Jay P Williams

Jay was born in Orland, Indiana, on the 23rd of September 1872, and like many other recipients of this era, details of his life and service are extremely limited. It is known that he enlisted in the US Navy and deployed to China on board the USS Newark in support of the Boxer Rebellion. His actions during the China Relief Expedition later earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

In action with the relief expedition of the Allied forces in China, 13, 20, 21, and 22 June 1900. During this period and in the presence of the enemy, Williams distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

Jay was married twice, first to Pearl and second to Elvia, and I found no record of any children with either wife. On the 4th of July 1938, Jay Purdy Williams died in Norwalk, Ohio, at the age of 65. He and Elvia are buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk: Section 9, Row 2, Grave 41.