WILLS

Isaac Wills

(1785-1864)

Agnes Bruce

1793-1879

From a biography of Thornton Isaiah Wills obtained from the Harrodsburg Historical Society: "Isaac Wills, the 10th child of Frederick and Frances Wills, was born March 2, 1785 in Albemarle Co., VA. On 31 Jul 1809 he married in Clark County, KY Agnes Bruce, daughter of Benjamin and Mildred Watts Bruce. Their children included Thornton Isaiah Wills, who married Mariah Watkins; Dr. Tillman T. Wills and Austin B. Wills.”

According to the LDS Family Group Record, Agnes Bruce was born 15 Oct 1793 in Clark Co., KY, and died 25 Nov 1879 in Clark Co., KY.

This family appeared in the Clark County, KY census as follows:

1850 Clark Co., KY census: Isaac Wills 66, Agnes 57, living next door to their son Tilman Wills & his family.

1860 Clark Co., KY census: Isaac Wills 76, Agnes 66. (living 2 doors from their son Thornton Wills & his family)

Their children were as follows:

i. Thornton Isaiah Wills (1810-1872) m. Mariah Watkins (1817-1874)

ii. Tilman T. Wills (1812-1851) m. Mary (Polly) Watts (1819-1894) (see further information in 3^rd generation)

iii. Austin B. Wills (1813-1886) m. Mary Jane Gordon (1818-1884)

Additional information on these families:

Thornton I. Wills and Mariah Watkins:

LDS Family Group Record: Thornton Isaiah Wills born 1 Jan 1810, died 22 Sept 1872; wife Mariah Lucinda Watkins born 30 Apr 1817, died 31 Jul 1874; children: Elizabeth A. 1847-1945; Charles D. 1860-Jul 1934; Isaiah S. 1835-Mar 1856; Nancy Agnes 31 Jan 1844-1914; James Ann (f) 22 Mar 1864-10 Jan ?; Jackson Dudley 18 Apr 1850-25 Dec 1934; Sarah C. 24 Apr 1856-9 Jun 1946; Mary Alice 9 Jun 1852-Feb 1925; Joanna 29 Aug 1837-Jul 1863; William B. 25 Sep 1841-1932; Malissa 24 Nov 1845-Feb 1846; Joseph Ansel 12 Dec 1839-Jan 1926. Most born and died in Clark Co., KY, buried in Wills Graveyard.

1850 Clark Co., KY census, p. 77: Thornton J. Wills 40, Maria 30, Isaiah 14, Jo Ann 12, JOseph D. 10, William 9, Nancy 7, Elizabeth 4, Dudley J. 9 mos.

1860 Clark Co., KY census, p. 902: Thornton J. Wills 57 minister, Mariah 45, Joseph 20, William 17, Nancy 15, Jack 7, Sally 6, Charles 4.

1870 Clark Co., KY census, p. 3: Thornton Wills 60 minister, Maria 52, Nancy Gordon 26 school teacher, Elizabeth Wills 22, Jackson Wills 20, Mary Wills 16, Sara Wills 13, Charles Wills 10, James S. Wills 6, Ella Gordon 8.

Austin B. Wills and Mary Jane Gordon:

LDS Family Group Record: children: Charles H. 9 Feb 1854-14 May 1880; Isabella 29 Apr 1838-19 Jul 1857; Agnes F. 20 May 1846-1 Nov 1904; Lucretia 9 Jul 1843-21 Aug 1851; Marcus Isaac 29 Jul 1840-13 Jul 1909; Thornton Isaac 16 Aug 1851-2 Dec 1930; Mary E. 9 Sep 1857-9 Nov 1864; William Richmond 22 Sep 1848-5 Jul 1926.

1850 Clark Co., KY census, p. 81: Austin B. Wills 37, May 30, Isabella 13, Marcus 10, Lucretia 8, Agnes 5, William 2.

1860 Clark Co., KY census, p. 902: Austin B. Wills 35, Mary 43, Marcus 19, Agnes 14, William H. 11, Thornton W. 8, Charles 6, Mary E. 2.

