JOHN AND ESTHER BROWN WILLIS
OF MONTGOMERY
COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Submitted by
Stevie Hughes
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THIS FAMILY HISTORY HAS BEEN COMPILED FROM PRIMARY SOURCE
DOCUMENTS IN VA, TN, MO, AR, OK AND KS; THE ESTATE OF JOHN
WILLIS RECORDED IN THE COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,
VIRGINIA; THE BOOK, A BRIEF OF WILLS AND MARRIAGES IN
MONTGOMERY AND FINCASTLE COUNTIES, VIRGINIA 1733-1831,
BY ANNE LOWRY WORRALL; GREENE COUNTY MARRIAGES 1783-1868
BY GOLDENE FILLERS BURGNER; EARLY EAST TENNESSEE
MARRIAGES BY BARBARA AND BYRON SISTLER; GREENE COUNTY
TAX LISTS AND DEEDS FOR THE WILLIS AND WYRICK FAMILIES;
GREENE COUNTY ORPHAN COURT RECORDS FOR THE WYRICK FAMILY;
WIDOWS’ DOWER COURT RECORDS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE;
GREENE COUNTY ESTATE SETTLEMENTS FOR JOTHAM B. WILLIS (1839)
AND JAMES B. WILLIS (1848); THE WYRICK/WILLIS FAMILY AND THE
HAYS FAMILY BIBLES AND FAMILY LETTERS; THE FAMILY BIBLE OF
MINERVA WILLIS SHIPMAN; THE BOOK, GENEALOGY AND WORK OF
REVEREND JOSEPH BULLEN JUNIOR, COMPILED BY FLORA BULLEN
GOSNOLD; GREENE COUNTY CEMETERY TRANSCRIPTIONS BY BUFFORD
REYNOLDS AND HIS ASSOCIATES; OBITUARIES OF DESCENDANTS WHO
DIED IN GREENEVILLE, TENNESSEE AND IN MISSOURI; THE
GREENE COUNTY STORY, PUBLISHED BY THE GREENEVILLE SUN
NEWSPAPER, WHICH INCLUDES THE 1920’S JOURNAL OF DR. WILLIAM
WALTER HARMON; THE BOOK, GREENEVILLE – ONE HUNDRED YEAR
PORTRAIT, BY MR. RICHARD HARRISON DOUGHTY; THE
PIONEER, NOVEMBER 2006 ISSUE, PUBLISHED BY THE GREENE
COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY; THE WILLIS SURNAME DNA PROJECT AND
THE BOOK, THE SEVEN DAUGHTERS OF EVE BY BRYAN SYKES;
AND VARIOUS RESEARCHERS OF THE JAMES H. AND HILA MARTHA
JOHNSON WILLIS FAMILY, THE JOTHAM BROWN FAMILY, THE
CHRISTOPHER COOPER FAMILY, AND THE ZOPHER JOHNS(T)ON
FAMILY. DAVID WILLIS, DNA PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR THE
WILLIS DNA SURNAME PROJECT, PROVIDED MUCH INFORMATION ON THE
WILLIS FAMILIES OF VIRGINIA. A BOOK ON THE WILLIS FAMILIES
WILL BE PUBLISHED BY MR. WILLIS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
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JOHN AND ESTHER
BROWN WILLIS
OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,
VIRGINIA
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John Willis
(Senior) and Esther Brown married in Montgomery County, Virginia
on 1-1-1793. Esther, was the daughter of Old Jotham and Pheby
Brown. The parentage of John Willis is uncertain. One
researcher of this family believes John’s father was William W.
Willis. Another researcher of the Willis Families of Virginia
disagrees, and he believes John’s ancestors were Quakers who
originally arrived in New York, then made their way down into
Pennsylvania and later, established branches in Maryland, North
Carolina and Virginia. It should be stated that preliminary DNA
testing does not support the later theory.
In the 1810
Census of Montgomery County, Virginia, there were only three
Willis Families. They were Benjamin, David and John Willis.
This 1810 Census establishes the household of the John and
Esther Brown Willis Family. The age ranges for both John and
Esther were age 26-45. Their 1793 marriage date would suggest
their ages were near the midpoint range; perhaps about 35-40
years of age. In their 1810 household were five young males and
three young females.
John Willis
(Senior) died before October 1818, when his estate went before
the Court. John’s wife, Esther, and a son, Sylvanus, were the
administrators. The Court appointed four local men to appraise
John’s estate. They were John Kerby, Thomas Craig, Joseph
Barnett and William Willis. The relationship of William Willis
to the John Willis Family is not known. It would be assumed
that William Willis was not part of the immediate family because
the Court would appoint men who would be impartial in their
valuation of the Estate, and thus, they would not be one of the
heirs.
Although the
Court record of the bondsman for Esther and Sylvanus Willis is
not available, a later petition brought by the original
bondsmen, David Craig and David Willis, petitioned the Court to
require Esther and Sylvanus Willis to obtain counter security.
The relationship of David Willis to the John Willis Family is
not known. It is assumed he was a related family member, but
again, not part of the immediate family.
Esther Brown
Willis and her Family are enumerated in the 1820 Census of
Montgomery County, Virginia. Esther’s household consisted of
five young males, two of whom were under the age of 10, and only
one young female, age 16-18. By comparison to the prior 1810
census, it seems that Esther was either pregnant or had a
nursing babe at the time of her husband’s death. By 1820, it
would be reasonable to assume Esther’s oldest sons and two of
her daughters had married and/or left her household by that
time. In this 1820 census, only two other Willis Families are
enumerated. They are David Willis and William W. Willis, both
of whom were associated with the settlement of the Estate of
John Willis in 1818.
Because of the
petition brought to the Court by Esther’s bondsmen to obtain
additional security in the Estate settlement, the Willis Family
were probably contemplating leaving Virginia. Upon the
premature death of Esther’s husband, Esther and her young family
were probably in dire financial straights. By 1820, all of
Esther’s siblings had left Virginia. Most had settled in Greene
County, Tennessee between the years of 1803 through 1812.
Sometime during the mid-1820’s, Esther Brown Willis and her
children also left Virginia and arrived in Greene County,
Tennessee. The year of birth of the oldest identified grandson,
Walter C. Willis, born 1824 in Tennessee, could suggest a
migration date about that time.
Beginning in
1827, Willis males and females began to marry, or to act as
bondsmen for others. From the marriage records, census and tax
lists, we are able to identify most of the children of John and
Esther Brown Willis. The only males appearing in the first
available, 1828 tax list, are the sons Sylvanus and James B.
Willis, who are listed in the Captain Kelley Company.
There are only
three Willis men in the 1830 Census of Greene County, Tennessee,
and they are the sons of John and Esther: John Willis (Junior),
Jotham B. Willis, and James B. Willis, all three of whom were in
the age range of 20-30 years of age. An elderly female, age
70-80, is in the household of John Willis (Junior).
This female is
believed to be Esther Brown Willis, although her age would seem
to be about ten years older than it should be. In 1830, it is
certain that Esther’s son, John Junior, lived very near to
Esther’s siblings in the northern area of Greene County,
approximately 3-5 miles due north of the Town of Greeneville.
On the same census page are Zopher Johnston Junior and his wife,
Phebe Cooper Johnston. Phebe’s mother was Jane Brown Cooper,
who was the sister of Esther Brown Willis. The fourth and
presumably the oldest son, Sylvanus Willis, is not in the 1830
Greene County census; however, Sylvanus is clearly in Greene
County by 1828 when he appears in the Tax Roster.
After the
Families arrival in Greene County, it is apparent the Willis
brothers were not farmers. None of the brothers owned any land
until 1842 (James B. Willis). Even then, the acreage was small,
only 29 acres, far from what would be required to support a
Family. Thus, the Willis brothers must have been tradesmen or
craftsmen. Indeed, several of the “second generation” Willis
men were Carpenters.
It is not known
when Esther Brown Willis died nor where she is buried. Esther
is not in the 1840 census. It would be expected for Esther to
be buried in a cemetery near her residence, which in 1830 was
near her relatives in northern Greene County. In the 1836 Civil
Districts Listing, one of Esther’s sons, James B. Willis, lived
in District 12. Two of her sons, John Junior and Sylvanus
Willis, lived in the adjacent District 13. District 12
encompassed today’s Cross Anchor and Hardin’s Chapel areas.
District 13, just northeast of Town, included the road to the
Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church and today’s Tusculum area.
Esther Brown
Willis is probably buried at the Old Cooper Burial Ground in
District 12 where her sister, Jane Brown Cooper, is buried. She
is possibly buried in the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church
Cemetery located on today’s Tusculum Blvd.; however, Esther’s
sons did not live in this area until 1842. In all probability,
Esther was deceased before 1840.
Based on the
early Census of John (Senior) and Esther Brown Willis’ household
in Virginia, it is presumed they had five and possibly six sons
and three daughters. A review of Greene County, Tennessee
marriages, tax lists and census records identifies most of the
sons. The oldest sons of John and Esther Willis are:
1.
Sylvanus, born 10-1-1797 in VA. Sylvanus is probably
the oldest son. He married in Greene County, Tennessee on
3-17-1831 to the young widow, Polly (Mary) Alexander Wyrick.
Sylvanus lived in Greene County through 1836. Before 1840,
Sylvanus and his family removed to adjacent Washington County.
