Story County IA Archives Birth.....Wills, John Mitchel September 9, 1863 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Helen Lehman hawlehman@cox.net December 28, 2010, 6:06 pm Name: Wills, John Mitchel Date Of Birth: September 9, 1863 Time: County Of Birth: story Place Of Birth: Walnut Grove Gender: Male Race: W Parent's Residence Walnut Grove, Story County, Iowa Mother's Name: Anderson, Esella Jane Mother's Age: 25 Mother's Birthplace: Batvia, Clermont County, Ohio Father's Name: Wills, Charles William Father's Age: 35 Father's Birthplace: Blanchester, Clinton County, Ohio Doctor: Unavailable Hospital: Unavailable Source Of Record: John Leslie Wills/ US Census'/ IGI/"Wills Ancestry in America" by Peggy Rose Wills Newkirk-2001 Library of Congress # 2001119803 Second Edition Published by Buckeye Graphics Worthington, Ohio 43085 The following comments were made by the son of John Mitchell Wills: "Born Henry Mitchell Wills, and until age 5. His name was changed to John Mitchell Wills by the time John was five years old due to family anger toward Uncle Henry, who he had originally been named for, because Henry proved to be such a low worthless person (per family comments). Uncle Henry was Henry Anderson, brother of John Mitchell Wills' mother Esella Anderson." Story told according to John Mitchell's son, John Leslie Wills. John Mitchell Wills name sake was his uncle, John Mitchell Wills, brother of his father Charles, who had died just 2 years prior to the renaming (death 1866) This is my grandfather! The following is his epitaph copied by his daughter Winnifred on Aug 28, 1931: "AN HONEST MAN...HERE LIES AT REST AS E'ER GOD WITH HIS IMAGE FLESH. THE FRIEND OF MAN, THE FRIEND OF TRUTH, THE FRIEND OF AGE, THE GUIDE OF YOUTH. IF THERE IS ANOTHER WORLD, HE DWELLS IN BLISS. IF THERE IS NONE, HE MADE THE MOST OF HIS." Buried at IOOF cemetary in Kelso, Cowlitz, Washington, SD-10-42-2 Pen note by John Leslie on FGS for John Mitchell Wills says birth was at Ballard Grove, Story, Iowa. Ballard Grove was north of Huxley, Story, Iowa. Age 7 in 1870 US Census at Cambridge, Union Township, Story, Iowa Age 16 in 1880 US Census at Union, Story, Iowa Age 31 in 1895 Story County Census at Union, Story, Iowa living with sister Jennie and her husband Anton Severson and their three children. Age 36 in 1900 US Census for Indian Creek, Story, Iowa Age 46 in 1910 US Census for Cambridge, Union Township, Story, Iowa Age 55 in 1920 US Census for ED # 151, Smoky Hill, Saline, Kansas Daughter Elva Madeline Wills reported John Mitchell Wills as born in Nebraska in the 1930 US Census for Cowlitz, Washington. *This was incorrect as he was born in Iowa. Additional Comments: Father: Charles William Wills born 22 February 1828 in Blanchester, Clinton, Ohio. Married: 1st Esella Jane Anderson on 11 March 1857 in Blanchester, Clinton, Ohio; 2nd Melvira Jane Ball on 7 Sept 1880 in Webster County, Nebraska. Mother: Esella Jane Anderson b. 12 May 1838 Batvia, Clermont, Ohio and d. 30 March 1876 in Walnut Grove, Story, Iowa. Children of Charles and Esella: 1. James Townsent Wills b. 12 Dec 1858 Noblesville, Hamilton, Indiana d. 27 December 1858 in Noblesville, Hamilton, Indiana 2. Marion Shepard Wills b. 26+ October 1859 in Noblesvilla, Hamilton, Indiana d. 5 Sept 1861 in Noblesville, Hamilton, Indiana 3. Anderson Hart Wills b. 2 March 1861 in Noblesville, Hamilton, Indiana d 6 Jan 1923 in Ames, Story, Iowa {Married Minnie Pauline Gardiner on 1 August 1889 in Corning, Nemaha, Kansas.