James Monroe Willis (1819 - 1885)

Born 27 Mar 1819 in Jones, GA, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Mahalia (Wood) Willis — married 22 Nov 1838 in Monroe, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Jan 1885 at age 65 in Clay, AL, USA

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Biography

James Monroe Willis was born 27 Mar 1819 in Jones County, GA in the USA to William W Willis and Elizabeth "Betsy" Middlebrooks. ^[1][2][3]

Family Life

Mahalia Wood and James Monroe Willis wed 22 Nov 1838 in Monroe, GA.^[4] They had many children over their years together.

• Baby Girl 1839
• William Allen Westmoreland Willis 1850
• John Thomas Willis 1854
• Jordan Ezekiel Willis 1856
• William Henry Warren Willis
• Nesea Ann Willis 1861
• Sara Ann Milady Willis 1863
• Francis Marion Willis 1865**
• Elizabeth Pembina Willis 1867

In 1860, they lived in 209 Western Division, Tallapoosa, Al and used the Daviston PO. They were farming. Personal estate value was valued at $150. The family consisted of James M 43, Mahaly 38, Emily 16, William A 10, John T 7, Jordan E 4, Henry W 2, Nesea A 3 1/2. ^[5] In 1870, James 50, Mahala 48, William 19, John 16, Jordan 14, Henry 12, Ann 10, Sarah 8, Frances 6**, and Elizabeth 5 lived at 258 Daviston, Tallapoosa, AL. They were farming. The personal estate value was $350 but now they had real estate value of $250. He could not read or write.^[6] In 1880, He was 61, Mahalah 58**, Henry W 21, Frances M 16**, and Pembinia E 13 lived in Ashland, Clay, AL. at 224 of an unreadable street.^[7]

• • Note: literacy problems of family members, census workers, document transcribers, and posters cause names to be altered and misspelled. For example, Frances is spelled in the feminine in the censuses, but was a male, Francis. Mahala, Mahalah, Mahaly is spelled many ways because of pronunciation, nicknames, and literacy issues.

Finale

He died 13 Jan 1885 and then was buried in Clay County, AL, USA.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHDN-B89 : 13 December 2017), Mahaly Willis in entry for James M Willis, 1860.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2S-2B2 : 12 April 2016), Mahala Willis in household of James Willis, Alabama, United States; citing p. 33, family 258, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,541.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4JH-8MB : 12 August 2017), Mahalah Willis in household of James M Willis, Ashland, Clay, Alabama, United States; citing enumeration district ED 36, sheet 78B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0007; FHL microfilm 1,254,007.
4. ↑ Alabama Select County Marriage Records Online, US Census 1850, 1860, 1880
5. ↑ US Census 1860
6. ↑ US Census 1870
7. ↑ US Census 1880
8. ↑ Alabama, Findagrave Index

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