Sylvanus Willis died in Washington County, Tennessee on
8-10-1853.
2. James
B., born c. 1800. James was married about 1822/23
before the family arrived in Greene County. James’ oldest son,
Walter C., was born in 1824. In census records, Walter was very
consistent in stating his place of birth in Tennessee, although
this may have been incorrect. The first wife of James B. Willis
and the mother of Walter is possibly Betsy Hall. On 1-24-1828,
James married Frances Nixon. They lived in District 12 until
1844, when James bought a 39-acre farm in or near town (District
10). James B. Willis died after March 4th and before
April 22nd, 1848. James is probably buried in the
Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church Cemetery. His Family is in
the 1850 census.
3. John
W. (Junior), born c. 1807. John does not appear in a
Greene County tax list until 1832 when he is listed in the
Captain Samuel Gass Company (District 12). Yet, he married
Annie Allison on 10-3-1827. They lived in District 12. By
1836, John lived in or near the Town of Greeneville (District
10). On 8-17-1850, he purchased 12 ¼ acres of land on Holley’s
Creek in District 13. John is enumerated in the 1850 and 1860
census, consistently stating his year of birth as 1807. He died
about 1861. John is probably buried in the Mount Bethel
Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
4.
Jotham B., born c.1810. Jotham married on 3-17-1830 to
Nancy Wilson. Jotham died about 1833/34. His widow, Nancy,
remarried in 1839 to Lee M. Bullen. Nancy Willis Bullen and her
second husband are buried in unmarked graves in the Mount Bethel
Presbyterian Church Cemetery. It is virtually certain that
Jotham B. Willis is also buried there.
5. The
name of the fifth son is not known. It appears that
either he or his widow came to Greene County. Research is
continuing to identify this fifth son. Based on the naming
patterns of his brother’s children, the name of the fifth son is
possibly William. The widow of this 5th son is
believed to be Sally Willis, who married in Greene County on
6-30-1830 to Robert Foster Junior. In the 1840 household of
Robert (Junior) and Sally Willis Foster is a young boy, born c.
1826-30, who is believed by this author to be James H. Willis,
born 5-1-1828. For further information on these
intermarried families, please refer to the articles on Robert
Foster Junior and his second wife, The Family of Robert (Senior)
and Mercy Johnston Foster, and James H. and Hila Martha Johnson
Willis.
Each of the
four known Willis sons is documented further in separate
articles entitled, The Willis Brothers of Greene County,
Tennessee.
The daughters
of John and Esther Brown Willis cannot be as accurately
identified as the sons. Only one of their daughters was in
their 1820 household, the older two had presumably married.
This younger daughter is believed to be Esther Willis who
married James Morrow in Greene County on 9-28-1831. The
Morrow and
Willis families were near neighbors in the 1830 Greene County,
Tennessee census. The Morrows were enumerated on census page
229, as were James B. Willis and the Bullen Family (Nancy
Willis, the widow of Jotham Willis, remarried to Lee M. Bullen
in 1839). In 1827, James Morrow was the bondsman for the
marriage of John Willis. Thus, all three of the Willis
brothers, Jotham, John and James, can be associated with the
Morrow Family. James and Esther Willis Morrow were no longer in
Greene County by 1840. No further information is available at
this time. |
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WILLIS Y-DNA AND JOHNSON
MTDNA |
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One male
descendant of John and Esther Brown Willis is participating in
the Y-DNA Project for the Willis surname. At the time of this
writing, the Willis Surname Project has no DNA matches in their
database to this descendant. The male Willis DNA is classified
as Haplogroup R1b, which indicates “general” western European
descent. The Willis male DNA has striking similarity to that of
the Zopher Johns(t)on Family, who were related by marriage over
a 50+ year time period. This could, of course, simply be
“coincidental”. Efforts are ongoing to locate other Willis male
descendants who will participate in the Y-DNA testing.
Please refer to
Appendix 2 in this book for specific information on the Willis Y
(male) DNA.
The female
lineage of John and Esther Brown Willis is also participating in
the DNA project. James H. Willis (1828 TN – 1902 MO) married
his cousin, Hila Martha Johnson (1827 TN – 1903 MO), in Greene
County, Tennessee on 9-13-1847. Hila Martha was the daughter of
Zopher (Junior) and Phebe Cooper Johnson. A direct line female
descendant has taken the MTDNA test, which documents the ancient
lineage of Hila Martha’s female ancestors, who would include her
mother, Phebe Cooper Johnson; her maternal grandmother, Jane
Brown Cooper, and her great-grandmother, Pheby (believed to be
nee Johnston) Brown. Jane Brown Cooper and Esther Brown Willis
were sisters; thus, the MTDNA for the female descendant of Hila
Martha Johnson Willis would be the same as the female
descendants of Esther Brown Willis. The female MTDNA is
classified as the “J”, “Jasmine” matriarchal lineage. The “J”
lineage is somewhat rare, representing less than 17% of today’s
females who are of European descent. |
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THE WILLIS BROTHERS:
SYLVANUS WILLIS
OF GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE |
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Co-written with Eric Hays,
Four sons of
John (Senior) and Esther Brown Willis arrived in Greene County,
Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1820’s. A fifth son, or possibly
his widow and child, also came to Greene County. The Willis
Family was originally from Montgomery County, Virginia, where
John Willis Senior died in 1818. His widow, Esther Brown
Willis, a daughter of Old Jotham and Pheby Brown, was the
administrator of John’s Estate, along with their son, Sylvanus
Willis. The Willis Family is enumerated in the 1820 Census of
Montgomery County, Virginia. By 1830, their sons resided in
Greene County, Tennessee where they lived near Esther’s family.
The four known Willis Brothers were Sylvanus,
Jotham B., James B. and John Junior.
The oldest son
is believed to be Sylvanus Willis, born 10-1-1797
in Virginia. He was the co-administrator of his father’s Estate
in 1818. Sylvanus was in or on his way to Greene County in
1824, when a letter for him was being held at the post office.
In 1828 he appears with his brother, James, in the tax list of
Captain Kelley. In that same year, Sylvanus was indicted by the
Greene County Court for assault and battery. His Uncle Jotham
Brown was his surety. Sylvanus possibly left Greene County for
a short while which would explain why he is not enumerated in
the 1830 Census.
On 3-17-1831,
Sylvanus married the young widow, “Polly” (Mary) Alexander
Wyrick. Mary R. Alexander, born 6-16-1804, was the daughter of
Stephen K. Alexander who owned land at the Buckingham Ford on
the Nolachucky River. This area was part of Tusculum, District
13, and in later years, District 24. Polly had first married
Jacob T. Wyrick on 6-8-1824, bond by Robert Maloney, who was a
son-in-law of Jane Brown Cooper, sister to Esther Brown Willis.
Jacob T. Wyrick died on 2-23-1828, leaving Mary with two young
sons. In 1830, Polly Wyrick and her two sons were enumerated in
the Greene County census. The Orphan Court Record dated
7-31-1830 identifies the two young Wyrick sons as Mordecai L.
and Stephen F. Wyrick. Stephen K. Alexander, their grandfather,
was named as the boys’ Guardian.
Sylvanus Willis
and his family resided near the Town of Greeneville in District
13 at the time of the 1836 Civil Districts Listing. District
13 included the area adjoining the town along the northeast
perimeter, on the road to the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church,
which extended into the then, very rural area of Tusculum. By
1840, Sylvanus and his family had relocated to adjacent
Washington County where the family lived on the headwaters of
Onion Branch near the Embreeville Road. The 1840 household
consisted of three young males under the age of 15, and three
young females under the age of 10. Two of the young males were
Sylvanus’s stepsons. Also in the 1840 household was a male age
20-30 (born c. 1810-20) and a young female age 15-20 (born c.
1820-25) who have not been identified.
In the 1850
census, Sylvanus Willis was listed as a “carpenter”. Many of
the Willis men in Greeneville were carpenters by trade. Three
additional children were born after 1840. Sylvanus Willis died
in Washington County, Tennessee on 8-10-1853. Mary and the
children continued to live on the farm until 1868. In February
1869, Mary petitioned the Washington County Court for her
one-third Widow’s Dower in the property. By that time, Mary
lived in Greene County, where she resided on the 20-acre farm
near Buckingham Road that she had inherited in 1862 from her
father, Stephen K. Alexander (died 5-1-1862).
At the time of
the 1870 census, Mary’s youngest child, Mary Willis “Haze”
(Hays), and her son-in-law, William R. Hays, resided in her
household. The last record in Greene County for Mary R.
Alexander Wyrick Willis occurred on 7-24-1871, when she sold her
20-acre farm located on Buckingham Road to Joshua C. Lane for
$400. The witness to the sale was Mary’s son-in-law, William R.
Hays.
Sometime before
1880, the Hays Family migrated to Scotland County, Missouri. It
appears the widow of Sylvanus, Mary Willis, went with them.
Mary died on 12-10-1876. Mary R. Alexander Wyrick Willis
maintained the Family Bible up until her death. The handwriting
is exquisite, inferring Mary had been very well educated in
Greene County, Tennessee during the earliest years of its
history.
The children of
Jacob T. and Mary Alexander Wyrick were raised from early
childhood by their stepfather, Sylvanus Willis. These children
were:
1.
