William Newton Head ^{4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

   Cause of his death was nephritis due to endocarditis.¹¹

  General Notes:

In the 1860 census he is listed as a laborer in Leon County, Texas. In the 1880, 1900, and 1910 census he is listed as a farmer in Johnson County, Texas. A laborer, Robert Morris 16 born in Mississippi, was listed with the family in 1880. A farm laborer, Rufus W. Wicker 37 born in Arkansas, was boarding with the family in 1900.

Excerpt from "Johnson County History":

Chet Ritchie told me many interesting stories about his grandfather. Will Head began by trading a filly colt for thirteen acres of land -- he said he could have had all the land he wanted east of Alvarado for a pair of boots, but it was covered with sage grass, and he wasn't interested. He used his oxen to clear and plow one acre each winter extending his fence to take in this acre, until he had 129 acres in cultivation. Will Head was a hard worker; to obtain money to feed his oxen he would walk up to Quill Miller Creek, near present Burleson, and split rails all day and walk back home at night. Then he went to a location south of him where he bought turnips to feed his oxen. When the turnips were gone he would split rails again to buy more.

Will Head always smoked a pipe, and one day a man walking across his land on the way to Alvarado, found Will's pipe lying on a stump. The pipe was cold and he knew Will Head was dead. He spread the news in Alvarado and friends came out to hunt for him. Will was clearing land and had a big laugh about his supposed death.

One day he was plowing with an old mule out toward the creek. The mule began snorting and Will had a rough time getting the animal to go on. On the way back the mule got faster and faster. Will looked back and there was a huge bear right behind him. He dropped the traces and let the mule run. He also ran!

Roy Head and Den Richardson kept hounds and they went back with Will to track the bear. They trailed him up to Quill Miller Creek. The bear killed one of the dogs, but the men succeeded in killing the bear. The community had bear meat to eat.

One day Will went across Chambers Creek to borrow some meal. On the way back a big cougar jumped in his path at the creek. Will began hitting the cougar with the sack of meal as he ran for the nearest tree, which he 3 Sep 15, 2009 10:42 PM scrambled up, going as high as he could. He said the sap oozed out of this tree for a long time where the animal's claws had raked it trying to reach him. ¹⁰

  Additional Information:

• Military Service: Pvt, Company F, Texas 20th Cavalry Regiment, Confederate States Army: the Civil War. ¹⁴

• Death Certificate Image: here.

• FindAGrave: Memorial# 30317502.

William married Lucy Alice Richardson on 13 Apr 1865 in Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas.^{1 2 3} (Lucy Alice Richardson was born about 1843 in Arkansas and died before 1880.)

William next married Louisa J. Alice Frost, daughter of Richard C. Frost and Mary Emily Frost, about 1879. (Louisa J. Alice Frost was born on 31 Jul 1854 in Alabama, United States,^{15 16} died on 2 Feb 1934 in Bethany, Johnson County, Texas ^{15 16} and was buried on 3 Feb 1934 in Bethany Cemetery, Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas ¹⁶.). The cause of her death was carcinoma of bladder.¹¹