Mary Josephine (Willis) Hensler (1879 - 1938)

Born 10 Feb 1879 in Johnson, Kane, Utah, United States

Ancestors

Died 4 Jan 1938 at age 58 in Washington, District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jay Andrews [send private message], Kimberly West [send private message], and Mariann Cook Andrews [send private message]

Biography

Mary was born in 1879. She was the daughter of William Willis and Gabriella Stratton. She passed away in 1938.

• A Sketch of the Life of Mary Josephine Willis (as written by her daughter Mary Elizabeth Hensler Carragher)

Mary Josephine Willis was born at Johnson, Kane County, Utah on February 10, 1879. Baptized on July 7, 1887, she was the seventh child of William Wesley Willis, Jr. and Gabrilla Stratton. Her family moved to Arizona when she was a small child, lived at St. Joseph for a while, later moving to Snowflake, where Mary grew up. She attended school at Snowflake, and later was employed as a cook at the Indian School at Fort Apache.

Mary rode a buckskin mare back and forth from her home to the school, a distance of some forty miles. She would spend the night with some of the ranch families along the way. On one of her horseback rides, Mary was able to be of assistance to young Martha Willis. Martha had climbed a tree and slipped on one of the branches. As she fell, her foot got caught in the tree and there she hung for some time! Fortunately for Martha, Mary came along and was able to get Martha free and help her down.

Besides being an excellent cook and seamstress, Mary Josephine Willis was an outstanding horsewoman. We children have been told by oldsters that our mother used to ride through town "hell-bent for leather". She was the first woman in Snowflake to wear a split riding skirt. This caused the raising of some eyebrows! Mary hated side-saddle!

Her horsemanship caught the eye of a certain young cavalryman by the name of Stephen Duncan Hensler, who lost little time making arrangements to meet her. In due course he proposed to her, and asked her father for her hand in marriage, after enclosing character references in a letter to him.

On February 5, 1905, they were married in her home in Snowflake, Arizona. On Mary's wedding night Ed Gardener and Alvin DeSpain climbed to the roof of the Willis home and threw a blanket over the chimney, smoking the wedding party out! They were mad because they had not been invited. Grandfather Willis was a brick-mason and he went looking for those two young rascals with a brick in each hand!

Mother and Father lived at Fort Apache for awhile. They were transferred later to Fort Duschene, Utah where their first child was born on October 24, 1905. They named him William Arthur. Still later they moved to Fort Wingate, New Mexico, where the second child was born on December 6, 1908 and named Merle. At the time Merle was born, Mary had a stroke in one side of her face. The 5th Cavalry was ordered to Hawaii at this time. Mother could not leave when Daddy left with his regiment. The doctor said she would not be well enough to travel. For Mother, this was the beginning of some of the rigors of Army Life. About six weeks later, Mother and the two children, Billy and Merle, sailed to Honalulu and the family was reestablished at Schofield Barracks. Mary Elizabeth made her appearance in this world on July 22, 1911, and was followed by Roger Richard on January 22, 1913. Early in the year 1911 young Billy took sick, and this illness was to bring to our Mother her first family tragedy. During an attack of Croupe on February 8th. Billy's Choking so alarmed Mother that she sent Daddy running to get the Post Doctor. Before he got back little Billy chocked to death in his mother's arms. Mother was carrying Mary Elizabeth at this time.

We lived in Hawaii four years and then Daddy was sent to Fort Myer, Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington, D. C. From this time on our memories of Mother are much clearer. Two more children were born here at Fort Myer. Gabrilla on December 13, 1916, and Stephen Willis on May 21, 1918. The troops were ordered to go down in to Mexico after Pancho Villa, so Mother was left alone again! Then Merle, Betty, and Roger caught measles and whooping cough! Little Gabrilla caught the measles from us older children, and then went into Bronchial Pneumonia. Doctors came from Walter Reed Hospital to treat her and Betty who had temporary deafness. The severity of the Pneumonia was too much for little Gabrilla to take and she died on May 26, 1917. I remember the school bus, drawn by a team of horses pulling up before our front door, with the small coffin resting on the long seat. Mother and the Chaplian got into the buss and they drove off to Arlington Cemetary, which was near by.

Once the Commanding Officer of the Post asked Mother to bake the bread for the men. It seems they had a problem - they had no baker. He knew she would know the right quantities to use to make that much breas. The C.O. would send prisoners and guards over to take care of the heavy work. Several times officers' wives asked Mother to help them, when they had to prepare large amounts of food for entertaining large groups.

Mary Josephine Willis had a great heart. She gave of her talents generously. She never refused help to anyone. If it is possible, she was generous to a fault! Some returned her generosity with ingratitude! Mary had a hard lonely life. Two of her children died while she was alone, away from Daddy. We children never heard her complain. She was a wonderful wife and mother. She had a dry with that was great! Many of you knew our late Aunt Altha Douglas. Well, she and Mother were much alike in personality and humor. Many times Mother told us of her experiences in her younger years, about the West and Indians and at the school in Fort Apache. Mother had a high regard for the Indians. She told us on several occasions "The Indians are a noble people, the white man would do well to copy some of their characteristics". She also loved the Hawaiian people, said they were so innocent and childlike.

