Most of the following information came from Fanny herself and was reported in articles appearing in the San Francisco "Chronicle" on Oct. 4 and 11, 1897.
Fanny gave her birthplace as "Simpson" (Sampson) County, North Carolina. Some census records indicate she was born in South Carolina, probably Pendleton District (now Anderson and Pickens Counties.)
She was the last survivor of her parents' 13 children.
Fanny moved to Muhlenberg Co KY with parents at age four.
Married first James Thomas Willis (called Thomas) in Muhlenberg Co 1812. Around 1831 moved north. Lived in Marion Co MO, Hancock Co IL and Van Buren Co, Iowa.
Before the Black Hawk War in 1832, Black Hawk himself, a neighbor and family friend of the Willises, alerted them to the coming hostilities and warned them to move out of harm's way.
Thomas served during the Black Hawk War. The name Thomas Willis appears in a roster of men who enlisted in Capt. White's company in Adams County, Illinois. Adams Co borders Hancock Co, and is directly across the Mississippi River from Marion Co MO. White's company roster includes the name of future President Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas Willis died ca 1838. He and Fanny had 12 children.
Fanny m/2 Ephraim Henry McBride in Van Buren Co, Iowa, in 1839. She and McBride had one child, born when she was 45.
She m/3 Isaac Griffith in Van Buren Co 1843. No children together.
In 1852 Fanny moved with a son - possibly Thomas - to the site of Visalia, Tulare Co, California, and was there at its beginning. Her daughter Fannie Stevenson and sons David and Matthew J. Willis and Henry E. McBride also went to California, as did a son-in-law, Calvin Snodderly.
Fanny m/4 David Slinkard in Visalia CA 29 Jun 1874.
The 1880 census shows her, as Francis Griffith, in the household of her son Britton Willis in Dakota City, Dakota County, Nebraska.
Fanny's 100th birthday celebration was organized by her son Thomas' daughter, Myrtle (Mrs. F. C. Burrell) near Agnew's Station in Santa Clara County on October 3, 1897. Fanny died the following year and was buried in Mission City Memorial Park in Santa Clara CA. [A searcher reports the cemetery cannot locate her burial plot.] Her sons J. Thomas Willis and Henry McBride are also buried in this cemetery [Block 143, SW 1/4, Lot 2]. Fanny was reported as having had 56 grandchildren, 92 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.
======================================================
AMONG FANNY'S CHILDREN WERE:
Winifred G. SULLIVAN NEWMAN (1814-1886)
Nancy Jane NEWMAN (1816-1898)
Betsy Ann MILLER, b 1818 and living in 1897.
Britton Willis (1820-1899)
Frances STEVENSON (1822-1893)
Margaret J. SNODDERLY (1824- ? )
David Willis (ca 1829- ? ) In the 1860's Dave Willis of Visalia tried making salt about 16 miles south of Bakersfield, Kern Co CA. His middle initial appears - possibly in error - as G in papers contesting his grandfather's 1845 will, but he may be the David Mansfield Willis, b ca 1830 in KY, listed in voter records in Tulare Co 1869, Kern Co 1867, and Calaveras, Los Angeles Co, 1896. The 1880 census shows him with his sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and William Newman, in Chariton MO.
James Thomas Willis (1833-1905)
William Willis, b and d dates unknown
Matthew John Willis, b Jan 1837 IL, d 22 Nov 1900 Fresno CA;
............m Fresno 28 May 1873 Sarah Jane Corrick.
Henry Edwin McBride (1842-1915)
======================================================
Fanny gave her birthplace as "Simpson" (Sampson) County, North Carolina. Some census records indicate she was born in South Carolina, probably Pendleton District (now Anderson and Pickens Counties.)
She was the last survivor of her parents' 13 children.
Fanny moved to Muhlenberg Co KY with parents at age four.
Married first James Thomas Willis (called Thomas) in Muhlenberg Co 1812. Around 1831 moved north. Lived in Marion Co MO, Hancock Co IL and Van Buren Co, Iowa.
Before the Black Hawk War in 1832, Black Hawk himself, a neighbor and family friend of the Willises, alerted them to the coming hostilities and warned them to move out of harm's way.
Thomas served during the Black Hawk War. The name Thomas Willis appears in a roster of men who enlisted in Capt. White's company in Adams County, Illinois. Adams Co borders Hancock Co, and is directly across the Mississippi River from Marion Co MO. White's company roster includes the name of future President Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas Willis died ca 1838. He and Fanny had 12 children.
Fanny m/2 Ephraim Henry McBride in Van Buren Co, Iowa, in 1839. She and McBride had one child, born when she was 45.
