Joshua Thomas Willis Sr. (1818 - 1886)

Born 21 Dec 1818 in McLanesbury, Hamilton, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Dosha (Cherry) Willis — married 18 Oct 1841 in Hamilton, Illinois, United States

Husband of Sarah Melissa (Dodge) Willis — married 22 Jul 1848 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States

Husband of Ellen (Aldridge) Willis — married 2 Jul 1864 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Husband of Sophia (Fryer) Willis — married 16 Jun 1867 in Salt Lake City,Salt Lake,Utah

Descendants

Died 1 May 1886 at age 67 in Taylor, Navajo, Arizona, United States

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Joshua Willis Sr. was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Biography

Residence 1850 Utah county, Utah, Utah Territory, United States

1860 Virgin City, Washington, Utah Territory, United States

1870 Utah, United States

1880 Walker, Yavapai, Arizona, United States

Emigration 18 June 1847

Immigration 29 September 1847 Utah, United States

Daughter Sophia Fryer married second 18 June 1867 Endowment House Great Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah [Joshua Thomas Willis] born 21 December 1818 McLanesbury, Hamilton, Illinois to Merrill Erastus Willis and Margaret (Peggy) Cherry, died 1 May 1886 Taylor, Navajo, Arizona. 3 children: William Richard Willis born 22 May 1868 Toquerville, Washington, Utah, Laura Adina Willis born 1870 Toquerville, Washington, Utah, James Willis born and died 27 May 1872 Toquerville, Washington, Utah, buried with mother Sophia. (More at the John Thomas Geary blog)

Willis & Vance Ancestry (FHW 678w), p. 93, a letter from Joshua Thomas Willis The letter states that his parents Margaret CHERRY and Merrill WILLIS moved from Sumner County, Tenn just after their two daughters were born. William Wesley was born in Hamilton County, IL. Then the family moved to Gallatin County, where Joshua Thomas and two other sons were born. Emigration Rec 1831-1848 vol 1: Roster of the 1st Fifty, 4th Hundred (Captain: Geo. Benjamin Wallace) gives birth as shown. Joshua Thomas Willis was aged 29 years. He came with his widowed mother and his sister in-law, Margaret and her seven children. EH Slgs FHl 183,393 gives birthplace as Sansbury, Hamilton, IL Headstone gives birthplace as Hamilton Co., Illinois. (Taylor Cem Recs in poss of Ida Webb (1993) Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah p. 1252 gives date and place shown Age 41 years 1860 Census (Jul) Utah, Washington Co., Tokerville FHL 903,040 Age 62 years 1880 Census Arizona FHl 1,254,036 Mar: 1) Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, p. 1252; Hamilton Co. Marr Rec 1821-1854 FHL 977.395 v2f #539 [Dosha Dorcey] 2) Handwritten rec of Sarah Melissa Dodge Willis in poss of Merrill V. Willis, 707 E. Marilyn Ave, Mesa, AZ 3) Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, p. 1252 4) 5) Dth: Headstone worn away where year is recorded. Taylor Cemetery, Taylor, AZ TIB gives 1886. Note: Navajo County was created in 1895. Prior to that Taylor was in Apache Co. Taylor Ward recs FHL 002,460 - died of Bright's Disease Taylor Ward recs FHL 903,039 - "died at Taylor, Arizona in full faith in the gospel" Bap: Orig bap 1843 - TIB FHL 1,267,041. Orig rec not found; Also 19 Oct 1972 AZ End: Orig end not found. SL temple recs FHL 457,615. Also 20 Oct 1972 AZ S/p: Arc sheet submitted by Dora Young Greer 1208 Karen Way, Modesto, CA 10 Jul 1963; Also 7 Mar 1973 AZ S/s: 2) EH slgs FHL 183,393; Also 2 Jul 1864 EH FHL 183,395 and 17 Aug 1960 SL FHL 457,615 3) Also 2 Jul 1964 4) Also 18 Jun 1867 EH There are TIB cards for both Joshua T. Willis and Thomas J. Willis. HISTORICAL NOTES: Joshua Thomas Willis heard the gospel from his brother, William Wesley who had moved to Lee County, Iowa and later to south Illinois. Joshua, his parents and two sisters were baptized. Joshua's first wife, Dosha, died and his father died in 1842. Joshua moved with his mother to Nauvoo. They started west, staying at Winter Quarters all winter in a cold, crude hut in a camp on Charlton River. On April 1st, 1846, President Brigham Young called them to move on to Utah. He arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the Fourth Hundred (Abraham O. Smoot, Captain), First Fifty (George B. Wallace, Captain), Fourth Ten (John Nebeker, Captain)--on 25 September 1847. (See Pioneers of 1847, p. 153, FHL LDS 979.2 W2p) In Salt Lake, Joshua Thomas met and married Sarah Melissa DODGE 2 July 1848. Joshua T. Willis, David Penrod and Elijah E. Wolden were named as fence viewers. They were to see to it that fences were properly maintained. The discussions in subsequent sessions of the Council show that the officers had much difficulty in enforcing the fence ordinance. (Treasures of Pioneer History, Kate B. Carter, vol 3, p. 364.) Committees for the South Field, East Bench Field, and Old Fort Field were appointed to enforce the ordinance. If the property owners did not comply, the committee built the fence. There were other city ordinances, the most controversial regarding timber. Joshua Thomas Willis and his bride, Sarah Melissa Dodge moved to Provo in the spring of 1849. There Joshua Thomas was the first sheriff. He also served as first counselor to Stake President Isaac Higbee. Four children were born in Provo. At the session of the Legislature of Deseret held in October 1850, Joshua T. Willis was appointed Associate Justice. (Treasures of Pioneer History Vol 3, p. 361) "Awaiting the arrival of the Federal Army from the East, the saints in Utah abandoned Great Salt Lake City and all their northern settlements and moved south, but most of them returned after peace was restored." (Our Pioneer Heritage, Carter, vol II, p. 37) In 1853 Joshua Thomas Willis was called to Cedar City because of his civic leadership abilities and later, "the saints who were settling on Ash Creek, southern Utah, were organized into a branch of the church, called Toquerville, with Joshua T. Willis as President." (Our Pioneer Heritage, Carter, vol II, 39). On Monday, "November 18, 1861, a ward was organized at Toquerville with J. T. Willis as Bishop." (Our Pioneer Heritage, Carter, vol V, p. 12) The word "Toquer" means "black" in the Indian language. ("Tokerville" on the 1860 Washington County Census.) His mother, Margaret Cherry Willis, spun the first cotton thread in Toquerville. On April 9-10, at St. George, a Cooperative Stock Company was formed with Erastus Snow as President and Joshua Thomas Willis as Vice President. Joshua Thomas Willis was a veteran of the Walker, Black Hawk and Navajo Indian Wars. (Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, p. 1252) According to the Toquerville Ward records (FHL 903,063), Joshua Thomas Willis, his wives--Sarah and Ellen, and families removed to the Arizona Territory October 15, 1879. He resided in the community of Taylor, Arizona. Originally the ward was organized as the Walker Ward (1880-81)but the name was changed to the Taylor Ward in 1881. Others to arrive with the big company who came with the two Willis families were the Cordons, Kays, Walkers and Hatches. (An Enduring Legacy, Vol 3, p. 260, Copyright 1980. Located in Snowflake, Ariz Family History Library) According to family members, the families of Joshua Thomas Willis often lived together, causing quite a bit of confusion regarding which mother the children were born to. The 1880 Arizona Census gives an indication. Arizona Census 1880 (FHL 1,254,036) Joshua Willis 62 years of age farmer parents b. in N.C. Sarah (wife) 53 years of age housekeeper parents b. in N.Y. Mariah M. 18 at home Mary A. 17 at home Wm. R. 12 laborer [a child of Sophia Fryer] Adina 10 at home [a child of Sophia Fryer] Ellen (wife) 50 years of age housekeeper parents b. in England Hyrum A. 15 farming Richard M. 13 on farm Franklin J. 11 on farm