Mordecai L. Wyrick, born 6-5-1825. Mordecai married
Catherine D. Payne in Greene County on 5-8-1850. Catherine, was
the daughter of the prosperous Greene County citizen, Merryman
Payne (died 1844 and buried at Old Harmony Cemetery in today’s
downtown Greeneville). Mordecai and his newly married bride are
enumerated in his stepfather’s 1850 household in Washington
County. Mordecai’s profession was stated as “Carpenter”. After
1852, Mordecai and his wife migrated to Barry County, Missouri.
In Missouri, Mordecai’s profession was stated as “Druggist”.
At the time of the 1860 census, he and Catherine had three
children. Mordecai Wyrick’s first wife, Catherine Payne Wyrick,
died shortly after the 1860 census. Mordecai died on
8-25-1867. Two of Mordecai’s children were raised by Mordecai’s
half-brother, Virgil Alexander Willis. A descendant of
Mordecai’s daughter, Mary Eugenia Wyrick, is a co-author of this
Family History. The five children of Mordecai Wyrick are
documented in a 1922 letter by a son, Taylor B. Wyrick. These
children were: (1) Ignatius Xavier, born c. 1851
in TN. After the death of his parents, Ignatius returned to
Greene County, Tennessee, sometime before 1870 to live with his
Grandmother, Mary Alexander Wyrick Willis. In June of 1870, St.
Ignatious Hevious Wyrick, a minor, was appointed a Guardian by
the Greene County Courts. The Guardian was Walter C. Willis, a
nephew of Sylvanus Willis. Ignatious Wyrick resided in Greene
County with Mary Wyrick Willis at the time of the 1870 census.
He later migrated to Missouri with Willis Family members.
Ignatious Wyrick married Susanna J. Black on 10-21-1875. By
1880, Ignatious and his wife, had two young daughters, Mary J.,
born c. 1877, and Catharine D. Wyrick, born c. 1879. (2)
Mary Eugenia Columbia, born c. 1856 in Missouri. Mary
attended college in St. Louis. She married Thomas Allen Hays.
They Wyrick/Willis Family Bible and the Hays Family Bible passed
into the hands of their descendants. A brother of Thomas Allen
Hays, Robert William Hays, married the daughter of Virgil Willis
(see below). Tom and Mary Wyrick Hays lived in Scotland County
and Schuyler County in Missouri. They had nine children:
Effie, Earl, Essie, Grover, Jenny, Estella, and Ford Hays, and
two unnamed twins who died in infancy. (3) Francis Van
Wileman, born c. 1858 for whom no further information is
available; (4) Joseph Charles, YOB unknown, who
may have died in childhood; and (5) Taylor B. Wyrick,
born 1867, who from his 1922 letter, appears to have been a son
by Mordecai Wyrick and a second wife whose name is not known.
Taylor B. Wyrick was a lawyer and lived in St. Louis, Missouri,
by 1885. He married Stella Fischer in 1904. They did not have
children. In the 1931 letter from Taylor to his cousin, Mrs.
Mary Hays, Taylor said he did not know much about his Father’s
family. In his letter, Taylor says, “what little I know about
father’s family I learned from Aunt Lucy Willis.” Lucy Willis
was the widow of Taylor’s Uncle, Virgil Willis. Taylor B.
Wyrick did not know any family members of the Wyrick surname.
It appears this Wyrick Family died out with the death of Taylor
B. Wyrick.
2.
Stephen Francis Wyrick, born 3-4-1827. Stephen was
raised from early childhood by his stepfather, Sylvanus Willis.
It is unlikely, he ever remembered his father, Jacob T. Wyrick.
Stephen was unmarried in 1850 and resided in his stepfather’s
household. No marriage record has been found for him. He
appears in only one tax list in Greene County in the year 1848
in District 13. It is most probable he was working for his
stepfather’s brother, John Willis, who owned land in this
District. Stephen T. Wyrick died in Tennessee on 8-16-1854 at
the age of 27.
After the death
of Jacob T. Wyrick, his widow, Mary, remarried to Sylvanus
Willis. Sylvanus and Mary Alexander Wyrick Willis had seven
children together, most of whom died young and unmarried. It is
not known if the family suffered some great tragic mishap, which
led to the early deaths of their children. The children’s
births and deaths were lovingly written into the family Bible by
their Mother.
These children
were:
1.
Catherine Jane Willis, born 6-6-1832. She was in her
parents’ 1850 household. Catherine died unmarried at the age of
twenty-five on 7-31-1857.
2.
Margaret Eliza Willis, born 9-5-1834. Margaret married
Sylvester Armentrout on 9-21-1855. They
lived in
northern Greene County in the Romeo area in 1860 and in the
Rheatown area in 1870. By 1900, Margaret and Sylvester resided
in Washington County. Margaret and Sylvester had five
children. Only two are known: (1) Bruce, born c. 1861;
and (2) Charles L., born c. 1868. Both sons
resided near their parents in Washington County in 1900.
Margaret Willis Armentrout died after 1900. She is the only
child for whom a date of death is not written into the Family
Bible. Perhaps the Missouri branches had lost contact with the
only family member who remained in Tennessee.
3.
Esther Angeline Willis, born 12-24-1836. Born on
Christmas Eve, she was named for her paternal Grandmother,
Esther Brown Willis. “Angeline” died unmarried at the age of
twenty-three on 9-11-1860.
4.
Virgil Alexander Willis, born 3-20-1840. Virgil was
enumerated twice in the 1860 census; once in his Mother’s
Washington County, Tennessee household; and again, in the 1860
household of his half-brother, Mordecai Wyrick, who lived in
Barry County, Missouri. Oddly, Virgil’s marriage is not
recorded in the Family Bible; perhaps because Virgil married in
Missouri shortly after the 1860 census and his mother still
resided in Greene County, Tennessee at that time.
By 1870, Virgil
was a “physician” and lived in Montgomery County, Missouri with
his wife, “Lucy” (Lucia J., surname is not known), and their 3
children: (1) L. Edwin “Ed” Willis, born
7-6-1862. Edwin was also a doctor in Montgomery County,
Missouri. By 1887, Edwin Willis was in Arkansas. On 5-4-1887,
Edwin married Martha E. “Mattie” Orff in Newport, Arkansas.
Edwin died on 8-16-1919. Edwin and Mattie did not have
children. Upon Edwin’s death, his entire estate, which was
considerable, was left to his widow. Edwin’s widow, Mattie Orff
Willis, died on 12-8-1923 in St. Louis. In Mattie’s Will, her
estate went to the Presbyterian Church and for public projects
to benefit the children of the City of Newport, Arkansas. Edwin
and Mattie Willis are buried in the Walnut Grove Cemetery in
Jackson County, Arkansas. (2) Alma Willis, born
April 1866. Alma married Hiram M. Lydenstricker. They had two
sons and lived in Decatur, Georgia. Alma died sometime after
1923. (3) Ford D. Willis, born 1-5- 1869 (or
6-5-1870?? Tombstone). Ford Willis was also a doctor in
Montgomery County, Missouri. He moved to Arkansas where he died
on 2-23-1902. Ford Willis is buried with his brother, Edwin, at
Walnut Grove Cemetery. It is presently not known if Ford
married and left descendants. There is no tombstone at the
Walnut Grove Cemetery for a wife of Ford Willis.
After the death
of Mordecai Wyrick, Virgil’s half-brother, Virgil raised his
niece, Mary Wyrick and nephew, Francis Wyrick. The two children
are living in Virgil’s 1870 household. Dr. Virgil Alexander
Willis died at the age of thirty-six on 7-5-1876. His death is
carefully recorded into the Family Bible. Virgil’s “Notice of
Death” was published in the Montgomery City Standard newspaper.
After Virgil’s death, Lucy and her children continued to live in
Montgomery County. In 1900, Lucy lived with her married
daughter, Alma Willis Lydenstricker in Memphis, Scotland County,
Missouri. After 1900, Lucy Willis moved to Arkansas and lived
with her sons, Edwin and Ford. Lucy died on 11-8-1916 and is
buried at Walnut Grove Cemetery with her sons.
5.
Tilman McClure Willis, born 4-29-1844, who died at the
age of twelve on 10-7-1856.
6.
George Eugene Mathes Willis, born 12-31-1846. “George”
was in his Mother’s 1860 household in Washington County. At
the age of 17, “Eugene” enlisted on 10-2-1863 with the 12th
Tennessee Cavalry, Company B. He died three months after his
enlistment on 1-14-1864. His death was carefully recorded into
the Family Bible by his Mother.
7. Mary
Maria Willis, born 4-21-1850. On 5-20-1868, Mary
married William R. Hays. William Robert Hays, born 12-13-1843,
was the son of John (born 2-25-1829) and Mary Rhea (born
12-7-1826; died 7-23-1875) Hays of Greene County. William R.
Hays served in the Civil War as a Private in the 4th
TN Infantry, Company E. Mary and William Hays and their infant
daughter, Margaret “Essie” C. Hays, lived with Mary’s Mother in
Greene County at the time of the 1870 census. Also living in
their household was Saint I.X. (Ignatious) Wyrick, age 19, (born
c. 1851). Mary Alexander Wyrick Willis, lived her last years
with her youngest daughter’s family. By 1880, William and Mary
Willis Hays were also in Scotland County, Missouri. They had
only one child: (1) Margaret “Essie” C. Hays,
born 4-10-1869. William Robert Hays died of “impacted gall
stones” on 6-24-1911. William’s death certificate gives his
date of birth as 6-13-1844. The information was provided by J.
