William Peter CHRISTIAN Mary Jane CHRISTIAN Margaret CHRISTIAN Sarah Isabella CHRISTIAN M N CHRISTIAN William Vascar CHRISTIAN Joseph Oscar CHRISTIAN C Peter CHRISTIAN Iler Frances CHRISTIAN Charles Henry CHRISTIAN Henry C CHRISTIAN Robert E Lee CHRISTIAN Susan Anna CHRISTIAN Amanda Lucinda JENKINS Thomas Jefferson CHRISTIAN Daniel Zene CHRISTIAN George Bartley CHRISTIAN James Waldon CHRISTIAN Elizabeth DICKERSON Mini tree diagram

William James CHRISTIAN1,5,8,9,3,4

also known as William G CHRISTIAN6

20th Nov 18531 - 19247,4

Life History

1842

Born.7

(less likely)

1849

Born in Mississippi.5,6

(less likely)

20th Nov 1853

Born in Mississippi.1,2,3,4

(most likely)

Oct 1857

Born in Mississippi.1

(less likely)

1870

Resident in Mt Pleasant, Titus, Texas.3

2nd Nov 1882

Married Amanda Lucinda JENKINS in Naples, Morris, Texas.32,33

2nd Nov 1883

Birth of son M N CHRISTIAN.10

1st Oct 1884

Birth of son William Vascar CHRISTIAN in Texas.10,1,11

10th Apr 1886

Birth of son Joseph Oscar CHRISTIAN in Cass County, Texas.12,13,14,15,16,17

17th Nov 1887

Birth of son C Peter CHRISTIAN in Naples, Morris, Texas.19,10,18,14

10th Aug 1890

Birth of daughter Iler Frances CHRISTIAN in Texas.20,21,6,22

17th Nov 1893

Birth of son Charles Henry CHRISTIAN in Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory.14,23,15,24

23rd Dec 1896

Birth of son Henry C CHRISTIAN in Marlow, Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory.5,14,18,10,25,15,26,27,11

2nd Mar 1898

Birth of son Robert E Lee CHRISTIAN in Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory.28,10,29,14,15,30

before 1900

Death of son M N CHRISTIAN in Texas

1900

Residence3 in Union, Washita, Oklahoma Territory.1

17th May 1900

Birth of daughter Susan Anna CHRISTIAN in Oklahoma Territory.7,31,10

between 1910 and 1920

Residence4 in Oakdale, Washita, Oklahoma.5,6

9th Feb 1918

Death of son C Peter CHRISTIAN in Mountain View, Kiowa, Oklahoma.18

after 1920

Death of son William Vascar CHRISTIAN

1924

Died in Oklahoma.7,4

1924

Buried in Oakdale Cemetery, Cowden, Washita County, Oklahoma.4

Notes

  • Harold Christian refers to the father of William James Christian as Peter Christian (Jenkins Family History, p 8).  Other facts indicate that this is William Peter Christian, father of Daniel Zene Christian.

    William James Christian is referred to as Bill by various family members in various written references.  In the censuses of 1880 and 1900 he is listed as Willie.

    The age of William in the 1860 census matches "John" in 1850.  William is 10 years old, making him born abt 1850.

    1860 Federal Census, Calhoun County, Mississippi, 25 September, Cherry Hill, page 163, Hse #1140, Fam #1156
    Peter Christian 45 M Farmer England (b abt 1815)
    Mary [Waldon] Christian 25 F Ala (b abt 1835)
    William Christian 10 M b Mississippi
    (b abt 1850, matches John 1850 census, but note 1870, age 15!)

    I considered that "John" could be a mis-write by the enumerator for James, for William James.  Worse things have happened.  Joseph Sanford Jenkins was reported as John Jinkins in the 1860 Cass County, Texas, census.  Though William's age of 10 matches John, 3 months old in 1850 (thus born in June 1850), William is strangely recorded as 15 years old in 1870.

    On the other hand, Harold Christian reports that there is a birth date recorded for William in his family Bible:  Based on information from William's family Bible, he was born 20 November 1853.  It is probably safer to accept this as an accurate birth date, and attribute error to the various censuses, which are often erroneous.  And then we should consider John as a child who died between the 1850 and 1860 census, as Harold did in his analysis.

    1870 Federal Census, Titus County, Texas, 6 August, Mt Pleasant, page 161, Hse/Fam #1120
    Peter Christian 56 M W Farmer England
    Polly A Christian 36 F W Alabama
    William Christian 15 M W Mississippi

    In 1880, I find that Willie, not yet married, is living with a family named Brock, next door to a family that appears to be that of his brother Daniel Zene, where their younger half brother Henry is living after the death of his parents.  Polly likely died in 1870 or soon after, and father Peter died in 1874, after moving to Cass County near the sons.

    Willie either is working for the Brock family on their farm or is farming a section of their land as his own.  His occupation is shown as "Farming," not "Farmer," "Farm Labor" or "Laborer."

    The last son of Polly, 9-year-old Peter (born in September 1870, possibly the occasion of Polly's death) is living with brother Bart and his family a couple of doors down from Zene.  In between the two brothers is a family named Cowan, Robert and Sarah and their children.