1870 Clark Co., KY census, p. 21, Ancestry.com image 21: Austin B. Wills 57, Mary J. 52, Thornton 18, Charles 15.

1880 Clark Co., KY census, Ancestry.com image 10: Austin B. Wills 67, Mary J. 62, apparently living with son Marcus and his family.

4^th generation

John Isaac Wills

1848-1920

Nancy Martin McKinney

(1852-1920)

Information on this generation was provided by C. Rote and J. Whittridge, great-granddaughters of the above couple.

John Isaac Wills was born in about 1848 in Clark Co., KY, the fifth of six children of Tilman T. Wills and Mary (Polly Watts). Although his death certificate gives his birth date as 1852, he appeared in the 1850 Clark County census with his family as age 2, and in the 1860 census as age 11.

Nancy Martin McKinney was born 11 Feb 1852 in Estill Co., KY, the 8^th of 12 children of Mathew McKinney and Elizabeth Lyle.

John and Nancy were married about 1870 in Clark County, Ky, and they had at least four children:

i. Edward George Wills (1872-1968) m. Sudie Bell Mattingly (see further information in 5^th generation)

ii. Virginia Lyle Wills b. 5 Mar 1879, m. Owen Sidney Watts (1863-1948),

d. 25 Feb. 1970; no children

Photos—thanks to C. Rote!

Virginia & Butchie Watts, 1926

Virginia Wills Watts and Ella Wills Nelson

iii. Ella Rose Wills, b. Sep 1881, m. (1) Harvey W. Nelson (1878-after 1920) 2 sons; (2) Brady (d. bef. 1930), d. Jan 1979 Cincinnati, OH.

iv. Elizabeth Wills b. 1883, d. before 1900

Their great-granddaughters believe there was another son who died in about 1885.

John and Nancy were found in the census as follows:

1870 Clark Co., KY census, p. 68: John Wills 21, farmer, b. KY, Nancy 18.

1900 Mercer Co., KY census: J.I. Wills 50, Oct 1849, married 28 years, preacher; wife Nancy M. 48, Feb 1852, 5 children, 3 living; son E.G. 27, Nov 1872, dau Virginia F. 23, Mar 1879; dau Ella H. 18, Sep 1881. They are living next door to the James Nelson family; Ella Wills and Harvey Nelson would marry a few years later.

John was a Baptist minister. He died 13 Sept 1920 at the home of his son, Edward Wills. His obituary in the Harrodsburg Herald of September 17, 1920, reads in part as follows:

“Rev. John I. Wills, aged 67 years, and for a long time a minister in the Baptist church, died early Monday morning at the home of his son E.G. Wills in this city.. Rev. Wills … was a native of Clark County and early in life married Miss Nancy McKinney of Estill county, who with three children survives him. They are Mr. E.G. Wills, of this place, Mrs. O.S. Watts of Petersburg and Mrs. H.W. Nelson of Cincinnati, all of whom were here to attend the funeral…. He has held a number of charges, among them being Richmond, Williamstown, Petersburg and Walton. … The interment was at Spring Hill Cemetery.”

John’s death certificate, in addition to being a few years wrong on his birth date, also incorrectly names his parents as Thornton Wills and Holly Watts. Thornton was John’s uncle, and since his father Tilman Wills died when John was about three, it’s understandable that his name might have been lost in the mists of time. John’s mother was called Polly, so that is probably just a misunderstanding by the person who wrote the death certificate information.

Only two months after John’s death, Nancy died on 10 November 1920 in Boone Co., KY. She was apparently living with her daughter Virginia at the time, and her son-in-law O.S. Watts was the informant on her death certificate. She too was buried at Spring Hill cemetery in Harrodsburg.

Thanks to C. Rote and J. Whittridge, granddaughters of

Ed & Sudie Wills, for the information and photographs on this webpage.

