William Lutz Axsom

Axsom Newsletter Jan-April 2005

Uncle Willie
(Deb Dailey's parents and aunt and uncles knew Uncle Willie personally. His was a story that should be recorded for future generations of Axsom descendants. Deb decided that she was the one who was going to have to write an bioraphical sketch about Uncle Willie. With input from several other Axsom descendents, Deb got the job done! Congratulations, Deb!!!)
This biographical sketch was prepared by Deb Axsom Dailey, Willie's great great niece, based on the collective memories of her , other family members and other researchers. Conflicting dates and "facts" are presented. I hope this is an accurate portrayal of Willie.
"Uncle Willie" or "Uncle Willy" was born 25Feb1878 in Johnson Township, Brown County, Indiana one of five children of Alexander Axsom and Anna Moriah Dobson Axsom. His family moved by covered wagon to a farm near Cainsville sometime after 1884.
Willie's mother lived with him until her death at the age of 92 in June 1940.
Willie's first marriage was to Mary Frances "Molly" Crawley Stephens on 28May1938 in Harrison Co, Mo. She was born in Harrison county Mo April 15 1884 and died Jan 21 1939, the daughter of John T Crawley and Mary Francis Stallsworth. Her first marriage was to John F. Stephens 08Sept1907. She is burired in Fairview Cemetery, Cainsville, Mo. Mary's stone is tipping forward in the ground and needs reset.
Willie's second marriage was in 1940 to Rosa Ann Craig Bears Shafer. It is assumed Craig was Rosa's maiden name and she married:
1st husband: Lymon/Lyman/Limand Bears (1852-1930) on 27Dec1900 after the death of his first wife, with whom he had five sons. Lyman is buried in Cain Cemetery in Mercer county, Mo. Rosa & Lyman had five daughters. Three of them died quite young. Dorothy (Bears) SHepard is deceased. Faye (Bears) Dyer lived in Des Moines. (Don't know if she is still living). The LDS site has Lyman Everly Bears born 23MArch1852 in Jackson, Oh. (1930 census noted In and he was in Indiana in 1880-could have born in OH or IN), d. 06aug1930
2nd husband: George Washington Shafer
3rd husband: William Lutz Axsom
(there was a Lymon Bears on the 1930 Harrison Co MO census
Bears Limand 78 b.IN OH OH age 21 when married first time
Rose 60 b.MO IN IA age 19 when married first time
Faye dau 17 MO IN MO)

