Martha Smith Hawkins and William Robinson Graham

WILLIAM ROBINSON GRAHAM was born October 13, 1842 in Watkins, Schuyler, New York,¹⁹²⁴ and died November 15, 1903 in Kansas City.⁷⁸³ He is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa.^{398, 456, 1941}

He married MARTHA SMITH HAWKINS on September 24, 1867 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan,⁹⁷² daughter of MARY ELIZABETH WELCH and OLNEY HAWKINS. She was born October 31, 1842 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan,^{1924, 456, 6325} and died November 25, 1915 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa.⁶³²⁵ She is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa.^{398, 456}

• Descendant Reports
  • William Scott Descendant Report (Ancestor of Martha S. Hawkins)

Children of MARTHA SMITH HAWKINS and WILLIAM ROBINSON GRAHAM:

1. MARY GRACE GRAHAM, b. November 19, 1869, Wisconsin;¹⁹⁴¹ d. January 18, 1888, Texas.^{808, 1933}
2. WILLIAM ALEXANDER GRAHAM, b. January 23, 1875, Chicago, Cook, Illinois;^{250, 796, 1636} m. (1) ADA JUNE HOUCK on June 25, 1902 in Oskaloosa, Mahaska, Iowa¹⁸⁵³, m. (2) HELEN JEANETTE BURY on November 28, 1935 in Baltimore, Maryland⁴²⁰⁸; d. October 8, 1954, Corona, Riverside, California.^{250, 1951}
3. AUGUSTUS GRAHAM, b. September, 1879, Black Hawk County, Iowa;⁹⁵ d. March 26, 1958, Veterans Hospital, Cedar Falls, Iowa.⁷⁸⁶



Personal Information

William R. Graham

• graduated from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Ingham, Michigan in 1867⁷⁹⁷
• worked at S.I. Russell & Co., manufacturers of sash, doors and blinds at Chicago, Illinois; later formed a paper manufacturing company in Cedar Falls⁷⁹⁷

Military Service

Clubs and Associations

Newspaper Articles

Waterloo Courier, January 27, 1886¹⁹³⁷

The trouble over the Cedar Falls Paper Mill business was settled last week. A meeting of the stock-holders was held and Judge Kingman proposed to give $14,000 for the half owned by W. R. Graham or take that amount for the half owned by himself and his son. This proposition was accetped, Mr. Graham offering to take the remainder of the stock at that figure. Later in the day, however, Judge Kingman increased his offer for the Graham stock to $15,000 and the sale was made to him at that figure.

Waterloo Courier, June 8, 1887¹⁹³⁴

Mrs. W. R. Graham, wife of the A. O. U. W. grand master, formerly of Cedar Falls, but now of Des Moines, was on the ill-fated Iron mountain train to St. Louis a week ago, accompanied by her son and invalid daughter. A defected wheel derailed the sleeper in which she was travelling, and the grain going thirty miles an hour, crashed into a freight train. The sleeper was badly demoralized. Mrs. Graham was badly injured about the head and perhaps internally; the son was bruised from head to foot, while the daughter was only shaken up. The injured were removed to the Southern hotel at St. Louis, where the three are under the care of the railroad company. Grand master Graham is in St. Louis, and will remain until his family can be removed to Des Moines.

Waterloo Courier, June 22, 1887¹⁹⁴⁰

Mrs. W. R. Graham and children returned home Saturday evening, not fully recovered, but able to travel. The Railroad company sent an experienced nurse with them, and is so doing all it can to make them comfortable. Miss Mamie is not as well as her friends would wish, but Dr. Pierce is trying the new remedy mentioned a few weeks since, and hopes to be able to cure her.

Waterloo Courier, October 26, 1887¹⁹³⁶

Dr. Outten, of St. Louis, chief surgeon of hte Missouri Pacific Rly, Mr. Jones, attorney for the road and head of the claim department, Dr. Ristine, of Cedar Rapids, and Dr. Pierce, of this place, were in consultation at the residence of W. R. Graham, last Thursday, with reference to injuries to Mrs. Graham, Gussie and Mamie, in the accident last summer, while on their return from the south.

