Obituary of ALTON L. "JIGGS" WILLIS, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana

Copied and Submitted by: Doug McBroom, 15520 Swan Lake Blvd., Gulfport, MS 
39503

From The Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal; Jena, LaSalle Parish, La.  

Many Thanks to The Times - Signal and to the LaSalle Parish Library for 
allowing the following to be added to the Archives.





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Date:   January 5, 2000, Wednesday

Headline:  Area Deaths

Alton L. "Jiggs" Willis, 81, of Ferriday, died Thursday, December 23, 1999, 
in Ferriday.

He was born April 24, 1918, in Jena, to the late Alon Palmer Willis and Venia 
Shumaker Willis, one of eight children.  He was a member of Sevier Memorial 
Methodist Church of Ferriday.

Willis and his family moved to Ferriday in 1951 having been transferred from 
the Louisiana State Employment Agency in Alexandria.

He was born and raised in Jena where he graduated from Jena High School.  He 
attended Louisiana College in Pineville and participated in many job-related 
seminars at LSU in Baton Rouge and the University of Colorado in Boulder.

He was active in high school sports and served as president of the Ferriday 
Quarterback Club.  Also, he was a long time member and past president of the 
Rotary Club.  He was past master of Ferriday Masonic Lodge #390, F&AM, and 
was also was a Shriner.

Willis loved nature and the outdoors.  He especially loved deer hunting and 
was a member of the Glade Vale Hunting Club in Tensas Parish for many years.

He retired as manager of the Ferriday office of the Employment Agency in 1982 
after 33 years of service.

Services were at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 26, at Sevier Memorial Methodist 
Church in Ferriday with pastor Rev. Lyndle Bullard officiating.

Interment followed at Nolley Memorial Cemetery in Jena under direction of 
Young's Funeral Home of Ferriday.

Survivors include his wife, Gutha Shannon Willis of Ferriday; two daughters, 
Karen Willis and Judith Willis Flowers of Rome, Italy; three brothers, J. T. 
Willis of Pasadena, Tx., Alon P. Willis, Jr., of Houston, Tx., and Clifton C. 
Willis of Sealey, Tx.; four sisters, Vera Massa of Shreveport, Odessa Buxton 
of Pineville, Thelma Spears of Beaumont, Tx., and Velma Powell of Jena; one 
granddaughter, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Ed Lytle, Andy Anders, Louis Nowlin, Randy Miller, John 
Rife, Joe Shannon, and Jerry Daye.

Honorary pallbearers were Dr. Herman Gibson, John Anders, Dr. Claude Current, 
Billy Miller, Bob Rife, Woodie Davis, Dr. Tom Purvis, and Robert Clayton.