Collection Details:

Collection Name and Number: Elijah and Clordie Williams Family Papers (Z/2398).
Creator/Collector: Elijah Williams; Clordie Williams; and others.
Date(s): 1918-2003; n.d.
Size: .50 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Processed by: MDAH staff, Laura Heller 2023.
Provenance: Gift of Mickella Williams on behalf of the Williams Family, of Sallis, MS, on August 21, 2023; Z/U/2023.036.
Repository: Archives & Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.

 

Rights and Access:

Access restrictions: Collection is open for research.

Publication rights: Copyright assigned to the MDAH. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to Reference Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the MDAH as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of the copyright in items created by the donor. Although the copyright was transferred by the donor, the respective creator may still hold copyright in some items in the collection. For further information, contact Reference Services.

Copyright Notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Preferred citation: Elijah and Clordie Williams Family Papers (Z/2398), Mississippi Department of Archives & History.

 

Biography:

Elijah and Ellen Creamer Williams

Elijah Williams was born circa 1892, in Kosciusko, the son of Bettie Vick (December 5, 1865 - May 6, 1941) and Willie Williams (November 15, 1865 - April 9, 1947) of Attala County, Mississippi.

At Camp Shelby, Elijah enlisted in the United States Army on August 21, 1918, when he was nearly 25 years old. On October 19, 1918, Elijah was on the British ship SS Elpenor leaving New York for France. In early 1919, Elijah was located in Is-sur-Tille, France, with Company B, 326th Labor Battalion. On April 5, 1919, Elijah was again on a ship, the American USS Plattsburg leaving Brest, France, and arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey, on April 14, 1919. Between April 14 and May 14, Elijah was part of the Hoboken Casual Company 416 located at Camp Merrit in Cresskill, New Jersey; part of the 15th Company, 4th Battalion, 155th Depot Brigade located at Camp Lee in Petersburg, Virginia; and part of the Utility Casual Company at Camp Merrit. Receiving an honorable discharge, Elijah separated from the U.S. Army on May 14, 1919.

A few months after returning home from World War I, Elijah married Ellen Creamer on October 9, 1919, in Attala County. Ellen was born April 1, 1902, the daughter of Ida Suggs (January 31, 1880 - November 16, 1955) and Issac “Ike” Creamer (1858-1944) of Newport community, Attala County. Elijah and Ellen had a son, Clordie Williams, who would later serve his country during World War II. They also had three daughters: Carrie Mae Williams, Annie Mae Williams, and Nina Pearl Williams.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Ellen was a member of the Heroines of Jericho, John L. Webb Grand High Court, of the Most Worshipful Stringer Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Mississippi, Prince Hall Affiliation. She also received her first driver’s license in the 1970s and applied for homestead exemptions. Elijah Williams died on June 11, 1968. His wife Ellen Creamer Williams died on April 28, 1975. The couple was buried in New Banyon Cemetery, Attala County. Elijah’s parents, Willie and Bettie Williams, and Ellen’s parents, Ike and Ida Suggs, are also buried there.

Discrepancies: In some records, Elijah is spelled Eliga or Eligah. The archivist used “Elijah” because the family knew him by this spelling of his name. The birthdate for Elijah Williams cannot be adequately determined: His tombstone says November 29, 1892; the Social Security Index says November 25, 1892; and his World War I Service Card says October 28, 1893. Some documents record Ellen Creamer’s birth year as 1900, while others state 1902. Additionally, Ida Suggs Creamer’s tombstone spells her last name as Creomer.

Clordie and Bernice McCullar Williams

Clordie Williams was born in Sallis on April 26, 1926, the son of Ellen Creamer and Elijah Williams of Attala County, Mississippi. Clordie attended grammar school at New Banyon Missionary Baptist Church in Goodman, Holmes County, however, he left school in 1942 when he was sixteen years old. He worked as a general farmer assisting in the operation of his grandfather’s 80-acre farm near Sallis. He plowed, planted, cultivated, and harvested cotton, corn, peanuts, vegetables, and feed crops. He raised livestock and poultry, and he repaired farm buildings, tools, and equipment. He practiced crop rotation and soil conservation. Concurrent with his farmer duties, he operated a 2.5-ton truck hauling farm products to the market.

When he turned eighteen years old, Clordie registered with the Selective Service on April 26, 1944, like most young men his age. At Camp Shelby, he enlisted into the United States Army on July 28, 1944, in the last years of World War II, and began his military service as a Private First Class. He received transportation basic training and was part of the 115th Port Company in Hawaii and Saipan. On June 28, 1945, he departed for the Asiatic Pacific region, arriving on July 6, 1945. His duties as a longshoreman included unloading military supplies from the ship, supervising four other enlisted men in stacking and storing supplies in the cargo hold of the ship, and using bracing and dunnage to protect the ship and cargo from damage. On March 19, 1945, Clordie was promoted to Technician Grade 5, and on December 1, 1945, he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal. 

