There's a Christmas parade in Saluda on Saturday, December 10. That got me thinking it would be great to share some Christmas or seasonal stories of days gone by. It doesn't have to be about the Wills family although you're welcome to share that too. I'll start.
It was the first Christmas Parade I'd been to. It was 1964 and I was four years old. I was there with my dad and I don't remember if it was in Greenville or Greenwood. There was an old lady who was a distant cousin on my Coleman side whose name I don't remember and her grandson. She knew me as a relation and she pointedly offered that her grandson was "your cousin, Marc "with a 'c'" III, "just like a Lincoln Mark III". It made such an impression on me. That moment of awareness to my more distant relations happened when I was watching this beautifully joyous parade on a chilly December morning in a South Carolina town. I don't think I ever saw them again.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving 2010
Now, that's what I call a Texas sized turkey. No, wait, that's Joe Denny Wills (the younger, aka my Dad) with Tom Turkey. This picture was taken sometime in the early 1990's, probably in Texas. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Time is the root of all this earth...
Remembering Joe Denny Wills, the elder, who left this earth far too soon.
Time is the root of all this earth;
These creatures, who from Time had birth,
Within his bosom at the end
Shall sleep; Time hath nor enemy nor friend.
These creatures, who from Time had birth,
Within his bosom at the end
Shall sleep; Time hath nor enemy nor friend.
All we in one long caravan
Are journeying since the world began;
We know not whither, but we know
Time guideth at the front, and all must go.
Are journeying since the world began;
We know not whither, but we know
Time guideth at the front, and all must go.
Like as the wind upon the field
Bows every herb, and all must yield,
So we beneath Time’s passing breath
Bow each in turn, – why tears for birth or death?
Bows every herb, and all must yield,
So we beneath Time’s passing breath
Bow each in turn, – why tears for birth or death?
Bhartrihari, ‘Time’, translated by Paul Elmer More
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| Joe Denny Wills, born 15 January 1881, married Mary Elizabeth Coleman 1900, died 8 November, 1904. |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Birthday Spotlight: Joe Denny Wills
Birthdays are reminders of our marking time on earth. They afford us the chance for retrospection. Today's my father's birthday. Joe Denny Wills was named after his grandfather when he was born on November 7, 1939 in Columbia, South Carolina. It wasn't long before he moved to Seminole, Florida with his parents and big sister, Patricia Ann. He grew up in Florida but traveled to South Carolina for vacations and holidays with his larger family of uncles, aunts and cousins.
After high school, my dad did a stint in the army and followed that with his college career. He met and married my mom, Harriet, and started a family. It wasn't long before he started traveling the world and taking us with him. The adventures we've shared are priceless memories. I'm sure he could write a book.
We had our picture taken with my dad's parents just before we left on our way to live in Tehran, Iran. I chose this picture because I really like the tie my dad is wearing and the leather jacket Granddaddy Wills is about to bust out of. Julie is ready to go, go, go and we're just thrilled to be going on a long plane flight. By this time we were already pretty seasoned travelers.
This picture reminds me of spending time with Aunt Pat and the various occasions we'd get together with Grandma and Granddaddy Wills. Most often, Dad was stateside or in Florida for a short time on vacation on an interlude during a business trip. He'd always stop in to see his parents and his sister, nieces and nephew. When we were with him, we would too.
Granddaddy and Grandma Wills lived in Holiday, Florida after they retired, beginning in the mid-1960s. I remember Granddaddy's fig trees (one pictured above) and his poinsettias. Too bad I never took a picture of his other favorite hobby, his cockatiels and parakeets.
By the mid-1980s Dad had a lot of experience in the petrochemical construction industry and had lived all throughout the States, Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
I know this is just midway but I wanted to share part of how much life one can have behind them, in retrospect, so that we realize just how much we have before us. Happy Birthday, Dad!
After high school, my dad did a stint in the army and followed that with his college career. He met and married my mom, Harriet, and started a family. It wasn't long before he started traveling the world and taking us with him. The adventures we've shared are priceless memories. I'm sure he could write a book.
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| Dad and Mark, St. Pete Beach, 1961 |
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| Front row: Julie, Mark & Jeff Wills. Back row: Addie, Harriet, Joe Denny and Joe Summers Wills, February 1973 |
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| Joe DennyWills, Addie Holt Wills, Patricia Wills Charlow, circa 1978 |
This picture reminds me of spending time with Aunt Pat and the various occasions we'd get together with Grandma and Granddaddy Wills. Most often, Dad was stateside or in Florida for a short time on vacation on an interlude during a business trip. He'd always stop in to see his parents and his sister, nieces and nephew. When we were with him, we would too.
