William Hardee Buchanan

September 21, 1874 - June 18, 1932

William was born in Yantis Texas (Wood County) to Peter Rozell Buchanan and Laura Setzler. He lost his mother Laura in an accident when he was 3 years old. Family story has it that Laura was washing clothes outside in a large cauldron of water boiling over an open fire. She was wearing a long dress that got too close to the fire, caught, and she was burned to death.

He was known in the family as a very good cattle rancher. He was also thought to be hot tempered and mean natured. He married Nora Galloway in ~1898 and had a daughter, Mertie.

Nora apparently died and he married Louisa Idella Bird on Sept. 1, 1901 in Wood County. Together they had twelve more children including Noba. William would play the harmonica and the fiddle at local dances. This was against the rules of the church and as a result, both he and Noba were expelled from the church.

On June 18, 1932, William went for an evening walk on his ranch and did not come home. He was found the next morning face down in a small pool of water dead of an apparent heart attack as a result of apoplexy

Rockhill Cemetery, Wood County, TX

Link to Setzler

Link to Rozelle