Minnie Belle (Adams) Williams (1874 - 1931)

Minnie Belle Adams was born on November 23, 1874 in Saxton, Liberty Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania the daughter of John Quincy and Delilah (Sparks) Adams.

Minnie's father was a carpenter. In 1880 her family resided in nearby Huntingdon, Huntingdon County in 1880, but that move was temporary. In the 1884, they moved to Coopersdale, a borough of Johnstown in Cambria County. In 1889 they witnessed the tragedy that became known as the Great Johnstown Flood.

 

In 1892, it is thought that Minnie gave birth to a son out of wedlock named John Russell Adams. Tragically, John died in a fire at age of 5 on April 23, 1897. Minnie's brother became a fireman, perhaps because he lived through the tragic death of his young nephew. John Russell is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Johnstown.

In 1896 Minnie married  William J. Williams in Cambria County. William was born on June 28, 1874 in Johnstown, the son of William N. and Sarah (Edwards) Williams. They resided with her parents during the early part of their marriage.

Minnie and Normman had five children. They were: Norman L. Williams, Ruth (Williams) Berger, Percy Everett Williams, Alice (Williams) Fisher, and Dorothy Margaret "Minnie" Williams.

In 1900 William was employed as a machinist, and in 1920 he was working as a plumber in a steel factory. 

Their son Norman enlisted in the army during World War I but did not serve overseas. He died in 1936 in the Veterans Hospital in Dwight, Illinois from kidney failure. He had been a patient for several months. He was 39.

Minnie's daughter Minnie died on February 22, 1923 from pneumonia. She was just 15.

Minnie died on July 1, 1931 at her home in Coopersdale from uterine cancer. She was  56.

William remarried to a widow named Margaret (Champeno) Schwing sometime after Minnie's death. He died on May 28, 1954 at Lee Hospital in Johnstown. He was 79

Minnie and William are buried in Grandview Cemetery, Johnstown.