52 Ancestor 52 Weeks – I’d like to Meet

Blogger Amy Johnson Crow has challenged us with writing about an Ancestor once a week for the year 2019.  She will give us prompts to get us started.  This week's prompt is I’d like to Meet.

I’d like to Meet Emily Caroline Moore, the sister of my 2^nd Great Grandfather, Horatio Nelson Moore.

Emily Caroline Moore was born Christmas Day 1820 in Moore’s Mill, New Brunswick, Canada, the tenth of 14 children.  Emily married Charles Williams who was from Kennebec, Maine but had moved to New Brunswick.  They married 1 September 1842 and moved from New Brunswick to Anson, Maine.

I have a lot of information on the woman and feel she was a very interesting, caring, strong, and family-oriented person.  Through all her travels and problems, she wrote back to family members in Canada.  Many of the letters have been saved and I have transcripts. The letters were from 1856 and then 1878 through to 1892.

In one letter Emily said that after careful consideration and because of her husband’s poor health, they decided to move south to Alabama around 1845.  The following years found them in various places in the state, Shiloh where their second and third children were born.  Then in Spencerville where another child was born.  They also lived in Nanafalia, Citronelle, Marion and Mobile.

Several family members also moved to Alabama and visited frequently with each other.  In 1861, Emily’s husband, Charles died leaving her with 3 children, their first son George died around 1850. During the Civil Was many of the women lived together with their children while the men were in the service. As her children grew, they became very busy with their businesses. Her son Frank Williams became the owner of the  largest lumber company in Louisiana. He employed many of the family in his company. Emily Caroline Moore Williams died 23 March 1906 in Patterson, St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana where she had been living with her son Frank.  She is buried with her husband in the Pine Crest Cemetery, in Citronelle, Mobile County, Alabama.

I would love to have visited with her in her home and had tea.  I would love to hear the stories of all the family.  Some of her letters describe what she is viewing out her window, the scenery, the animals and the children playing.  I would love to hear how they decided on Alabama and exactly how they transported themselves from Canada.