5th generation

Edward George Wills

(1872-1968)

Sudie Bell Mattingly

(1881-1953)

(10^th Mattingly generation)

Edward George Wills was born 17 November 1872 in Winchester, Clark Co., KY, the son of Rev. John Isaac Wills (1852-1920[1]) and Nancy McKinney (1853-1920[2]).

Sudie Bell Mattingly was born 4 January 1881 in Mercer Co., KY, the daughter of John B. Mattingly and his first wife Rose Emma Silcox, daughter of John Benjamin Silcox and Paulina Terhune Silcox. Sudie had a twin brother John Charles Mattingly, called Charley, who died at age 14 months. (He may have been named after Emma's oldest brother Charles Silcox.) (See MATTINGLY and SILCOX)

Photo—thanks to C. Rote!

The twins, Sudie Bell and John Charles Mattingly 1881

Tragically, Sudie and Charley's mother Emma died only eight days after her babies were born.

The babies were taken in by Emma's family, and Emma's aunt Susan Elizabeth Silcox Barnett became their substitute mother. In a postcard written in 1909, addressed to Mrs. Susan Barnett, Sudie writes "Dear Mama." Sudie's children knew her as "Granny Barnett."

Photo—thanks to C. Rote!

Susan Silcox Barnett

Sudie's father married Sarah T. Barnett (younger sister of Susan Silcox Barnett's husband Daniel) in September 1883 when Sudie was not quite three years old. She may have lived at least part of the time with her father and stepmother, but apparently the Barnetts were the ones who raised her. By 1900 she was a grown up young lady of 19, and in the 1900 Mercer Co. census she was living with her great aunt Susan and uncle Daniel Barnett.

Photo—thanks to C. Rote!

Sudie Mattingly and friend Flora Bonta 1902

Susie Mattingly

Sudie's daughter Margaret wrote in a letter to my mother dated June 15, 1975, "I've always heard Mom say that your grandmother [Sarah Barnett Mattingly] was really a nice sweet woman.... Mom went to Midway Orphans School and taught school about two years and married Dad and taught about two years afterward, I guess until the babies started coming. We came along, ten in twenty years."

The local newspaper accounts of Sudie's marriage on January 8, 1903, to Edward G. Wills were glowing. One read, "Thursday afternoon at three o'clock Mr. Ed G. Wills and Miss Susie Bell Mattingly were united in the holy bonds of matrimony in an impressive ceremony, by the groom's father, Rev. J.I. Wills... at the bride's home on Main Street. They were the recipients of the warmest congratulations and many beautiful gifts from their numerous friends present. They were attended by the groom's sister, Miss Ella Wills, and Miss Bonta, of Lexington. The bride (always pretty) was becomingly attired in a handsome brown costume, with white trimmings, and hat to match. They were given an elegant reception by the groom's parents in the same evening, at their home in the country, where a number of invited guests joined in hoping

Their lives would be pure as the beautiful snow,

That bedecked the earth on their wedding day;

As lovingly hand in hand they go

Down the "stream of time" to the closing day. (A. Guest)"

Another Harrodsburg newspaper said the wedding took place at the home of the bride's uncle, Mr. Daniel Barnett, on Main Street between Lexington and Broadway. It reported, "The groom is a clever and well known young man and for the past several years has been a resident of the county, and the bride is a pretty and charmingly sweet young lady of this city."

It is interesting to me that no mention is made of the Mattingly family. She wasn’t “given in marriage” by her father John B. Mattingly, and her half sister Agatha Mattingly was not a bridesmaid. They aren’t even mentioned as attending the wedding. Maybe it was an oversight, maybe it doesn't mean anything, but it's interesting.

I do have the feeling that the Silcox family were more prosperous, probably higher in the social register, than the Mattingly family. This may be evidenced more than anything else by the photographs. What appear to be beautiful professional photos exist of Rose Emma who died in 1881 and of a young Sudie with her first child in 1905. No photos whatsoever have been found of John B. Mattingly or his second wife Sarah Barnett or their children until they were grown.

