PART IV JOSEPH WILLIS The Apostle to the Opelousas By Randy Willis . www.randywillis.org Blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them Between 1799 and 1802, Joseph’s second wife Sarah died. Joseph later remarried a third time and a son was born on January 6, 1804, to this new wife. He was named William Willis and is buried at Humble (formerly called Willis Flats) Cemetery next to the Bethel Baptist Church in Elizabeth, Louisiana. This third wife was probably a Johnson and her given named was probably also Sarah. She was born in South Carolina, but it would seem that Joseph met and married her in Mississippi or Louisiana. It was to this third wife that many of Joseph's children were born. Along with William Willis, other children born to this union were Lemuel Willis, born circa 1812 (died 1862); John Willis, born circa 1814, Martha Willis, born April 9, 1825 (four females were listed in the 1830 census between the ages of five and twenty). There is also a Sally Willis listed in the 1850 Rapides Parish census as age forty-eight and living near William Willis. Joseph Jr., William and Lemuel all had daughters named Sarah. The last two "known children" of Joseph were born to his fourth wife Elvy Sweat. They were Samuel Willis, born circa 1836, and the youngest Aimuewell Willis, born May 1, 1837, and died September 9, 1937. Joseph would have been about 79-years-old when Aimuewell was born. The 1850 Rapides Parish Census also lists additional four males in Joseph Willis’ household: James born circa 1841, William born circa 1845, Timothy born circa 1847, and Bernard born circa 1848. It would be unlikely that Joseph would have a second son named William. Aimuewell Willis always said he was Joseph Willis’ youngest son. Perhaps these last four males are grandchildren of Joseph or children of Elvy Sweat from a previous marriage. Historian Ivan Wise wrote in "Footsteps of the Flock: or Origins of Louisiana Baptist" (1910) that two sons of Joseph died "poisoned on honey and were buried a half mile from the present town of Oakdale, Louisiana." I have not been able to find their graves. This third wife died and is buried at Bayou Chicot, but the location of her grave is unknown. This personal tragedy, along with the loss of his other three wives and children, would have destroyed most men. One historian said Joseph Willis had 19 children. Most of Joseph’s children, who were still living, followed him when he would later move to Rapides Parish. Many were neighbors with him as late as 1850 as the census reveals, as well as several grandchildren who were grown by then. Joseph’s eldest child Agerton (sometimes misspelled Edgerton) married Sophie Story, an Irish orphan brought from Tennessee by a Mr. Park, who then lived near Holmesville below Bunkie, Louisiana. Agerton’s son, Daniel Hubbard Willis, Sr., was the first of many descendants to follow Joseph into the ministry. Daniel was called by Paxton "one of the most respected ministers in the Louisiana Association." He established many churches himself and was blind in his later years. His daughter would read the scriptures and he would preach. He was pastor of Amiable and Spring Hill Baptist Churches for many years. He was my great-great-grandfather. He settled on Spring Creek, near Glenmora, at a community called Babb’s Bridge. Joseph’s daughter Jemima Willis, married William Dyer and they lived on the Calcasieu River near Master’s Creek. Joseph’s daughter, Mary Willis, married Thomas Dyal/Dial (her first husband was a Johnson) from South Carolina, and they both were living in Rapides Parish in 1850. Rev. Joseph Willis’ son Joseph Willis, Jr. married Jennie Coker at Bayou Chicot and later moved to Rapides Parish and settled near Tenmile Creek. Joseph’s son, Lemuel Willis, married Emeline Perkins from Tenmile Creek and settled in the Oakdale/Elizabeth area. The late Dr. Greene Strother, Southern Baptist missionary emeritus to China and Malaysia, was a grandson of Lemuel. Joseph’ s son, William Willis, married Rhoda Strother on the "Darbourn" on the upper reaches of the Calcasieu. Joseph’s youngest son, Aimuewell Willis, married twice and settled in Leesville. His first wife was Marguerite Leuemche, and his second wife was Lucy Foshee. Many of the descendants of these children live in these same areas today. Eight generations have lived in the Forest Hill/Spring Creek area, beginning with Joseph himself. Oakdale, Louisiana probably has more descendants of Joseph than any other area. I visited with Aimuewell’s daughter, Pearl, in Denver, Colorado in December of 1980, and a short time later with Aimuewell’s son Elzie Willis, near Leesville, Louisiana. It was a strange feeling to talk with someone whose grandfather was born in the 1750’s. Joseph was about 79 when their father was born and, Aimuewell was in his eighties when they were born. No photograph exists of Joseph. The photograph in Durham and Ramond’s book, "Baptist Builders in Louisiana" (1934), is of Aimuewell, listed as Joseph in error. In Service of America Not surprising, many descendants are Baptists, but far from all are. Many have fought in the major wars and served this country well. Joseph fought in the Revolutionary War. Daniel Hubbard Willis, Jr., Aimuewell Willis, William Willis, Crawford Willis (killed at Shiloh), and Lemuel Willis served in the Civil War for the South. Daniel Oscar Willis, M.D. and Dr. Greene Strother served in World War I. Dr. Greene Strother, Joseph’s great-grandson, captured more Germans than any other soldier, besides the famed Sgt. York, in World War I. