Individual Details
Florence Lillian Kirkpatrick
(14 Jan 1896 - 28 Apr 1987)
Florence Lillian Kirkpatrick was born in a sod house on the prairies of Hitchcock County, Nebraska, not far from Stratton, on 14 January 1896. When Florence was about two years old her family moved from their frontier home in western Nebraska to Holdrege in south-central Nebraska. Later still the family moved to eastern Nebraska to the village of Smartville (now St. Mary). In 1914, when she was a young woman of eighteen living in Smartville, her father contracted smallpox on a visit to relatives in Illinois. It was not until he had returned home that he realized that the had the disease. By that time he had exposed his entire family, and the medical officials quarantined them. During this period, Florence nursed and cared for the entire family as one by one they contracted the disease. It was not until all other members of the household had become ill, and some had recovered, that she also became ill. Fortunately, none of the family died.
In 1915 the family moved to Keokuk, Iowa. There Florence met Wilbur Worthington Williams, whom she married on 7 October 1916. Wilbur was the son of John Henry and Julia Abigail (Nipher) Williams, and the younger brother of Mary Elizabeth Williams, who married Florence's brother William Bonnie. Wilbur was born in Williamsburg, Iowa, 28 April 1893. The story of their wedding has been a cherished tale in this family. At that time the city of Keokuk sponsored an October Festival. The centerpiece of the Festival each year was the wedding of a mystery couple. Not until the day of the wedding was the identity of the couple revealed. In 1916 the mystery couple were Florence Kirkpatrick and Wilbur Williams. The Daily Gate City of 7 October 1916 gave an account of this unusual event.
"The public wedding at 4:00 o'clock this afternoon was the feature of the closing day of Keokuk's big fall celebration. The bride was Miss Florence Kirkpatrick of Keokuk and the groom was Mr. Wilbur W. Williams of Chicago, but formerly of Keokuk. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Burns of Fort Madison in the presence of a crowd which packed Main Street and both sides of Sixth Street. The bridal procession moved down Main Street from Twelfth to Third, and back to Sixth where the ceremony was performed. A solid wall of humanity packed the street and formed the way through which the bridal party was driven...
"The bridal party left the Kirkpatrick home on Orleans Avenue between Eighteenth and Nineteenth at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon. Overland automobiles furnished by the Overland-Irwin Company, conveyed the party down the street. The procession moved as far down Main as Third, and around the Curtis statue, going back to Sixth Street, where the platform had been moved to the intersection of the street. The bride's car came first. The bride and groom, and minister rode in the first car. Following came the car containing the bridesmaids and groomsmen. In the last car was Mayor Lofton, Chairman Fred H. Overton and representative of the Gate City.
"At Sixth Street, the procession stopped and the principals took their places on the platform. There were two bridesmaids and two groomsmen, and a ring bearer. The procession was preceded by the Warsaw band and the boy scout buglers. The moving of the platform to the intersection of Sixth and Main Streets made room for the big crowd. The street was packed on both sides and the Sixth Street intersection took care of the overflow."
Keokuk merchants provided many gifts to the mystery couple as an incentive to young couples to become the major attraction in this circus atmosphere. On their fiftieth wedding anniversary, Wilbur observed, "There were many people who said that a marriage that began that way wouldn't last. We're still waiting to find out."
After their marriage, Wilbur attended Drake university where he graduated from the Bible College. He became a Disciples of Christ minister and served churches in Sioux City, Keota, and Vinton in Iowa, and Roodhouse in Illinois. In 1954 he retired from full-time ministry, moved to Columbia, Missouri, and served a number of small churches on a part-time basis. In 1960 Wilbur and Florence moved to Lenoir Memorial Home in Columbia, a retirement community of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Wilbur died there on 15 April 1974. Florence died at Lenoir on 28 April 1987.
There were five (5) children born of the marriage.
Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, Missouri, April 29, 1987: Florence Lillian Kirkpatrick Williams, 91, died Tuesday, April 28, 1987, at Lenoir Health Care Center. Mrs. Williams was born Jan. 14, 1896, in Stratton, Neb., to William W. and Laura Dodge Kirkpatrick. She married Wilbur W. Williams, Oct. 7, 191, and he preceded her in death April 15, 1974. Mrs. Williams, who moved to Boone County in 1954, was a nurse at Lenoir Memorial Home from 1954 to 1960 and was a member of the First Christian Church.Surviving are three sons, Charles Williams of Oxford, Ohio, Robert Williams of Springfield, Ill., and Vincent Williams of Dubuque, Iowa; a daughter, Kay Hudson of Coralville, Iowa; 18 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by a son, five brothers, three sister and one grandchild.
In 1915 the family moved to Keokuk, Iowa. There Florence met Wilbur Worthington Williams, whom she married on 7 October 1916. Wilbur was the son of John Henry and Julia Abigail (Nipher) Williams, and the younger brother of Mary Elizabeth Williams, who married Florence's brother William Bonnie. Wilbur was born in Williamsburg, Iowa, 28 April 1893. The story of their wedding has been a cherished tale in this family. At that time the city of Keokuk sponsored an October Festival. The centerpiece of the Festival each year was the wedding of a mystery couple. Not until the day of the wedding was the identity of the couple revealed. In 1916 the mystery couple were Florence Kirkpatrick and Wilbur Williams. The Daily Gate City of 7 October 1916 gave an account of this unusual event.