She m/3 Isaac Griffith in Van Buren Co 1843. No children together.
In 1852 Fanny moved with a son - possibly Thomas - to the site of Visalia, Tulare Co, California, and was there at its beginning. Her daughter Fannie Stevenson and sons David and Matthew J. Willis and Henry E. McBride also went to California, as did a son-in-law, Calvin Snodderly.
Fanny m/4 David Slinkard in Visalia CA 29 Jun 1874.
The 1880 census shows her, as Francis Griffith, in the household of her son Britton Willis in Dakota City, Dakota County, Nebraska.
Fanny's 100th birthday celebration was organized by her son Thomas' daughter, Myrtle (Mrs. F. C. Burrell) near Agnew's Station in Santa Clara County on October 3, 1897. Fanny died the following year and was buried in Mission City Memorial Park in Santa Clara CA. [A searcher reports the cemetery cannot locate her burial plot.] Her sons J. Thomas Willis and Henry McBride are also buried in this cemetery [Block 143, SW 1/4, Lot 2]. Fanny was reported as having had 56 grandchildren, 92 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.
======================================================
AMONG FANNY'S CHILDREN WERE:
Winifred G. SULLIVAN NEWMAN (1814-1886)
Nancy Jane NEWMAN (1816-1898)
Betsy Ann MILLER, b 1818 and living in 1897.
Britton Willis (1820-1899)
Frances STEVENSON (1822-1893)
Margaret J. SNODDERLY (1824- ? )
David Willis (ca 1829- ? ) In the 1860's Dave Willis of Visalia tried making salt about 16 miles south of Bakersfield, Kern Co CA. His middle initial appears - possibly in error - as G in papers contesting his grandfather's 1845 will, but he may be the David Mansfield Willis, b ca 1830 in KY, listed in voter records in Tulare Co 1869, Kern Co 1867, and Calaveras, Los Angeles Co, 1896. The 1880 census shows him with his sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and William Newman, in Chariton MO.
James Thomas Willis (1833-1905)
William Willis, b and d dates unknown
Matthew John Willis, b Jan 1837 IL, d 22 Nov 1900 Fresno CA;
............m Fresno 28 May 1873 Sarah Jane Corrick.
Henry Edwin McBride (1842-1915)
======================================================
Most of the following information came from Fanny herself and was reported in articles appearing in the San Francisco "Chronicle" on Oct. 4 and 11, 1897.
Fanny gave her birthplace as "Simpson" (Sampson) County, North Carolina. Some census records indicate she was born in South Carolina, probably Pendleton District (now Anderson and Pickens Counties.)
She was the last survivor of her parents' 13 children.
Fanny moved to Muhlenberg Co KY with parents at age four.
Married first James Thomas Willis (called Thomas) in Muhlenberg Co 1812. Around 1831 moved north. Lived in Marion Co MO, Hancock Co IL and Van Buren Co, Iowa.
Before the Black Hawk War in 1832, Black Hawk himself, a neighbor and family friend of the Willises, alerted them to the coming hostilities and warned them to move out of harm's way.
Thomas served during the Black Hawk War. The name Thomas Willis appears in a roster of men who enlisted in Capt. White's company in Adams County, Illinois. Adams Co borders Hancock Co, and is directly across the Mississippi River from Marion Co MO. White's company roster includes the name of future President Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas Willis died ca 1838. He and Fanny had 12 children.
Fanny m/2 Ephraim Henry McBride in Van Buren Co, Iowa, in 1839. She and McBride had one child, born when she was 45.
She m/3 Isaac Griffith in Van Buren Co 1843. No children together.
In 1852 Fanny moved with a son - possibly Thomas - to the site of Visalia, Tulare Co, California, and was there at its beginning. Her daughter Fannie Stevenson and sons David and Matthew J. Willis and Henry E. McBride also went to California, as did a son-in-law, Calvin Snodderly.
Fanny m/4 David Slinkard in Visalia CA 29 Jun 1874.
The 1880 census shows her, as Francis Griffith, in the household of her son Britton Willis in Dakota City, Dakota County, Nebraska.
Fanny's 100th birthday celebration was organized by her son Thomas' daughter, Myrtle (Mrs. F. C. Burrell) near Agnew's Station in Santa Clara County on October 3, 1897. Fanny died the following year and was buried in Mission City Memorial Park in Santa Clara CA. [A searcher reports the cemetery cannot locate her burial plot.] Her sons J. Thomas Willis and Henry McBride are also buried in this cemetery [Block 143, SW 1/4, Lot 2]. Fanny was reported as having had 56 grandchildren, 92 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.
