Seeking additional information (such as date of deaths, marriages, etc.) on Romelzy Willis' 20 children. Contact: Randy Willis [email protected] Five generations from Rev. Joseph Willis to Romelzy Willis' 20 Children 1) Rev Joseph Willis (b. ca. 1758; d. Sept. 14, 1854) had a son named William Willis ( b. Jan. 6, 1804; d. Nov. 24, 1881) who is buried at Humble Cemetery - Elizabeth, Louisiana; he married Rhoda Strother. 2) William Willis had a son named Joseph "Joe" Willis (b. Apr. 5, 1847; d. Dec. 3, 1912), he married Annie/Anna Ray (b. Sept. 23, 1834; d. Dec. 23, 1880). 3) This Joseph "Joe" Willis had a son named Romelzy Willis (b. Aug. 25, 1874; d. Feb. 24, 1929). He married his first wife, Emma Thompson (b. Jul. 31, 1878; d. Feb. 2, 1914) and later married a second wife, Nettie Dyer. 4) Romelzy is listed in the 1880 Rapides Parish, Louisiana Census as age 5 and as a child of Joseph and Annie Willis (born in P/Rhumatism, La. ?). Romelzy's siblings listed in the same census are: Arcilla (age 13) , Olive (age 11), Tramelia (age 9), and Lucinda (age 3). The spellings on these names are probably wrong. I interviewed Rev. Elmer Perkins, from De Ridder, Louisiana, in 1980. He died the next year at age 77. He said William William had a son named Joe Willis and Joe had a son named Romelzy Willis. Rev. Perkins said Romelzy had two sisters, he could remember: Olive and Drucilla. On May 18, 1981 I received a letter from Dovie Dyer Strother. I quote from that letter: "My name is Dovie Dyer Strother. My parents were Mach Dyer and Lillie Mae Willis, both deceased...My mothers parents were Romelzy Willis and Emmie Thompson Willis....My mothers grandfather was Joe Willis and her grandmothers name was Annie..." Dovie Dyer Strother said that Romelzy had three sisters named Amelia or Bess Willis who married Reben Cloud, Arisley Willis who married John Coker and Olive Willis who married Harvey Odom. According to Dovie Dyer 's letter, Romelzy Willis had two wives; the first wife was Emma/Emmie Thompson and the second wife was Nettie Dyer. 5) Romelzy Willis and Emma/Emmie Thompson Willis' 13 children: Pickney Willis (b. Jan. 14, 1892) Fenwick Willis (b. Sept. 7, 1893) Lillie Mae Willis (b. Jun. 29, 1895; married Mach Dyer) Dovie Willis (b. Jul. 10, 1897) Lonzy Willis (b. Oct. 10, 1898) McKinley Willis (b. Feb. 28, 1901) Dewey Willis (b. May 20, 1903) Nellie Willis (b. Oct. 7, 1905; married a West) Mertie Willis (b. Oct. 16, 1907; married a West) Twins Vertie Willis (b. Oct. 16, 1907' married a Cloud) Twins Bessie Willis (b. Apr. 10, 1910; married a Willis) Stacy Willis (b. Jan. 28, 1912; married a Doyle) Willie Willis (b. Feb. 3, 1914) Romelzy Willis and Nettie Dyer Willis' 7 children: Rhoda Willis (married a Johnson) (b. August 16, 1915; d. 1980) Ivy Willis (b. July 22, 1917; d. 1987) Irene Willis (married a Brockenbush?) (b. Feb. 8, 1919) James Calvin or J.C. Willis (b. Aug. 17, 1921; d. 1961) Rev. Grover C. Willis (b. Oct. 13, 1902; d. May 22, 1979). He married Vicie (b. April 1, 1914) Olive Willis (Frank Weldon) (b. Mar. 3, 1925) Pharoah or Buddy Willis (b. Feb. 2, 1927; d. 1986)