Randy Willis www.randywillis.org 1) Randall Lee Willis (b. Dec. 19, 1949 in Oakdale, La.). My parents were Julian Everette Willis and Ruth Lawson Willis. 2) Julian Everette Willis (b. Oct. 5, 1919; d. Jun. 13, 1995) was my father. He was a son of Randall Lee Willis and Lillie Gertrude Hanks Willis. He married my mother, Ruth Lawson Willis (b. Apr. 25, 1913; d. Oct. 13, 1994) on June 26, 1948, in Longleaf, La. 3) Randall Lee Willis (b. Mar. 20, 1886; d. May 14, 1940) was my grandfather. He was the youngest child of Daniel Hubbard Willis, Jr. and Julia Ann Graham Willis. He married Lillie Gertrude Hanks (b. Dec. 29, 1897; d. July 2, 1973) on Jan. 11, 1914 in La. He was born in Forest Hill. 4) Daniel Hubbard Willis, Jr. (b. Apr. 2, 1839; d. May 22, 1900) was my great-grandfather. Daniel Hubbard Willis, Jr. was the eldest son of Rev. Daniel Hubbard Willis, Sr. and Anna Slaughter. He was raised near Sugartown, La. and then settled on Barber Creek near Longleaf, La. He married Julia Ann Graham (b. Feb. 22, 1845; d. Sept. 28, 1936) on January 5, 1867. Daniel Hubbard Willis, Jr. was the first of four Willis’ brothers to marry four Graham’ sisters. He fought under General Randall Lee Gibson in the Civil War. 5) Rev. Daniel Hubbard Willis, Sr. (b. Dec. 28,1817; d. Mar. 27, 1887) was my great-great-grandfather. He was born on Bayou Boeuf in La. He married Anna Slaughter (b. May 29, 1820 d. Mar. 24, 1876) on Mar. 15, 1838 in La. Both are buried at the Amiable Baptist Church Cemetery near Glenmora, La. He settled on Spring Creek near Glenmora at a community called Babb’s Bridge. 6) Agerton Willis (b. 1785 in North Carolina) was my great-great-great-grandfather. He married Sophie Story on April 18, 1811, in La. He was the eldest of approximately 19 children of Rev. Joseph Willis. His mother was Rachel Bradford from Bladen County, NC. His wife, Sophie Story, was an Irish orphan brought from Tennessee by a Mr. Park, who then lived near Holmesville below Bunkie, La. I do not know ether's place of birth or where they are buried. 7) Rev. Joseph Willis (b. circa 1758; d. Sept. 14, 1854) was my great-great-great-great-grandfather. He was born in Bladen County, NC. in 1758. He was the first non-Catholic minister, to preach the Gospel, West of the Mississippi, River. He fought under Francis Marion "The Swamp Fox" in the Revolutionary War (South Carolina) and then migrated to La. before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. He established the first non-Catholic church West of the Mississippi River, Calvary Baptist, Nov. 13, 1812, at Bayou Chicot, La. His mother was half-Indian and his father was English. His first wife was Rachel Bradford from Bladen County, North Carolina. His second wife, Sarah, was a Irish women from South Carolina. He settled with his third wife (a Johnson women) on Bayou Chicot. She died and is buried there. The location of her grave is unknown. He then moved, with his children, and settled on Spring Creek east of the Calcasieu River. His fourth wife was Elvy Sweat from Ten Mile Creek; they lived on the west side of the Calcasieu River, in Willis Hollow. He had four wives and 19 children. He is buried at the Occupy Baptist Church Cemetery near Pitkin, La. His first cousin, General John Willis, was one of the signers ratifying The Constitution of the United States, from North Carolina, in 1788. Rev. Joseph Willis' influence is still felt today. 8) Agerton Willis (b. circa 1727; d. 1777) was my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. He was one of four brothers to migrate from England or Wales to Virginia and eventually to Bladen and Robeson Counties, North Carolina. The four Willis' brothers were Agerton Willis (b. circa 1727; d. 1777), Daniel Willis (b. circa 1716; d. 1785), Benjamin Willis III (b. circa 1725; d. 1785), and George Willis (b. circa 1730). After arriving in America, these four brothers are found in Southeast Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay area, the same area that the pilgrims first settled. There in the 1740’s, in Isle of Wight County and Nansemond County (now the city of Suffolk) was the place that Joseph Willis’ father, three uncles and one aunt called home. The one known sister of these four brothers was Joanna Willis (b. circa 1730; d. 1791). Joanna married James Council (b. circa 1716) of Isle of Wight County, Virginia in about 1751. It is also said, that James was the son of John Council and Benjamin Willis Jr.’s sister Josie Willis (b. circa 1681), and grandson of Hodges Council. I have not confirmed this statement. Hodges, supposedly immigrated from Devonshire, England to America. I have been unable to confirm this with any evidence in Devon, England, but it may well be true. In the early 1750’s, the family, including James and Joanna, moved from Virginia to North Carolina. Between 1740 and 1770, hundreds of Virginians moved to North Carolina as a result of the Virginia legislature passing a law requiring all non-residents to acquire ten acres of land for each head of stock ranging in the colony or to become citizens. Agerton Willis settled on the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. The four brothers were all large plantation owners in North Carolina. Many of the Willises in America descend from these four brothers. The Origins of These Four Brothers After extensive research in Devon, England, I'm beginning to believe that the story that I heard, 20 years ago, of these four Willis' brothers coming from Wales to America may be true. I've have found only three, 1600-1700 Devonshire, Willis Families: James Willis of Totnes, Timothy Harding Willis of Barnstaple, and William Willis of Torrington. I have not found the names of Agerton Willis, Daniel Willis, Benjamin Willis, nor George Willis in all of 1600-1700 Devonshire, England. Wales is a hotbed of Willis families. It has been written that the surname "Willis" is of Welsh origin. Supposedly the Willises came to England with William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Additional research needs to be expended on our Willis overseas origin. As mentioned above, after arriving in America, our Willis family is found in Southeast Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay area. Other northeastern references with similar names can be found in the Boston Marriages from 1700-1809. Joseph Willis and Mary Goodwill - September 15, 1730 (page 158), Benjamin Willis and Ann Letty - November 20, 1742 (page 273) and Joseph Brown and Johanna Willis - September 22, 1719 (page 80). I've not been able to connect these Willises to ours, but the similarity of names is uncanny. Randy Willis www.randywillis.org randy@randywillis.org