I am looking for obituaries for William Franklin WILLIS (d. 8 April 1907 near Chester Gap, Rappahannock County, VA) and for his wife, Mary Catherine MILLER Willis (d. 14 Dec 1923 Chester Gap, Rappahannock County, VA). What I know about them is set out in the descendants chart below. I am also interested in finding WFW's burial place, said to be "on the old Kerns place in "Bean Hollow" (near Reager) in Rappahannock County, Virginia." What newspapers might have published obituaries in the early 20th century in Front Royal? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Michael Willis Freeland 410 Penn Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-1811 (610) 649-0707 <mailto:[email protected]> Re: WILLIS (VA) William Franklin WILLIS was an itinerant farmer who returned home in the spring to sow and in the fall to reap, and travelled around in between. He served with the Sixth Regiment, Virginia Cavalry, in the War Between the States, under the command of Colonel Thomas Flournoy, which was part of Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuart's Northern Virgina Cavalry. He was captured, and paroled 15 June 1865 at Winchester, Virginia. According to family tradition, he had a long beard, and looked somewhat raffish. His record of parole states that he was 37 years old, 5'10" in height, brown complexion, brown hair, grey eyes. In addition to the eleven children that Mary Catherine MILLER Willis bore him, he also had three other children (Elizabeth "Fanny", Jim and Mary) from an earlier marriage; they are listed with him in the 1860 Census, in which he is listed as having personal property of $387. He was buried on the old Kerns place in "Bean Hollow" (near Reager) in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Pension applications filed by William Franklin WILLIS and also his widow, Mary Catherine MILLER Willis, are on microfilm at the Virginia State Archives. Re: WILLIS (VA) Descendants Chart William Franklin WILLIS (May 1827 - 8 April 1907) +Mary /?/ Willis : : Elizabeth "Fanny" WILLIS : James W. WILLIS : Mary WILLIS +Mary Catherine MILLER Willis (7 Aug 1850 - 14 Dec 1923) : Walter A. Curtis WILLIS (1870-dec.) : Albert (Alfred?) Franklin "Babe" WILLIS (1872-dec.) : +Hettie KNAVE : . ADDITIONAL GENERATIONS AVAILABLE : Annis Elizabeth WILLIS (1874-dec.) : Robert Thomas R. (Ralston?) WILLIS (1876-1927) : Alberta "Ed" WILLIS (1878-dec.) : +James Franklin WILLIAMS : . Susie Egora WILLIAMS Mills (1898-1991) : . +Joseph Wilbur MILLS (1900-1990) : . . Eleanor MILLS Gieselman (1917- ) : . . Joseph MILLS : . . George O. MILLS : John W. J. WILLIS : Mary Alice "Dolly" WILLIS (1880-1918) : Thomas WILLIS : Landora WILLIS Bateman (1882-1959) : +William Woodward BATEMAN (1856-1931) : . Dora Virginia BATEMAN Talbert (1913-1985) : . +Darnel George "Buddy" TALBERT (1912-1995) : . . ADDITIONAL GENERATIONS AVAILABLE : . Robert Franklin BATEMAN (1915-1980) : . +Betty HINTON Bateman : . Mary Ella BATEMAN Freeland (1917-1993) : . +Donald FREELAND (1918- ) : . . ADDITIONAL GENERATIONS AVAILABLE : Annie Eliza WILLIS Sweigart (1886-dec.) : +William SWEIGART : Willie Omanella "Nell" WILLIS (1888-dec.)