William Henry Day & Minnie Lee Parker
1863 - 1911 1873 - 1948 William Henry Day was born 29 September 1863 in Delavan, Tazewell County, Illinois, the son of Samuel Day and Amanda Craver. William lost his mother when he was but 7 years old and was raised by his father and grandfather in Delavan, Illinois.
In the early 1880's William went to New Madrid, Missouri . Later his father Samuel Day and brother George Day joined William in Missouri. They were carpenters and New Madrid was a rip roaring Mississippi River town with plenty of work. The Day family lived at the Parker House Hotel in New Madrid. It was here that William Henry met Minnie Lee Parker, the daughter of John F. Parker and Permelia Caroline Laird who owned the Parker House Hotel.
On the 4th of August 1892 William Henry Day and Minnie Lee Parker were married. Minnie Lee Parker was born on 24 December 1873 in Martin, Weakley County, Tennessee. On 13 July 1896 their first child was born and was named Charles Henry Day. In January 1897 Samuel Day died. He was the last living child of William Day 1812 - 1898. At this time William and Minnie and brother George Franklin Day moved back to Delavan, Illinois to help their grandfather William Day who 85 years old. William and brother George farmed the 160 acre tract of land that belonged to William Day. William Henry and George were left the bulk of William Day's estate when he died on 8 September 1898. The other grandchildren were left $50.00 each in William's will. The brothers stayed here for about 2 years and they decided to sell the farm. At this time William and Minnie and their son Charles returned to Missouri where William purchased a hardware store and blacksmith shop in East Prairie, Mississippi County, Missouri. Brother George Franklin Day purchased another farm in Tazewell County, Illinois and stayed there with his son Samuel Day II .
William Henry Day suffered much with the depression of 1907. The bank went broke and he only collected a part of his money. He again invested it in another hardware and blacksmith shop. In 1909 William Henry Day became ill and was diagnosed with tuberculosis. After the census of 1910 he became so ill until he and his family returned to Canton, Illinois where his brother George was farming. In April 1911 William died of tuberculosis and was buried in the cemetery in Canton, Illinois. His widow Minnie and her 5 sons returned to New Madrid, Missouri where her family lived. Brother George and son Samuel II and second wife Lillie Belle DeVore Davis Day are all 3 buried very near William Henry Day.
Minnie Lee Parker Day married John Swisher in 1914 in New Madrid, Missouri and had a daughter Velma born in ca 1915. They separated when Velma was about 2 years old. Minnie lived the remainder of her life with her sons in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. She died on 20 January 1948 in Longview, Texas and is buried there.
William Henry Day and Minnie Lee Parker had 5 sons:
1. Charles Henry Day born 13 July 1896 in East Prairie, Mississippi County, Missouri. He died 16 May 1968 in Pascagoula, Mississippi and is buried there. See next chapter.
2. William Gilbert Day born 24 March 1901 in East Prairie, Mississippi County, Missouri and died 8 January 1971 in Cleburne, Texas. He had one son named Gilbert Herman Day. William Gilbert married Minnie Jones in Texas.
3. George Reason Day born 10 August 1903 in East Prairie, Mississippi County, Missouri. He died in Ferriday, Louisiana April 1988. He had one daughter--Minnie Lee Day born 29 January 1932 and married a ____? Ratliff.
4. Dewey Martin Day born 29 February 1906 in East Prairie, Mississippi County, Missouri. He married Alice Irene Peters and they had one daughter--Virginia May Day born 3 January 1936. She married Perry Lavelle Knight and lived in Bogalusa, Louisiana in 1982. Martin Day died 21 November 1965 in Bogalusa, Louisiana and is buried there. Virginia Day Knight had 3 daughters.
5. Samuel Roy Day born 1909 in East Prairie, Mississippi County, Missouri. He died in 1925 at Ravenden, Arkansas. He was 16 years old and was never married.
William Henry Day invented a log loader in Missouri and sold the rights to a logging company. William was but 47 years and 7 months when he died. His brother George lived to be 95 years and 5 months.
They were the only 2 children of Samuel and Amanda Craver Day. They are buried in the same cemetery, not very far apart in Canton, Illinois.