Both newspapers referred to the bride as "Susie," and in the 1900 census she is listed as "Susie," not Sudie. She signed the above-mentioned postcard "Susie."

Photo—thanks to C. Rote!

Sudie Mattingly Wills and her daughter Mary Lyle Wills 1905

Ed, Sudie & Mary Lyle, 1905

The children of Edward G. Wills and Sudie Bell Mattingly Wills were[3]:

i. Mary Lyle Wills, b. 1 May 1905, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co.,

KY, d. 5 Feb 1974, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH; m. 10 May

1929 John Wesley Speaks (26 Aug 1905-9 Mar 1969). Six

children.

ii. John Isaac Wills II, b. 8 Aug 1907 Harrodsburg, Mercer Co.,

KY, d. 21 Nov 1972, Bellbrook, OH, m. 23 Jan 1932

Hettie Pearl Cheatham (1906-1997) 3 children.

iii. Nancy Sue Wills, b. 3 July 1909, d. 3 July 1909 (stillborn)

iv. Nancy Bell Wills, b. 11 May 1911, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co.,

KY, d. 28 Sept 1970, Georgetown, Brown Co, OH, m. Hubert

Easley Cloyd (1901-1990). Hubert had 1 child from his first marriage

v. Emma Sue Wills, b. 30 Apr 1913, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co.,

KY, d. Mar 1931 in Harrodsburg at age 17 of pneumonia.

vi. Amanda Lee Wills, b. 5 May 1916, Harrodsburg, Mercer Co.,

KY, d. 13 Dec 1970, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, m. Edward

Kitchkowsky (1913-1951) 2 children.

vii. Edward George Wills, Jr., b. 8 Mar 1918, Harrodsburg, Mercer

Co., Ky, d. 3 Jul 1942 in a POW camp in the Philippines.

Photo--thanks to C. Rote!

E. G. Wills, age 9, 1928

Photo—thanks to C. Rote!

E. G. Wills Jr. & his nephew Charles, about 1938

viii. Virginia Ella Wills, b. 19 May 1920, d. 7 Aug 1921.

ix. Sallie Charley Wills, b. 16 May 1922, Harrodsburg, Mercer

Co., Ky, d. 28 Jan 1999, Cincinnati, OH, m. (1) Robert Graves

(1924-1997), 2) James Patrick Ostendorf (1916-1993) Two children.

Photo--thanks to C. Rote!

Sallie Wills, age 6, 1928

x. LIVING, b. 20 May 1925, m. (1) 1949 William Lawrence Lovely

(1924-1992) 1 child; m. (2) 1976 Donald Robert Brown (1924-

2003)

Photo—thanks to C. Rote!

Sudie, E. G. & daughters about 1928

Ed and Sudie Wills and their family appear in the 1910 Mercer Co., KY census as follows: Ed G. 28, Susie B. 28, Mary L. 5, John I. 2, and Susan E. Barnett, 67. Susan was Sudie's aunt who had cared for her from birth; Susan’s husband Daniel had died in 1907, and now Sudie had taken her aunt into her home to care for her in her old age.

Sudie's aunt and substitute mother Susan Elizabeth Silcox Barnett ("Granny Barnett" to Sudie's children) died March 15, 1919, at age 78.[4] Her obituary states: “Having no children of her own, she adopted two orphan girls, Georgiana Brouds and Susan Mattingly, the last named being Mrs. E.G. Wills with whom she made her home.”[5] I can only assume that at that time, a motherless child was considered an orphan even if her father was living.

The family appears in the 1920 Mercer Co., KY census as follows: E.G. Wills 47, Susie 39, Mary Lyle 15, J.I. 12, Nancy 8, Anna Sue 7, Mandy Lee 4, and E.G., Jr., 2.

Newspaper Clipping—thanks to C. Rote!

"Old Billy"

It's fascinating and sometimes informative to look at the names of children in large families to see who they are named after, as was so often the custom in earlier times.