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| Joe Denny with Harriet and his father, Joe Summers outside his parent's home in Holiday, Florida, late 1970s |
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| Busy guy or messy desk, or both? Dad's office, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia 1984 |
I know this is just midway but I wanted to share part of how much life one can have behind them, in retrospect, so that we realize just how much we have before us. Happy Birthday, Dad!
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| Joe Denny Wills, Saluda, South Carolina, July 30, 2010 |
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wills Gravestones at Zoar United Methodist Church
The graves of many of our Wills ancestors are at Zoar United Methodist Church near Saluda, South Carolina. Zoar is a very simple, welcoming red brick church located on land close to the homes of our forebearers. I took these pictures when I was out there this past July for the Wills Family Reunion.
Mary Gray Coleman Wills was born in 1792 and died in 1872. She married Matthew Jones (also known as Jones) Wills, Jr. They were my 4th great grandparents.
Next, we have the graves of their son, Eldred Jones Wills, born 1824 and died 1876, and his wife Rachel Isabella Merchant Wills, born 1827 and died 1887. They are my 3rd great grandparents. I've already posted that Eldred was a private in the CSA and his service has been recognized also by the CSA gravemarker on his grave. Note that Eldred was also a Mason.
Next, we have one of their son's, James Drayton Wills (who by the way was one of the founders of Saluda County when it separated from Edgefield County), born 1853 and died 1908. James Drayton was my 2nd great grandfather. His wife, my 2nd great grandmother Lizzie Belle Attaway Wills is buried in the Attaway Cemetary not too far from Zoar.
Their eldest son, Joe Denny Wills, born 1881, died 1904 is also buried here. He is my great grandfather Wills. He was survived by his father and his younger siblings, Madge, Bessie Louvenia, Eldred Jones and George Travis Wills.
Joe Denny married Mary Elizabeth Coleman and they had two sons, my great uncle Fred D., born 1901, died 1982 and my grandfather Joe Summers, born 1903, died 1984. Uncle Fred and his wife Aunt Ona (Griffith) are buried here too along with 3 infant children who predeceased them.
Mary Gray Coleman Wills was born in 1792 and died in 1872. She married Matthew Jones (also known as Jones) Wills, Jr. They were my 4th great grandparents.
Next, we have the graves of their son, Eldred Jones Wills, born 1824 and died 1876, and his wife Rachel Isabella Merchant Wills, born 1827 and died 1887. They are my 3rd great grandparents. I've already posted that Eldred was a private in the CSA and his service has been recognized also by the CSA gravemarker on his grave. Note that Eldred was also a Mason.
Joe Denny married Mary Elizabeth Coleman and they had two sons, my great uncle Fred D., born 1901, died 1982 and my grandfather Joe Summers, born 1903, died 1984. Uncle Fred and his wife Aunt Ona (Griffith) are buried here too along with 3 infant children who predeceased them.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Back to School
It's back to school for many (really all) of us. I say all of us because we're directly impacted by the increased traffic to and from anywhere. Three of my immediate family members are starting back to school tomorrow. My dad, Joe Denny Wills, is in his last year of his PhD work at the College of Design, Construction and Planning at the University of Florida in Gainesville. My nephew, Jack Ryan Wills, my brother Jeff's youngest, starts high school and my nephew, James Orion Eddy, my sister Julie's youngest, starts middle school, also tomorrow. We all got to spend good quality time together a few weekends ago in South Carolina.
The picture below is of a young Joe Summers Wills at Hickory Grove School in Saluda County, South Carolina. It was taken in 1913 so Summers, as he was called, would've been 10 years old. I scanned it from The Family History of Saluda County, 1895-1980. There he is on the back row, fourth from the right - his head is circled.
I expect Grandaddy Wills went to school on foot with his books tied together and thrown over his shoulder. It was both a quieter and slower time when automobile traffic hadn't penetrated the quiet backwoods roads off the Old Cherokee Highway. An eighth grade education was all the compulsory education Summers would receive. He was a class spelling bee champion and had an astute memory. I remember him quizzing me on the spelling of gnat, "Mark, how do you spell, hat? How do you spell, cat?..." My most vivid spelling challenge was always his, "How do you spell, caoutchouc?" It's pronounced something like, ka-tchook and it's a real word http://www.thefreedictionary.com/caoutchouc . I never stopped being amazed at Granddaddy Wills' recitation of words from his Hickory Grove Spelling Bee days.
Have a great school year, everybody!
