Some addressees are sending in queries about Willis Austin. I do not know who the parents of Willis Austin were. My early material is from a work by Roy Austin and Sherry Gritzbaugh, entitled a 'Reunion of Family", dated October, 1997, I do not know whether it was a published work. They picked up Willis Austin as being born about 1816 in probably Amite Co MS. According to Roy, the 1820 Census for Amite co showed Richard Austin as a head of family with his wife Joanna Ferguson, plus a son and dau under five. On the same census was William Austin, who married Mary Ferguson, and a Mrs Austin, who he presumed may have been the mother of Richard and William. He found (on the 1830 Ouachita Parish LA) a Richard Austin living near the homes of Jesse Wise, husb of Susannah Ferguson, a sister of Joanna Ferguson: of his father in law, John Ferguson; of his brother, William Austin, who married Joanna's sister Mary; and of John Feazel and wife Christiana Ferguson, a sister of Joanna. He continues that therefore Joanna had her parents and three sisters living within a short distance of her home. Then he cautions that it should be noted that these families actually lived in what is now Union Parish, LA, which was formed from Ouachita on March 13, 1839. Roy and Sherry are old time researchers of Union Parish history, and descendants of the Austins, etc, in some form or other. Both are contributors of posted articles on the Union parish website. H G Doc Henderson ----- Original Message ----- From: "H GHenderson" <Papadoc12@home.com> To: "Hudson, Timothy D." <HUDSONT@MAIL.ECU.EDU> Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2000 8:09 AM Subject: Re: Austin help > Dear Tim > > Thanks for your recent posting. > > My info on Willis Austin, from various sources, is sketchy. He is reported > as born in MS, presumably Amite Co, in abt 1816. > > 1850 census, hse 676, Union parish, age 30, wife Louiza, three girls born > in LA. > > 1860 census, Union, hse 77, age 44, MS, wife Louiza, 35, Ala, six ch b in > LA. > > 1870 - hse 293, Union, age 50, wife Milly (Redden Norman?), age 39, ten kids > in hse age 1 - 21. > > 1875 Union court doc. re probate of estate of Lewis Henderson lists Louiza > as deceased with heirs in Texas. My info has it the town is De Kalb, county > of Bowie, on Red River. Last info in hand. > > Good Luck................Doc Henderson >