    Willie, later referred to by family members as Bill, though recorded in censuses as Willie, married Lucinda Amanda Jenkins.  She is referred to as Amanda Lucinda in some sources.  Amanda (Mandy) was the daughter of Joseph Sanford Jenkins, born in South Carolina, but married in Mississippi, where Amanda was born before the family moved on to Cass County, Texas.  Their story is told in this genealogy.

    Bill, or Willie, and Amanda moved from Cass County, Texas, to Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, about 1891.  Their child Iler was the last one born in Texas in about August 1890.  The next child Charles (recorded in 1900 as Henry C) was born in Chickasaw Nation in May 1892.  The next two children were also born in Chickasaw Nation, then Susan Annie was born after they had moved to Oklahoma Territory in about May 1900.

    Since the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, we are missing some details on the family that would fill out their story as the 19th century ends.  In 1900 they are enumerated living in Washita County of Oklahoma Territory.  This county had been formed as a new county only earlier that year, from what was formerly Cheyenne and Arapaho lands.  This new county bordered Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, to the east.  If the reports of birth of their children in Chickasaw Nation are correct here, they moved across the border into Washita County around the time the county was established in Oklahoma Territory.

    In the 1900 census for Union Township, Washita County, Oklahoma Territory, there are many anomalies, as ages don't always match the birth dates reported, birth dates found here don't match those in family sources, names are spelled oddly, and handwriting is poor.  The family name is spelled Christain, Pete is spelled Peet.  W's look like a cross between M's and B's, E's are often closed and look like I's except they are not dotted.  Capital P's are linked to the following vowel, making them look somewhat like R's with a long stem.

    1900 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 3 August, Union Township, District 211, page 13A, Hse/Fam #189
    Willie Christain [sic] Head W M  Oct 1857 42  Miss England GA Farmer
    Mandy Christain Wife W F  Mar 1858  42  MS MS MS
    William Christain Son W M  Oct 1886  13  TX England Miss Farmer
    Oscar Christain Son W M  May 1887 (? 1882)  18 (?)  TX England Miss Farmer
    Peet Christain [Pete] Son W M  Sept 1888  11  TX England Miss Farmer
    Iler Christain Dau W F  Aug 1890  9  TX England Miss Farmer
    Henry C Christain Son  May 1892  8 [seems to be Charles]  Chickasaw Ind Terr  England  Miss Farmer
    Henry Christain Son W M  Dec 1894  5  Chickasaw, Ind Terr  England  Miss Farmer
    Robert Christain Son W M  March 1897 3  Chickasaw Ind Terr  England  Miss Farmer
    Susa Christain Dau W F  May 1898 (1899?)  3 [3/12 ?]  Chickasaw Ind Terr  England  Miss Farmer
    [Appears to intend Susan, seems to match Susan Anne]

    For the last child, if Annie, the birth date written in the census is hard to understand.  It is somewhat messy, and might be May 1898 or 1897.  But it could not be May 1898, if Robert's birthday was only 7 months before in March 1898.  If it was May 1900, that would make it three months, matching Annie's birthday as 17 May 1900 from a list in a family source.  But the age written is not 3/12.  It is a large 3, with two or more lines, somewhat straight after the three, and one slightly slanting under the 3, but no number after or under any of the messy lines.

    All the children are listed as farmers, also; even Susa, the baby.  Note also that the enumerator erroneously lists the father of all the children as born in England, when Willie was born in Mississippi.  It was Willie's father that was born in England.

    Note that the child I list as M N Christian does not appear in the census.  This name comes from a list of the children of this family found in the dictionary of Amanda's brother William (Bud) Jenkins, who wrote various memorabilia in his dictionary like a diary.  This is the only record I have seen of the child M N.  The census indicates that Mandy had borne 10 children, but only 8 are living.  This M N, who should have been 16 at this census, must be one of the two who died.  I do not have the name of the other one.

    1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 28 April, Oakdale, District 263, page 20B-21A, Hse #309, Fam #390
    Christian, William G Head M W 60 MS England AL Farmer
    Christian, Amanda L Wife F W 45 MS GA GA
    Christian, Iler F  Dau F W 20 TX MS MS
    Christian, Charles Son  M W 17 OK MS MS Farming
    Christian, Robert Son  M W 13 OK MS MS
    Christian, Anna Dau  F W 10 OK MS MS
    Christian, Henry Son  M W 8 OK MS MS

    In 1920, William and Amanda's household has expanded, with three sons and their wives living with them.  Henry and his wife Ava also have a 10-month-old child.