Cedar Falls Gazette, October 9, 1903¹⁹⁴⁶

Major W. R. Graham, U. S. A. has been very ill during the past two weeks with an attack of pneumonia. Word now comes from Kansas City, where he is stationed, that he is improving. Daily telegrams or letters have been sent by the nurse to the family here and in Des Moines.

Cedar Falls Gazette, November 6, 1903¹⁹⁴⁵

Friends of Major Graham will be sorry to learn that he will be subjected to the third surgical operation since going to the hospital in Kansas City. The trouble is from an abscess that has formed in an old army wound and his ultimate recovery is based upon the result of the operation to-day.

Cedar Falls Gazette, December 31, 1903¹⁹⁴⁴

EXHIBIT OF RARE CURIOS.

Collection Made by the Late Major Graham During His Duties as Paymaster in the U. S. A.

In a recent issue of the Register and Leader was given an interesting account of the collection of curios gathered by the late Major William R. Graham, U. S. A. During his years of service as paymaster in the United States Army, his duties called him to Cuba and to the Philippine Islands and with his admiration for the unique and interesting he too advantage of his opportunities to obtain this rare and valuable collection. Many of these articles nwo on exhibition in Des Moines have never been brought to Cedar Falls and were found among the chests of personal effects opened by his family after his death. Some of the articles can not be duplicated in any collection in the United States. major Graham prized them and had taken great pleasure in making the collection.

One of the most valuable of the collection is a suit of ancient Moro armor, made from the horns of the water buffalo or caribou, closely held by wove wire rings, making it absolutely impervious to arrows or sword cuts.

Next in order of value and interest is the jewel of the famous "Order of the Isabella," the decoration, only in the rarest cases, granted for a series of acts of extraordinary valor, by the Spanish crown.

Among the other curious things of the collections is the model of a Filipino boat, or "casco," which, with the water buffalo, forms the only mode of locomotion on the islands. The "casco" is a flat bottomed affair, equipped with a bamboo top, and propelled by broad oars, or by spiked poles which are used by the native boatman just as is done in hunting.

A Moro beheading axe is one of the somber features of the collection, and shares honrs with an Igorrote head hunter's axe.

The collection includes fighting bolos from Cebu, an uniform belt of the imperial Chines army, a Moro war hatchet, ? bolos, the serpentine kris of the ?, and the different kinds of arrows used by the Igorrotes. Mauser rifles and carbines, Cuban machetes, Toledo blades and various other weapons from the balance of the collection, which is of interest to everyone who cares to see what kind of weapons our boys in blue have to go up against in their foreign service.

Waterloo Daily Reporter, May 1, 1905⁷⁸⁴

Mrs. W. R. Graham will return from Des Moines on Tuesday evening accompanied by her sister, Mrs. Dobbs of Brooklyn, New York. Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Graham and Gus Graham will be here the last of the week. The dedicatory services in connection with the memorial monument erected by the A. O. U. W. will take place next Tuesday, May 9, in honor of the late Major W. R. Graham.

Waterloo Evening Courier, May 15, 1913¹⁴⁵⁹

Gus Graham of Des Moines, who was here to attend the funeral of Mrs. Townsend, returned to his home yesterday. Mr. Graham reports that his mother, Mrs. W. R. Graham, is not feeling well and it may be necessary for her to undergo an operation.

Waterloo Reporter, October 25, 1913¹⁴⁷¹

Mrs. W. R. Graham, 1806 Arlington avenue, Des Moines, for many years a resident of Cedar Falls, is entertaining her sister, Mrs. H. L. Cochran and her niece, Mrs. Louis Rosse, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for a month's visit.