F. Alexander, William’s son-in-law.
Mary Maria
Willis Hays died of “chronic dropsy” on 12-26-1916 in Memphis,
Missouri. Mary’s daughter, Essie Hays Alexander, gave the
information on the death certificate. William Robert and Mary
Maria Willis Hays are buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Memphis,
Missouri. Their daughter, Essie, married John F. Alexander.
The final entry in the Wyrick/Willis Family Bible is the date of
death of Mary’s daughter, Margaret “Essie” Hays Alexander, who
died on 7-11-1925. The information for Essie’s death
certificate was given by her husband. Essie Hays Alexander is
buried in the Memphis Cemetery.
The Wyrick/Willis
Family Bible and the Hays Family Bible have been published by
the Greene County, Tennessee Historical Society in their
publication, The Pioneer, November 2006 issue, courtesy
of Eric Hays who lives in Nebraska. A copy of this publication
may be obtained from the T. Elmer Cox Library, 229 North Main
Street, Greeneville, Tennessee 37745. |
|
THE WILLIS BROTHERS: JAMES
B. WILLIS
OF GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE |
|
Four sons of
John (Senior) and Esther Brown Willis arrived in Greene County,
Tennessee during the 1820’s. A fifth son, or possibly his widow
and child, also came to Greene County. The Willis Family was
originally from Montgomery County, Virginia, where John Willis
died in 1818. His widow, Esther Brown Willis, a daughter of Old
Jotham and Pheby Brown, was the administrator of John’s Estate,
along with their son, Sylvanus Willis. The Willis Family is
enumerated in the 1820 Census of Montgomery County, Virginia.
By 1830, their sons resided in Greene County, Tennessee, where
they lived near Esther’s siblings. The four known Willis
Brothers were Sylvanus, Jotham, James B. and John
Willis Junior.
James B.
Willis, born c. 1800 in Virginia. James married in
Virginia before his migration to Greene County, Tennessee. The
name of the first wife is not known; however, a marriage
occurred in Montgomery County on 7-14-1823 between James Willis
and Betsy Hall, the daughter of Leonard Hall. Charles H. Willis
(a cousin) was the surety. Betsy Hall is most probably the
first wife of James and the Mother of James’ first born sons and
possibly a daughter. James’ oldest son, Walter C. Willis, was
born in 1824. James married a second time to Frances Nixon in
Greene County on 1-24-1828. The marriage was performed by the
Rev. Samuel W. Doak (1785-1864), who established the Mount
Bethel Presbyterian Church. The original Church was located on
Richland Creek in the Town. After a quarrel among parishioners,
the Church split into two factions. The Reverend Hezekiah Balch
organized the Old Harmony Church. The Reverend Samuel W. Doak
built a new building that was erected just outside of the town
limits on the northeast perimeter. Rev. Doak’s Church retained
the Mount Bethel name.
James and his
second wife, Frances Nixon Willis, are enumerated in the 1830
Census with four young children in their household, two males
and two females. Most of these children were born before their
marriage date. The two young boys would be James’ sons, Walter
C. (born 1824) and John H. (born 1826), from his first
marriage. One of the young females is Elizabeth (born c. 1829),
who is the first born child of James and his second wife,
Frances. The other young female is not known, and she was
possibly a daughter by James’ first wife.
James B. Willis
was never a large landowner, and therefore, was not a farmer.
The inventory of his Estate tells us that he was an educated man
who owned a number of books. He was also a carpenter by trade.
Most of the items in the Estate inventory were tools of that
trade. In 1836, James and Frances lived in Civil District 12
where most of his Mother’s family lived. In 1842, James had
acquired 29 acres of land in this District. About 1844, he sold
this land in District 12 and purchased 39 acres of land in the
Town of Greeneville (District 10). At the time of his death in
1848, James was taxed on 41 acres of land in town, including
$300 of other taxable property. It appears that James was not
only a carpenter by trade, but also a land speculator, who
perhaps developed and sold town lots.
James B.
Willis died in the Town of Greeneville shortly after March 4th,
1848 and before May 2, 1848. On the later date, the Greene
County Court granted his widow, Frances, a one-year’s support
for her family of eight children. The inventory of James’
Estate, valued at $415.67, was submitted to the Court on
7-3-1848. The Administrators of the Estate were his son, Walter
C. Willis, and James C. Wilson. James’ widow, Frances,
purchased several items from the Estate, as did several of the
intermarried kinfolk, who included John and James Maloney
(Mariah Maloney married Walter C. Willis), Joseph and William
Foster (Sally Willis married Robert Foster Junior), and Adam
Morrow (Esther Willis married James Morrow). James’ brother,
Sylvanus Willis, who was a carpenter, purchased a handsaw.
Frances Nixon
Willis and seven of her eight children were enumerated in the
1850 census. Many of these children apparently died unmarried
before 1860. In 1870, Frances lived with her married daughter,
Martha Willis Harrold. Frances Willis died shortly before
October 1884 when her Estate was submitted to the Court. Her
entire Estate was left to her daughter, Martha Willis Harold.
Her son, James H. Willis, was the Executor. It appears these
two children were the only ones who survived their Mother.
It is almost
certain James B. Willis, Frances, and many of their children are
buried at the Mount Bethel Church Cemetery. It is possible
Frances is buried in the “new” Oak Grove Cemetery Chartered in
1883. Several sons of James B. Willis who died after 1883 are
buried at Oak Grove. (Those known to be buried in Oak Grove
Cemetery in downtown Greeneville are indicated as *). The
sons of James B. Willis and his first wife, are:
1. Walter
C. Willis*, born 12-10-1824. Walter was a carpenter,
and in 1850, he lived in the hotel of John Maloney. On
7-5-1854, Walter married his cousin, Mariah H. Maloney*.
Mariah, born 3-5-1828, was the daughter of Robert and Catherine
Cooper Maloney. Catherine Cooper Maloney was the niece of
Walter’s Grandmother, Esther Brown Willis. Walter C. Willis was
well known in the town of Greeneville. He and Mariah lived on
North Main Street. He was one of the initial members of the
Greeneville Fire Department when it was organized in 1849. He
was also the Secretary of the Building Committee in 1860 for the
beautiful Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Main Street. During
the Civil War years, Walter shared a carpentry shop on North
Main Street with his brother-in-law, Robert Dickson Maloney,
where they built coffins for the dead soldiers. After the war,
Walter was the Assessor of Internal Revenue for Greene County.
In later years, he operated a hardware store in downtown
Greeneville. Walter C. Willis* died in Greeneville on
3-27-1884. Mariah Maloney Willis* died on 1-24-1903. Walter
and Mariah did not have children.
2. John
H. Willis*, born 10-8-1826. In the 1850 Tax List, John
is identified as the son of James B. Willis. On 4-26-1849,
John married Elizabeth J. McCord* (1831-1907), the daughter of
James H. and Margaret R. McCord, who lived on Holley’s Creek in
Civil District 13 next to the Bullen and Morrow Families. John
and “Lizzie” lived in the Town of Greeneville where John was a
carpenter. On 3-17-1856, the widow, Margaret McCord,
transferred her life Estate in the 178-acre farm on Holley’s
Creek to her three children, Elizabeth McCord Willis, Martha
McCord and William B. McCord. On 2-28-1860, John H. Willis
purchased from his brother-in-law, William McCord, 143 acres of
the land on Holley’s Creek. John and “Lizzie” lived on this
farm until 1882. In 1882, John sold the farm and moved to
Newport, Tennessee, to join his son, George W. Willis, in the
“tanning business”. John H. Willis* died on 3-25-1885.
Elizabeth* died on 12-27-1907. Their children were: (1)
George W., born c. 1852. George W. Willis and his wife,
Dora, and their four daughters (Nellie, twins Jessie and Bessie,
and Stella) and only son (Walter) lived in Newport, Cocke
County, Tennessee. (2) James William*, born
3-7-1854. James was a hardware merchant in the store previously
operated by his Uncle, Walter C. Willis. James W. and his wife,
Annie Mitchell Willis* (1864-1942), lived on Irish Street where
they raised their two daughters, Bonnie* and Bessie, and only
son, Lyle Corwin Willis*. James was selected to be one of the
men who lead the funeral procession of President Andrew Johnson
through the streets of Greeneville. This must have been a huge
honor, and a tribute to his character and reputation. At the
time of James’ death, the family lived in Knoxville. James
William Willis* died on 10-3-1916. James’ son, Lyle Corwin*
(1889-1941) and his wife, Eunice Robinson* (1890-1956) and their
daughter, Barbara Willis Alexander*, 1918-1994, resided in
Greeneville. James’ daughter, Bonnie* (1881-1964), married
Henry Whitehead, and they lived in Knoxville, later returning to
Greeneville. Bonnie Willis Whitehead’s unmarried sister, Bessie
Willis, lived with them. A descendant of Bonnie Willis
Whitehead presently lives in Knoxville, age 90 as of this
writing. (3) Charles D.*, born 10-23-1857.
