More about Essie Mae Washington-Williams More about Essie Mae Washington-Williams: Essie Mae Washington-Williams was born in Aiken, South Carolina as the daughter of the late Sen. (James) Strom Thurmond (1902-2003) through a liaison with Carrie Butler, an African American domestic who worked in his home. Although Thurmond privately acknowledged Essie Mae as his daughter, she was raised in Pennsylvania by an aunt and uncle. She did not meet her biological father until 1941, when she was 16 years old. Essiemaewashingtonwilliams.com~Site InfoWhoisTrace RouteRBL Check