| Notes |
- . 1880 Census Wantage, Sussex, New Jersey,
Evi A. Wilson, 44, Farmer, NJ
Delia C, Wife, Keeping house,
J Meritt, 11, Son, At home, Minnie, 10, Daughter,
Asa Wilson, 72, Father, NJ. Resides besides James & Mariba Cox & then Lewis & Margaret Cox.
. 1900 Census Wantage Township, Deckertown Borough, Sussex Co., New Jersey, at 23 Hamburg Ave
Willson, Evi A, b. Feb 1836, age 64, married 32yrs NJ
Adelia E., wife, b. Nov 1844 / 55, Margaret E Willson, dau., b July 1884 15, NJ, at school.
. 1900 Jan - Wilson Family as compiled by Evi A Willson:
JOHN WILLSON, my great great grandfather, settled in June 1751, near the big springs at what was then known as the "head of drowned lands", on the farm now owned by Mayor Samuel S Vandruff, as is shown by deeds now in my possession, made to him by the original proprietors for a tract of land beginning at said big spring, recorded at Perth Amboy, etc.
Where he came from, or who his wife was or if then living, I do not know, but that she was not living in 1759 seems evident, as her names does not appear in deeds given by him at that time to his three sons,
John Jr, James & Samuel.
At what time he or his wife died I have no knowledge, but always understood that were buried in the old burying ground near the big white oak tree on Haley Berry's farm, opposite the present cemetery grounds.
Of his sons, John, Jr. & James, I was told by my father that he always understood they sympathized with the British in the time of the Revolutionary War, & moved to Canada, & that he remembered one of their descendants being back in these parts since that time.*
The other son, Samuel, settled on part of the original tract of land & became the progenitor of our branch of the Willson family.
Note: Stillwell Willson the Elder, petitioned for land in Upper Canada (Toronto, Ontario) & states he is the son of John Willson, Esq. & he was a child in time of the American Revolution being under my Father's protection, went with him from Jerseys to Staten Island [Dec. 1776], & from thence to New Brunswick, Canada in [May 1783]. & remained there with my father till he removed to [Ontario] when he left me to settle his Business there NB & in the State of New Jersey. [11 July, 1793.]
XRef: Upper Canada Land Petition #85, York, 8 Nov. 1797.
. * 1900 Jan. Fourth Generation,
3rd child, Evi Adams was born February 18, 1836.
. * 1900 Jan. Fifth Generation: [Parent:] Eva Adams Willson, Born February 18, 1836, Married December, 1867. (& apparently add after) died Aug 16, 1917.
. 1889 Jan, Couse, Pg. 76. Mary D Couse & William J Couse of Farmingdale, Monmouth Co., NJ, minors over 14 years, chose Evi A Willson of Deckertown, Sussex Co., NJ, as their guardian.
. 1889 Jan. Couse, pg. 77. Evi A Willson requested guardianship of Lulu W Couse, a minor, under 14yrs. Her mother, Emily Course, relinquished her right to guardianship.
. 1889 Jan. Couse, pg. 79, Distribution of estate of Peter Couse, dec'd. who died intestate, named his heirs. Widow Emily Couse.
Children: William J Couse, Mary D. Couse & Lulu W Couse.
Ref: Intestates & Others from the Orphans Court Books of Monmouth Co., N.J.
. 1910 Census Sussex Borough, Sussex Co., New Jersey, res. Hamburg Ave.
Willson, Evi A, age 73, married 44yrs / 1866,NJ, own income
Delia E wife F W 64 & Madge E Willson, dau., age 25, NJ, teacher.
. Papakating Cemetery Inscriptions on Evi Willson Tombstone:
Willson, Evi A., son of Asa & Elizabeth (Adams) Willson,
b. 8 Feb 1836, d. 16 Aug 1917;
wife Adelia Elizabeth Cox, b. 18 Nov 1844, d. 27 Oct 1917
(Wife of Evi A. Willson (m. Dec 18, 1867). Daughter of James Cox & Sarah Jane VanFleet. ob);
son Lewis C., d. 22 May 1872, age 7 days.