Every summer Mother would can hundred of quarts of vegetables and fruit, mostly from our garden. She also made jellies and jams.

Mary Josephine Willis was a great lady. She wore well! She was worthy of her pioneer parents, and we believe she was a worthy daughter of her Father in Heaven. May we do half as well.

Stephen Willis died in World War II. He is buried in France. Daddy died on September 16, 1930, and Mother died on January 3, 1938. She and Daddy and Gabrilla rest now in Arlington National Cemetary.

Sources

• Jay Andrews
• (1) TIB cards on Delilah Jane and Joseph Stratton Willis
• (2) Personal journal of William Wesley Willis II in possession of Ann H. Turley, Woodruff, Arizona
• (3) Snowflake ward records
• (4) Woodruff Ward records
• Source Date - 1880

Mary J Willis in household of Wm W Willis, "United States Census, 1880" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH24-JK5 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH24-JK5 : 12 August 2017), Mary J Willis in household of Wm W Willis, Snow Flake, Apache, Arizona, United States; citing enumeration district ED 37, sheet 34B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,036.

• Source Date - 1900

Mary J Willis in household of William W Willis, "United States Census, 1900" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9VC-FWS "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9VC-FWS : accessed 29 October 2020), Mary J Willis in household of William W Willis, Snowflake District Snowflake town, Navajo, Arizona Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 43, sheet 2A, family 28, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,046.

• Source Date - 5 January 1905

Stephen H. Duncan, "United States Western States Marriage Index" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZCK-JMF "United States Western States Marriage Index", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZCK-JMF : 19 October 2018), Stephen H. Duncan and Mary J. Willis, 1905.

• Source Date - 5 January 1905

Mary J. Willis, "United States Western States Marriage Index" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZCK-JMN "United States Western States Marriage Index", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZCK-JMN : 19 October 2018), Stephen H. Duncan and Mary J. Willis, 1905.

• Source Date - 1910

Mary J Hensler in household of Stephen D Hensler, "United States Census, 1910" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLCR-KF7 "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLCR-KF7 : accessed 29 October 2020), Mary J Hensler in household of Stephen D Hensler, Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 69, sheet 11B, family 53, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1754; FHL microfilm 1,375,767.

• Source Date - 26 May 1917

Mary Willis in entry for Gabrilla Hensler, "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR7-MG6K "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR7-MG6K : 16 August 2019), Mary Willis in entry for Gabrilla Hensler, 26 May 1917; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Fort Myer, Alexandria, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.

• Source Date - 1920

Mary W Hensler in household of Stephen C Hensler, "United States Census, 1920" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJNJ-J8R "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJNJ-J8R : accessed 29 October 2020), Mary W Hensler in household of Stephen C Hensler, Arlington, Alexandria, Virginia, United States; citing ED 10, sheet 49A, line 4, family 678, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1879; FHL microfilm 1,821,879.

• Source Date - 1930

Mary J Hensler in household of Stephen D Hensler, "United States Census, 1930" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C86M-3N2 "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C86M-3N2 : accessed 29 October 2020), Mary J Hensler in household of Stephen D Hensler, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 6, sheet 10B, line 95, family 167, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2436; FHL microfilm 2,342,170.

• Source Date - 16 September 1930

Mary Hensler in entry for Stephen D. Hensler, "District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV37-LPDM "District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV37-LPDM : accessed 29 October 2020), Mary Hensler in entry for Stephen D. Hensler, 16 Sep 1930, District of Columbia, United States; citing reference ID cn 330328, District Records Center, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,116,109.

• Source Date - 18 September 1930

Mary Hensler in entry for Stephen D. Hensler, "District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7BH-65L "District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7BH-65L : 16 January 2020), Mary Hensler in entry for Stephen D. Hensler, 1930.

• Source Date - 1938

Mary Josephine Willis Hensler, "Find A Grave Index" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVK5-28J3 "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVK5-28J3 : 4 August 2020), Mary Josephine Willis Hensler, ; Burial, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America, Arlington National Cemetery; citing record ID 49202611, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49202611/_

• Source Date - 21 June 1941

Mary J Willis in entry for Carroll Austin Fillion and Merle Hensler Mcguire, "Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBB-461L "Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBB-461L : 10 January 2019), Mary J Willis in entry for Carroll Austin Fillion and Merle Hensler Mcguire, 21 Jun 1941; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing , Arlington, Virginia, United States, certificate 13071, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.

• Source Date - 6 December 2001

Mary Josephine Willis Hensler in entry for Roger Richard Hensler, "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014" https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKRM-1QF9 "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKRM-1QF9 : accessed 29 October 2020), Mary Josephine Willis Hensler in entry for Roger Richard Hensler, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 06 Dec 2001; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Deseret News, The, born-digital text.