Waterloo Evening Courier, September 28, 1914¹⁴⁵⁵

BUILDINGS ARE SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO CLEAR SITE FOR AN APARTMENT STRUCTURE

At the public sale Saturday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, on the premises, 701 Main street, Col. J. W. Ford cried the sale of the former home of the family of the late W. R. Graham. The fortunate bidders were Mrs. A. K. Smith of Second street, who bought the main portion of the house for $145, and the south and west wings were bid in by J. M. Byers for $40. The work of removal began today to make the site ready for the proposed new apartment house with the Graham estate will erect this fall. Mrs. Smith will place her purchase on a lot adjoining her home, 209 West Second street, and remodel it for a a home. Mr. Byers will remove his portion of hte house to his farm to convert into storage buildings. The Graham family now resides in Des Moines, where the Messrs. W. A. and Gus Graham are engaged in the practice of law, and the younger son resides with his mother, Mrs. W. R. Graham, on Arlington avenue, while W. A. Graham owns a home a block distant. They have all been here during the past few days, returning last evening. LeClair Martin, as trustee of the estate, will have charge of the proposed new building.

Obituaries

Waterloo Daily Reporter, November 16, 1903⁷⁸³

MAJOR W. R. GRAHAM DEAD

DIED IN KANSAS CITY

Word Received This Morning—End Came Sunday After An Extended Illness—Remains Removed to Des Moines

Cedar Falls, Nov. 16.—Special to Reporter.—The sad news reached Cedar Falls today of the death in a Kansas City hospital yesterday of Major W. R. Graham, paymaster in the United States army. Maj. Graham has been confined to a hospital for the past five or six weeks, and while at first his illness was not considered serious, death has been expected for the past week. During the past year the late Maj. Graham has made his headquarters at Kansas City, although his wife resided here. The deceased was subjected to three operations, uremic poison having permeated his entire system.

Funeral Arrangements Incomplete.

The remains have been temporarily removed from Kansas City to Des Moines, where the deceased had two sons, W. A. Graham and Gus Graham. It is very probable that the remains will be taken to Janesville, Wis., for burial. In addition to his two sons and the wife of this city, the deceasd leaves a niece, Mrs. LeClaire Martin, also of Cedar Falls.

Cedar Falls Gazette, November 17, 1903¹⁹⁴³

MAJOR WILLIAM R. GRAHAM

Death Occurred Sunday Morning in Hospital In Kansas City. Funeral and Burial In Cedar Falls.

During the past six weeks grave anxiety has been felt for the recovery of our townsman, Major W. R. Graham, paymaster in the United States Army, but as no word came for several days the last of the week, it began to be an assured belief that his strength had been equal to the demands made upon it by the insidious disease that had taken such a firm grasp. Surely no one ever made a braver or more desparate effort to live and with his innate and cultured soldier habits he sought to rise above the weakness that encircled him. But recovery was not to be, his work was finished, and on Sabbath morning, November 15th, he laid down his warfare and went to his eternal rest.

About half past eight o'clock in the evening a telegram reached his niece, Mrs. LeClair Martin and early yesterday morning the message was repeated from one to the other as they met on the street. The sorrow was genuine and universal. W. R. Graham had lived in this city nearly thirty years and was known to all who have been residents in Cedar Falls for any length of time. He was kind and sympathetic to the unfortunate and always ready to render aid to those who came to him with their troubles.

His death is a blow to his family and to a large circle of friends. Beside his wife he left two sons, W. A. of the firm of McVey, McVey & Graham, Des Moines; and Gus, who at present is a student of law in Des Moines.

Major Graham belonged to many fraternities. Chief among the members of these orders to mourn his death will be those of the A. O. U. W., with which organization he had long been prominently connected. He was grand master workman at the time of the secession of the Iowa Chapters from the national order. It was a great responsibility to stand at the head during the difficulties between the state and national organizations but the deceased proved himself equal to the demands of the times and served the order wisely and will as proven by its history. He served many years without a salary. For several years he edited the "Loyal Worman" the official publication of the A. O. U. W. order.

During more recent years he has been paymaster in the United States Army where his faithful services have given him one of the best records of the department. It was during his service in the Phillipine Islands that his health became undermined and the seeds were sown that have now ended his career.