Charles married Flora Gass* (1862-1922). Charles was a
physician and lived in Cocke County for awhile. The family
returned to Greeneville where they raised six children, of whom
four are known: Charles Junior* (1894-1929), Wallace Alvin*
(1897-1932), Selma Willis Vann* (1881-1957), and Alma Willis
Mason* (1888-1969). Dr. Charles D. Willis* died on
12-11-1900. (4) Samuel Milligan, born 7-1-1861.
Samuel married Mollie Taylor* (1863-1910) and moved to
Morristown where he was a hardware merchant. Two sons are
known: (i) Eugene K. and (ii) John B. Willis. Samuel’s wife,
Mollie* died in 1910. Samuel married a second time. No
children are known from the second marriage. Samuel Milligan
Willis died in Morristown on 9-9-1935 and is buried in Jarnigan
Cemetery. (5) Alvin S.*, born 11-18-1864. Alvin
was a dentist in Knoxville. He died unmarried on 7-30-1919.
(6) Octavia Belle*, born 7-31-1868, who died
unmarried on 9-7-1907.
James B. Willis
and his second wife, Frances Nixon Willis, had eight children
who were living at the time of James’ death in 1848. Only seven
of these children were in the widow’s 1850 household. The seven
known children of James and Frances Nixon Willis are:
3.
Elizabeth Willis, born c. 1829. Elizabeth was unmarried
and lived with her widowed mother in 1850. She was no longer in
the 1860 household. No marriage has been found for Elizabeth.
4. Mary
A. Willis, born c. 1831. Mary was unmarried and lived
with her widowed mother in 1850. She was no longer in the 1860
household. No marriage has been found for Mary.
5. David
K. Willis, born c. 1832. David was unmarried and lived
with his widowed mother in 1850. He never appears in a Greene
County Tax List nor is there a marriage for him. David K.
Willis either died or left Greene County before he reached the
age of majority, when he would have appeared in the tax rolls.
6.
Martha Willis, born December 1837. Martha married
William C. Harrold on 2-19-1868. William C. Harrold, a son of
Andrew L. and Anna Harrold, served as a Corporal with the 4th
Tennessee Infantry Company E, and later drew a Civil War
pension. Martha’s widowed mother, Frances, lived with Martha
and her husband in District 8. Martha inherited her mother’s
entire Estate in 1884. Martha and William Harrold resided in
District 8 up through 1900. In 1910 they lived in District 12.
In the 1910 Census, Martha stated she had 9 children of whom 7
were then living. The known children included: (1)
James M., (1869-1929) who is buried at Mt. Hebron
Cemetery; (2) Augustus “Gus” K., (1870-1967) who
is buried in Maryville; (3) William C. (Junior),
born c. 1873; (4) Orlenia Frances, born c. 1874,
who married George W. Painter and lived in Loudoun County;
(5) Charles Lewis, a twin (1877-1965), buried Cedar
Hill Presbyterian Church Cemetery; (6) Anna E., a
twin (1877-1962), wife of Frank Harmon, buried at Cedar Hill;
and (7) Elmer R. (1881-1965) who is buried in
Johnson City. Both William and Martha Willis Harrold were
deceased by 1920. They are possibly buried in unmarried graves
at Cedar Hill Cemetery.
7. James
H. Willis*, born 2-25-1841. In 1860, James was a
carpenter and lived with his half-brother, Walter C. Willis
(1824-1884). James possibly served in the Civil War with the 8th
Tennessee Infantry, Company G. James H. Willis married Margaret
Clara McCoy* (1854-1930). They lived in the town of Greeneville
near West Irish and Summer Streets. In 1884, James H. Willis
was the Administrator of his Mother’s Estate. James was a
well-known builder in Greeneville. In 1887, he was the General
Contractor for several buildings at Tusculum College, including
McCormick Hall and Craig Hall. In the 1900 census, James and
Clara reported having 9 children, 8 of whom were then living.
Their children were: (1) Edgar J.*, born
2-28-1877, who died unmarried on 7-12-1902; (2) Lucy*,
(1879-1882); (3) Fannie (probably Frances), born
c. 1884; (4) Pearl* born 1886, who died unmarried
in 1927; (5) Jennie born c. 1888; (6)
Hazel born 1890, who married Mr. C. N. Otey of
Wytheville, Virginia. He died in 1918. (7) Yeteva*
(1892-1978), who married G. Wilson White; (8) Clara
born c. 1897; and (9) Louisa, born c. 1899. James
H. Willis* died on 11-2-1901.
8.
William F. Willis, born c. 1842. At the age of 20,
William enlisted with the 1st Tennessee Cavalry Co. I
in August 1862. On 5-6-1866, “Franklin” Willis married Rhoda
Oliphant. William appears in only one Tax List for the year
1867 in Civil District 12, and apparently died before the 1870
Census. W. (William) F. (Franklin) Willis is buried with a
Military tombstone at Mount Bethel Cemetery on today’s Tusculum
Blvd. No dates are given on the marker. Members of the
Oliphant Family are also buried at Mount Bethel. William’s
widow, Rhoda, may also be buried there in an unmarked grave.
9.
Seburn McDaniel, born c. 1845. Seburn was named for
neighbor and friend, Seburn Jewell, and Blackstone “McDannel”.
Seburn enlisted with the 8th Tennessee Cavalry
Company B. He died unmarried on 12-14-1864, leaving no
descendants. His burial place is not known. |
|
THE WILLIS BROTHERS: JOHN
W. WILLIS (JUNIOR)
OF GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE |
|
Four sons of
John (Senior) and Esther Brown Willis arrived in Greene County,
Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1820’s. A fifth son, or possibly
his widow and child, also came to Greene County. The Willis
Family was originally from Montgomery County, Virginia, where
John Willis died in 1818. His widow, Esther Brown Willis, a
daughter of Old Jotham and Pheby Brown, was the administrator of
John’s Estate, along with their son, Sylvanus Willis. The
Willis Family is enumerated in the 1820 Census of Montgomery
County, Virginia. By 1830, their sons resided in Greene County,
Tennessee, where they lived near Esther’s siblings. The four
known Willis Brothers were Sylvanus, Jotham, James B. and
John W. Willis Junior.
John W.
Willis Junior, born c. 1807 in Virginia, was the first
of his brothers to marry in Greene County, Tennessee. On
10-3-1827, John Willis married “Anny” (Anna) Allison, bond by
James Morrow. John and Anna are enumerated in the 1830 Census
where they lived near the Roaring Fork area of northern Greene
County where John’s Mother’s family resided. Two children were
in John’s 1830 household, a son (David, born in 1829), and a
young female, born c. 1821-1825, who would not be a daughter.
This young female who is living in the 1830 household of John
Willis Junior has never been identified. Also in John’s
household was an elderly woman, age 70-80, who is believed to be
John’s mother, Esther Brown Willis.
For reasons
presently not known, John Willis does not appear in a Greene
County Tax List until the year 1832, when he is in the roster of
Captain Samuel Gass which included the Roaring Fork area of
northern Greene County. Between 1833 and 1836, John moved
closer to the Town where his brother, Sylvanus Willis, resided.
In the 1836 Civil Districts List, the area on the northeast
perimeter of Town was included in District 13. District 13
included the road leading to the Mount Bethel Presbyterian
Church, which is now Tusculum Blvd., and extended into the then,
very rural area of Tusculum.
John Willis was
not a farmer. In one census, John’s occupation was that of a
“cooper”, the maker of barrels, casks and kegs. John purchased
his first land shortly before the 1850 census on 8-17-1850. He
purchased 12 acres on Holley Creek in District 13 from John
McGaughey Senior (1792-1874, buried Mount Bethel Presbyterian
Church). His neighbors on adjoining farms included the James
Robinson Family (buried Mt. Bethel Cemetery) and the McCord
Family (in-laws of John’s nephew, John H. Willis, a son of James
B. Willis). At the time of the 1850 census, John and Annie’s
three oldest sons, David, Hugh and John Junior, were working as
“day laborers” for Henry Farnsworth.
By 1860, John
Willis was the only one of the four brothers who was still
living. Shortly after the 1860 census, John appears to have
sold his 12-acre farm in District 13 and moved further southwest
into the Sunnyside area of Civil District 24. John’s sons are
in District 24 by 1861. It appears John Willis Senior died
about this time. He no longer appears in a tax list beginning
in 1861. John W. Willis Senior could be buried at the Mount
Bethel Church Cemetery near the Town, or possibly in the Shiloh
Presbyterian Church Cemetery which was closer to where the
Family lived by 1861. No Will or Estate Inventory has been
found for him.
At the time of
the 1870 census, John’s widow, Anna Allison Willis, lived with
her son, William, and his wife, “Viney”, in District 24. In the
census, William’s occupation was stated as “farmer”; however, he
owned only ten acres of land. Several of the Willis sons began
to leave Greene County during the 1870’s. By 1876, only two
sons were in the Tax List, David and William. By 1880, most of
John’s Family had migrated to Benton County, Arkansas. In 1880,
Anna Allison Willis lived with her son, John C. Willis (Junior)
and his family in Benton County, Arkansas. Living nearby were
Anna’s son, Carson, and the widow of Anna’s son, William.