======================================================
AMONG FANNY'S CHILDREN WERE:
Winifred G. SULLIVAN NEWMAN (1814-1886)
Nancy Jane NEWMAN (1816-1898)
Betsy Ann MILLER, b 1818 and living in 1897.
Britton Willis (1820-1899)
Frances STEVENSON (1822-1893)
Margaret J. SNODDERLY (1824- ? )
David Willis (ca 1829- ? ) In the 1860's Dave Willis of Visalia tried making salt about 16 miles south of Bakersfield, Kern Co CA. His middle initial appears - possibly in error - as G in papers contesting his grandfather's 1845 will, but he may be the David Mansfield Willis, b ca 1830 in KY, listed in voter records in Tulare Co 1869, Kern Co 1867, and Calaveras, Los Angeles Co, 1896. The 1880 census shows him with his sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and William Newman, in Chariton MO.
James Thomas Willis (1833-1905)
William Willis, b and d dates unknown
Matthew John Willis, b Jan 1837 IL, d 22 Nov 1900 Fresno CA;
............m Fresno 28 May 1873 Sarah Jane Corrick.
Henry Edwin McBride (1842-1915)
======================================================
Fanny gave her birthplace as "Simpson" (Sampson) County, North Carolina. Some census records indicate she was born in South Carolina, probably Pendleton District (now Anderson and Pickens Counties.)
She was the last survivor of her parents' 13 children.
Fanny moved to Muhlenberg Co KY with parents at age four.
Married first James Thomas Willis (called Thomas) in Muhlenberg Co 1812. Around 1831 moved north. Lived in Marion Co MO, Hancock Co IL and Van Buren Co, Iowa.
Before the Black Hawk War in 1832, Black Hawk himself, a neighbor and family friend of the Willises, alerted them to the coming hostilities and warned them to move out of harm's way.
Thomas served during the Black Hawk War. The name Thomas Willis appears in a roster of men who enlisted in Capt. White's company in Adams County, Illinois. Adams Co borders Hancock Co, and is directly across the Mississippi River from Marion Co MO. White's company roster includes the name of future President Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas Willis died ca 1838. He and Fanny had 12 children.
Fanny m/2 Ephraim Henry McBride in Van Buren Co, Iowa, in 1839. She and McBride had one child, born when she was 45.
She m/3 Isaac Griffith in Van Buren Co 1843. No children together.
In 1852 Fanny moved with a son - possibly Thomas - to the site of Visalia, Tulare Co, California, and was there at its beginning. Her daughter Fannie Stevenson and sons David and Matthew J. Willis and Henry E. McBride also went to California, as did a son-in-law, Calvin Snodderly.
Fanny m/4 David Slinkard in Visalia CA 29 Jun 1874.
The 1880 census shows her, as Francis Griffith, in the household of her son Britton Willis in Dakota City, Dakota County, Nebraska.
Fanny's 100th birthday celebration was organized by her son Thomas' daughter, Myrtle (Mrs. F. C. Burrell) near Agnew's Station in Santa Clara County on October 3, 1897. Fanny died the following year and was buried in Mission City Memorial Park in Santa Clara CA. [A searcher reports the cemetery cannot locate her burial plot.] Her sons J. Thomas Willis and Henry McBride are also buried in this cemetery [Block 143, SW 1/4, Lot 2]. Fanny was reported as having had 56 grandchildren, 92 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.
======================================================
AMONG FANNY'S CHILDREN WERE:
Winifred G. SULLIVAN NEWMAN (1814-1886)
Nancy Jane NEWMAN (1816-1898)
Betsy Ann MILLER, b 1818 and living in 1897.
Britton Willis (1820-1899)
Frances STEVENSON (1822-1893)
Margaret J. SNODDERLY (1824- ? )
David Willis (ca 1829- ? ) In the 1860's Dave Willis of Visalia tried making salt about 16 miles south of Bakersfield, Kern Co CA. His middle initial appears - possibly in error - as G in papers contesting his grandfather's 1845 will, but he may be the David Mansfield Willis, b ca 1830 in KY, listed in voter records in Tulare Co 1869, Kern Co 1867, and Calaveras, Los Angeles Co, 1896. The 1880 census shows him with his sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and William Newman, in Chariton MO.
James Thomas Willis (1833-1905)
William Willis, b and d dates unknown
Matthew John Willis, b Jan 1837 IL, d 22 Nov 1900 Fresno CA;
............m Fresno 28 May 1873 Sarah Jane Corrick.
Henry Edwin McBride (1842-1915)
======================================================
Family Members
Siblings
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