William Daniels

William Daniels was reportedly born in Marion County, Missouri on January 2, 1840, a son of Austin Daniels and Mary Ann Wilkinson. Assuming the January 2 part and his age at the time of the 1850 census (12) was correct that would mean he was born January 2, 1838.

The family went West on the Oregon Trail, arriving in Benton County in August of 1851.

William had four known brothers: Jonathan, Thomas, Harrison and Andrew, and three known sisters: Emily, Margaret and Nancy, living in their home in Soap Creek, Benton County, Oregon, in 1860 when the census was taken. By 1870, William was on his own, living in Snohomish County. In 1880, he was counted on the census in Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Washington. He was working as a "logger", working at Ball's Logging Camp at Mount Vernon, Whatcom (Skagit) County, Washington. Ball's camp was called Ball's Landing, now called Sterling. He was a homesteader and homesteaded at least 320-acres of land in Mason County, Washington.

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William married on November 21, 1881, to Eliza Bell Gale. They were counted on the Washington State Census on February 16, 1885, living in Mason County. They had one daughter at the time and their son, Percy, would be born in December that year. Sadly, Eliza died soon after, on February 13, 1886. Percy went to live with her mother for a short time, but in 1900 William and his son, Percy, lived together in Satsop, Mason County, Washington. Percy was 15 years old and soon after he took up the occupation of Sailor and sailed off to fulfill his destiny. He was living on the other side of the country when William died in 1924.

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William died on May 24, 1924, at Olympia, Washington, from "Sypostatic Pneumonia". On his death certificate, his age is given as 84 years 4 months 22 days. He is buried in Row 1, Grave 4, Lot 1, Block 17 in the Masonic Cemetery (Masonic Memorial Park) in Tumwater, along with Eliza and their daughter who died at age 3.