Willis J. Barnes died at his home in Alhambra, California, on November 7, 1921, at the age of 75. He was ill only a few days, having suffered a stroke of apoplexy, from which, owing to his advanced age, he failed to rally. He was born August 31, 1846, in Burlington, Connecticut, the son of Noah and Rosina (Toothaker) Barnes. In 1851 the Barnes family moved to near Hillsboro in Henry County, Iowa.
At the age of 16, Willis enlisted for service in the Civil War as a private in Company C of the 25th Regiment Iowa Infantry and served the Union until he was mustered out of service in Washington, DC on June 6, 1865. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
In 1880 he applied for a veteran's disability pension due to chronic rheumatism in his knees and a disease of the heart caused by his war service. A pension finally was granted in 1886 at $2 a month from 1865 to 1888, then $4 a month to 1890, $14 a month to 1912, increasing to $30 a month shortly before his death. The pension was then paid to his widow until her death. Correspondence in his Pension Office file indicates that he and his wife relied solely upon his pension for their living expenses.
Willis was a farmer. On September 13, 1874, he married Laura F. Percival in Van Buren County, Iowa. They were the parents of Herman, Ollie, and Byron. In about 1885 they moved to a farm in Sheridan County, Kansas. His wife Laura died February 26, 1891. He then married Anna L. (McKilligan) Presnell, the widow of Charles E. Presnell, on December 25, 1895, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They were the parents of Clayton and Ralph.
By 1912 Willis and Anna were living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and then they moved to Alhambra, California, about two years before his death. The Hoxie (Kansas) Sentinel reported that Willis paid his old neighbors and friends in Sheridan County a visit shortly before his death.
In 1890 Willis was elected to represent Sheridan County in the Kansas House of Representatives as a member of the Populist Party (Farmers' Alliance), over Republican E. R. Robinson by a vote of 463 to 238. He was re-elected in 1892 defeating Republican J.W. Warren 428 to 342.
At the age of 16, Willis enlisted for service in the Civil War as a private in Company C of the 25th Regiment Iowa Infantry and served the Union until he was mustered out of service in Washington, DC on June 6, 1865. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
In 1880 he applied for a veteran's disability pension due to chronic rheumatism in his knees and a disease of the heart caused by his war service. A pension finally was granted in 1886 at $2 a month from 1865 to 1888, then $4 a month to 1890, $14 a month to 1912, increasing to $30 a month shortly before his death. The pension was then paid to his widow until her death. Correspondence in his Pension Office file indicates that he and his wife relied solely upon his pension for their living expenses.
Willis was a farmer. On September 13, 1874, he married Laura F. Percival in Van Buren County, Iowa. They were the parents of Herman, Ollie, and Byron. In about 1885 they moved to a farm in Sheridan County, Kansas. His wife Laura died February 26, 1891. He then married Anna L. (McKilligan) Presnell, the widow of Charles E. Presnell, on December 25, 1895, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They were the parents of Clayton and Ralph.
By 1912 Willis and Anna were living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and then they moved to Alhambra, California, about two years before his death. The Hoxie (Kansas) Sentinel reported that Willis paid his old neighbors and friends in Sheridan County a visit shortly before his death.
In 1890 Willis was elected to represent Sheridan County in the Kansas House of Representatives as a member of the Populist Party (Farmers' Alliance), over Republican E. R. Robinson by a vote of 463 to 238. He was re-elected in 1892 defeating Republican J.W. Warren 428 to 342.
Willis J. Barnes died at his home in Alhambra, California, on November 7, 1921, at the age of 75. He was ill only a few days, having suffered a stroke of apoplexy, from which, owing to his advanced age, he failed to rally. He was born August 31, 1846, in Burlington, Connecticut, the son of Noah and Rosina (Toothaker) Barnes. In 1851 the Barnes family moved to near Hillsboro in Henry County, Iowa.
At the age of 16, Willis enlisted for service in the Civil War as a private in Company C of the 25th Regiment Iowa Infantry and served the Union until he was mustered out of service in Washington, DC on June 6, 1865. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
In 1880 he applied for a veteran's disability pension due to chronic rheumatism in his knees and a disease of the heart caused by his war service. A pension finally was granted in 1886 at $2 a month from 1865 to 1888, then $4 a month to 1890, $14 a month to 1912, increasing to $30 a month shortly before his death. The pension was then paid to his widow until her death. Correspondence in his Pension Office file indicates that he and his wife relied solely upon his pension for their living expenses.
Willis was a farmer. On September 13, 1874, he married Laura F. Percival in Van Buren County, Iowa. They were the parents of Herman, Ollie, and Byron. In about 1885 they moved to a farm in Sheridan County, Kansas. His wife Laura died February 26, 1891. He then married Anna L. (McKilligan) Presnell, the widow of Charles E. Presnell, on December 25, 1895, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They were the parents of Clayton and Ralph.
By 1912 Willis and Anna were living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and then they moved to Alhambra, California, about two years before his death. The Hoxie (Kansas) Sentinel reported that Willis paid his old neighbors and friends in Sheridan County a visit shortly before his death.
In 1890 Willis was elected to represent Sheridan County in the Kansas House of Representatives as a member of the Populist Party (Farmers' Alliance), over Republican E. R. Robinson by a vote of 463 to 238. He was re-elected in 1892 defeating Republican J.W. Warren 428 to 342.
At the age of 16, Willis enlisted for service in the Civil War as a private in Company C of the 25th Regiment Iowa Infantry and served the Union until he was mustered out of service in Washington, DC on June 6, 1865. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
In 1880 he applied for a veteran's disability pension due to chronic rheumatism in his knees and a disease of the heart caused by his war service. A pension finally was granted in 1886 at $2 a month from 1865 to 1888, then $4 a month to 1890, $14 a month to 1912, increasing to $30 a month shortly before his death. The pension was then paid to his widow until her death. Correspondence in his Pension Office file indicates that he and his wife relied solely upon his pension for their living expenses.
Willis was a farmer. On September 13, 1874, he married Laura F. Percival in Van Buren County, Iowa. They were the parents of Herman, Ollie, and Byron. In about 1885 they moved to a farm in Sheridan County, Kansas. His wife Laura died February 26, 1891. He then married Anna L. (McKilligan) Presnell, the widow of Charles E. Presnell, on December 25, 1895, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They were the parents of Clayton and Ralph.
By 1912 Willis and Anna were living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and then they moved to Alhambra, California, about two years before his death. The Hoxie (Kansas) Sentinel reported that Willis paid his old neighbors and friends in Sheridan County a visit shortly before his death.
In 1890 Willis was elected to represent Sheridan County in the Kansas House of Representatives as a member of the Populist Party (Farmers' Alliance), over Republican E. R. Robinson by a vote of 463 to 238. He was re-elected in 1892 defeating Republican J.W. Warren 428 to 342.
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