He was the son of Leonard Thomas Caplinger and Mary Polly Grant, born May 25, 1861, on a farm two miles east of Crab Orchard. It was here he spent his boyhood helping his family work the farm. William’s father Leonard signed up for the 31st Illinois Regiment in 1862 and served under John A. Logan, a wound he received in battle qualified his widow and children for a civil war pension.
On September 23, 1880, William married Miss Eva Ann Peebles. Eva lived only about seven years after her marriage dying of gallstones very suddenly after suffering many chills with “gallstone colic”. She died August 1, 1887, and her body was laid to rest in the cemetery near the Pleasant Grove Church of which she was an active member.
On March 1, 1888, he again married, this time to Miss Florence Elnora Harrison of Crab Orchard.
The 1900 census found the Caplinger family living in Crab Orchard Township. William was 39 and Florence was 30 years old. He listed himself as a farmer. They had three children William L. aged 14, Charles L. aged 12 and a female named Euna Olive Caplinger aged 9. William and Charles were from the previous marriage to Eva.
William joined the Pleasant Grove Church in 1894 and became an active member until September 10, 1900 when he moved with his family to Marion, Illinois. William, his wife and daughters united with the First Methodist Church.
Being a carpenter, he was in great demand and would go from place to place when not employed on the family farm. He became interested in the rural schools early on and was elected director in 1882. He was re-elected and served until 1900 when he moved to Marion.
The following personal account is given of some of his carpentry contracting. Many buildings were erected in Marion, Carbondale, Carterville, and Madison No. 9 Mining Camp located 3 miles north of Carterville. Several residences were constructed in Marion in the years 1900-1905 when a contract was secured from the Ayer Lord Tye Company for the erection of 20 three room houses, an office building, a large eight room residence for the superintendent and some work on the boiler and engine room.
He was very busy from 1904 to 1909, when he commenced the construction of 70 eight room houses with coal houses, wells and outside toilets for each house. After the completion of the residences, a large school building and lodge hall were erected for the company.
In 1910 he was very busy here in Marion having a contract with the American Creosoting Company, building small three room houses, three large residences and an office building. The Creosoting Company was located just south of Marion roughly where Short Brothers in now located.
In 1911, when the motion was made by the First Methodist church to rebuild, William was there to second the motion and serve on its building committee.
The years 1912-13 was a very busy period in Marion, when he built the Missouri Pacific Office on North Market, a residence for P.B. Wilson in Thorn Place, the First Methodist Church, the Douglas School building and several others. He constructed 17 of the first dwellings in Thorn Place, which in its time was “the upscale place to live”.
In October and November he went to Corinth and supervised the construction of the Methodist Church building at Corinth and the year following did the carpenter work on the First Baptist Church and the Township High School building in Marion.
After the year 1927, the building business slowed down and he had become over weight and retired from carpentry. In order to keep his mind employed, he began cutting patches and creating some new designs for patch quilts in his retirement.
By the 1910 census, the Caplinger family, having located in Marion had built themselves a fine two story home located at 814 N. Court St. (See attached photo). Florence is noted as 40 years of age and has had three children with one surviving. William J. is a self-employed carpenter as is his 26 year old son William L. Caplinger who lives with them. Their 28 year old daughter, Mary Francis Walters is now living with them as well. The census does not indicate she is widowed or divorced and also indicates that she has had 3 children with one still living. The child or her husband is not listed.
In the 1920 census, the couple was still occupying their N. Court home and had reached their fifties. Their single, carpenter son, William L., is still living at home with them at age 35.
Between 1920 and 1922, the couple sold their N. Court home and stated renting at 705 W. Boulevard. They were still at this address in the 1928-29 city directory.
Mr. Caplinger was an active member of the First Methodist Church until he was unable to attend services. On November 9, 1924, a very impressive service was held at the church, at which time he was presented a beautiful Bible as a token of remembrance of the 23 years Mr. Caplinger had acted so faithfully as librarian of the Sunday school.
When the 1930 census was taken, William had reached 68, work was tapping out and he was definitely retired. The address is a bit sketchy to figure out but appears to be 608 W. Boulevard. Their son Charles, who is now a widower, has returned home to live with them temporarily and is occupied as a teamster for an express company. They are paying $12 a month in rent.
After 1930, the couple appears to have moved temporarily back to Crab Orchard to live and were there in 1935 during the depression. By the 1940 census, they had returned to live in Marion at 603 W. Boulevard Street and were paying $10 a month in rent.
On Sunday, March 1, 1942, Mr. and Mrs. Caplinger quietly celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary, both of them being confined to their beds. Each had been in feeble health for several years.
William Joseph Caplinger, 603 West Boulevard, well known Marion citizen, passed away at his home at 3:15 a. m. the morning of March 5, 1942. For 10 days before his death, he was stricken with a severe cold and grew gradually worse until death relieved his suffering.
Florence (Harrison) Caplinger passed away on June 3, 1946. Both she and her husband are interred at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Sam’s Notes:
1942 obituary notes describing family: Mr. Caplinger leaves the devoted and loving wife, the four children named above, and the following grandchildren: Glen Joseph and Douglas Goddard, Mrs. William (Katherine) McCluckie, Troy and Holly Walters of Chattanooga, Tenn.; William Caplinger, Jr., of Murphysboro; and the following great-grandchildren: Patricia Ann and Michael McCluckie, Juanita, Charles Wayne, Joyce and Sylvia Holly of Chattanooga.
One sister, Mrs. Delia Edwards of near Harrisburg; one half-sister, Mrs. Ollie Carter of Rector, Ark, and four half-brothers, Theodore, George, Edward and Charles Motsinger, with a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives survive.
All that loving care and attention that could be given was rendered by his devoted family and kind neighbors who so willingly assisted in caring for Mr. Caplinger in his Illness.
Funeral services will be conducted Sunday afternoon from the First Methodist church. Hour and minister not yet determined.
From his first marriage to Eva from obit — To this union were born four children, three of whom survived their youth, Mrs. Mary Francis Walters, Chattanooga, Tenn.; William Logan Caplinger, Murphysboro and Charles Leonard Caplinger of Marlon. Eva Margaret Caplinger died in infancy.
From his second marriage to Florence from obit —And to them was born three daughters; Mrs. Glen Goddard of Marion who survived infancy and Hettle Ann and Joy Christopher Caplinger who died in their youth at ages 5 years and 9 months respectively.
(Data extracted from Caplinger genealogy notes at the Williamson County Historical Society, Marion Daily Republican Obituary notices; Federal Census Records; I.R.A.D.; Marion City Cemetery Records; Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on July 26, 2013)