My grandmother Pauline Shafer Axsom called Rosa Axsom "Aunt Grandma". she was related to Rosa on her side of the family, and when Rosa married Willie, she was related through her husband, as well. It is remembered Rosa didn't like to have Willie out of her sight, she even followed him to the toilet, which gave family members a life.
Willie died in 1955 and was buried next to his wife Rosa in Zoar Cemetery, Cainsville, Mo. Willie died while he and Rosa were visiting her daughter Dorothy and her husband Lewis Shepard, and family in Mt Moriah, Mo. He and Rosa share a stone with the following information:
Axsom, Rose A. 1870-1960
Axsom, William L. 1878-1955. There are two versions of his cause of death: a ruptured appendix and a heart attack. There are no known children from either of his marriages, both of which were late in life. Willie would've been a step-grandfather to Gertrude Mainar (now of Geneva, OH and age 90) and her brother Robert Henry (now of Benton City WA).
His nieces and nephews all liked Willy and remember him as jolly, he would play a game with them where he'd point his index finger in the air and make circles with his hand while saying "dig tator, dig tator, dig," just before he'd gently poke someone in the tummy. The children would giggle and want another turn. He really liked kids. When they went to his house for dinner, he'd take down to the cave (or cellar) and let them pick out their favorite canned goods to be prepared.
William Lutz Axsom is said to have disappeared as a child approximate age eight to ten, with a traveling salesman or gypsies who were supposedly seen in the area around the time of his disappearance (or maybe he ran away?) & reappeared about age 18/19 as if nothing had happened, except now he supposedly had wall-eyes from rolling logs on the river...or getting kicked in the head by a horse. This would place him returning home about the time his father died. It is said he never spoke of his time away, he just walked in as if he'd been there all along. (If only I could find an obit...on Willie or Alexander...or Anna...or either of Willie's wives...my few attempts to search the Bethany paper and posting on the Harrison County Site with a query have been futile so far. Questioning relatives has come up with a few other people who have heard versions of this story....Virginia Matson and Katie Cortlett so far.)
Uncle Willie was a member of the Assembly of God or Pentecostal Church in Cainsville and his funeral was there. Willie was a "Holy Roller." He would often proclaim during services that he had "The Power." It is said people would stand on the sidewalk and watch him through the window and say, "Axsom's down again!" or something similiar during church services. This was embarrassing for some members of the family. While living near Cainsville, a preacher camped out in Uncle Willie's pasture and had hell-raising revival in his yard by lantern light hanging from well top.
Willie was baptized by a preacher in an outside church meeting; he was stretched out on two chairs, his head on one, an open distance, his feet on the other chair. Johnnie Axsom became worried about his brother and found him. Everyone else had left and gone home.
A story is told that one of his sisters-in-law cut through the pasture and woods from one house to another and near the pond Willie was kneeling by a stump praying for the Holy Ghost. He undoubtedly believed in Christ.
Willie moved to Cainsville's south end, not too far from Zoar Cemetery, when Mary Axsom Beck Johnson was about 7, and her family lived on his farm on Pea Ridge for two years, then moved "back up the hill" to their own house. "Uncle Willie" was a great help to the family of Alfred Axsom. There was one time when Willie was needed to bring Alfred home from behind the blacksmith shop and stay with the family. (The only time Alfred's children remember him being "under the influence".) Alfred's oldest daughter remembers a time on the farm in Cainsville when her dad either got too hot in a grain bin or had a nervous breakdown while threshing, he was hallucinating and feared others in the field were plotting to harm. "Uncle Willie Axsom who lived about 1/8 mile away sat on our back steps with a gun-like a hunting gun-assuring dad that he'd protect us. It was a scary time for us kids and I'm sure for mom, too..." said Mary Axsom Johnson. At this time, Alfred was farming not only his farm but also his father's, and another farm on shares.
There is a family story of Willie's still down in the woods. (a still being a method of making "Moonshine"). Willie dug up the buried barrel when he had a customer there, and a dead animal was in the barrel of brew. Willie scooped out the animal and said he guessed he'd call it squirrel whiskey.
Willie was among the immediate family present when in 1953 on the farm off Route A near Trenton MO when his brother Johnnie died from cancer. Johnnie and Daisy lived in a 2-room building they'd made into a tiny house, just outside the yard where their son Alfred and his family lived.
In 1910, William L., 33 lived in Lindley Twp, Mercer co, with his mother Anna M. 63 and Artie Pittman 27 year old servant.
In 1920 William L., 41 and AnnaM, 71 were still listed in Lindley Twp.
In 1930 William L., 53, and Anna L., 81 were listed in Harrison County, Clay twp.
Willie was listed as "Farm Laborer" and "Farmer".
sources:
1. 1880 Federal Census, Brown co, IN Johnson twp. Ed. 18 sheet 9 page 327a
2.Tamara (Stephens) Bulillas #2017
3. Survey by Phil & Kathi Stewart 23April2003 Zoar Cemetery, Harrison Co, Mo (Rootsweb.com) http://www.rootsweb/~moharris/zorcem.html accessed 27June2004
4. Debra (Axsom) Dailey #2068
5. Mary (Axsom) Beck Johnson #2059
6. Martha "Mickey" (Coon) Axsom #2050
7. Bernard Charles Axsom #2061
8. KAtie Cortlett
9. Pauline (Shafer) Axsom
10. Harley Flanagan
11. Virginia (Flanagan) Matson
12. Maxine (Axsom) Bradbery #1921
13. Norma (Axsom) Zanetti #3418
14. Larry Axsom
15. Madean (Emmons) Engle
16. The Mirror (Mercer MO newspaper) 9-15-04
17. ancestry.com
18. 1920 and1930 Mercer County MO censue
19. Cecil Dean Shafer