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. He also served as chaplain to General Claire Chennault’s "Flying Tigers" while in China as a missionary. A host of descendants of Joseph Willis fought in World War II including Robert (Bobby) Kenneth Willis, Jr., who was the first soldier killed in action in World War II from Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The Pineville, Louisiana American Legion Post (now closed) was named in his honor. He was killed by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, during the surprised attack on Pearl Harbor. His body is entombed at the bottom of Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Arizona. After moving to Spring Creek, east of Calcasieu River near Glenmora, Louisiana around 1828/ 1829, Joseph began to establish churches in that area as well. The first church established was Amiable on September 6, 1828, near Glenmora. He next established Occupy Baptist Church in 1833 near Pitkin, and then he established Spring Hill Baptist Church in 1841, near Forest Hill. Joseph was about 83 when Spring Hill was established and his health was failing. The Baptist churches of that day did not necessarily meet weekly. Preachers would have to travel long distances. Those who met weekly might have a preacher only once a month or every other month. Discipline was stern with members being excluded (fellowship being withdrawn by the church) for gossiping, drinking too much, quarreling, dancing, using bad language and in one case at Amiable, for "having abused her mother." But the churches were also forgiving, if you admitted you were wrong and promised not to do it again. A good example is found in the Spring Hill Church minutes. After twice before promising not to "partake of ardent spirits" any more Robert Snoddy had the fellowship of the church withdrawn from him on May 31, 1851. A month later Snoddy sent this apologetic letter to the church explaining his actions: "Dear Brethren, Having been overtaken in an error I set down to confess it. I did use liquor to freely, but did not say anything or do anything out of the way. In as much as I do expect to be at the conference I send you my thoughts. I did promise you that I would refrain from using the poison, but I having broken my promise I have therefore rendered myself unworthy of your fellowship and cannot murmur if you exclude me. I suppose it is no use to tell you that I have been sincerely punished for my crime in as much as I have confessed the same to you before but I make this last request of you for forgiveness or is your forgiveness exhausted towards me. It is necessary that I say to you that I sorely repented for my guilt, but my brethren if you have in your wisdom supposed that my life brings to much reproach on that most respectful of all causes, exclude me, exclude me, Oh exclude me. But I do love the cause so well that I will try to be at the door of the temple of the Lord. Brethren whilst you are dealing with me do it mercifully prayerfully and candidly. I was presented by a beloved brother with a temperance pledge to which I replied I would think about it but if I could of obtained enough of my hearts blood to fill my pen to write my name I would have done it. It is my determination to join it yet – and never taste another drop of the deathly cup whilst I live at the peril of my life. Nothing more but I request your prayers dear brethren – Robert Snoddy" Robert Snoddy was restored to membership. Four-months later he was once again reported drinking and once again excluded. The Amiable Baptist Church minutes in 1879 declared their position in no uncertain terms: "On motion be it resolved that we as a church are willing to look over and forgive the past and we as a church for the time to come allow no more playing or dancing among our church members if they do they may expect to be dealt with." The Amiable minutes record that one dear member was admonished at a church service for dancing. He then stood in the church isle, did a jig and walked out. Pastors were usually called too preach by the church for a one-year period. In 1857, Amiable voted to give Pastor Daniel H. Willis $100 "to sustain him for the next twelve months…it being the amount stated by him." In 1833 Joseph became pastor of Occupy Baptist Church near Pitkin, Louisiana. The church is presently located about one-half mile from Tenmile Creek. He served as pastor there for about 16-years. It was there also that he married his last wife Elvy Sweat, who was many years younger than him. She is listed as age 30 in the 1850 census; Joseph is listed as 98 in the same census. According to family tradition and several historians she was not good to him. As a result of this and Joseph’s failing health, his son Lemuel went and got him and took him to his home in Oakdale, where he lived the remainder of his life. On a bed, in an ox wagon used for an ambulance, he sang as the wagon rolled along to Lemuel’s home. Lemuel had two men with him too help and Joseph witnessed to them while lying in the back of the wagon. He preached to his last breath, either from a chair in the church or from his bed at the home. It was during this time that a man named John Phillips, from the government, came by taking affidavits as to the population’s race. Joseph signed this affidavit and stated that his mother was Indian and his father was English. This was registered at the courthouse in Alexandria, Louisiana. Home Coming in Heaven Joseph died on September 14, 1854. He is buried at the Occupy Baptist Church cemetery. Twenty-years after he began his ministry in Louisiana there were only ten preachers and eight Baptist churches with a membership of 150 in the entire state. On January 18, 1955, just over 100 years after his death, 250 people along with 16 ministers gathered in freezing weather to unveil a monument in his memory at his grave site. The Louisiana Association published the following estimate of his work: "Before the church began to send missionaries into destitute regions, he at his own expense, and frequently at the risk of his life, came to these parts, preaching the gospel of the Redeemer. For fifty years he was instant in season and out of season, preaching, exhorting, and instructing regarding not his property, his health or even his life, if he might be the means of turning sinners to Christ" Louisiana Baptist historian Glen Lee Greene wrote in "House Upon A Rock" (1973): "In all the history of Louisiana Baptists it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a man who suffered more reverses, who enjoyed fewer rewards, or who single-handedly achieved more enduring results for the denomination than did Joseph Willis." Dedicated To Lillie Hanks Willis – My grandmother who poured Jesus into my heart and a love of the history of Joseph Willis and Dr. Greene Wallace Strother – Cousin and Southern Baptist missionary emeritus to China and Malaysia who encouraged me and passed the torch of the history of Joseph Willis to me Copyright © 2002 Randall Lee Willis. All rights reserved. www.randywillis.org