"The public wedding at 4:00 o'clock this afternoon was the feature of the closing day of Keokuk's big fall celebration. The bride was Miss Florence Kirkpatrick of Keokuk and the groom was Mr. Wilbur W. Williams of Chicago, but formerly of Keokuk. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Burns of Fort Madison in the presence of a crowd which packed Main Street and both sides of Sixth Street. The bridal procession moved down Main Street from Twelfth to Third, and back to Sixth where the ceremony was performed. A solid wall of humanity packed the street and formed the way through which the bridal party was driven...
"The bridal party left the Kirkpatrick home on Orleans Avenue between Eighteenth and Nineteenth at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon. Overland automobiles furnished by the Overland-Irwin Company, conveyed the party down the street. The procession moved as far down Main as Third, and around the Curtis statue, going back to Sixth Street, where the platform had been moved to the intersection of the street. The bride's car came first. The bride and groom, and minister rode in the first car. Following came the car containing the bridesmaids and groomsmen. In the last car was Mayor Lofton, Chairman Fred H. Overton and representative of the Gate City.
"At Sixth Street, the procession stopped and the principals took their places on the platform. There were two bridesmaids and two groomsmen, and a ring bearer. The procession was preceded by the Warsaw band and the boy scout buglers. The moving of the platform to the intersection of Sixth and Main Streets made room for the big crowd. The street was packed on both sides and the Sixth Street intersection took care of the overflow."
Keokuk merchants provided many gifts to the mystery couple as an incentive to young couples to become the major attraction in this circus atmosphere. On their fiftieth wedding anniversary, Wilbur observed, "There were many people who said that a marriage that began that way wouldn't last. We're still waiting to find out."
After their marriage, Wilbur attended Drake university where he graduated from the Bible College. He became a Disciples of Christ minister and served churches in Sioux City, Keota, and Vinton in Iowa, and Roodhouse in Illinois. In 1954 he retired from full-time ministry, moved to Columbia, Missouri, and served a number of small churches on a part-time basis. In 1960 Wilbur and Florence moved to Lenoir Memorial Home in Columbia, a retirement community of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Wilbur died there on 15 April 1974. Florence died at Lenoir on 28 April 1987.
There were five (5) children born of the marriage.
Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, Missouri, April 29, 1987: Florence Lillian Kirkpatrick Williams, 91, died Tuesday, April 28, 1987, at Lenoir Health Care Center. Mrs. Williams was born Jan. 14, 1896, in Stratton, Neb., to William W. and Laura Dodge Kirkpatrick. She married Wilbur W. Williams, Oct. 7, 191, and he preceded her in death April 15, 1974. Mrs. Williams, who moved to Boone County in 1954, was a nurse at Lenoir Memorial Home from 1954 to 1960 and was a member of the First Christian Church.Surviving are three sons, Charles Williams of Oxford, Ohio, Robert Williams of Springfield, Ill., and Vincent Williams of Dubuque, Iowa; a daughter, Kay Hudson of Coralville, Iowa; 18 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by a son, five brothers, three sister and one grandchild.
Events
| Birth | 14 Jan 1896 | Stratton, Hitchcock Co., Nebraska |  | ||
| Marriage | 7 Oct 1916 | Keokuk, Lee Co., Iowa - Wilbur Worthington Williams | |||
| Death | 28 Apr 1987 | Columbia, Boone Co., Missouri | | ||
| Alt name | Florence Williams | ||||
| Burial | Cremation indicated |
Families
| Spouse | Wilbur Worthington Williams (1893 - 1974) |
| Child | Charles Wilbur Williams (1917 - 1992) |
| Child | Robert Wilmont Williams (1921 - 1997) |
| Child | James Willard Williams (1923 - 1983) |
| Child | Vivian Kay Williams (1937 - ) |
| Child | Vincent Wray Williams (1937 - ) |
| Father | William Wilberforce Kirkpatrick (1849 - 1943) |
| Mother | Laura Zeella Dodge (1863 - 1923) |
| Sibling | Charles Albert Kirkpatrick (1883 - 1956) |
| Sibling | William Bonnie Kirkpatrick (1885 - 1951) |
| Sibling | Thomas Franklin Kirkpatrick (1887 - 1946) |
| Sibling | Lorena Laura Kirkpatrick (1889 - 1971) |
| Sibling | Mary Caroline Kirkpatrick (1891 - 1984) |
| Sibling | Edward Weaver Kirkpatrick (1893 - 1963) |
| Sibling | Daisy Ethel Kirkpatrick (1898 - 1976) |
| Sibling | Myron Sanford Kirkpatrick (1901 - 1982) |
Endnotes
1. Social Security Death Index.
2. Social Security Death Index.