Freestone County, Texas
Biographies





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Biography of James Aaron Willard 
        (13 Oct 1833-28 Oct 1905, buried Day Cemetery at Ward Prairie)


Book - Biographical Sketches from Limestone, Freestone, and Leon Counties, 
Texas.  Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1893. p. 98.

"J. A. WILLARD, farmer of Fairfield, Freestone County, was born in 1833 in  
Cannon County, Tennessee.

He was the son of W. W. WILLARD who also lives in this county. The latter was  
born in 1811 in Tennessee, and married LOVIE DUGGIN, daughter of JAMES DUGGIN.  
The Willard family was from Virginia and the Duggins from North Carolina.  W. 
W. and LOVIE WILLARD had these children:  MALINDA, wife of ELISHA HOBBS of 
Fairfield; our subject; J. B., who lives in Tennessee; W.B., lives in Ellis 
County; DEBBIE, married a DAVENPORT and PEGGIE, married WILL H. ARSON.  W. W. 
WILLARD's first wife died when our subject was a child, and he married ELIZA 
SUMMERS.  The children of this marriage were:  NELSON, NATHEW, BERT, DREW, 
MARY, SUSIE, ELIZA, LENA, FRANK, BENJAMIN, and SALLY.

In the fall of 1861 J. A. WILLARD enlisted in Colonel Bartos' Regiment of 
Confederate troops and was sent to Mississippi to do guard duty on the New 
Orleans Railroad.  After eleven months service he returned home and did not 
re-enter the army.  He was not in sympathy with the war and engaged in it only 
when there seemed to be no other course. 

When the war was over, he determined to get away from the destruction wrought 
in his native state and seek a new and better place to live.  

Texas seemed to possess the greatest possibilities and he came along with 
little more than means to pay for the trip, in other words nothing but his 
children.  He bought his first 200 acres at $5 an acre and has since added 
enough to make 388 acres, 160 of which is well improved.  Besides his farm 
products, Mr. Willard sells surplus horses, cattle and hogs.  He never fails to 
make all the corn he needs.  He allows the politicians to fight their own 
battles, being content to remain on his farm.  He is in favor of public 
education and strives to get the most possible good out of the system for the 
youth of this country.

In the fall of 1857 Mr. Willard married HANNAH ODOM, the daughter of W. C. 
ODOM, and their children are: W. C., J. M., LOVIE, who is the wife of BEN 
BURKS.  His first wife died in 1861, and the next year he married NANCY ODOM, a 
sister to his first wife, and the children from this marriage are: C. B.; JOHN, 
deceased; NANCY, wife of RICHARD BURKS; MAGGIE, wife of FRANK DUGGINS; F. H.; 
BERTIE; BESSIE; and BENNIE, who is deceased.  The family are members of the 
Baptist Church and are highly respected citizens."