The Life and Times of Ann Williams (4)

The Hudson-Richardson Connection

Ann’s grandmother, Mary Sylvester (Bessie) Hudson, was born in 1886 in Bell County, Texas.  She was the daughter of A. D Hudson, who was married to Sarah Ann Elizabeth Greathouse.   So I guess you could say that Ann is really “Sarah Ann III.”   Ann’s grandfather was Johnny Richardson.  He loved to tell his grandchildren that his full name was Johnny Edder Crowder Peabody Richardson.

Grandpa Richardson served in the army shortly after the Spanish-American war.  We have a picture of him in uniform.  He was an excellent song leader, and often led singing for church services.  Grandpa was a farmer, first at Stringtown in Bell County, then in Milam County near Milano.   Later they moved to McLennan County and farmed there.

Two of Ann’s great-greagrandfathers were married to Native Americans. We’re not sure about tribal identification.  It was probably either Comanche, Wichita or Towakini. The Towakinis lived on the West side of the Brazos.  The Comanche tended to follow the best hunting grounds, so they were far more nomadic.  The Huaco (which is just another spelling of Waco) Indians did not really have a tribe.  They were actually a band of the Wichita Indians, who settled around the present city of Waco.  Beyond that we can’t say much about Ann’s Indian heritage.

Johnny and Bessie had four children.  Ruby, who was married to Vernon Eanes, lived in Cameron, Texas.   Aunt Ruby was Ann’s second Mom, and even nursed her  when Ann couldn’t get adequate nutrition from her own mother.  William Earvin, the only boy spent most his adult life in Waco.  He was an elder in the East Waco church in and died in the 1950s.  Sarah Ann Williams, Ann’s mother lived in East Waco when Ann was born.  From there, they moved to Tater Hill.  Tater Hill had a store, and two houses.  Tater Hill was between Waco and McGregor.   When the Texas Highway Department widened Highway 84, they took the house Ann grew up in, but this was after Ann had married me.  They then moved to Woodway where they lived until the death of Ann’s father.  The youngest child was Frances Lucy Bell.  Lucy never married, and had a long career with Clifton Manufacturing Company in Waco.   Ann and “Aunt Bell” were close friends and “ran around” together from Ann’s late teen years until the time she married me. 

When our daughter Ruby was born, she was the first and only granddaughter of her generation.   So she was named after Ann’s Aunt Ruby (as well as my mother), and Lucy, whose first name was Frances.  There was just one problem.  Ann got a little mixed up when Ruby was born and spelled the name “Francis.”