William R. Graham was born in Watkins Glen, New York, in October, 1842, and was the only child of the late Alexander Graham. When quite a small boy his parents moved west and were living in Wisconsin at the time of the breaking out of the Civil war. He enlisted as private in Co. G, 3d Wisconsin Cavalry and was mustered out after two years service a lieutenant in Co. G, 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry.

After the close of the war he completed his course of study in the University of Michigan and was admitted to the bar in Michigan, Illinois and Iowa, but never practiced. He had a broad and well informed mind and was a great reader on all subjects. His library was one of the largest in this part of Iowa.

In 1868 he was married to Miss Martha Smith Hawkins of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In 1876 Major Graham came to Iowa and settled in Cedar Falls where he has always made his home and where his hospitalities have been extended to hundreds of friends from all over the United States.

For six consecutive years he was mayor of Cedar Falls and gave the city a good clean government. He was always a most loyal citizen with strong attachments for his home city and all of its interests.

With the beginning of the Spanish-American war he volunteered his services and was made paymaster with the rank of major. When this war was over he continued as paymaster and was made captain in the regular army. His first detail was to the Philippines where the hardships endured were many, but his duties to the army were always of paramount importance. After his return to his native country he was stationed for a time at Omaha but for the past year has been with the department of the Missouri with headquarters in Kansas City.

Of his fraternal orders he was a member of the Modern Woodmen, Shriners, Knights of Pythias, Elks, National Union of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion and of the Society of the Army of the Phillippines.

The remains were taken temporarily to Des Moines and will be accompanied by the family to Cedar Falls tomorrow evening when they will be taked to the home, corner of Main and Seventh streets, which has been offered the family for these days. The funeral services will be held in the Episcopal church at three o'clock Thursday afternoon. Rev. C. L. Biggs will read the service. Interment will be made in Fairview cemetery.

Friends may call at the home to view the remains from 12 to 2 o'clock on Thursday.

Cedar Falls Gazette, November 20, 1903¹⁹⁴¹

IMPRESSIVE FUNERAL SERVICES.

The Remains of Major W. R. Graham, U. S. A. Interred in Fairview Cemetery.

Large Number of Friends and Members of G. A. R. and A. O. U. W. Attend Burial Rites.

The funeral rites for the late Major William R. Graham U. S. A. were held in this city yesterday afternoon. The large concourse of friends and representative men of Cedar Falls who were present spoke in stronger language than words can express the place that the deceased held in the community where for nearly twenty eight years he had made his home.

Wednesday evening a party of friends consisting of Mrs. D. N. Hurd, Messers LeClair Martin, C. A. Wise, G . S. Morniu, W. A. Bryant, N. H. Harris, H. C. Hemenway, W. H. Hurd, L. H. Severin, and George A. Newman, twenty to Wilson Junction to meet the family and the remains as they came from Des Moines. Mrs. W. R. Graham and Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Graham were those who arrived. Gus had been in Kansas City on business and did not return until yesterday.

The blow was most unexpected to the family who had received every assurance from physicians and nurses that the sick man would recover and he himself had retained his firm hold upon his own strength and bravely sought to resist the ravages of the disease. He had said that one who had heard and felt the bullets fly past his head and suffered the privations and hardships of severe army life was not to have the ignominy of dying in a hospital. With his brave spirit he deceived himself and those in attendance, who could not help but admire his courage that never failed him until he fell into a comatose state in which condition he lingered for fifty hours before passing into the Great Unknown.

Death came as has previously been stated, in St. Joseph's hospital Kansas City, where the kindest and best possible attentions were bestowed. Sabbath morning at half past four o'clock the struggle was over. In the afternoon the officers of the United States Army stationed at Kansas City held a brief but impressive funeral service in the little chapel. Forty gentlemen were present. A little slip containing the following words was found in the pocket book of Major Graham after his death, and was read by the chaplain, who said it was a sermon in itself. It was this: "In the depths of the sea the waters are still; the heaviest grief is that borne in silence; the deepest love flows through the eye and touch; the purest joy is unspeakable; the most impressive prayer is silent, and the most solemn preacher at a funeral in the silent one whose lips are cold."

