Charles was born in Poppi, Michigan on May 11th, 1851.
Father was Aaron Williams (1817 VT – Circ. 1885 location?)
Mother is Eleanor "Ellen" Singerland (1827 NY - 1901 WI)
Married Flora "Florie" Hunter (1852 PA - 1920 MT) on May 12, 1874 in the District Court - Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States
His middle initial is often indicated as "S." There is no known confirmation of this, or what his full middle name was, at this time.
A Timeline:
1851 - Charles is born in Poppi Michigan.
1858 – His family is in Iowa per the 1860 census birth location for his sister Kate.
1860 – Census on July 13th states his family is in the Town Of Tomah, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
1874 – Charles marries Flora F Hunter on May 12th at the District Court - Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minnesota.
1875 – Their daughter Estella M. Williams is born on Mar 17th in Rosecoe Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota.
1875 – Census on May 1 shows them living in New Haven, Olmsted, Minnesota.
1877 – Their son Arnold Frank Williams is born on Jan 12th in Rosecoe Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota.
1879 – Their son Truman G Williams is born on July 16th in Bird Island, Renville County, Minnesota.
1880 – Census shows them living in Sioux Agency, Yellow Medicine, Minnesota.
1880 – Their daughter Gertrude Williams (married twice: DeCamp and Wallace) is born in Minnesota (exact date and location unknown).
1882 – Their son Alfred S. Williams Sr. is born July 16th in Pine Island, Goodhue County, Minnesota
1885 – State Census on May 25th shows them living in Rosecoe, Goodhue County, Minnesota.
1889 – Their daughter Eleanor Williams (married twice: Foster and Peach) is born Feb 22nd in Minnesota (exact location unknown).
1891 – Their daughter Flora F Williams (married: Church) is born in Feb in South Dakota (exact location unknown).
1893 – Their son Walter Abraham Williams is on born Apr 8 in North Dakota (exact location unknown).
1900 – Census on June 15th shows them living in T.151-R.62, 65, 67 Minco & Oberon Schools, T.151-152-R.67-69 T.142-R.69 West Antelope & Viki, Benson, North Dakota.
1906 – They had moved to Canada. The Canadian census June 24th shows them living in Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada.
1910 – Charles is a naturalized Canadian citizen.
1911 – Canada census in June shows them living in Township 5 Range 17th W 2nd Mdn, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
1916 – Canada census on June 7th shows them living in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. This census also states their Religious Affiliation is Methodist.
1920 – Census on Jan 10th shows them living in Middle Inlet, Marinette County, Wisconsin. So, between 1916 and 1920, they move back to the U.S.
June 25 1920 – Flora Williams, his wife, dies of Apoplexy in Rosebud Montana and is buried 2 days later on June 27th in the Rosebud Cemetery. Charles is the informant, and his address is listed as Rosebud Montana.
It's unknown at this time if they were visiting Montana or had moved there from Wisconsin after the Jan 10th, 1920 census.
At least two of their children died in Montana later on: Flora F Church in Daniels County 1971 and Alfred S. Williams Sr. in Flathead County 1977.
Charles is listed as a farmer in all the censuses. His father Aaron is also listed as a farmer.
Theory regarding his wife, Flora E. Williams (Hunter) dying in Rosebud Montana:
The obit states Charles Williams was a resident in Wilton Minnesota (about 9 miles out of town from Bemidji) for 28 years, this is doubtful as the Jan 10th, 1920 federal census has Charles and his wife (& grandson Floyd Williams) living in Middle Inlet, Marinette County, Wisconsin.
At most, he would have lived there about 24 years (moving in with son Arnold Frank Williams, "Frank", after the death of Flora).
So the 28 years in Wilton is either loosely remembered by a family member, or they simply stated how long the son Frank was living there because as is known, Charles moved around A LOT.
The grandson Floyd connection and why Charles and Flora were in Rosebud MT in the summer of 1920.
Grandson Floyd, is the son of Walter Abraham Williams (youngest of Charles and Flora's children) and Bessie May Mitchell. Floyd's age (almost 4) and birth location (Canada) matches the 1920 Middle Inlet WI census information.
Walter and Bessie are alleged to have divorced circa July 1918. Walter marries Mary Agnus VanNatta sometime after that.
Floyd's father Walter Abraham Williams dies in Sonoma CA, 1959 and mother Bessie May Mitchell in Canada, 1993.
Grandson Floyd Ellis "Bill" Williams died Whitetail, Daniels County, Montana in 1967.
Flora F. Williams (Church) and husband Samuel are in Daniels County, MT sometime after 1920 census (in McCone County, MT) and before 1923 death of their son Harold Church in Whitetail, Daniels County, MT.
So it's looking like Charles and Flora Williams had their grandson Floyd Williams with them in Wisconsin in early 1920 because his parents (Walter and Bessie) had divorced and couldn't take care of Floyd.
Then, probably, went to Montana to drop off their grandson with Flora and Samuel Church in Montana so they can raise their nephew. Flora Williams (Hunter) died in Rosebud of apoplexy (stroke) either going to or from dropping off Floyd at the Church's house.
