You did a fantastic job puttingthis page together--THANKS!

:-)
 

Now here's what I need you to do:

1.  Please go through and proofreadeverything again, ESPECIALLY making sure I have pictures in the right places!

2.  And please answer thesequestions:

a.  Mary Hannah Wilson'sdad is listed twice--once as Riley and once as Mathew.  Is his fullname Mathew Riley Wilson?
b.  When did Thomas' wifeRena die?
c.  When was Lily's birthday?
d.  Doesn't the date of thesecond article from the Howell County News (Dec 1895) pretty much naildown when WLK lost his store?  So he'd have to have opened it earlierthan that.  That's why your note, "Wedon't have the exact date that William opened his impressive-looking storein Willow Springs, but it was perhaps some time between 1895 and 1899"seems a little confusing.
e.When was the year that Jamesand mary Hannah Fulton died--1940 or 1950?
f.  I think we may be missinga picture at the very bottom of the page.

William Lafayette and Mary's story begins in Lincoln County,Tennessee, where William and Mary were married on September 3, 1879, inFayetteville.

Newlyweds William Lafayette "Bose" Kilpatric,22 and son of Israel Thomas Kilpatrick and MiEldah Vardaman,and Mary Hannah Wilson, 14 and daughter of Riley Wilson andJaneC. Wilson of Fayetteville, Tennessee, pose for a wedding picture. Published later elsewhere, the caption, illegible here, reads, "This photographis of Bose and Mary Kilpatrick.  Bose was the son of Mielda VardamanKilpatrick and of I. T. Kilpatrick.  Mielda is the sister of JohnF. Vardaman, a Confederate Army veteran."  For reasons unknown tothis writer, Bose and his older brother Thomas dropped the final K fromtheir last name.

William and Mary become owners of a 500-acre parcel ofcleared, excellent farmland.  Following is an excerpt from an articlepublished in the Godspeed Historical Accounting of persons'holdings in Lincoln County, Tennessee:

W. L. Kilpatric, a merchant of Fayetteville, and farmer, livingtwo miles south of that village was born in South Alabama, October 20,1857, son of Israel Thomas and Mielda Vardaman Kilpatrick. The father wasborn in South Carolina, in 1818 of Irish lineage. He moved to Georgia whena youth, was married there, moved to Alabama, and thence to Lincoln County,Tennessee, in 1883 where he located and now resides.  The mother wasborn in Georgia in 1827 and died in January 1884. Our subject receivedhis education in the various schools of Alabama. In 1879, he married MaryWilson, a native of Lincoln County born May 1, 1865, and the daughter ofMathew T. and Jane C. Wilson. By this union our subject became the fatherof one child--Alva Wilson. After marriage our subject located on the farmwhere they have since resided. He now owns over 500 acres of excellentland well improved. In 1883, he and his brother, Thomas Butler Kilpatrick,engaged in the mercantile business at Fayetteville. In 1885, he purchasedhis brother's interest, and took another partner, T. I. McCowan, and nowdoes business under the name of Kilpatric & Company. They have beenvery successful in the sale of dry goods, clothing, etc. Mr. Kilpatricis a Democrat in politics and cast his first Presidential vote for GroverCleveland. The Kilpatrics are Presbyterians. James Edwy Kilpatrick, brotherof William Lafayette, was in the Civil War, enlisting in 1864 when butseventeen years of age.  He was taken prisoner by the Union army andwas confined in Mississippi until the war ended where was paroled in 1865.

The William Kilpatric family was working the farm withhired help and living a prosperous life. The Kilpatric Mercantile engagedFayetteville with a bounty of selected merchandise.

May 17, 1885, William and Mary's third child, a daughter,was stillborn.
 

The death in 1898 of Thomas' wife, RenaE. Pitts, was unexpected and devastating to Thomas.  He decidedto leave Fayetteville with his young son William Seay Kilpatric andsee what chances he would have in a place called West Plains, Missouri.

Meanwhilethe household of the William Kilpatrics erupted into disillusionment. Maryhad taken up with one of the farm hands, John Mosby Fulton. Fulton had pursued her even though she was a married woman. Mary fell intohis ways and betrayed William, who was unable to understand Mary's infidelity.Heartbroken and spiritless, he left Fayetteville and went to West Plains,Missouri, to seek consolation from his brother Thomas, taking Alva Wilson,twelve, with him. Mary would not let him take seven-year-old Lillian. William,right, immediately began procedures to divorce Mary and seek custody ofLillian Agnes. But Mary took her away and hid her until William L. finallyjust got the divorce, which was an ugly, bitter fight. In the end, Marywon the farm and Lillie. William kept Alva Wilson in West Plains. The divorcewas final in 1893.