Because this Family lived in District 24,
apart from other Willis Family members, and because most members
of this Family migrated to Benton County, Arkansas, the children
of John and Annie Allison Willis can be identified with
reasonable accuracy. There children are believed to be:
1. David
Alfred Willis, born August 1829. David is the first son
to appear in a Tax List with his father in the year 1849. At
the time of the 1850 Census, David was a “day laborer” in the
household of Henry Farnsworth. In the 1851 Tax List, David is
annotated as “son of John”. Shortly after the 1850 census
enumeration, David Willis married Elizabeth B. Lintz on
8-29-1850. Although David’s profession is given in census
records as “farmer”, he was never taxed as a landowner in any
tax year. By 1900, David and Elizabeth, and two of their sons,
Joseph and Cicero, lived in Cherryvale Township in Montgomery
County, Kansas. In 1900, David and Elizabeth reported 13
children, of whom only six were then living. These children
included: (1) Hannah M., born c. 1852; (2)
Margaret J., born c. 1854; (3) Henry W.,
born c. 1856; (4) Mary C., born c. 1857; (5)
Nancy E., born c. 1860; (6) Martha, born
c. 1863; (7) Joseph C., born c. 1866, who lived in
Kansas; (8) James M., born c. 1868; (9)
Thomas, born c. 1870; (10) Susan, born c.
1872; and (11) Cicero A., born c. 1878, who lived
in Kansas.
2. John
C. Willis (“Junior”), born c. 1832. At the time of the
1850 Census, John Junior was also a “day laborer” in the
Farnsworth household. On 10-16-1852, John married Margaret
George. John was also a “farmer”, yet he never owned any
land. John and Margaret left Greene County about 1875 when they
migrated to Ball Township, Benton County, Arkansas. At the
time of the 1880 census, John’s aged Mother, Annie Allison
Willis, lived with John’s Family in Arkansas. The children of
John and Margaret George Willis included: (1) Nancy J.,
born c. 1855; (2) William, born c. 1859; (3)
Catherine, born c. 1861; (4) Eliza, born
c. 1866; (5) Samuel, born c. 1868; (6)
Addison, born c. 1871; (7) Franklin, born
c. 1874 in Tennessee; and (8) Florence, born c.
1879 in Arkansas.
3. Hugh
Willis, born c. 1836. At the time of the 1850 census,
Hugh was also a “day laborer” in the Farnsworth household.
Hugh married “Malinda” (Marinda?) Stanton in nearby Washington
County on 4-5-1855. Although Hugh and Marinda remained in
Greene County, Hugh was listed in only one tax year in 1861. He
died before 1900. Hugh is possibly buried at the Shiloh
Presbyterian Church Cemetery. In the 1910 census, Hugh’s widow,
Marinda stated she had eleven children, of whom only five were
then living. Their known children included: (1) John
Henry, born c. 1856, who married Mary Flora Hon in
Washington County, Arkansas on 5-5-1878. One known son is
Dewitt Henry, born on 2-28-1887 in Polk County, Arkansas. By
1920, Dewitt H. Willis lived in Okmulgee, Oklahoma with his
wife, Bertha Packe and their children. Dewitt died on 8-15-1945
in Kansas City, Missouri. (2) George C., born c.
1858, who married Frances A. Morgan. George died in Greene
County before 1900. In the 1900 census, George’s widow,
Frances, stated she had five children of whom 4 were living.
Three of their sons, Walter (1885-1937), David Alfred
(1881-1940) and Worley Scott (1882-1962) are buried at Shiloh
Cemetery near Tusculum College. (3) James McD.,
born c. 1859, who apparently died in childhood; (4) Mary
E., born c. 1862; (5) Charles, born c.
1864, who is not enumerated in the 1900 census of Greene
County. (6) Alfred F., born February
1865. Alfred lived with his mother in Greene County in 1900.
By 1910, Alfred and his brother, Carson, lived in Johnson
County, Arkansas. Alfred had no children. (7) Martha A.,
born c. 1867; (8) Carson C., born September 1871.
Carson had married by 1900 and lived next door to his widowed
mother. About 1907, Carson migrated to Johnson County,
Arkansas. Carson and his wife, Ellen, had six children: Henry,
Georgia E., Elsie M., Bessie, Dorothy L., and Teddy. (9)
Nancy E., born c. 1875. It is possible Marinda Stanton
Willis migrated to Arkansas with her sons. No burial place has
been found for Marinda in Greene County, Tennessee.
4.
William Willis, born c. 1837. William married “Vina” (Lavina)
Low on 1-5-1854. William’s widowed mother, Anna, resided in
his 1870 household, where they lived on William’s ten-acre
farm. William died after 1876 and before the 1880 census. It
is not known if he died in Tennessee or in Arkansas. At the
time of the 1880 census, Vina, and the children lived in Ball
Township, Benton County, Arkansas, near William’s brothers and
Mother. Their children included: (1) Mary J.,
born c. 1857; (2) Sarah, born c. 1857;
(3) Amanda, born 1860, who apparently died in
childhood; and (4) David, born c. 1862. Only Mary
J. and David were in their Mother’s 1880 household.
5. Mary
J. Willis, born c. 1839. Mary married Barton Seaton in
nearby Hawkins County on 2-17-1858. Barton was the son of Jacob
and Sarah Seaton who resided in Greene County in 1850. Barton
and Mary Willis Seaton remained in Greene County through1880.
Their children included: (1) Moses, born c.
1859; (2) Sarah, born c.1862; (3) Manda
Elizabeth, born c. 1864; (4) Margaret M.,
born c. 1866; (5) Victoria, born c. 1867;
(6) Emory, born c. 1874; and (7) Rosa,
born c. 1876. Neither Mary nor Barton Seaton nor their two
sons, Moses and Emory, are in the 1900 Greene County census.
The son, Moses, resided in Washington County, Arkansas in 1900.
6.
Alfred Willis, born c. 1842. Alfred was in his
parents’ 1850 and 1860 household. Alfred married Lydia Mariah
Lowry on 11-7-1862. Alfred (Senior) died during the Civil War
years, although no record of Civil War service has been found
for him. Alfred’s widow remarried on 4-19-1866 to Ebenezer
Lamons. Alfred and Lydia Willis had one son before his death:
(1) Alfred W. Willis Junior, born October 1864.
Alfred Junior was raised by his stepfather, Ebenezer Lamons, a
blacksmith and wagon maker, whose shop was on Water Street in
the town of Greeneville. Alfred Willis Junior and his wife,
Alice, lived in Greene County where Alfred was a carpenter and a
wheelwright. In the 1900 census, Alice stated she had four
children, of whom three were then living. The three known
children of Alfred Willis Junior were: (i) Mary E., born c.
1885; (ii) Vina Belle, born c. 1887, who married Roy A. Teague
about 1905; and (iii) William “Bill” A. Willis, born
9-21-1892. Bill and his wife, Ethel, continued to reside in
Greeneville where they raised six daughters: Mrs. Eldon Ottinger
and Mrs. John Lawing of Greeneville; Mrs. Arlie Royston of
Johnston City; and Mrs. Cecil Smith, Mrs. Bobby Malone and Mrs.
Howard Collins of Detroit, Michigan. William A. “Bill” Willis
died on 7-1-1967 at his home on Chapel Street in Greeneville.
His wife, Ethel, died on 1-26-1997. They are buried at Wesley
Chapel Cemetery.
7.
Carson Willis, born January 1843. Carson resided in his
parents’ 1850 and 1860 household. On 1-1-1864, Carson married
Rebecca Jane Dinsmore. Sometime after 1873, the family migrated
to Benton County, Arkansas. The family apparently stopped in
Virginia while in route to Arkansas. The children in Carson’s
1880 household were all born in Tennessee except for the
youngest child. In 1900, Carson and Rebecca reported seven
children, six then living. Their known children included:
(1) Mary H., born c. 1865; (2) Sarah E.,
born c. 1866; (3) Alford W., born c. 1868;
(4) Margaret, born c. 1871; (5) James,
born 1872; and (6) William L., born c. 1876 in
Virginia. In 1910, Carson and Rebecca’s son, William L.
Willis, lived in Benton County, Arkansas, reporting ten
children, six then living. |
|
THE WILLIS BROTHERS: JOTHAM
B. WILLIS
OF GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE |
|
Four sons of
John (Senior) and Esther Brown Willis arrived in Greene County,
Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1820’s. A fifth son, or possibly
his widow and child, also came to Greene County. The Willis
Family was originally from Montgomery County, Virginia, where
John Willis died in 1818. His widow, Esther Brown Willis, a
daughter of Old Jotham and Pheby Brown, was the administrator of
John’s Estate, along with their son, Sylvanus Willis. The
Willis Family is enumerated in the 1820 Census of Montgomery
County, Virginia. By 1830, their sons resided in Greene County,
Tennessee, where they lived near Esther’s siblings. The four
known Willis Brothers were Sylvanus, Jotham B.,
James B. and John Junior.
Jotham B.
, born c. 1810 in Virginia. Jotham Willis first
appears in a Greene County Tax List in 1833 when he owned 1 ¼
acre of land in the Capt. Susong Company. Jotham married Nancy
Wilson on 3-28-1830, bond by Richard West. Nancy was born on
3-9-1814. Jotham and Nancy Willis are enumerated in the 1830
Census with no children in their household. Few records exist
for Jotham Willis because he died at a very young age. Jotham
died after March 1833 and before the 1834 Tax List, when the
Estate of Jotham B. Willis was taxed on “improvements” valued at
$300 in the Town of Greeneville.