That evening the sad party left for Des Moines where the family now has residence. Wednesday evening they arrived here. The body was taken directly to the home corner of Main and 7th streets where so many years the deceased had resided.

By a singular coincidence the burial day of Major Graham was the anniversary of the birth of his only daughter, a beautiful girl who died at the age of eighteen years, mourned by all who knew her. The bond between her and her father was peculiarly sweet and tender.

At the appointed hour the representatives of A. O. U. W. and of the G. A. R. formed a double wall between which the members of the family and friends waled across the street to St. Luke's Episcopal church where Rev. C. L. Biggs, the rector read the burial service. A quartette choir rendered sweet music and Miss Lillian Egloff sang a solo that appealed to the hearts of all present.

After leaving the church the G. A. R. representatives disbanded but the members of the local A. O. U. W. preceded the procession on foot to Fairview cemetery. Here the impressive A. O. U. W. ritualistic service was read by the Grand Recorder Rebkopf of Des Moines and Dr. G. A. Newman.

The elaborate and beautiful display of floral remembrances were many. Nearly every organization of which the deceased was a member of sent a floral emblem while from the Grand Lodge in Des Moines came an immense and costly offering.

The city officials attended in a body. All ex-mayors who were able to be out were with them.

Mr. and Mrs. George A. Cook of Omaha, arrived just before the service. Mrs. Cook was an adopted daughter of the Major's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Graham.

Mrs. J. H. Bowman and Miss Isabel Bowman from Waverly were down to be present at the funeral services.

Mr. Henry Lehman, of Des Moines, for many years chairman of the Finance Committee of the A. O. U. W. of Iowa, and a long time intimate friend of the deceased, came from Des Moines Tuesday night Mr. B. F. Rehkopf, Grand Recorder of A. O. U. W. and Mr. Campbell, member of Finance committee, were both here from Des Moines. Mrs. W. R. Graham and Gus will probably remain in the city for a few days but Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Graham expect to return to-day to their home in Des Moines.

Mr. Henry Lehman of Des Moines, for many years chairman of the finance committee A. O. U. W. was in the city yesterday to attend the funeral of Major W. R. Graham, who for many years was his close personal friend. From the Des Moines Register-Leader, of Wednesday we clip the following incident:

"Such loyalty as Major Graham had for the A. O. U. W. is seldom found. About twenty-five years ago there were 12,000 members in the Workmen lodge in Iowa.

"At the grand lodge 11,600 of these rebelled and left the national order because of a disagreement over a 10 cent assessment. Less than 400 remained loyal. The rules required that in order to have a state grand lodge—a jurisdiction as it is called—a state mush have 2,000 members. The insurance of a member was $2,000 and there could not be an assessment of more than $1 a member each month. Mr. Graham requested the supreme lodge that Iowa be given a jurisdiction, and guaranteed that we would pay our own losses. The request was consequently granted and Major Graham was made master workman. In a short time we had a death loss. There were only 400 members and, consequently, only $400 could be raised immediately by assessment. Major Graham advanced $1,600 out of his own pocket to pay the loss; and waited for his money till it could be made up by assessments. For years he served as grand master workman without any salary. He left a record which few can duplicate.

"He increased the membership of the order to 8,000 while he was master workman, and now it has 15,000 in the state."

Waterloo Evening Courier, November 25, 1915⁷⁷⁸

Mrs. W. R. Graham Summoned by Death

Cedar Falls, Nov. 25.—Mrs. W. R. Graham, widow of the late Major W. R. Graham, U. S. A., passed away this morning at 5 o'clock at the hospital in Des Moines, where she was taken a week ago when she sustained a fractured hip thru a fall in her home. The injury was not so serious as to have been fatal, but she never survived the shock. For over forty years Mrs. Graham lived in Cedar Falls at 701 Main street, and her death is deeply felt by many warm friends.

Funeral services will be held in St. Luke's Episcopal church, this city, Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Interment will be in Fairview cemetery by the side of her husband who died about twelve years ago.

