Mary Bell Smith and William Wilson Samuel Butler

WILLIAM WILSON SAMUEL BUTLER died August 18, 1901 in Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia.²³¹⁰ He is buried in Woodbine Cemetery, Harrisonburg, Virginia.²⁶¹⁷

He married MARY BELL SMITH on August 16, 1854,²²⁰² daughter of MARY SCOTT and ABRAHAM SMITH. She was born in 1830, and died October 26, 1887 in Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia.²⁶¹⁴

• Descendant Reports
  • William Scott Descendant Report (Ancestor of Mary B. Smith)

Children of MARY BELL SMITH and WILLIAM WILSON SAMUEL BUTLER:

1. ABRAHAM BUTLER, b. June 13, 1855, Rockingham County, Virginia;⁷²⁵ d. before 1860.
2. CATHARINE BUTLER, b. August 19, 1856, Rockingham County, Virginia;⁷²⁵ d. before 1860.
3. WILLIAM WILSON SAMUEL BUTLER, b. 1860, Virginia;⁵³³⁵ m. AGNES ALEXANDER JONES on November 22, 1882²³¹²; d. December 15, 1936, Jefferson Hospital, Roanoke, Virginia.^{456, 5335}
4. CHARLES MAURICE BUTLER, b. May 26, 1863, Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia;⁹³⁴ m. (1) EDITH CRAWFORD APPERLY on December 15, 1887 in Manhattan, New York, New York⁴⁵⁰⁴, m. (2) MAY BELLE LANE on May 7, 1927 in Richmond, Virginia¹⁰⁸⁹⁴; d. July 16, 1944, Wilmington, New Hanover, North Carolina.⁹³⁴
5. ORMOND BUTLER, b. February 21, 1863, Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia;⁶¹⁹ m. MARY MCGEORGE HUME on April 15, 1891 in Fauquier County, Virginia¹⁷⁹⁹; d. June 16, 1923, Marietta, Washington, Ohio.⁶¹⁹
6. CHARLOTTE LANGHORNE BUTLER, b. December, 1863, Virginia;^{2259, 456} m. CLIFFORD BARTLETT MADDUX on April 13, 1885 in Roanoke, Virginia²⁶¹³; d. April 17, 1921, Washington, District of Columbia.²²⁵⁹
7. ROBERT BUTLER, b. January, 1864;²²⁷⁹ d. before 1870.

Newspaper Articles

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register, September 25, 1879²⁶⁵³

Our townsman, W. W. Butler, last week, while in Page county, and during a short respite from his labors, took a hook and line and a few bait, and went to the Shenandoah River and tried his luck for bass. He only fished for a very short time, and caught 8 pounds. The Doctor was so well pleased that he intends trying the sport again soon. He says they bite beautifully.

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register, October 24, 1879²⁶⁴⁷

HARRISONBURG DRAMATIC ASSOCIATION.—The scheme which was put upon foot several weeks ago to organize in Harrisonburg a Theatrical Club, with a view to the improvement, as well as amusement of our town, was consummated on Thursday night last, at a meeting called for that purpose. The Association will be known as the Harrisonburg Dramatic Associaiton, and will have for its aim the procurement of a larger and more respectable hall in our midst for public entertainments of a high-toned and moral character. The Association was organized by the elections of Lt. John Donovan, President; Lt. L. C. Myers, Treasurer; J. P. Kerr, Secretary; Dr. W. W. S. Butler, Stage Manager and Director; Wm. B. Lurty, Prompter; C. E. Van Pelt, Assistant Stage Manager.

The President, Mr. Donovan, as all our people well know, is a gentleman of enterprise and energy, and will do all in his power to make the Association achieve the end for which it was organized, and all his efforts will be heartily seconded by Dr. Butler, the efficient Stage Manager, whose tact and ability as an actor is well known and highly appreciated by our citizens.

The following are the names of the parties composing the organization, and it will be seen that it embraces the very best talent in our town:

Lt. John Donovan, Dr. W. W. S. Butler, Lt. L. C. Myers, C. P. McQuaide, Sam'l B. Loeb, Lenwood Hamilton, Capt. O. B. Roller, Wm. B. McChesney, Wm. B. Lurty, Dr. Rives Tatum, J. P. Kerr, D. Willis, C. E. Van Pelt, and Mrs. A. M. Hamilton, Mrs. A. E. Heneberger, Mrs. Wm. O. Hill, Miss Maggie Warren, Miss Roberta Johnston, Miss Lizzie Warren, Miss C. L. Butler, Miss Lallie Thurmond.