Sources

• Jay Andrews
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MMTN-SH4?1=1&parents=LLQF-RG3_LLQF-RGS
• http://mosesfryer.blogspot.com/
• [1] - Joshua Thomas Willis, "Illinois, Hancock County, Nauvoo Community Project, 1839-1846 (BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy)"
• [2] - Joshua Thomas Willis Bio
• [3] - Research Log for Joshua Thomas Willis by BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy
• [4] - Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900; pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32361-17579-30
• [5] - Joshua Thomas Willis, Immigration (1847), "Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868"
• [6] - Joshua Thomas Willis - Pioneer Overland Travel
• [7] - Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848
• [8] - Pioneer Immigrants to Utah Territory
• [9] - 1880 United States Federal Census
• [10] - LDS Pioneer and Handcart Companies, 1847-1856
• [11] - Sons of the Utah Pioneers, Biography Files (R-Z), 1548-1947
• [12] - Illinois Marriages to 1850
• [13] - Sons of Utah Pioneers - Card Index, 1847-1850
• [14] - Joshua J Willis, "United States Census, 1850"
• [15] - Joshua T Willis, "United States Census, 1860"
• [16] - Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860
• [17] - Joshua Willis, "United States Census, 1870"
• [18] - Joshua Willis, "United States Census, 1880"
• [19] - Salt Lake County, Utah, Death Records, 1908-1949
• [20] - Joshua Thomas Willis, "Utah, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1847-1868"
• [21] - Joshua Thomas Willis, "Find A Grave Index"
• [22] - Joshua T Willis, "BillionGraves Index"
• [23] - Utah, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1850-1890
• [24] - Joshua Thomas Willis in entry for Henry Willis, "Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937"
• [25] - Joshua Thomas Willis, Obituary (1886), Utah Digital Newspapers, Deseret News
• [26] - Joshua Thomas Willis in entry for Mary Agnes Brimhall (1913), "Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951"
• [27] - Ancestry Family Trees
• [28] - Millennium File
• [29] - Joshuay Willis in entry for Martha Elizabeth Batty (1931), "Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937"
• [30] - Thomas Joshua Willis in entry for Franklin Joshua Willis (1937), "Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951"
• [31] - Joshua Thomas Willis in entry for Hyrum Alonzo Willis (1944), "Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951"
• [32] - Heywood Genealogy for Joshua Thomas Willis
• [33] - Joshua T Willis in entry for Merrill E Willis, "Utah, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1847-1868"