William Carter was born on 8 February 1811 in Virginia. He married
on 14 September 1850 in Indiana. He died on 4 April 1888 in Henry Co., IA,
Biography -- (Findagrave.com):
William, first son of Samuel Hillman and Martha (Jobes) Carter (born Feb. 8, 1811 in Virginia and died Aug. 8, 1834 in Zanesville, Ohio), (son of Isaac P. Carter) was born Nov. 24, 1828, Zanesville, Muskingum county, Ohio; died April 4, 1888, Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa.
His childhood days were spent near where he was born; but in the fall of 1836 he with his parents and family went to Grant county, Ind. Here his father bought land and commenced to improve it; but having weak lungs, he fell a victim to consumption before William was ten years old. He was the oldest of four children and with his stepmother was left to make a living in the woods with but little cleared land, and you may be sure they had a tough time of it even in spite of the help of very kind neighbors. The stepmother was a hard worker and good manager so they got along very well for the chance they had.
His stepmother married again after a little over six years of widowhood and he went and lived with a neighbor.
Jemima Jane Hillyard, first daughter of Jacob and Martha (Eviston) Hillyard, was born Jan. 15, 1834, Guernsey Co., Ohio; died 19, German descent.
She moved with her parents and family to Delaware county, Ind., when she was twelve years old and being the oldest girl in the family the mother needed her very badly to help about the household duties and to care for the children, so she did not get to go to school very much and is a very poor scholar.
William Carter and Jemima Jane Hillyard were married Sept. 15, 1850, Delaware county, Indiana, To this union three daughters were born:
Martha Ann, Oct. 26, 1852, Matthews, Grant county, Ind.; died 19
Emily Jane, May 17, 1854, Matthews, Grant county, Ind.; died 19
Olive May, March 27, 1866, Henry county, Iowa; died 19
He bought his stepmother's interest in the home farm and went to housekeeping in the old house. They did very well while they stayed here, and acquired some property; but thinking they could do better farther west they sold out in 1855 and in the spring of 1856 he and his uncle David and families started in wagons for Brodhead, Wisconsin.
Not finding anything there to suit them they went on to Linn county, Iowa, and stopped with relatives there until he and his uncle made a tour to Mahaska county, hunting a place to locate. On their way back his uncle bought a farm and the crop partly put in near Sigourney, in Keokuk county. They all went to this farm and that fall he went to Henry county and bought eighty acres of unimproved prairie land paying $1,600 for it. In February, 1857, they moved to Henry county and put them up a good frame house as soon as possible. He traded his horses for oxen and went to breaking prairie and improving the farm. The posts he got near Trenton and had to haul them nine miles and with an ox team it was a busy day's work to get a load. He hauled his fire wood from the same place and the lumber from Mt. Pleasant to build a four board fence, white oak posts and pine lumber. His money did not come from Indiana as soon as he expected and after he got the material on the ground for the fence, he could not get $3.00 to buy a keg of nails to put it up with. These difficulties were very trying on the new settler. Other difficulties of the close times were to get something to eat and wear. His wife and a neighbor woman went to town together with a little trade and both wanted calico for a dress and as they did not have enough to get two dress patterns, she let the other woman have her money to get her a dress; she waiting until another time for hers. It was by the very closest living at this time that they saved their land which afterwards made them such a beautiful farm and home. A few years of close living and then the Civil war came on. Money was plentiful, so in 1865 they put up a good barn, leaving the prairie stable covered with slough grass to go down and not many years after they put up a better house with cellar under it and had a very convenient farm and home which he enjoyed to the fullest extent. He was not anxious to add to it; but helped their children, as they left home, to homes of their own and theirs was a pleasant family.
They were members of the Methodist church. In 1872 they heard the doctrine of the First Day Adventists preached and accepted it as Bible truth and lived the same, the children following the parents. He was a man of an upright character whose word was as good as his bond.
When she sold her interest in the homestead to her son-in- law, she reserved a room in the house for her own use where she now lives. She is a woman who has been kind to others and done much to help the sick and needy and many bless her name for the kindness they received from her.
History of Isaac P. Carter Family and Their Descendants compiled by his grandson Howard Carter. 1905.
He was buried in April 1888 in Hickory Grove Cemetery, Henry Co., IA, Findagrave #72413322.