Mark
The picture below is of a young Joe Summers Wills at Hickory Grove School in Saluda County, South Carolina. It was taken in 1913 so Summers, as he was called, would've been 10 years old. I scanned it from The Family History of Saluda County, 1895-1980. There he is on the back row, fourth from the right - his head is circled.
I expect Grandaddy Wills went to school on foot with his books tied together and thrown over his shoulder. It was both a quieter and slower time when automobile traffic hadn't penetrated the quiet backwoods roads off the Old Cherokee Highway. An eighth grade education was all the compulsory education Summers would receive. He was a class spelling bee champion and had an astute memory. I remember him quizzing me on the spelling of gnat, "Mark, how do you spell, hat? How do you spell, cat?..." My most vivid spelling challenge was always his, "How do you spell, caoutchouc?" It's pronounced something like, ka-tchook and it's a real word http://www.thefreedictionary.com/caoutchouc . I never stopped being amazed at Granddaddy Wills' recitation of words from his Hickory Grove Spelling Bee days.
Have a great school year, everybody!
Mark
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
New Connections
I've been enjoying reliving the Wills Family Reunion, looking at pictures old and new, listening to the digital voice recordings of the storytelling and sharing bits of the Reunion with others. I'm thrilled to have made a connection with Uncle George Travis Wills' family whose members live in Washington State and Houston, Texas where I live. After talking to one of Uncle George's granddaughter's last week, I really felt we were connecting all the lines of our family together. Descendants of James Drayton Wills and Lizzie Attaway Wills (Eldred Jones Wills and Rachael Isabella Merchant Wills' son) live in South Carolina, Florida, Washington, Texas, Georgia, Ohio and probably a few other states I haven't recalled.
Till next time,
Mark
Till next time,
Mark
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Weekly Site Updates
A link list has just been added with a half dozen or so links for South Carolina and Virginia researchers. It's located near the bottom of the page on the right when you scroll down. Don't miss out on Historic St. Luke's Church either. That's the church Matthew Wills, Sr. (I believe) was a member of the vestry and it was known as Old Brick Church. Also be sure to check out The Relationship Chart (courtesy of Alice Ramsay) and figure out your relation to cousins of great great grandparents and so on. A calendar of events has also been added.
I'd like to get about three people to work on this with me (as site administrators) so please let me know if you're interested. Of course, this web site is meant to be a friendly resource for everyone interested in South Carolina Comfort and The Family Wills and all are encouraged to contribute.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Mark
I'd like to get about three people to work on this with me (as site administrators) so please let me know if you're interested. Of course, this web site is meant to be a friendly resource for everyone interested in South Carolina Comfort and The Family Wills and all are encouraged to contribute.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Mark
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Earliest Members of the Wills Family of Warwick County
This is a "Working Draft" written in September 1982 by Mr. Fred Eggleston of Silver Spring, MD. The Draft was revised in 1992. Mr. Eggleston also produced an excellent Chart of the likely connection of various Wills families to the immigrant Emanuel Wills and his wife Elizabeth Cole
Our immigrant ancestor, Emanuel WILLS (WELLS) came to Virginia from England. We are descendants from his son John, then William, then Matthew, etc.
Among the 17th century settlers of Mulberry Isiand Parish in Warwick County, Virginia were members of the Wills family, whose descendants later spread to isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry, Amelia, Fluvanna, and other counties in the colony and state, and to North Carolina. The nearly complete destruction of Warwick County records during the Civil War and earlier has hampered efforts over the years to put together the early history of the family.(l) Sufficient pieces of the puzzle survive, nevertheless, to construct at least the begirining of an outline of the first three generations of the family in Virginia.
Our immigrant ancestor, Emanuel WILLS (WELLS) came to Virginia from England. We are descendants from his son John, then William, then Matthew, etc.
Among the 17th century settlers of Mulberry Isiand Parish in Warwick County, Virginia were members of the Wills family, whose descendants later spread to isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry, Amelia, Fluvanna, and other counties in the colony and state, and to North Carolina. The nearly complete destruction of Warwick County records during the Civil War and earlier has hampered efforts over the years to put together the early history of the family.(l) Sufficient pieces of the puzzle survive, nevertheless, to construct at least the begirining of an outline of the first three generations of the family in Virginia.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Welcome!
Many descendants of Eldred Jones Wills and Rachel Isabella Merchant gathered for a family reunion at Zoar United Methodist Church in Saluda, South Carolina on Saturday, July 31, 2010. The objective of this blog is to share knowledge about our family history and heritage, our love of South Carolina, share our memories and make new ones. While the primary focus will be on the Wills surname, I also encourage sharing noteworthy information on any collateral and spousal lines.