to his son William Marshall Butter. Each instance in this document shows each name distinctly.^[7]

DNA Research

• Paternal and maternal relationship is confirmed by a GedMatch test match between Virginia Butter Fields Gedmatch kit #T653391 and her third cousin MG Gedmatch kit #QG9158166. Their most recent common ancestors are their 2x great grandparents Henry Butter and Susan Eliza O'Neal. Estimated number of generations to MRCA=3.2, based on sharing 163.6 cM across 9 total-match segments.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJ8-52G : 14 July 2020), William Butler in household of Henry Butler, Rapides parish, Rapides, Louisiana, United States; citing family 417, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ Marriage "Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1Y-WXMZ : 15 May 2018), Wm Butler and Emily Graham, 28 Oct 0068; citing Rapides, Rapides, Louisiana, United States, various parish courthouses, Louisiana; FHL microfilm 1,316,122.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870" , database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M87N-KNJ : 19 March 2020), William Butler, 1870.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDX8-J7R : 13 April 2020), William Butter, Spring Hill, Rapides, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district ED 40, sheet 684C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,466.
5. ↑ Death Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1819-1964. State of Louisiana, Secretary of State, Division of Archives, Records Management, and History. Vital Records Indices. Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
6. ↑ Burial Find A Grave, database and images memorial page for William Butter (8 Jun 1850–8 Feb 1923), Find A Grave: Memorial #28212075 citing Butters Cemetery, Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, USA.
7. ↑ Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana Court House. Land Transactions. Filed for Record 3 November 1904. Land transfer between William Butter to William Marshall Butter. Signed by both parties.