    1920 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 15 January, Oakdale, District 192, page 4B, Hse #65, Fam #65
    Christian, William J Head M W 70 MS England AL Farmer
    Christian, Amanda L Wife F W 60 MS GA GA
    Christian, Charles H Son  M W 27 OK MS MS Farming
    Christian, Treason [Teresa?]  Dau-in-law [Wife of Charles]  F W 17 TX MS MS
    Christian, Henry Son  M W 23 OK MS MS  Farmer
    Christian, Ava  Dau-in-law [Wife of Henry]  F W 22 OK TX TX
    Christian, Charles  Grandson [son of Henry]  M W 10mos [born abt Feb 1919] OK OK OK
    Christian, Robert Lee  Son  M W 21 OK MS MS  Farmer
    Christian, Lillie  Dau-in-law [Wife of Robert]  F W 19 Kansas USA Wisconsin

    I notice that in this census, Amanda has aged 15 years in the last ten!  She was 45 in 1910, and now she is 60 in 1920.  And Henry is now older than Robert.  In 1910 Robert was 13 and Henry was only 8.  But now in 1920, Henry is 23; he has aged 15 years since the last census, just like his mother.  Meanwhile Robert Lee is only 21, having aged only 8 years since the last census!  What fun these censuses are.

    Oklahoma Gravestone Project, W J Christian, Burial Listing, Oakdale Cemetery, Washita County, Oklahoma
    W J CHRISTIAN
    Oakdale Cemetery
    Washita County, Oklahoma
    1842 - 1924

    W J and his wife are buried at the Oakdale Cemetery.  The town of Oakdale is no longer operative, but the cemetery is maintained.  One compiler of a memorial on Find a Grave reports Oakdale as in Cowden, Washita County, Oklahoma.  But Cowden is quite a ways away, and there are other cemeteries between them.

    "Jay and Jan Davis live in old Oakdale school . A few people, still live close to the old Oakdale cemetery.  There is not much to see except the Washita River, the Oakdale Cemetery, which is still maintained.  Two miles North of the Town of Mountain View on Oklahoma State Highway 115.  REMAINS: School House, cemetery.  The town was probably abandoned when the school was annexed to Mountain View.  The cemetery has graves going back to before 1900."
    --  Dawn Evans Rogers, Ghost Towns, http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ok/oakdale.html

Sources

  • 1. 1900 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma Territory
    • August 3, Union Township, District 211, page 13A (147A), Hse/Fam #189
  • 2. Christian Family History, by Harold K Christian
  • 3. 1870 Federal Census, Titus County, Texas
    • 6 August, Mt Pleasant, page 161, Hse/Fam #1120
  • 4. Oklahoma Gravestone Project, Oakdale Cemetery, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 5. 1920 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 15 January, Oakdale, District 192, page 4B, Hse #65, Fam #66
  • 6. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 28 April, Oakdale, District 263, page 20B, Hse #309, Fam #390
  • 7. Oakdale (Washita County, Oklahoma) Cemetery Register
    • Name: Name: http://rebelcherokee.labdiva.com/oakdalecem.html;;
  • 8. Epperson Genealogy
    • Name: Jimmy Epperson;
    • William James Christian, Lucinda Amanda Jenkins, http://epperson.eppygen.org/FamilyTree/F384.htm
  • 9. 1850 Federal Census, Chickasaw County, Mississippi
    • 30 September, Eastern Division, page 642 (scan 626), Hse/Fam # 214
  • 10. William S "Bud" Jenkins, names listed in his Dictionary reported in Harold Christian's Jenkins Family History
    • Name: Name: pages 6-7, List of names of sister Amanda's children;;
  • 11. Oklahoma, County Marriage Records, 1890-1995
  • 12. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 28 April, Oakdale, District 263, page 8B, Hse #147, Fam #154
  • 13. California Death Index, 1940-1997
  • 14. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
  • 15. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • 16. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
  • 17. 1940 Federal Census, Washita County, Arkansas
    • 3 April, Hobart Ward 4, District 38-13a Page 2B, 805 S Monroe, Hse #33, Rents $4
  • 18. Gravestone of Henry C Christian, Oakdale Cemetery, Oakdale, Washita, Oklahoma
  • 19. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 18 May, Oakdale Township, District 263, page 8B, Hse #146, Fam #153
  • 20. Judy Oldziewski
  • 21. California, Death Index, 1940-1997
  • 22. 1900 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma Territory
    • 3 August, Union Township, District 211, page 13A, Hse/Fam #189
  • 23. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 15 April, Oakdale Township, District 17, page 9A, Hse #156, Fam #168
  • 24. 1940 Federal Census, Pima County, California
    • 20 April, Tucson, District 10-55, page 18B, 240 Lowell Rd, Hse #473, Owns $300
  • 25. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 15 April, Oakdale Township, District 17, page 9A, Hse #154, Fam #165
  • 26. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  • 27. Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982
  • 28. Social Security Death Index
  • 29. 1930 Federal Census, Grady County, Oklahoma
    • 4 April, Waldron Township, District 38, page 2B, Hse/Fam #33
  • 30. 1940 Federal Census, Sonoma County, California
    • 9 May, Analy Township, District 49-5, Page 17A, Hse #451, Rents $8
  • 31. 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
    • 1930 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 15 April, Oakdale Township, District 17, page 9A, Hse #155, Fam #166
  • 32. Texas Marriage Index, 1847-2002
  • 33. Jenkins Family History by Harold Keith Christian

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