Breckinridge-Grayson-Meade County KyArchives Obituaries.....WILLIS, James Washington August 26, 1960 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ky/kyfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Peggy Russell meemawpeg7@gmail.com August 2, 2017, 3:09 pm Breckinridge County Herald News, Friday, September 2, 1960 Obituary Page 1 FORMER PUBLISHER, J. W. WILLIS, DIES (Big picture of him on the front page) James W. WILLIS, age 87, a retired newspaper publisher, died Friday night (August 26, 1960), at his home in Irvington (Breckinridge County), Ky. He was the son of John Owen WILLIS and Sarah Frances JOHNSON WILLIS. Mr. WILLIS first worked at his chosen profession at Leitchfield in his native Grayson County, Ky. As a young man he left Leitchfield, and went to Louisville (Jefferson County), Ky., where he worked in the House of F. C. NUNNERMACHER, and later at the Courier-Journal Job Printing Company, and John P. MORTON and Company. He also worked on newspapers at Henderson, Ky. and Beaver Dam, Ky. In 1915 Mr. WILLIS, in association with the late Mr. W. B. LENNON ,started "THE RECORD PRESS" in Hardinsburg (Breckinridge County), Ky. They operated the newspaper for 3 years. At that time, Mr. WILLIS purchased "THE IRVINGTON HERALD" which had begun publication only a few weeks before. Mr. WILLIS published "THE IRVINGTON HERALD" from 1918 to 1945. In November of 1945 the newspaper was sold to his daughter and son-in-law, George and Elizabeth WILLIS WILSON. After two weeks of retirement, he returned to the profession he loved by assisting his son, James M. WILLIS, in the publication of the "MEADE COUNTY MESSENGER" at Brandenburg, Ky. He continued his work there until his health began to fail a few years ago. Mr. WILLIS was a charter member of the Irvington Rotary Club, a Steward for many years in the Irvington Methodist Church, a Mason, and was honored in 1948 by being voted a life member of the Kentucky Press Association. His biography appears in "A HISTORY OF KENTUCKY DEMOCRACY", and in "WHO'S WHO IN METHODISM". Mr. WILLIS is survived by: his wife, Mrs. Hattie MERCER WILLIS one son: James M. WILLIS, Publisher of "The Meade County Messenger" one daughter: Elizabeth W. WILSON, Co-Publisher of "The Breckinridge County Herald-News" his granddaughter: Jane MARLOW WILLIS one brother: Carradine WILLIS, Evansville (Vanderburgh County), Indiana one sister: Mrs. Ivy KENDALL, Libertyville (Lake County), Illinois The funeral services were held on Sunday from the Irvington Methodist Church, directed by the Alexander Funeral Home of Irvington, with burial in the Cedar Hill Cemetery (which is high on a hill overlooking the town of Irvington). Pallbearers were members of the Irvington Masonic Lodge. Breckinridge County Herald-News, Friday, September 2, 1960, Page 6 RELATIVES ATTEND WILLIS FUNERAL Among relatives from a distance attending the funeral of J. W. WILLIS Sunday were: his niece, Miss Edith WHITE (no residence given) his nephew, Paul WILLIS and son of Louisville, Ky. nephews: (on his wife's side of the family?) Mr. and Mrs. Chester MERCER and family of Charleston, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. W. H. MERCER and Patsy, of Nashville, Tennessee Mr. and Mrs. Wayne WHITWORTH and family, Louisville, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene MERCER and family, St. Louis, Missouri Mr. and Mrs. Eugene MERCER, Nashville, Tennessee Mr. and Mrs. Earl MERCER, Decatur, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Franklin WHITWORTH, Louisville, Ky. Additional Comments: James and his wife have a tombstone. Breckinridge County Cemetery Book, Vol. one, published in 1991: Cedar Hill Cemetery, Irvington, Ky. WILLIS, James Washington 1872 -- 1960 husband of Hattie MERCER Hattie MERCER 1886 -- 1965 wife of James Washington Peggy Russell File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/breckinridge/obits/w/willis6084gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/kyfiles/