The railroad had reached Charleston by 1898 resulting in an increase in population. With approximately 650 people, it had a newspaper, a catholic church and school, various merchants selling groceries, drugs, hardware, furniture, a livery stable, and stage stop. There were also several doctors, a dentist and at least one attorney. The surrounding land was planted primarily in cotton, though there were area farmers raising dairy and beef cattle. Coal was beginning to be mined since the railroad's arrival adding more options for those not inclined to farm.
Another thing the railroad did was bring orphaned children to the Midwest farm belt. New York City had an especially large population of abandoned and orphaned children. Gangs of them wandered the streets, begging and stealing to feed themselves. Many children were voluntarily turned over to the churches and orphanages by a parent in sad circumstances or who had too many children to feed in hopes that they might have a better life and food to eat. There were too many to keep in institutions or for the surrounding population to adopt as their own so the adoptable of these children were sent by train, stopping in town after town in hopes that some kind person who wanted a child to love would select one. This worked in some cases although there were children who were exploited and overworked by those who'd taken them in.
In the 1900 census Mathias Willems, age 36, and his wife Dora, age 37, were living on a farm that Mathias owned (according to the census record) in Prairie Township of Franklin County, not far from Charleston. Their surname was misspelled as "Williams". Mathias and Dorothea Willems wanted children. Apparently they were unable to have any the conventional way because they began adopting. At least some of these young ones were adopted off of the orphan train. On this census was Margaret, frequently known as "Maggie" in records, born in Streator, Illinois, so likely was taken in while Mathias and Dorothea resided there. The 1900 census in which then eleven year old Maggie appears, relationship to head of household is "daughter". Dora is enumerated as being the mother of one child, with that child still living. However in the 1910 census which worded the question slightly differently, "Mother of how many children"-under "number born" there is a zero. Other children were taken in later some stayed with the family, others moved on. Whether the children were formally adopted or not has not been ascertained (though it seems they were), and adoption records, according to courthouse personnel remain sealed regardless of time elapsed.
Author's note: Prairie township in Franklin County was named after the tallgrass prairie that was abundant there circa 1900. Cherokee Prairie natural area, a 566-acre remnant of native prairie that has never seen a plow lies north of Charleston, on the west side of Hwy. 217 just a stone's throw from what was Phillip and Katherine Willems 160 acre farm. The natural area features many native plants and grasses including big bluestem, a grass that is as tall as a man on a horse.
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| Phillip & Katherina Willems |
Mathias brother and sister-in-law, were listed in the 1900 census as also living on a farm they owned. It recorded: Phillip Willems, age 47 (incorrectly), and Catherine, age 48 as the mother of 9 children, 7 of them living. John, 18, Frank, 17, and Annie, age 14 did not attend school as did their younger siblings Joseph, Alois, Mary and Katie. The younger children who were aged thirteen to eight likely attended the catholic school. According to the 1900 census both Phillip and Mathias were naturalized citizens which due to rules at the time made their wife a citizen as well.
John Martin Willems, Phillip and Katherina's oldest child soon began life as a traveling salesman or drummer in the term of the day. He sold organs, pianos, and other musical instruments-- some say he also sold sewing machines. Fortunately he'd learned to play several instruments so he at least had a bit of a musical background. John drove his wagon from farm to farm in the sparsely populated Franklin and Logan County area visiting with the local residents while trying to sell some instruments. Then one fateful day John Martin Willems drove his wagon to the Guenther farm outside Paris. It was there that he met the lovely Anna Marie Guenther who was just eight months younger than he. How long it took from their first meeting until they were wed we may never know. Surely John wooed Anna Marie at least a few months before their wedding on February 17, 1903 at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Paris.
Finally the big day arrived. It was a cold February day with everyone dressed in their finest clothing. But most importantly, John and Anna's families were with them at the church on their big day. The wedding party consisted of Frank and Anna Willems, John's brother and sister, his friend Joseph Gerber, and Anna Marie's sister Margaret. After the wedding, the servers, who customarily received a tip for performing their duties, tied the doors of the church closed in protest since they hadn't been tipped. Finally John Martin Willems, who apparently had neglected to bring any money worked it out with the servers and friends and family were released to drive their buggies and wagons to the Guenther cabin for a party. They partied until it became late and once ready to leave they found the buggy wheels had frozen to the ground. They wouldn't budge! Kettles of water were heated on the Guenther's wood stove to pour on the areas to free the wheels.
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| The marriage as it appears in Franklin County's Book of Marriages |
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| The witnesses to the marriage |
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| John and Anna's marriage record from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Paris, Arkansas |
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| John Martin Willems with beautiful bride Anna Marie Guenther Willems, Frank Willems, Margaret Guenther Post, Joseph Gerber, and Anna Willems stand behind the couple.   The newlyweds set up housekeeping with Anna Marie's parents on the Guenther farm outside Paris. Surely the family dynamic had changed with an energetic young man on the farm. No doubt John worked to improve the lot of the family and the condition of the farm. |
A short four months following the wedding came the sad event of the death of sixty one year old patriarch Friederich Wilhelm Guenther. He was laid to rest near his son Wilhelm in the family plot of Saint Joseph Cemetery.  |
| Record of death from St. Joseph Catholic Church |
With the loss of her dear husband Anna Marie Guenther had no more use for the farm. She had her daughters Margaret, Elisabeth, and Anna sign a quit claim deed relinquishing their claim of inheritance on the land. For this she paid them $1 each. The same day, January 1, 1904 Anna sold the 120 acre farm to her new son-in-law John M. Willems for the sum of $1800.
Though perhaps unaware of it at the time of her father's funeral, young Anna Marie was already "in a family way". Was this enough to get the ball rolling on the construction of the large two story framed farmhouse now that John owned the farm? John and Anna Marie became parents on March 1, 1904 when Anna gave birth to a daughter they named Catherine Philomena Willems.
The Mystery of John Klyne
In 1903 Anna Marie Guenther (and possibly Friederich) took in a young boy who came to town on the orphan train. Whether he was formally adopted remains to be seen, though he was considered to be part of the family. The boy's name was John Klyne (sometimes recorded as Kline). John was born in New York on April 17, 1897 so would've been six, or almost six years old when he came to live with Anna Guenther and her daughter Elisabeth in the log cabin on the Guenther farm. Certainly John was put to use bringing in wood for the stove, and drawing water from the well. Hopefully he filled the void in Anna's heart left when she lost both of her sons and loved the boy as a boy should be loved. He lived out his life in the area, eventually married a local woman named Bertha Baumgartner with whom he had at least two children. John Klyne was a coal miner in 1940 and died in February 1965. He and Bertha were buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery outside Paris.
The above paragraph was updated due to information sent by fellow researcher Roseann Willems Kennedy regarding orphan train riders. Go to http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/state/history/arot.txt to see a partial list of train riders. Thank you Cousin Roseann!
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