I am searching for information on EPHRIAM WILLIAMS b. abt. 1864 in Arkansas. EPHRIAM WILLIAMS was found at age 6 yrs. living in the 1870 Van Buren Co. Arkansas census in the household of Samuel Riley and wife Nicey (maiden name unknown) . Also listed was an Elvira Williams age 4 and William Williams age 1 year. I don't know if Elvira and William Williams were siblings to EPHRIAM WILLIAMS at this time and I do not have the maiden name of EPHRIAM WILLIAMS mother, nor her first name. I was told that EPHRIAM WILLIAMS was the illegitimate son of RILEY WILLIAMS and EPHRIAM WILLIAMS does appear living in the household of RILEY WILLIAMS in the 1880 Van Buren Co. Arkansas census listed as RILEY'S son. RILEY WILLIAMS was married to ELLEN AKIN and together they had daughters Elizabeth (Aunt Bette), who never married but had one daughter Josie who married Richard Cassinger, Nancy Lou who married Robert Walter Hall, and Nicey Jane Williams who married James Franklin Gardner. From information I have been told these three ladies would have been half sisters to EPHRIAM WILLIAMS, but none of their grandchildren knew of a half brother to their grandmothers. At least not ones I have contacted, but I haven't made contact with any of Nancy Lou Williams Hall's descendants as yet and would like to make contact with anyone who is a descendant. To complicate my search farther, I was told that my great grandmother FLORENCE GIVENS and EPHRIAM WILLIAMS wanted to marry, but her father ZENAS GIVENS forbid the marriage for some unknown reason, so the marriage being forbidden, EPHRIAM WILLIAMS was said to have gone to Texas about the year 1890-91. A picture of EPHRIAM WILLIAMS in the possession of a grandaughter of RILEY WILLIAMS has written on the back EPH in Whitewright, Texas. It appears to be a picture taken with perhaps a sunday school class around the early 1900's. Anyone with information on an EPHRIAM WILLIAMS in Whitewright , Texas , please contact me at sandrajw@tanet.net. A 1900 Texas census shows an EPHRIAM WILLIAMS living in the household of a STEPHEN WILLIAMS, cousins perhaps??? EPHRIAM IS listed as single at this time, did he ever marry? On June 28, 1891 in Scotland, Van Buren Co. Arkansas, my grandfather OSCAR E. GIVENS was born to FLORENCE GIVENS. I was told by a great aunt, who was married to a grandson of RILEY WILLIAMS that EPHRIAM WILLIAMS was the father of my grandfather OSCAR E. GIVENS. A picture of my grandfather OSCAR E. GIVENS was found among his mother JOSIE WILLIAMS CASSINGER'S belongings and brought to me, by Doyce L. Cassinger, but he had never been told of any connection to my grandfather. I would appreciate very much if anyone who has any information on RILEY WILLIAMS, being the father of EPHRIAM WILLIAMS and EPHRIAM WILLIAMS being the father of OSCAR E. GIVENS would please contact me. I would also like to learn the name of EPHRIAM WILLIAMS mother and why the WILLIAMS children were found in the SAMUEL RILEY household in 1870, perhaps this is when their mother died? What is the connection of the SAMUEL RILEY family to the WILLIAMS children? My grandfather went by his mothers maiden name of GIVENS all his life. Did the WILLIAMS children do the same? Was their mother perhaps a WILLIAMS by birth and a cousin to RILEY WILLIAMS? Putting all the oral stories and census information together would seem to indicate that there is truth in the story of EPHRIAM WILLIAMS being the son of RILEY WILLIAMS and EPHRIAM WILLIAMS being the father of OSCAR E. GIVENS, but I have found nothing to verify it by any written papers. Would there have been guardianship papers filed around 1869-70 (possibly when their mother died) when the WILLIAMS children are found living in the SAMUEL RILEY household? Thank you Sandra sandrajw@tanet.net