Angeline Frances Putman Williams

Angeline Frances Putman Williams (1856-1940), married to Henry Clinton Williams. Her grandfather was Mitchell Putman, whose children who were kidnapped by Comanches.

Bio by Marguerite Williams Blackwelder

Angeline Frances Putnam was born August 31, 1856 at Gonzales in DeWitt County, the daughter of Adeline Dulcena Gipson and William Putnam.  Adeline’s parents were James Gipson and Sarah Sharpe who came to Texas from Virginia via Indiana and Iowa in the 1830’s. William was born to Elizabeth Dollar and Mitchell Putnam in Bedford County, Tennessee.  Mitchell was born in South Carolina, fought in the War of 1812, and then in The Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.  Much has been written about his search for four of his little children and 14 year old Sarah Lockhart who were kidnapped from the banks of the Guadalupe River by Comanche Indians,  and the saga of the eventual and varied return of the three Putnams that lived through the years along with Matilda Lockhart who was badly scarred.  William, with his step mother, step siblings and so many others were among those who were in The Great Escape of those traveling east, fleeing Santa Anna’s troops while Mitchell was with Sam Houston’s forces gathering at San Jacinto.

When sixteen years of age, Angeline (Angie) moved with her family to Kendall County where she lived until she married family friend, Henry Clinton Williams of the Oak Island area of Bexar County on November 22, 1882.  It was there they lived near his father, Henry Boyling Williams for some years before moving a few miles east to Thelma on the Pleasanton Road where they bought land and raised their family. Their children were Clara Rebecca, Mary Frances, Adeline Elizabeth, who died when her second child was thirteen months old, Nellie who died in infancy, Waymon Putnam, Scott Mitchell and Henrietta May.

Angie was the fifth of eleven children, all of whom lived long lives, well into the 20^th century.  She was a tall woman who was known for her love of her flower garden, and encouraging all who came to her house to have something to eat, always assuming that they must be hungry. Coffee was always ready and strong in a large blue and white speckled enamel coffee pot on the back eye of the wood stove.   She was a true home-body, and wore aprons over her near ankle-length cotton dresses.  Being prone to have pre-cancers, she wore long sleeves, and like most women of her time, she always wore a bonnet when outside.  I am not sure about her sister, Temperance (Tempe), but do remember that Angie and her sister Alice indulged in the use of snuff.  For the younger generation, snuff is a powdered tobacco.  It was applied by a little brush made by  breaking off and feathering a twig used to dip into the snuff container and place it between their lower lip and teeth; beautiful. 

For whatever reason, she evidently did not write or endorse checks.  When she shopped, she went with Jennie or maybe some one else to whom Henry wrote a check for the shopping. I have copies of ones written to Jennie for that purpose.

Her sister Alice did not marry.  She was what was known as a practical nurse who stayed with patients in their homes for all sorts of reasons such as post operations and child birth.  When she did not have a patient, she stayed with various members of her family, always arriving with two trunks in which everything was in perfect order which was of much interest to me when she was with us.

In Angie's later years, her birthdays were celebrated at big family and community gatherings where beef and goat were barbequed on the ten foot long, rock-walled pit under a big oak tree on their farm with home grown vegetables, and home made pies and cakes; reminds me of South Fork Ranch in the television program, Dallas.  Being on the 31st of August, believe me, it was hot.

She died on January 4, 1940 at the age of 83 in the home of her son, Waymon at Oak Island, and is buried near her husband at Oak Island Cemetery.  She was mourned by her children, many grandchildren and the community of friends.

As remembered and submitted by her grand daughter, Marguerite Elizabeth Williams Blackwelder, daughter of Waymon and Jennie Marie Collins Williams.

October 27, 2009.