The inventory
of Jotham’s Estate was not submitted to the Greene County Court
until 1-7-1839, the same year Jotham’s widow remarried. The
Administrator was Robert Rhea. Jotham’s assets totaled $259.96,
while his debts totaled $635.33. Listed among the creditors
were Sylvanus Willis ($7.00), James “Wylys” ($12.50), Robert
Maloney ($5.75), Hugh Maloney ($28.50), Robert Rhea ($97.00)
the Administrator, and David and James C. Wilson, who were
probably related to the widow, Nancy Wilson Willis. The
creditors were paid 40 cents on the dollar. Although left a
widow with two young daughters, no record has been found where
the Greene County Court set-off a one-year provision for the
widow, Nancy Wilson Willis, and her two young daughters.
Jotham’s widow,
Nancy, remarried on 12-24-1839 to Lee M. Bullen. Lee M. Bullen,
born 3-4-1814, was the son of the Reverend Joseph and Jane Ross
Bullen. Lee and Nancy Willis Bullen are enumerated in the 1840
Greene County Census. The two young daughters of Jotham Willis
are enumerated in the Bullen household. Both girls were age
5-10. They would have both been born between 1831 and 1834. In
1840, Lee and Nancy Bullen lived in the 13th Civil
District of Greene County. Lee’s brother, Loyd Bullen
(1812-1884, buried Pleasant Vale Cemetery) was the Sheriff of
Greene County. At the time of the 1850 Census, the family
resided in Knox County. Only one of the Willis daughters was in
their household, and she was Martha, age 17 (born c. 1833).
Also in the household were the children of Lee and Nancy Willis
Bullen: Loyd R. (born c. 1842); Joseph (born c. 1843); Samuel
D. (born c. 1845); William G. (born c. 1847) and James (born
1850) Bullen.
The Bullen
Family had returned to Greene County, Tennessee before the 1860
Census. In 1860, they resided next door to Lee M. Bullen’s
elderly parents who lived with their daughter, Elizabeth Bullen
Britton. Two additional children had been born to Lee and Nancy
Bullen by 1860: Jane (born c. 1852) and John (born c. 1855)
Bullen. John H. Willis, “master carpenter”, the son of James B.
Willis, resided two households away. Neither of Nancy Willis
Bullen’s two daughters with her first husband, Jotham Willis,
resided in the Bullen 1860 household, and they were presumably
married by 1860.
Nancy’s second
husband, Lee M. Bullen , died on 9-22-1881. Nancy Willis Bullen
died on 4-29-1891. They are buried in the Mount Bethel
Presbyterian Church Cemetery on today’s Tusculum Blvd., although
today, their tombstones are now gone. Also buried there are Lee
Bullen’s parents, Joseph (1783-1865) and Jane Ross Bullen
(1780-1863) , who is buried beside her father, William Ross
(1744-1834), Revolutionary War Soldier. Nancy’s parents may
also be buried at Mount Bethel. Several old graves for Wilson
Family members include Isobel C. Wilson (died 1836), John G.
Wilson (died 1842), John W. Wilson (died 1840), and William S.
Wilson (died 1840), who are all buried in the same row. Also
buried in this historic cemetery is William F. Willis, 1st TN
Cavalry, Company I, a son of James B. and Frances Nixon
Willis. William F. Willis is buried next to Jane Ross Bullen.
It is probable
that many Willis Family members are buried in the cemetery of
the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church, the first Church
established in Greeneville by the Reverend Samuel W. Doak
(1785-1864), including Jotham B. Willis, who died as a young man
about 24 years of age in 1834. At this early date, the Mount
Bethel Church was located outside of the Town of Greeneville in
Civil District 13. The first (known) Cemetery transcription of
this historic Cemetery was made by the WPA in 1937. At that
date, there were 165 readable markers and 190 “unmarked”
graves. Our Willis Family members are probably among this
number.
In the 1937
cemetery transcription, the tombstones of Joseph and Jane Ross
Bullen were readable. Today, the marker for Joseph Bullen, an
Elder of the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church, no longer
exists. The Church was dismantled in the late 1880’s, and the
Congregation was merged with the Church at Tusculum College,
also founded by the Reverend Doak. Today, only the old cemetery
remains and is in the heart of modern-day Greeneville. The
cemetery is nicely maintained by a direct male descendant and
namesake of the early pioneer, Reverent Samuel W. Doak.
The names of
the two daughters of Jotham and Nancy Wilson Willis are
documented in a book on the Bullen Family. Their daughters
were:
1.
Martha Ann Willis, born c. 1833. Martha is found in the
1850 household of her stepfather, Lee M. Bullen, when the family
resided in Knox County. No marriage has been found for her in
the Sistler book on East Tennessee Marriages. Nothing further
is known about Martha Ann Willis.
2. Mary
J. Willis, born c. 1831-33. Mary is never documented in
a named census. She was no longer residing in her stepfather’s
household in 1850. From the Sistler book on East Tennessee
Marriages, Mary probably married Sampson Butler in Knox County
on 11-28-1847. This is unproven; however, Sampson and Mary J.
Butler (born c. 1831-33) and their family are found in the 1860
- 1880 censuses of Raccoon Valley Township, Union County,
Tennessee. The naming patterns of their children are consistent
with the Joseph Bullen family of Greene County. The children of
Mary J. Willis Butler were: (1) “Loid” (born c.
1848); (2) Elizabeth J. (born c. 1850); (3)
Lucy E. (born c. 1855); and (4) Joseph M. Butler
(born c. 1858). |
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THE FAMILY OF JAMES H. & HILA
MARTHA JOHNSON WILLIS
OF GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE
Co-written with
James D. Willis
and Grace Willis,
|
|
James H.
Willis and Hila Martha Johnson married in Greene County,
Tennessee on 9-13-1847, bond by John Kidwell. Hila “Hiley”
Martha Johnson, born 5-11-1827, is believed to be the daughter
of Zopher (Junior) and Phebe Cooper Johns(t)on. (For
further information on Hila’s Family, please refer to the
separate article on Zopher (Junior) and Phebe Cooper Johns(t)on.)
James H.
Willis, born 5-1-1828, was the grandson of John (Senior) and
Esther Brown Willis; however, his paternity cannot be
definitively established. John and Esther Brown Willis were
married in Montgomery County, Virginia in 1797. At least four
of their sons, Sylvanus, Jotham B., John B. and John W. Willis,
came to Greene County in the mid-1820’s. A fifth brother, who
is presently unidentified, or his widow also appears to have
migrated with the Willis brothers. Which of these Willis
brothers was the father of James H. Willis is uncertain.
However, it is the opinion of this author that the Mother of
James H. Willis was the widow, Sally (Sarah) Willis who
remarried to Robert Foster Junior on 6-30-1830. For further
information on these intermarried Families, please refer to
The Family of Robert (Senior) and Mercy Johnston Foster
and to The Family of Robert Foster Junior.
At the time of
the 1850 census, James and Hila lived as “tenants” on the
District 12 farm of Zopher (Junior) and Phebe Cooper Johnson.
About 1852, James and Hila Willis migrated to Grundy County,
Missouri, accompanying several other intermarried family
members, including the Foster Brothers. Based on the Greene
County, Tennessee District 12 Tax Lists, Hiley’s father, Zopher
Johns(t)on Junior, also went with them; however, Zopher Junior
returned to Greene County the following year when he appears in
the Tax List of 1853. Late in that year, Zopher Johns(t)on
Junior sold his remaining acreage, a 50-acre farm on Roaring
Fork, in preparation for his migration to Missouri. This
50-acre farm was purchased in 1851 from Zopher’s nephew, Joseph
A. Foster, when he migrated to Harrison County, Missouri.
The first land
purchased in Missouri by James H. and Hila Martha Johnson Willis
occurred on 10-2-1854. They purchased 40 acres of land in
Harrison County. Robert Foster Junior, who is believed to be
the stepfather of James H. Willis, also purchased land in
Harrison County. Although James and Hila initially resided in
Harrison County, they did not remain long in this county and
moved to adjacent Grundy County. This is where James and Hila
Willis spent the remainder of their long lives. From the 1860
census, James and Hila are enumerated in Grundy County. In
1900, Hila stated she had ten children, of whom eight were then
living.
James H. Willis
died on 10-28-1902. “Hila” Martha Johnson Willis died on
3-1-1903. They are both buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in
Grundy County, Missouri. Several of their children are also
buried there. This cemetery was previously known as
“Johnsontown” Cemetery. Several Greene County, Tennessee
Families are buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery. The children of James
H. and Hila Martha Johnson Willis are:
(“*” denotes the
children who are buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery.)
1. John
E., born July 1848 in Greene County. On 6-27-1869 John
married his cousin, Mary M. Johnson, in Grundy County,
Missouri. Mary was the daughter of James and Margaret Cox
Johnson, also from Greene County. (For further
information on Mary Johnson’s family, please refer to the James
and Margaret Cox Johnson Family.) In the 1880 Census
of Grundy County, Liberty Township, Mary’s father, James Johnson
(born 1812) was a widower and lived with his daughter and
son-in-law. John and Mary Willis had eight children, of whom
only five reached adulthood. Their children were: (1)
James H., born c. 1871; (2) Ida B., born
1872; died 5-25-1872, buried Willis Cemetery; (3) Minerva,
born 1873; (4) Jasper W., born September 1875,
who married Jessie Edith Carnes and had six children; (5)
William J., born 1876; (6) Lark, born c.
