Judge Alpheus E. Willson and Catharine H. Dawson

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Husband Judge Alpheus E. Willson ^{1 2}

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           Born: 24 Oct 1828 - Monongalia Co, WV 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 9 Sep 1884 3
 Cause of Death: Tuberculosis
         Buried: 

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         Father: Hon. Alpheus Poage Willson (1794-1832) 3
         Mother: Eliza Evans (Abt 1801-Aft 1889) 3 4

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       Marriage: 18 Sep 1855 3

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Wife Catharine H. Dawson ^{1 3}

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         Father: George Dawson (      -Bef 1882) 5 6 7 8
         Mother: Mary Kennedy (      -      ) 6 8

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Children

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1 F [Unk] Willson

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         Spouse: R. H. Lindsey (      -      ) 3

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2 F [Unk] Willson

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         Spouse: [Unk] Hazard (      -      ) 3

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3 F Mary K. Willson ³

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General Notes: Husband - Judge Alpheus E. Willson

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He was born at Rock Forge, on Decker's creek, in Monongalia County, Virginia (later West Virginia). When he was four years old, his parents removed from Virginia to Uniontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. In Uniontown he prepared himself in the public and private schools for college and at the age of sixteen years entered the sophomore class at Priceton college, and graduated from that institution in the class of 1847.
He read law with Judge Nathaniel Ewing, admitted to the bar, June 3, 1850, and immediately opened a law office. After ten year's practice, he removed to London, Ohio, where he formed a law partnership with Judge Lincoln of that place. In August, 1863, he returned to Uniontown and resumed the practice of law.
In 1873 he was nominated by the democracy of Fayette County for president judge of the fourteenth judicial district, composed of the counties of Fayette and Greene. His opponent was Hon. David Crawford, nominated by the Greene County democrats. The republicans of the district made no nomination, but supported Judge Willson, who was elected by a large majority. At the time of his election, he was president of the Dollar Savings Bank, of Uniontown, and a director of the S. W. R. R. Co., both of which positions he resigned before taking his seat upon the bench. He was also a member of the coke-manufacturing firm of Willson, Boyle & Playford, from which he retired in 1880, with fair profits as the result of successful management.
He took his seat as president judge of the district on the first of January, 1874, to find the business of the district quite a number of years behind owing to the protracted illness of his predecessor, the late Hon. Samuel A. Gilmore. This accumulated business was, of itself, almost enough to have occupied the time of his entire term, and added to this was the immense and constantly increasing volume of current business. With a high purpose and an energy equaled only by the determination to execute his trust faithfully and well that caused him to fall a martyr to an exalted conception of duty, he began the accomplishment of what was one of his ambitions\emdash the disposal of the public business with such rapidity, consistent with care, as would leave the dockets at the end of his term entirely clear. To the casual reader this will seem no ordinary task, but it is only to those who were intimately associated with him in its undertaking that its Herculean proportions really appear; and yet this ambition was so nearly realized that he retired from the bench with the business of Greene County in such condition that a cause commenced at one term would be tried at the next succeeding one, and that of Fayette county not over one year behind, and this the fault of the attorneys who, through sympathy for his condition during the last year and a half, would insist upon continuing their causes from term to term against his most earnest protest.
He began his labors by a revision of the rules, which he brought to such perfection as greatly to facilitate practice in the several courts, and aid in making a strong bar. His term was remarkable not alone for the great volume of its business, but for the importance of its individual causes as well.
"Knowing neither friend nor foe, with the cold neutrality of an impartial judge, he decided every cause upon its merits alone. Nor did he decide them upon general principles, but always, after a most careful and exhaustive reading of the authorities bearing in any possible degree upon the question involved; so that an opinion of a few pages might, and in most instances did, represent the result of hours of the most conscientious toil and careful reflection. The result was, a standing as a judge before the supreme court as well as the bench-at-large equaled by few, excelled by none, and worthy the emulation of all. In short, as a judge, no man was more universally beloved, honored and revered by the people of any judicial district, and few ever retired from the bench so much regretted."
Judge Willson was scrupulously prompt in meeting his engagements, and, during his term of office, he was never one minute late at court, and during its sitting never left the bench but once in this county, and twice in Greene. It was close application to business and its consequent confinement that developed the disease with which he died. His friends thought they foresaw the impending danger and advised his retirement two years earlier, but, thinking there was none, he declined to heed their good counsel, and the sad consequence was not unexpected.

1 Franklin Ellis, History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 428.

2 John M. Gresham, Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: John M. Gresham & Co., 1889), Pg 169, 236.

3 John M. Gresham, Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: John M. Gresham & Co., 1889), Pg 237.

4 Franklin Ellis, History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 765.

5 Franklin Ellis, History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 428, 674.

6 John M. Gresham, Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: John M. Gresham & Co., 1889), Pg 158.

7 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912), Pg 595.

8 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 7.