Bio: John W. Willis, Claiborne Parish, LA
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890
Submitted for the LAGenWeb Archives by: Gwen Moran-Hernandez, Jan. 2000


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John W. Willis, a retired agriculturist of Claiborne Parish, La., was born in 
Louisa County, Va., in 1824, the third of eight children born to his parents, 
Joshua and Barbara A. (Winston) Willis, the former of whom was born in Virginia 
in 1796.  He was one of four sons and several daughters of Reuben Willis, who 
either came from Ireland, or was a direct descendant from Irish parents.  Joshua 
Willis grew to maturity in Virginia, and although he was but sixteen years of age, 
he served in the War of 1812.  In 1818 he was married to Miss Winston, also a 
Virginian, and a daughter of John Winston, and to them the following children 
were born: Mary O. (wife of Eli Harris, whose home was in this parish until she 
died, in 1869, leaving besides her husband, a family of nine children), Patsey G. 
(became the wife of James M. Thomason, of this parish), John W. (is the subject 
of this sketch), Thomas N. (is resident of Arizona, La.), Ann (is the wife of W. 
C. Morland, of Bienville Parish, La.) Americanus (who is married and is a planter 
of Ouachita Parish, La.) James A. A. (is deceased), Sallie (was the wife of J. E. 
Birch, and is now deceased), and Leonora (wife of M. T. Nicholson, also residing 
here).  John W. Willis came to Claiborne Parish, La., with his parents, in the winter 
of 1848, and with them located about six miles east of where Homer now stands.  This 
region at that time was sparsely settled, and the woods abounded in wild game, which 
John W. was very fond of hunting.  He was married in 1859 to Miss Cicely A. Nicholson, 
a daughter of W. B. Nicholson, formerly from Alabama.  To them six children were born, 
four of whom were reared to maturity: James C., Ella (wife of A. G. Nelson), Ida (wife 
of T. H. Brown), and John Gladden (a resident of Arizona, La.).  Mr. Willis is a fervent 
Democrat, and for some time has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  In 
1862 he enlisted in Company H, Twenty-fifth Louisiana Infantry, and served until the 
close of the war, then returned to Claiborne Parish and devoted his attention to 
agricultural pursuits until 1888, since which time he has been in the drug business 
with his son, James C., who is a practicing physician.  The latter was born in 1865, 
and received a good education in the college at Arizona.  At the age of seventeen years 
he began reading medicine with Dr. D. J. Calhoun, of Arizona, and at the age of eighteen 
years he was sufficiently prepared to enter the medical department of the Vanderbilt 
University, of Nashville, Tenn., from which he was graduated in the spring on 1887.  
He immediately located at Arizona, where he remained until 1889, when he engaged in 
the drug business, in connection with which he has a splendid medical practice.  He 
was married in January, 1888, to Miss Mattie E., daughter of Dr. J. P. Taylor, of 
Claiborne Parish, and by her has one child, Lillian M., who is now nearly two years 
old.  The Doctor is connected with the Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

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