The 115th Port Company was awarded on February 4, 1946, a Citation for Meritorious Service Unit Plaque due to their superior service during deadly typhoons that devastated several Japanese islands.  These typhoons may have been Typhoon Ida in September 1945 and Typhoon Louise in October that same year.  The 115th Port Company, including Clordie Williams, devoted long hours assisting with a tremendous volume of food and medical supplies to relieve suffering of American military forces. 

With his service ending soon, Clordie’s ship left Saipan on July 13, 1946, and he arrived at the U.S. port on August 6, 1946. In addition to the medal for good conduct, Clordie received an Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon, Victory Ribbon, and two Overseas Service Bars. Altogether, he served two years and seventeen days in the U.S. Army. Clordie received an honorable discharge on August 14, 1946, due to war demobilization.

Clordie met Bernice McCullar, born on August 1, 1929, the daughter of Elnora Williams (1898 – May 2, 1969) and James Eugene McCullar (November 8, 1899 – December 11, 1981) of Goodman, Holmes County. Bernice had attended Holmes County public schools. The couple married on September 11, 1948, and they were the parents of nine children: Charles Williams, Dorothy “Dot” Williams, Eunice Williams, James Williams, Betty Williams, Delois Williams, Norma Williams, Denise Williams, and Michael Williams. By 1950, Clordie worked as a farmer and his family lived on Boyette-Goodman Road near Newport in Attala County. Bernice worked for many years at the Attala County Extension Service and the Kosciusko City Hall. Both were devoted to their faith and were members of the New Banyon Missionary Baptist Church where Clordie served as a deacon.

After the war, Clordie applied and received educational and vocational training. From March 1, 1950 until August 31, 1951, he trained as an automotive mechanic assistant at the Canton Trade Mart. He also received literacy education for about two months in 1951 from the Division of Instruction of the Mississippi State Board of Education. He received these courses as part of his compensation for his military service. However, in 1977 when his vision began to decline, Clordie applied for pension benefits and non-service connected disability benefits but was denied this entitlement because his doctor did not adequately describe his condition to his advantage. By 2003, Clordie was permanently blind, as was noted in his request for copies of his military records.

While visiting family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bernice McCullar Williams died on July 28, 2006. She was buried in New Banyon Cemetery in Boyette, Attala County. Clordie Williams died in Kosciusko on August 23, 2010, and was buried near his wife.

Discrepancies: In some records, Clordie is spelled Claude or Claudie. The archivist used “Clordie” because the family knew him by this spelling of his name.

 

Scope and Content:

The Elijah and Clordie Williams Papers consist of papers concerning Elijah Williams and his son Clordie Williams, both of whom were African American service members of the United States Army during World War I and World War II, respectively. Additional papers concern their spouses, Ellen Creamer Williams and Bernice McCullar Williams, particularly their correspondence with the State Veterans Affairs Commission concerning veteran’s benefits.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Elijah and Ellen Williams Papers.
This series is divided into two subseries to address the papers from the military service of Elijah Williams during World War I and Ellen Williams's applications for Veterans benefits after her husband died.

Subseries 1.1: Elijah Williams Papers. 1918-1919; 1945; 1949.
The papers of Elijah Williams primarily consist of his honorable discharge record from the United States Army in 1919, information concerning war risk insurance, a 1945 Farm Bureau Federation membership card, and a 1949 application for homestead exemption.

Box 1, folders 1-4

Subseries 1.2: Ellen Creamer Williams Papers. 1919; 1966-1975; n.d.
The October 9, 1919 marriage license is among Ellen’s personal papers. Of particular interest is Ellen’s affidavit to vote without a poll tax due to her being over 60 years old. Much of the papers are her correspondence and records concerning veterans benefits, receipts, including account and deposit books from the Holmes County Bank and Trust. She also kept a 1970s MS driver’s license and traveling cards as a member of the Heroines of Jericho.

Box 1, folders 5-16

Series 2: Clordie and Bernice Williams Papers. 
This series is divided into two subseries to address the papers from the military service of Clordie Williams during World War II, as well as his spouse Bernice Williams's applications for Veterans benefits after her husband died, and her 1977 daybook.

Subseries 2.1: Clordie Williams Papers. 1926; 1944-1952; 1963; 1974-1977; 1980; 1990; n.d.
Many of the military papers pertain to Clordie Williams’s service during World War II, his honorable discharge record, and Veterans Administration correspondence where he applies for benefits. There is an interesting article about the SS President Buchanan, a troopship. This series includes papers pertaining to the Williams Store located in Sallis, MS. A record book with budget logs from October 1974 to October 1976 is in box 2, along with loose scraps of paper with calculations and other notes.

Box 1, folders 17-39
Box 2, folders 1-2

Subseries 2.2: Bernice McCullar Williams Papers. 1976; 1982; 1984; 1988; 1991; 2001; 2003; n.d.
Bernice Williams was active in the local church, New Banyon Missionary Baptist Church, sometimes keeping notes on meetings. Sometimes she wrote and gave speeches to the congregation. Lastly, a daybook kept by Bernice Williams for the year 1977 is located in box 2; this contains some birthdates, anniversaries, and contact information of friends and family.