} 4. John Mitchell Wills b. 9 Sept 1863 in Walnut Grove, Story, Iowa d. 9 November 1947 in Kelso, Cowlitz, Washington. Buried in the Cowlitz Garden Memorial Cemetery, Kelso, Cowlitz, Washington {Married Lulu Maude Chandler on 27 March 1895 in Cambridge, Story, Iowa} 5. Mary Elizabeth Wills b. 6 August 1865 in Tillotson Place, Story, Iowa d. 23 March 1936 in Cambridge, Story, Iowa. {Married Samuel Smitt Severson on 20 Sept. 1881 in Walnut Grove, Story, Iowa.} 6. Esella Jane Wills b. 8 June 1869 in Walnut Grove, Story, Iowa and d. 10 March 1945 in Ames, Story, Iowa and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery, Story county, Iowa. {Married Anton Rasmus Severson on 3 November 1887 in Nevada, Story, Iowa} 7. Hannah Edna Wills b. 7 March 1871 in Walnut Grove, Story, Iowa. d. 28 sept 1947 in Ames, Story, Iowa. {Married George Alonzo Myers on 27 Sept 1887 in Nevada, Story, Iowa.} 8. Charles William Wills b. 31 January 1874 in Cambridge, Story, Iowa d. 18 August 1954 in Bettendorf, Scott, Iowa and is buried in Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge, Story County, Iowa. {Married Annah Natalia Peterson on 24 November 1904 in Cambridge, Story, Iowa.} Children of Charles William Wills and Melvira Jane Ball: 1. Jesse Malone Wills b. 16 August 1883 in Cambridge, Story, Iowa d. 2 April 1961 in Bellflower, Los Angels County, California and is buried in the Rose Hill Memorial, Whittier, Los Angels County, California. {He married Mary Fay Willick on 29 March 1916 in Russell, Russell County, Kansas} 2. Joseph Herman Wills b. 4 February 1889 in Trenton, Hitchock, Nebraska d. 27 March 1889 in Trenton, Hitchock, Nebraska 3. Rebecca Isabelle Jane Wills b. Cambridge, Story, Iowa d. 19 November 1963 in Oregon, Holt, Missouri and is buried in the Walnut Grove Cemetery, Story County, Iowa. {she married James Garfield Purvis on 11 November 1902 in Union, Story, Iowa. Regarding Charles William Wills: Born in Clinton County Ohio, moved to Clermont County by 1850 then in 1857 when he was 29 moved to Boone county, Indiana. In 1858 he returned to Ohio to marry Esella Anderson taking her back to Indiana. He moved to Story county, Iowa in September 1861. In March 1887 he moved to Hitchcock county, Nebraska staying there until February 1897. Next he moved to Johnson county, Missouri near Warrensburg. He stayed there until December of 1897 when he returned to Story county, Iowa where he lived until his death. He died at 2:00 AM on 29 Sept 1914 in his sleep of old age. (Details from Obituary I have in my files.) Listed on 1850 U.S. Census in Clermont County, Ohio in Wayne Township as family 344 on 02 August 1850. Reference film # 0020215 Marriage from Clermont County Ohio marriage records 1850-1874 page 7 Age 32 in 1860 US Census for Northfield, Union Township, Boone, Indiana Age 42 in 1870 US Census at Cambridge, Union Township, Story, Iowa Age 52 in 1880 US Census at Union, Story, Iowa Age 72 in 1900 US Census at Cambridge, Story, Iowa, ED#126 Regarding to Esella Jane Anderson Wills: Died of breast cancer at age 38 Age 12 in 1850 US Census for ED 13 Perry Township, Brown, Ohio Age 22 in 1860 US Census for Northfield, Union Township, Boone, Indiana Age 32 in 1870 US Census at Cambridge, Union Township, Story, Iowa Regarding Melvira Jane Ball Wills: MELVIRA JANE BALL IS ALSO NOTED IN THE "WILLS ANCESTRY BOOK" by Peggy Rose Wills Newkirk-2001 WITH AN ADDITIONAL LAST NAME, PERHAPS ANOTHER MARRIAGE? THE NAME IS "NEWTON" Age 8 in 1860 US Census for Union, Story, Iowa Age 48 in 1900 US Census at Cambridge, Story, Iowa, ED#126 John Wills' records show Esella Anderson middle name of Jane. Census records do not contain this middle name. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/story/vitals/births/wills9gbt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 7.7 Kb