. Deacon Evi Willson died August 16th, 1917. During his 46 years of membership he was ever alive to the interests of the Church.
Ref: First Baptist Church of Wantage, Sussex, New Jersey
revised by Rev. Geo. F. Love in 1874 & by Rev. James Bristow, 1903.
. 1917 Aug 24 - Obituary:
Death of Evi A. Willson -
A sufferer from rheumatism for a number of years, Evi A. Willson, one of the oldest residents of the Borough of Sussex, succumbed last Thursday night from a complication of other ailments which had confined him to his bed for the past month. He was a descendant of one of the earlier settlers of Wantage Township.
Mr. Willson was a son of Asa Willson Jr. & Elizabeth Adams Willson & was born February 18, 1836, at Beaver Brook Farm, in Wantage township, the family homestead which has been owned by the Willson family for seven generations. John Willson, the head of the family, purchased the land in its wild state from the Livingstons, the original proprietors, in 1751. Evi A. was the third of six children, three boys & three girls, all of whom he survived.
He attended the home district school & later the select schools of William Rankin & Ashbel Farrand, in Deckertown, now Sussex. After quitting school he taught one season at Plumsock, boarding among his employers & receiving $16 a month for his services, & one season in the Pond school, his home district, boarding himself at home & receiving $20 a month, which was considered extra good wages in those days. He then assisted his father on the farm until December 18, 1867, when he was married by Rev. Daniel T. Hill, to Delia E. Cox, second daughter of James & Sarah Jane Cox.
His father moved into another house & the son worked the farm on shares until his father's death, after which he operated the farm personally until 1891, when on account of rheumatic trouble he was compelled to relinquish active work & bought the Amos Munson homestead property, in this town, on which he built a substantial home & resided there until his death.
On June 6, 1869, he was baptized into the fellowship of the First Baptist Church of Wantage & nearly ever since has been one of its deacons & trustees & for many years its treasurer. He was always a liberal supporter & deeply interested in the welfare of the church.
When a young man Mr. Willson was elected a member of the Wantage Township Committee & served on that board for a number of years with such men as Madison Coykendall, Jonathan Coykendall, William Elston, George McBride, Lebeus Martin, Nicholas Cox, Peter Roy, Andrew Roy, Isaac Cole, Isaac P. Mead, James A. Buckley, Jonathan S. DeWitt, Asa Havens & George O. Wilson, with William T. Wright, George W. Coe & Humphrey Martin as town clerks, all of whom preceded him to the great beyond. As a chosen freeholder he represented his township at the county seat for 3years & was one of the superintendents of the alms house during that time.
It was largely through his efforts that the new road leading from Three Bridges to Martin's Station, which has been such a great benefit to the traveling public, was laid out & built. He was one of those active in organizing the Deckertown Union Cemetery Association, more generally known as the Papkating Cemetery, & was its president & superintendent for many years. He was "raised" in Samaritan Lodge No. 98, F.& A.M., December 10, 1875, & was its oldest living past master, having served as worshipful master in 1887.
Besides his widow, he is survived by one daughter, Miss Madge E. Willson, at home & one son, J. Merritt Willson, of Sussex. He also leaves three grandchildren, Miss Dorothy B. Lawrence, of Butler, daughter of George S. & the late Minnie Willson Lawrence; N. DeWitt Willson & M. Lawrence Willson, both of Sussex.
Funeral services were held at the home on Hamburg avenue Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. C.H. Rannels, pastor of the Sussex Baptist Church. The past masters of Samaritan Lodge attended in a body. Interment was in the Deckertown Union Cemetery.
Ref: Sussex Independent Newspaper. - - - [1]
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1836 - 1917 (81 years)