Biography of Carrie Lou Williams Rivers
October 1, 1913 - November 11, 1999
Early Life and Family
Carrie Lou Williams was born on October 1, 1913, in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia, to Daniel T. Williams and Viola (Nancy V.) Etheridge Williams. She grew up during a time when the world was changing rapidly, with World War I ending when she was just five years old and the Roaring Twenties beginning to reshape American society.
The 1920 census shows seven-year-old Carrie living with her family in Athens Ward 3, Clarke County, Georgia. By 1930, when she was seventeen, the family had moved to Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, where she would have experienced the early years of the Great Depression as a teenager. This period would have shaped her resilience and work ethic, qualities that would serve her well throughout her remarkable life.
Marriage and Family Life
On March 14, 1940, at age 26, Carrie married William Blease Rivers (1912-1970) in Columbia, South Carolina. Their marriage began just as the world was once again heading toward global conflict, but they built a strong partnership that would last thirty years until William's death in 1970.
The couple was blessed with three sons: William Thomas Rivers, born in 1941; Steven Douglas Rivers, born in 1944; and Mark Preston Rivers, born in 1953. Tragically, their middle son Steven passed away in 1972 at the young age of 28, a loss that must have deeply affected the entire family.
Military Service During World War II
Carrie's most notable period of service came during World War II when she served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. She enlisted on January 26, 1943, and was discharged on July 28, 1943, though records indicate her overall service spanned the war years. During this critical time in American history, when the nation was fighting on multiple fronts, military nurses like Carrie played an essential role in caring for wounded servicemen both at home and abroad. The Army Nurse Corps was expanding rapidly during WWII, and nurses were desperately needed to support the massive war effort. As a commissioned officer holding the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, Carrie would have been responsible not only for direct patient care but also for training and supervising other medical personnel. Her service during this pivotal moment in world history demonstrates her dedication to serving others and her country during one of its greatest times of need.
Life After the War
Following the war, Carrie and William settled into civilian life. In 1948, they were living at 974 Oglethorpe Avenue SW in Atlanta, Georgia, where Carrie continued her nursing career. The post-war boom was transforming America, and like many families, they eventually headed west seeking new opportunities.
By 1950, the family had moved to Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, marking the beginning of Carrie's long relationship with the Southwest. This move reflected the broader migration patterns of the era, as many Americans relocated to warmer climates and growing western cities during the prosperous 1950s.
Later Years and Community Involvement
Carrie maintained strong ties to both Georgia and Arizona throughout her life. Records show she was back living in Atlanta by 1993, residing at 2141 Springdale Road SW, suggesting she may have returned to Georgia to be closer to family or for other personal reasons during her later years.
Throughout her life, Carrie remained active in her community. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, a Masonic-affiliated organization that emphasized charitable work and community service. This involvement reflected her lifelong commitment to helping others, which had begun with her nursing career and military service.
Final Years and Legacy
Carrie Lou Williams Rivers passed away on November 11, 1999, at the age of 86 in Gilbert, Maricopa County, Arizona. Fittingly, she died on Veterans Day, a date that seemed appropriate for someone who had served her country with distinction during World War II. She was buried on November 12, 1999, at Resthaven Park East Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona, with military honors befitting her rank as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Her obituary noted that she was a retired registered nurse, highlighting the career that had defined much of her adult life. In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations to the Alzheimer's Association, suggesting this disease may have touched their lives personally.
Historical Context (1913-1999)
Carrie's life spanned an extraordinary period in American history. Born in the same year that the Federal Reserve was established and the 16th Amendment authorized the federal income tax, she lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, the Space Race, and the dawn of the computer age. She witnessed the transformation of nursing from a primarily volunteer occupation to a highly professional medical field, and as a military nurse during WWII, she was part of the generation of women who expanded their roles in American society during the war years.
Her journey from rural Georgia to the growing cities of the American Southwest mirrors the broader demographic shifts of 20th-century America, as millions of Americans moved from rural to urban areas and from the older eastern states to the developing West and Southwest.
Carrie Lou (Williams) Rivers lived a life of service, dedication, and quiet courage, leaving behind a legacy through her children and the countless patients she cared for during her nursing career and military service.
Carrie Lou (Williams) Rivers is the wife of William Blease Rivers, my 2nd Cousin 3X Removed.
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1. Social Security Administration, Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 database, http://www.ancestry.com: <accessed> 4 October 2015), Carrie Lou [Williams] Rivers, 256-12-4431, before 1951 derived from U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, 24 July 2011).
2. 1920 U. S. Census, Clarke County, Georgia, population schedule, Athens Ward 3, Clarke, Georgia, enumeration district (ED) 8, Page: 1A/87 (tamped); Line#:26, House NO.#:390; Dwelling#:8, Family#:10, Household of Daniel T. WILLIAMS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : online February 2025); citing NARA publication Roll: T625_243.
3. 1930 U. S. Census, Fulton County, Georgia, population schedule, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, enumeration district (ED) 0105, Page: 20A/247 (Stamped); Line#:18, House No.#:651, Dwelling#:4, Family#: 4, Houshold of Daniel T. WILLIAMS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: online February 2025); citing NARA publication Roll: T626_364.
4. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64, "U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, Ancestry.com, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: Viewed 4 October 2015), 2nd Lt. Carrie Lou Rivers; citing WWII Nurse's Corp.
5. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1895 (Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory: Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, varies), 1242, Mts. Carrie W. Rivers; digital image, Ancestry, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: Online January 2025).
6. 1950 U. S. Census, Pima County, Arizona, population schedule, Tucson, Pima, Arizona, enumeration district (ED) 10-34, Sheets 4 & 5, Lines 30 & 1-3, Household#:1134, Household of William B. RIVERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: online February 2025); citing https://1950census.archives.gov/search/.
7. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1895, NL, Carrie L Rivers.
8. Carrie Lou Rivers obituary, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, 18 November 1999.
9. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010," [database on-line], Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2441/records/8806229: online January 2025), Carrie W Rivers; citing https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2441/records/8806229.
10. "U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010," on-line digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: viewed 4 October 2015), Carrie Lou Williams Rivers; citing Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: Department of Veterans Affairs.; 2ND LT US ARMY, died 11 November 1999.
11. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed); Memorial page for Carrie Lou Williams Rivers; (1 October 1913–11 November 1999); Find a Grave memorial # 195582965, Citing Resthaven Park East Cemetery; Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.
12. "South Carolina, County Marriages Record, 1907-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: online February 2025), Marriage: Carrie Lou Williams & William B. Rivers, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61450/records/90363054.
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