1879; (7) Ava, born c. 1889, and (8)
possibly Fred, born c. 1896. John and Mary Willis and
several of their sons left Missouri after 1900 and migrated to
Devol Township, Cotton County, Oklahoma. John E. Willis died in
1926. Mary Johnson Willis died in 1936. They are buried in the
Devol Cemetery, with a son, J. W. Willis (1876-1926).
2.
Joseph Alexander*, born 11-23-1850 in
Greene County, Tennessee. On 5-13-1868 Joseph married his
cousin, Melody Johnson, in Grundy County. Melody was the
daughter of Joseph A. and Nancy Cradic Johnson, also from Greene
County. ((For further information on Melody Johnson’s
family, please refer to the Joseph A. and Nancy Cradic Johnson
Family.) Joseph Alexander Willis was a preacher in
Grundy County. In the 1910 Census, Melody Johnson Willis stated
she had ten children, of whom only five were living. Their
three youngest children were in their parents’ 1910 household.
The children of Melody and Joseph Willis are documented in the
family Bible of their daughter, Minerva Willis Shipman. The
children of Joseph and Melody Johnson Willis were: (1)
James W., born 1-10-1869; died 1-13-1869, buried Mt.
Zion Cemetery; (2) Minerva, born 4-13-1870, who
married Charles Shipman. Minerva died in 1960 and is buried in
Berry Cemetery in Grundy County, Missouri. The names of her
siblings are taken from her Bible. (3) Elizabeth*,
born 10-15-1872, who died in childhood on 1-13-1879; (4)
Hila M., born 12-21-1874, who married George Keener.
Hila died in 1942. She is buried in the Berry Cemetery.
(5) Rachel A.*, born 9-26-1878, who died in
childhood on died 2-5-1885; (6) Charles W.*, born
5-22-1880, who died in infancy on 6-24-1880; (7) Ira*,
born April 1881, who died in childhood on 2-10-1893; (8)
Lena L.*, born 2-6-1884, who first married Mr. Seaman,
then Wade H. Humphrey. Lena died in 1964. (9) Joseph
Everett, born 8-24-1889; and (10) Lelia M.,
born 9-13-1894. Joseph Alexander Willis died in 1931. His
wife, Melody Johnson Willis died on 9-28-1931. They are buried
at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Grundy County with several of their
children.
3.
William Arthur*, born September 1853 in Grundy County,
Missouri. William Arthur married Frances Elizabeth Perry in
Grundy County on 9-3-1877. In the 1900 census, William Arthur
and Frances stated they had seven children, of whom only three
were living. These children were: (1) Ella Elizabeth,
born 12-2-1878, who married James Nichols. Two children are
known, (i) Velda and (ii) Don. (2) Arthur R.,
born 10-24-1881, who married Myra E. German. Two children are
known, (i) Harold V. and (ii) Eleanor B. (3) Roby H.,
born 11-18-1883, who married Grace May DeVaul (1893-1954). They
had five children: (i) Opal Gertrude (1911-1947); (ii) Mary
Olive (1919-1986); (iii) Muriel Elizabeth (born 1920); (iv)
Grace May (1923-1992); and (v) James Donald Willis, a co-author
of this paper. William Arthur Willis died on 3-19-1911 and is
buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Grundy County. Frances
Elizabeth Willis died on 4-30-1927. She is buried at Maple
Grove Cemetery with her son, Arthur.
4.
Sarah J., born 1857. Sarah was the first born daughter,
and it is the opinion of this writer she was named for her
paternal grandmother, “Sally” (Sarah) Willis who remarried to
Robert Foster Junior in 1830. Sarah married Al Tharp. Three
children are known: (1) Ervin; (2) Jim;
and (3) Rosie. Sarah remarried to P. T.
Higginbottom (1847-1935) on 7-18-1928 in Blaine County,
Oklahoma. Sarah died in 1935, and she and her second husband
are buried in Fountain Cemetery in Oklahoma.
5.
Robert Thomas*, born 1-1-1859 (a twin). He married
Elizabeth Jane Callihan on 4-7-1878. The witnesses to the
marriage were J. H. Willis (Robert’s father) and T. W. Johnson,
a cousin. They had six children: (1) Lina May*,
born 7-22-1882, who married O. C. Ralls. Lina died 9-27-1966.
(2) William Albert*, born 7-6-1880, who married
Ina Vane Johnson. William Albert died in 1957. (3)
Joseph Alexander, born 1-6-1884, who married Ethel May
Gallitan. (4) Charles L., born 11-5-1886. He
died on 9-3-1925 and is buried in the Galt Cemetery. (5)
James Ava, born 2-11-1888, who married Ida Christina
Randolph, and (6) Verna Alice, born 6-5-1898,
who married Calvin Lesher. Robert Thomas Willis died on
11-27-1950. His wife, Elizabeth Jane died on 4-20-1930. They
are buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in Grundy County.
6.
Martha L., born 1-1-1859 (a twin). She married Columbus
McCullah on 4-9-1877. This family is not found in the 1900
Census in Missouri. Martha died before 1903. Nothing further
is known about this family.
7.
Caroline E.,
born 1-25-1862. She married George H.
Vincell (1860-1944) on 7-4-1882. They had three children:
(1) Ora Lee, born 1883. He married Retta Heinen.
Ora Lee died on 7-16-1927 and is buried at Galt West; (2)
Vera May, born 5-20-1886, died 3-17-1910 and buried at
Galt West; and (2) Lillie Belle, born 8-28-1888;
died 2-4-1983, who married Wyatt Francie Sampson. Caroline
died after 1920.
8. Nancy
Ann, born 5-16-1865. She married James Warren Ingraham
(1863-1938). In the 1900 Census, Nancy Ann stated she had three
children, of whom only two were living. Their children were:
(1) Alice Emmaline, born 6-15-1885; (2)
Ernest E., born 8-6-1886, who died in childhood before
1900; and (3) David R., born
3-29-1891. Nancy Willis Ingraham died on 11-3-1929. She and
her husband are buried at Berry Cemetery.
9.
Nettie Louisa*, born 10-30-1868. She married William H.
Kilburn* (1858-1913). In the 1900 Census, Louisa stated she had
eight children, of whom six were living. Their children were:
(1) George H., born 1885; (2) Ethel,
born 1888; (3) Girtie, born November 1889. Girtie
married Virgil Flowers (1886-1970). Girtie died in May 1963 and
is buried in North Evans Cemetery in Grundy County with her
husband. (4) Mollie M., born 1894; (5)
Evert D., born 1895; and (6) Linnie H.,
born 1897. One child was born after 1900: (7) Helen L.*,
born 4-27-1903; died 3-30-1904. Another child was: (8)
Wilbur, YOB and YOD not known, who died in infancy and
is buried near Hickory, Missouri. Louisa Willis Kilburn died on
1-23-1945. She and her husband and infant daughter, Helen, are
buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery. A female descendant of this
family is participating in the MtDNA Project.
10.
Charles George, born 11-23-1870. Charlie died on
12-25-1878, 8 years, 1 month and 2 days. He is buried in the
Willis Cemetery.
Descendants of
James and Hiley Martha Johnson Willis are participating in the
Willis and Johnson DNA Projects. Refer to Appendix 2 for
detailed information: |
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Y-(MALE) DNA |
|
James Donald
Willis, son of Roby H., son of William Arthur Willis, child #3,
above, is participating in the Y-DNA Project. As of this
writing, there are no male DNA matches in the Willis Surname
Project. The Haplogroup of this Willis Family is type R1b, the
most common group of Western European descent. The Willis DNA
shows striking similarities to that of the Zopher Johns(t)on
Family. |
|
MTDNA |
|
The female DNA
is documented by a mother-to-daughter female descendent of
Louisa N. Willis Kilburn, child #9, above. The Haplogroup of
the Female lineage is European group “Jasmine”. This is an
extremely rare Haplogroup, with less than 17% of woman of
European lineage in this category. The ancient origins of the“J”
group are clustered in Cornwall, Wales and western Scotland.
The MTDNA documents the ancient maternal lineage of these female
lines:
Hila Martha
JOHNSON Willis (1827 TN-1903 MO), her Mother: Phebe
COOPER Johns(t)on (1791 VA-1862 IL), her Mother:
Jane BROWN Cooper (born 1768 VA, died after 1855
TN), her Mother: Pheby Brown (born c. 1745, died after 1802,
probably in Tennessee.) Pheby’s maiden name is believed to be
JOHNSTON, a daughter of Zopher Johnston “The
Elder”, and a sister to Zopher Johnston Senior.
The descendants
of the Jotham and Pheby Brown, Christopher and Jane Brown
Cooper, Zopher (Junior) and Phebe Cooper Johns(t)on, and James
and Hila Martha Johnson Willis, are grateful to the Willis
descendants who are participating in the DNA Projects. |
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Note: This and other other family
sketches submitted by Stevie Hughes constitute materials
gathered for his forthcoming book:
"Pioneer
Families of Greene County,
TN". |
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