Individual Details

William Jackson Nelson Moyers

(9 Jan 1848 - 27 May 1914)

On US Gen-Web site for Franklin Co., Illinois, Franklin County Biographies. W. J. N. Moyers, judge of Franklin County Court, was born in this county January 9, 1848, the son of Jacob N. and Nancy (Humphrey) Moyers, natives respectively of Kentucky and Illinois. Our subject was reared and educated in his native county and taught school a few years. In 1871 he began the study of law under judge Parks, of Duquoin, and was admitted to practice in Kansas in 1873. In 1876 he was elected State's attorney for this county, which position he filled for four years. He continued his practice until 1886, when he was elected county judge. He has always been a Republican, and as such elected to his various positions notwithstanding the fact of the county being Democratic. He is a Self made man. His father died when he was but eight years old, and left his mother and the family for him to support. He served the last year of the war in Company I, 6th Illinois Cavalry. March 7, 1871, he married Cordelia E. Kirkpatrick, of this county. They have two sons and four daughters. He lives on his farm one and quarter miles west of Benton. He is a Knight of Honor and an Odd Fellow, and one of the county's best citizens.

Obituary from Edwardsville Intelligencer, Edwardsville, Illinois, May 28, 1914: East St. Louis Jurist Dies After Brief Illness. Judge W. J. N. Moyers, 68 years old, a prominent East St. Louis attorney and judge of East St. Louis City Court, died at 8:30 a.m. yesterday at the home of Mrs. John Thornton, 534 Washington Place, where he resided.
He was taken ill Tuesday night while on his way to lecture to a law class which holds sessions in the East St. Louis City Hall, but he appeared before the law class and gave his lecture. Later he went to his home in company with Dr. Francis Kirush. He was complaining of cramps and it was his opinion that he was suffering from a slight attack of ptomaine poisoning, caused by eating ice cream.

Yesterday his condition became critical and he died from a stroke of apoplexy. Until an hour before his death, however, his condition was not considered serious, and he talked over some legal matters with Judge Grace, an attorney. He requested Grace to post a notice on his law office, notifying his clients that he was ill at home. When Grace reached Moyers' office he received a telephone message telling him that the former Judge was dead.

Judge Moyers is survived by his widow, who lives in Citronelle, Ala., where she has been some time because of ill health. There are also four children. Roy Moyers of Citronelle, Ala., Earl Moyers of Los Angeles, Cal., Mrs. H. H. Fair of Kansas City, Kas., and Mrs. N. Parris of East St. Louis.

Judge Moyers had received a telegram Tuesday afternoon, telling that his wife's illness had become more serious.

No funeral arrangements will be made until the arrival of members of the family. The East St. Louis Bar Association of which Moyers was a member, will meet this afternoon to make arrangements to attend the funeral as a body.

Judge Moyers was a close friend of Rev. Rembo Robertson who knew him years ago in Franklin county.

William is listed as W. J. N. Moyers at Pine Crest Cemetery.

Events

Birth9 Jan 1848Franklin Co., Illinois
Marriage7 Mar 1871Franklin Co., Illinois - Cordelia "Delia" E. Kirkpatrick
Death27 May 1914East St Louis, St Clair Co., Illinois
BurialPine Crest Cemetery, Citronelle, Mobile Co., Alabama

Families

SpouseCordelia "Delia" E. Kirkpatrick (1850 - 1938)
ChildRosalie Moyers (1872 - 1928)
ChildRollo Roy Moyers (1877 - 1918)
ChildMyrtle M. Moyers (1879 - 1885)
ChildZenith Moyers (1882 - 1980)
ChildEarl E. Moyers (1885 - )

Endnotes