William M. Thedford

The obituary of William Thedford 1877 is a copy of an original paper pasted in the Bible of William's son Pierson Thedford and is now owned by the Richard Coke Thedford family. Richard "coke" is a great-grandson of William and William is buried at Seven Leagues Cemetery west of Noonday, Texas - Wilma Thedford.

Seven Leagues, October 30 '77 Edits Democrat and Reporter: Our community was startled and horrified on the 25th at the announcement of the sudden and violent death of our esteemed and venerable neighbor, William Thedford. As stated in the Tyler paper of the week then current, he was killed by the stroke of the tusk of a large and vicious hog, that he was trying to drive home by the aid of a dog. He must have been struck while in the act of either rising or falling, this supposition being, from appearances, that he became entangled and fell in some vines. He was cut in the left breast the wound being about seven inches in length, reaching and exposing the heart and crushing the intervening bones.

The deceased was born in Pendleton District, South Carolina, November 15, 1803. He afterwards lived in Habersham County, Georgia, thence moving to Walker county, in North West Georgia, of which county I believe, he was once sheriff. After a residence there for a number of years, he moved to Texas in 1851, settling first in Cherokee county, but subsequently in 1853 settled ont he Seven Leagues in this county, where he remained until his death.

He was married in early life to Miss Jane Satterfield, and raised a family of fourteen children, 12 of which number being sons, 10 of which are now living, and are orderly and peaceful citizens. He joined the Enon Baptist Church in 1853, and was baptized by Rev. John S. Bledsoe, and was ordained as a deacon in 1855. Although rather small of stature, he was endowed with wonderful physical vigor and stamina, being strong and active and a hard worker to the day of his death. Like the rest of us he had his peculiar failings, which in some degree marred the consistency of his external Christian life, but none mourned them as deeply as he.

He possessed many noble qualities. The struggles and disappointments of life had neither soured or hardened him. He was full of the "charity which suffereth long and is kind." Whoever appealed to his heart or affection received a warm and generous response. The doctrine of salvation by grace alone found in him an enthusiastic believer, and upon it he rested all his hopes of Heaven. On the evening of the 27th instant after appropriate ceremonies we committed his body to mother earth until it shall come forth incorruptable and immortal in the resurrection of the just.

SOURCE: Find A Grave.com

• Residence: 1850 - Taylors Ridge Valley, Walker , Georgia
• Residence: 1860 - Seven Leagues Beat, Smith, Texas, United States
• Residence: 1870 - Texas, United States
  • Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: May 9 2020, 1:24:59 UTC