Box 1, folders 40-46
Box 2, folder 3

Series 3: Miscellaneous Williams Family Papers. 1945; 1973; 1998; n.d.
This series contains items from other Williams family members, from the Farm Bureau Federation membership card that belonged to Willie Williams to a certificate of achievement awarded to Michael Williams. Items without a distinct connection include a photograph of a girl, a McAdams High School letter to parents, and an envelope addressed to J.O. Jenkins Grocery in Goodman.

Box 1, folders 47-51

 

Box List:

Box 1
Folder 1: Bureau of War Risk Insurance, September 25, 1918.
Folder 2: Honorable Discharge Record, May 14, 1919.
Folder 3: Membership card, Farm Bureau Federation, 1945.
Folder 4: Application for Homestead Exemption, 1949.
Folder 5: Marriage License, Ellen Creamer and Elijah Williams, October 9, 1919.
Folder 6: Affidavit to vote without poll tax, January 22, 1966.
Folder 7: Traveling cards, Heroines of Jericho, 1967-1973.
Folder 8: SSA Application for Survivors Benefits, June 24, 1968.
Folder 9: Veterans Benefits Award letter, July 11, 1968.
Folder 10: Property and taxes, 1968; 1972.
Folder 11: Correspondence, State Veterans Affairs Commission, 1968; 1975.
Folder 12: MS Driver’s License, n.d. [circa 1970s]. 
Folder 13: Applications for Homestead Exemption, 1971; 1973-1974.
Folder 14: Medicare Hospital Benefits Record, August 27, 1974.
Folder 15: Receipts, 1961; 1974-1975; n.d.
Folder 16: Account and deposit books, Holmes County Bank and Trust Co., 1961-1972.
Folder 17: Birth Registration Notification. Claude [Clordie] Williams, April 26, 1926.
Folder 18: Military Papers, n.d. [circa 1940s].
Folder 19: Induction into U.S. Army, July 27, 1944.
Folder 20: Allotment for Purchase of War Savings Bonds, 1944-1945.
Folder 21: Special Orders Papers, 1944-1946.
Folder 22: Certificate of War Trophy (1 Japanese Sword), n.d. [circa 1945].
Folder 23: Citation for Meritorious Service Unit Plaque, February 4, 1946.
Folder 24: Personnel Record Check List, June 26, 1946.
Folder 25: U.S. Army Separation Qualification Record, August 14, 1946.
Folder 26: Honorable Discharge Record, August 14, 1946.
Folder 27: Application for Servicemen’s Readjustment Allowance, March 6, 1947.
Folder 28: Selective Service Notice of Classification, February 16, 1949; Next of Kin notice card, n.d.
Folder 29: Article, “The Ship” about SS President Buchanan; n.d. [circa late 1940s].
Folder 30: Veterans Administration papers, 1944; 1948-1949.
Folder 31: Application for Education or Training, circa 1950.
Folder 32: Notices of Training Status, 1951-1952.
Folder 33: Correspondence, State Veterans Affairs Commission, 1977; 1980.
Folder 34: Attala County A.S.C.S. Newsletter, December 1990.
Folder 35: Booklets: A Pocket Guide to Hawaii (circa 1940s) and Going Back to Civilian Life (1946).
Folder 36: Federal Civil Defense Program, n.d.
Folder 37: Digest of Important Mississippi Laws…Rights and Benefits of Veterans, n.d. [circa 1940s].
Folder 38: Receipts of Rural Carriers, 1963; 1976.
Folder 39: Permits and Privilege Tax License for Grocery, 1974; 1976.
Folder 40: United League of Holmes County Newsletter, June 12, 1982.
Folder 41: “All About Aging” by Ruth M. Walsh; Poem used during church service, January 1984.
Folder 42: Programs, New Banyon Missionary Baptist Church, Goodman, MS, 1976; 1988; 2003; n.d.
Folder 43: Programs, New Canaan Missionary Baptist Church, Pickens, MS, 2001; 2003.
Folder 44: Church Meeting notes, circa 1991.
Folder 45: Speeches by Bernice Williams for church services, n.d. 
Folder 46: Miscellaneous, n.d.
Folder 47: Willie Williams, Membership card, Farm Bureau Federation, 1945.
Folder 48: Michael Williams, Certificate of Achievement, April 24, 1973.
Folder 49: Photograph, Unidentified girl sitting on bed, n.d. [circa 1970s or 1980s].
Folder 50: Letter to parents, McAdams high School, Attala County, 1998.
Folder 51: J.O. Jenkins Grocery, Goodman, MS, n.d.

Box 2
Folder 1: Record book, possibly for Williams Store (Sallis, MS), October 1974-October 1976.
Folder 2: Calculations and notes found in Record book, possibly for Williams Store (Sallis, MS), n.d.
Folder 3: Day Book, Bernice Williams, 1977.