Dr. Butler, who will have exclusive control and direction of all plays put upon the boards, as well as the selection of the same, has already selected several, which will be rehearsed at once, andour people may expect a performance within the course of a few weeks.

We hope, and believe, that this enterprise will meet with a hearty and united support from all our citizens, feeling as we do that they fully appreciate the necessity of a first-class town hall in our midst.

We expect soon to announce the time of the first performance by the Association, and bespeak from them a full house.

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register, July 8, 1886²⁶⁴⁹

Dr. W. W. S. Butler intends, we learn, locating to Roanoke city, where his son is, this summer. He is a physician of long and successful experience and was in charge of several of the Confederate hospitals in the Valley during the war. He has of late made eye and ear diseases a specialty and will continue that in Roanoke. He has had remarkable success in Staunton as many of his patients will testify, and his departure will be regretted.

The above is from the Staunton Vindicator of June 25th. Many persons in Harrisonburg are ready to testify to the skill of Dr. Butler. Although he has not been in the regular practice of his profession in our town for a number of years, the reputation he made when active in his profession is still remembered. Roanoke will find him a most valuable acquisition to her medical fraternity.

Obituaries

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register, November 3, 1887²⁶¹⁴

Death of Mrs. W. W. S. Butler

The sad death of this estimable lady occurred at the residence of her husband, in Harrisonburg, on Wednesday evening, the 26th inst. Mrs. Butler was a daughter of the late Abram Smith, of this county, one of the most highly respected citizens of the old regime. Mrs. Butler leaves surviving her her husband and four children—Dr. W. W. S. Butler, Jr., a prominent physician of Roanoke; Mrs. Clifford Maddux, of Baltimore, and Messrs. Armand and Charles, who reside in the Southwest. Her death is deeply deplored, as was by her numerous friends, as those whose loss is inconsolable.

Richmond Dispatch, August 20, 1901²³¹⁴

Old Physician Dead.

HARRISONBURG, VA., August 19.—(Special).—Dr. William W. S. Butler died here yesterday morning at an advanced age. He practiced medicine in Harrisonburg before the war, and for a number of years thereafter was connected with the United States Internal Revenue Service. The past few years he had spent in Roanoke, Va. Dr. Butler leaves three sons and one daughter.

Harrisonburg Rockingham Register, August 23, 1901²⁶¹⁷

Dr. W. W. S. Butler

Dr. Wm. W. S. Butler died last Sunday morning at the Thurmond Hotel at an advanced age and after a long period of feeble health. His funeral was conducted Monday afternoon by Rev. W. J. Morton, of the Episcopal church, and the remains were buried in Woodbine Cemetery.

Dr. Butler was a native of East Virginia. He came to Harrisonburg some years before the Civil War and practiced his profession here. He was a surgeon of more than ordinary ability and ranked high in his profession. After serving as a surgeon in the Confederate army he was connected with the Internal Revenue office here until the office was removed to Staunton. The last few years of his life were spent in Roanoke. Nearly a year ago he returned to Harrisonburg and lived at the Thurmond House. He leaves three sons and one daughter, none of whom reside in Harrisonburg, though all were present at his burial. His wife, who died some years ago, was a daughter of Abram Smith, of this county.

Semi-Weekly Messenger, August 27, 1901³⁸⁸⁵

Death of a Prominent Virginia Physician

Mr. C. M. Butler, chief clerk in the office of the superintendent of motive power, Atlantic Coast Line, returned yesterday from Harrisonburg, Va., whither he went to be at the death-bed of his venerable father, Dr. W. W. S. Butler. His numerous friends will be pained to learn that his father passed away on Sunday and was buried on Monday.

Dr. Butler was aged 73 years and was a pominent physician and leading citizen of Rockingham county, Va. His wife passed away some years since and he leaves four children—Mr. C. M. Butler, of Wilmington, Mrs. C. B. Maddux, of Orange, Va., Dr. W. W. S. Butler, of Roanoke, Va., and Mr. Ormond Butler, a civil engineer, of Louisville, Ky.

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
July 23, 1850719	Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia	Abraham Smith Elizabeth Yost P. E. E. Smith Mary Bell Smith
July 28, 18602264	Buckeystown, Frederick, Maryland	William Wilson Samuel Butler Mary Bell Smith William Wilson Samuel Butler
September 3, 18702263	Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia	William Wilson Samuel Butler Mary Bell Smith William Wilson Samuel Butler Ormond Butler Charlotte Langhorne Butler Charles Maurice Butler
June 12, 1880720	Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia	William Wilson Samuel Butler Mary Bell Smith William Wilson Samuel Butler Ormond Butler Charlotte Langhorne Butler Charles Maurice Butler