| William
David Stephens was born July 26, 1835 in North Carolina, the son
of John Stephens and Hannah Keys Stephens. He is the brother of
our Alexander Stephens. He moved with his parents to Tennessee
at the age of 10. Upon the death of his father John his mother,
Hannah Keys, moved her family by covered wagon to Randolph
County, Indiana where Alexander had moved earlier. His mother
also had family in the area. They settled on a farm near
Winchester. It was in Randolph County that he met and married
married Lavina Cox. They were married March 22, 1860.
Lavina was the
daughter of George Cox and Zuriah Tomlinson and was a cousin to
our Mariah Cox who married Alexander Stephens.
In 1867 William
and Lavina moved their family by covered wagon to Marshall
County, Iowa and after 1869 they moved to Mills County, Iowa.
Between 1871 and 1873 they moved back to Marshall County and
from there to the far Southwestern part of Iowa. They settled on
Waubonsie Creek in Fremont County.
In 1880 they
moved by covered wagon to Peoria, Illinois where William worked
in a packing house for about a year. The family then moved back
to Randolph County, Indiana where they settled on a farm near
Harrisville.
In 1887 they
sold their Indiana property and moved by train to WaKeeney,
Trego County, Kansas. William rented a farm about 20 miles
Southeast of WaKeeney. In 1889 William bought a farm ten or
twelve miles Southeast of WaKeeney and farmed that land until
1892 or 1893 when he homesteaded 160 acres of land three miles
South of WaKeeney. William and Lavina lived on that homestead
until they retired i 1910 when they sold the homestead and
purchased a home in WaKeeney.
The WaKeeney homestead
was the site of many family gatherings and celebrations. The
final family celebration held at the homestead was the Fiftieth
Wedding Anniversary of William and Lavina on March 22, 1910.
Click the link on this page to the family gathering picture. We
believe this may be a picture of that gathering. It is a
wonderful picture of the Stephens/Beason family group.
In 1913 William
suffered a stroke from which he did not recover. His health
gradually failed and he died at the home of his daughter and husband,
Genevira and Elmer Cue, at 7:30 P. M., Saturday, September 9,
1917.
Lavina followed
her husband in death on August 19, 1924. She is buried beside
her husband in the WaKeeney cemetery.
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