Home > United States of America > Kansas > Sedgwick County > Wichita > Wichita Park Cemetery and Mausoleum > William Stevens

William Stevens

View larger map

Birth	:	20 Jul 1849 Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois, USA
Death	:	14 Apr 1952 Taylor, Loup County, Nebraska, USA
Burial	:	Wichita Park Cemetery and Mausoleum, Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate	:	37.7277985, -97.2960968
Description	:	WILLIAM & JEMIMA BRIGHT STEVENS By Elva Stevens and Colleen Powers Ringlein William (Bill) Stevens was one of the earliest settlers in Loup County, proceeded only by Jake Strohl. Bill was born 20 July 1849 at Rockford, Illinois to William Sara Letts Stevens. When he was a small boy they moved to Earlville, Illinois where he grew to adulthood. He had two brothers and one sister. His two brothers were older than him ape had served in the Civil War. His one brother, Abigah, lost his life at Vicksburg from Scarlet Fever. The other brother Edger, was in Sherman March to the Sea... Read More	WILLIAM & JEMIMA BRIGHT STEVENS By Elva Stevens and Colleen Powers Ringlein William (Bill) Stevens was one of the earliest settlers in Loup County, proceeded only by Jake Strohl. Bill was born 20 July 1849 at Rockford, Illinois to William Sara Letts Stevens. When he was a small boy they moved to Earlville, Illinois where he grew to adulthood. He had two brothers and one sister. His two brothers were older than him ape had served in the Civil War. His one brother, Abigah, lost his life at Vicksburg from Scarlet Fever. The other brother Edger, was in Sherman March to the Sea and in the taking of Atlanta, Georgia After the Civil War he became a Methodist Minister and was well known in Loup County in the 1900's. Bill came to Loup County in 1879 with a partner, Bill Clark, and they took out a homestead and also a tree claim on what has become the present Stevens farm. This farm contains the site where a scrimmage between early surveyors and a small band of Indians occurred. After an exchange of gunfire and arrows, the surveyors managed to hide until night and escaped in the darkness. It is believed that no lives were lost. But in 1971 when ground was leveled for irrigation an area approximately 6 foot by 2Vz foot showed evidence of being an ancient grave, and a few bone fragments were found in the soil. Perhaps the Indians weren't s-c lucky. Bill spent his first winter in the county with an overturned wagon box in a gully as his only shelter from the Nebraska harsh winter storms. By the next fall he had advanced to a dugout. The nearest large trading post was at Grand Island, it took six days round trip to get supplies. One of the most trying experiences for Bill was cooking and eating without salt or any kind of seasoning; You need salt for curing meat as well as cooking. If you had to live on steady diet of smoked meat you soon lost the taste of it after awhile. Ten years after William came to Loup County he married the local school mom Jemima W. Bright, who was from Mercer County, Missouri, on 16 May 1889 at Tina, Missouri. She was the niece of James L. Butts who lived in Garfield County. William and Jemima had six children who were: Rile;. Raymond, George, Gladys, Una and Aural. All grew to be adults except Raymond, who died as a small boy when a wave of diphtheria swept through this community. William erected a two story house in the 1900's. It is the same house where Glen Stevens raised his family. William died 14 April 1952 at the age of 102 years. He left the original home site to his daughter Una. She had never married and had made her home with her parents. In March 1953 Glen, son of George, moved his family there. A short time later following Una's death, Glen bought the Stevens Estate. It has been over One Hundred years since the first homestead was taken out, and the farm is still in the Stevens name and is still farmed by a Stevens. *Stevens Family Post Script By Vera Stevens Holmes The Stevens name has always been a part of the Strohl school district since William was an early pioneer. Grandpa and Grandma raised a family of two sons and three daughters. They were: Riley, George, Gladys, Una and Aurei One son, Raymond, died young. George married Vallie Weber and they continued to live in the Strohl community. Their children, Vera and Glen, both attendee Strohl School. Glen married Elva Howard in 1946 and they have lived on the original homestead most of that time. They raised four daughters, Ruth, Doris, Bettie and Kathleen. Doris, her husband, Dean Rails, and their two boys now live where George and Vallie made their home. Vera married Otho Holmes in 1946 and they had five daughters: Jerryl, Janice, Joye, Jane and Julie William Stevens died in 1951 at the age of 102 years, 8 months and 24 days. Mina Stevens died in 1941, George in 1968 and Vallie in 1971. (The foregoing is a condensed version of Vera's story.) ***This is from the "Loup County Centennial".

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is William Stevens's memorial?
William Stevens's memorial is located at: Wichita Park Cemetery and Mausoleum, Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA.
When did William Stevens death?
William Stevens death on 14 Apr 1952 in Taylor, Loup County, Nebraska, USA
Where are the coordinates of the William Stevens's memorial?
Latitude: 37.7277985
Longitude: -97.2960968

Family Members:

Spouse

Jemima Winifred “Mina” Bright Stevens

(1865 - 1941)

Children

Riley L Stevens

(1890 - 1965)

George Frank Stevens

(1895 - 1968)

Raymond H. Stevens

(1896 - 1896)

Gladys Stevens McAndrews

(1897 - 1994)

Una Sarah Stevens

(1900 - 1953)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Wichita Park Cemetery and Mausoleum
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7277985, -97.2960968

2. Old Mission Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7243996, -97.2964020

3. Old Mission Mausoleum
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7242600, -97.2967400

4. Mission Chapel Mausoleum
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7231200, -97.2955100

5. Wichita Hebrew Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7201004, -97.2798004

6. White Chapel Memorial Gardens
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7162018, -97.2806015

7. Maple Grove Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7036018, -97.2949982

8. Highland Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7028008, -97.3007965

9. Temple Emanuel Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7014000, -97.3008000

10. Saint James Episcopal Church Columbarium
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6865600, -97.2930000

11. East Heights United Methodist Memorial Garden
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6854100, -97.2845500

12. Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church Columbarium
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6999272, -97.2505590

13. Shirley Tilford Memorial Garden
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6942700, -97.3359600

14. Saint Johns Episcopal Church Columbarium
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6918950, -97.3339670

15. Calvary Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6781006, -97.2949982

16. Ascension Cemetery
Bel Aire, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7675018, -97.2533035

17. Lutheran Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7664986, -97.2443008

18. Mount Saint Mary Convent Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6704000, -97.2904000

19. Greenwich Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7518997, -97.2266998

20. Kensington Gardens Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7230988, -97.2040024

21. Kechi Township Cemetery
Park City, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.8022003, -97.3000031

22. Pierpont Cemetery
Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7011400, -97.2077500

23. Lakeview Cemetery & Mausoleum
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.7086601, -97.1978989

24. Adorers of The Blood of Christ Convent Cemetery
Wichita, Sedgwick County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6677700, -97.3787800