Mary,right, married John Mosby Fulton.  They remained in Fayetteville andraised their family.  They had two daughters, Orlean FultonandFrancesFulton (pictured left with Mary), and one son, James Mosby Fulton.

Orlean married a man named Sullivan, and Francesmarried a man namedWorkman. Whether or not James married is unknown.

[Before Mary's infidelity, I believethe marriage was set up by her mother, Jane Wilson.  Mary had hadseveral guardians, and I believe that Jane, Mary's mother, had found WilliamLafayette to marry her daughter and help release her from under the wingsof these guardians. I know there had been a court battle. Mary inheritedthe Wilson money and holdings with the assistance of Mary's motherJaneand her husbandWilliam Lafayette Kilpatric. Who knows what droveMary into the arms of John Mosby Fulton? She was a young, inexperiencedwoman, and while her husband Kilpatric worked away from the home, did Mr.Fulton just move in? Remember Mary had only been 14 years old when shewas married to William, who was a religious and strict man. --Wanda]

She was loved by her children and grandchildren.

Mary and John both died in the year (1940 or 1950)in Fayetteville, Tennessee, she in May and he in August. They are buriednear there at the Lebanon Cemetery.

Williamworked for his brother Thomas and soon owned a share of Thomas' business.While working in their store, he met a young woman namedMaude AgustaBlakely. Maude was a traveling saleslady selling pharmaceuticals. Shewas 15 years William's junior, but the Kilpatric charm had its winningways. He and Maude were married at the St. Louis State Fair in 1895. (Moredetails will be forthcoming from his granddaughterBeverly Westfallin Washington.)  The articles below are from the research of PhyllisRosalie Kilpatric Noirfalise, daughter of Ralph Weatherfordand Myrtle Florence Sass.

West Plains Gazette
July 4, 1895

T. B. Kilpatric has made some recent purchases that will gofar towards keeping up the reputation of the House of Bargains.

West Plains Gazette
July 11, 1895

T. B. Kilpatric, one of our best and busiest merchants, andwho is always on the alert for bargains for his customers, has bought thestock of Ferguson and Lucas, who recently failed at Willow Springs, andis offering it at prices that are bound to bring buyers.

Howell County News
August 30, 1895

Willie Kilpatric returned a few days ago from a visit withrelatives in Tennessee.

William Lafayette Kilpatric, apparently one of the most successfulbusinessmen of Willow Springs, has been forced to suspend, and his brother,Thomas Butler of West Plains, Missouri, has taken charge of the mercantilestock under a chattel mortgage. This failure was a surprise to the businesscommunity and to the friends of the unfortunate merchant, and it is generallyhoped that he may recover from his reverses and start anew.

West Plains Newspaper Real Estate Transfers filed Jan.23, 1897.  (I copied informationfrom legal document. --Wanda)

James B. Milum, single, to J. E. Kilpatrick, warranty, 49-75south half of se qr of se gr see 30, twp 27, r9. [Note:James E. Kilpatric is the son of Israel Thomas and Mielda VardamanKilpatric. James' whereabouts are still unknown as of March 4, 1999. Wefeel he might be buried in Louisville, Texas. --Wanda]

Howell County Gazette
December 30, 1898

Miss Hollenbeck and Miss Weatherford of Willow Springs arevisiting friends in this City.

Misses Lou Hollenbeck and Peach Weatherford, of Willow Springs,after spending Christmas in our City, returned to their homes last evening.

Miss Laura Edwin 'Peach' Weatherford wasindeed a socialite and spoiled young lady.  She did give Alva Wilsonseven beautiful children. [Wehave two left--my dad's sisterLorene Richards, age 95, living inMountain Grove, Missouri, and his baby brother Woodrow Wilson Kilpatricliving in Anderson, California, near Redding, where three of my brotherslive.  He is 85.  --Wanda]

Laura Edwin Weatherford in 1896 (left). At right,the caption reads, "about the time of their marriage in 1899 after hisreturn from the Spanish American War." Her brotherJohn Weatherfordhad died at the age of 25 with consumption. John is buried in City Cemetery,Willow Springs, Missouri. Laura also had an older sister Lelia Weatherford.Lelia marriedA. Widick, and they had three children. [I'lladd their names later. --Wanda]

Howell County Gazette
December 30, 1998

Four trainloads of army equipment belonging to the regulararmy, on its way back from Cuba, passed through this City this morningen-route to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  One of the officers carrieda Cuban machete as a souvenir of this Cuban experience.  The soldierslooked worn and tired and were glad to get back home.

Alva Wilson Kilpatric, seated first row farleft, served in the Spanish American War in Cuba. He was with the 6th CavalryDivision. Alva was the son of William Lafayette and Mary HannahWilson Kilpatric. (Missing picture?)