Two sons survive, W. A. Graham and Augustus Graham, both of Des Moines. One daughter, Mary, died about thirty years ago. Mrs. LeClair Martin, of this city, a niece, is almost as a daughter, for she made her home for many years with Mrs. Graham. The remains will be accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Graham and son, Alexander, and Augustus Graham, and probably some Des Moines friends.

LeClair Martin went to Des Moines Saturday night, having heard that Mrs. Graham was not doing well and Tuesday sent for his wife to come down. They both returned last night thinking she might linger several days.

Mrs. Graham was prominently identified with many local interests when a resident fo Cedar Falls and was a staunch supporter of St. Luke's Episcopal church. She was broad in her sympathies and strong in her personal attachments and always had remained loyal to Cedar Falls, altho circumstances were such that her residence had been in Des Moines for a number of years, where her sons are both engaged in the legal profession.

Des Moines Tribune, November 26, 1915⁷⁹⁸

MRS. MARTHA GRAHAM DIES IN HOSPITAL

Mrs. Martha H. Graham, 1806 Arlington Avenue, the widow of the late Major W. R. Graham, United States army, and who was for thirteen years grand master workman A.O.U.W. of Iowa, died at the Lutheran hospital Thursday morning about 5 o'clock, after an illness of one week following a severe fall at her home.

Her two sons, W. A. Graham and Augustus Graham of the law firm of Graham & Graham, were with her at the end.

Mrs. Graham was a communicant of the Episcopal church, and was prominent in the society of the Colonial Dames of America.

She was born Oct. 31, 1842, at Ann Arbor, Mich., the daughter of Olney Hawkins and Mary Welch, and had made her home in Des Moines since 1902.

The body will be taken by her two sons to her old home at Cedar Falls, Ia., where it will be laid by the side of her husband, who died in the service of the United States just twelve years ago.

No service will be held in Des Moines and the burial will take place Saturday from the little Episcopal church in Cedar Falls with which she was for nearly thirty years closely identified.

Waterloo Evening Courier, November 26, 1915⁷⁷⁷

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR MRS. W. R. GRAHAM TO BE HELD TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

Gus Graham of Des Moines will arrive this evening and his brother, W. A. Graham, with his wife and little son, Alexander, will arrive tomorrow noon accompanying the remains of their mother, Mrs. W. R. Graham, to this city, where funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock in St. Luke's Episcopal church. The rector, Rev. J. S. Cole, of Waverly will conduct the services and the choir of St. Luke's church will sing. The pallbearers will be: Messrs. J. G. Packard, George S. Mornin, I. D. Corning, Harry Israel, Roger Leavitt and Frank B. Miller. Interment will be in Fairview cemetery, where her late husband, Major W. R. Graham, U. S. A., is interred.

Mrs. Graham was the daughter of the late Judge Hawkins of Michigan, and is survived by one sister, Mrs. Henry L. Cochrane, of Brooklyn, N. Y., who will be remembered by many in Cedar Falls as Mrs. Jennie Dobbs. Mrs. LeClair Martin of this city is a niece as is also Mrs. Annie Palmer Rossi, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and Wm. H. Palmer, of Chicago, is a nephew.

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
July 16, 1850803	Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan	Olney Hawkins Mary Elizabeth Welch Frances Latimer Hawkins Martha Smith Hawkins Mary Churchill Hawkins
June 28, 1860802	Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan	Olney Hawkins Mary Elizabeth Welch Jennie Scott Hawkins Frances Latimer Hawkins Martha Smith Hawkins
June 8, 1880811	Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa	William Robinson Graham Martha Smith Hawkins William Alexander Graham Augustus Graham Mary Grace Graham
January 1, 188583	Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa	Martha Smith Hawkins William Robinson Graham William Alexander Graham Mary Grace Graham Augustus Graham Mary White Kinne Mary Elizabeth Welch
June 9, 1900810	Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa	William Robinson Graham Martha Smith Hawkins William Alexander Graham Augustus Graham Anna L. Palmer
April 23, 1910809	Des Moines, Polk, Iowa	William Alexander Graham Ada June Houck Alexander Graham Augustus Graham Martha Smith Hawkins