Mary Lyle: Edward Wills' maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Lyle.

John Isaac Wills II: Named after Edward's father, of course

Nancy Sue (stillborn) and Nancy Bell: Edward's mother Nancy McKinney

Emma Sue: Named after Sudie's mother Rose Emma

Amanda Lee: Named after Edward's aunt Amanda McKinney

Virginia Ella: Named after Edward's two sisters

Edward George Wills, Jr. named after his father, of course

Sallie Charley, the 9^th child, 7^th daughter. Finally, Sudie gave her twin

brother's name to one of her children.

The Wills family suffered several great tragedies. First, there was the stillbirth of Nancy Sue in 1909 and then the death of one-year-old Virginia Ella in 1921.

In March 1931 their 17-year-old daughter Emma Sue was working in Cincinnati as an "elevator girl" at Jenny's, an expensive women's clothing store. As the newspaper report recounted the story, "A death that roused the sympathy of everyone was that of Miss Emma Sue Wills, attractive daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.G. Wills, who was just bordering her eighteenth year. She had been employed in Cincinnati, but not being well, had returned home some days ago. Later she developed appendicitis and then pneumonia and the end came Sunday morning after only a brief illness. Miss Wills was a lovely girl, who possessed many noble traits of character, and who was loved by all who knew her. Miss Nancy Bell Wills, a sister, who was ill in a hospital in Cincinnati, was so anxious to attend the funeral that she was brought home, accompanied by an aunt who lives in Cincinnati."

Photo--thanks to C. Rote!

Emma Sue Wills

On August 1, 1940, Ed and Sudie's son Edward George Wills, Jr. (called E.G.) enlisted for three years in the 38^th Tank Company, Kentucky National Guard (active). During his term of enlistment the United States entered World War II and he was called to active duty. In May 1942 the family received the terrible news by telegram that he was missing in action in the Philippine Islands since the date of the surrender of Corregidor, 7 May 1942.

It was more than three long years later, years of not knowing what had happened to him, if he was alive or dead, that they got a telegram, followed by this letter dated 6 August 1945 from the War Department in Washington, D.C.:

"It is with profound regret that I confirm the recent telegram informing you of the death of your son, Private Edward G. Wills, 20,523,501, Infantry, who was previously reported missing in action in the Philippine Islands from the date of the surrender of Corregidor, 7 May 1942.

"An official message has now been received which states that he died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp, Philippine Islands on 3 July 1942 as a result of dysentery.

"I realize the great suspense you have endured during this unfortunately long period and now, the finality to those hopes which you have cherished for his safety. Although little may be said or done at this time to alleviate your grief, it is my fervent hope that later the knowledge that he gave his life for his country may be of sustaining comfort to you."

His niece recalled her mother telling what happened: "The Wills family waited ... it seemed like forever for the word about E.G. When the terrible news finally came they met the plane and there were three coffins that were put on the tarmac. Flags were draped on each and Sudie walked up to all three wooden caskets and kissed each one. She didn't know which one he was in.

Photo--thanks to C. Rote!

Caskets of E. G. Wills and others

"My mother [Mary Lyle Wills Speaks] always flew two small flags on our front porch. Summer, winter, it didn't matter they never came down. When I was a teenager, some man came one day and asked her, didn't she know the flag etiquette and gave her a lecture. They had been flowing around with the wind and were tangled. She just flipped the flags straight and told him her baby brother was a POW and died there, and she would fly them till the day she died in his honor. She also added that all her sons were in one service or another, and she would fly them till the day she died in their honor too. The man just calmly said he was sorry and walked away.

"The flags were the last thing we took down when the house was sold after her death. My brother took them home. Most likely they are still getting tangled from the wind on his porch too."

Another niece had the following memories: “I can remember that EG was a handsome and gentle young man who was much loved by every one. He had a girlfriend when he left and she sent him away with her locket. He was in the reserves. Their company was new and had almost no training when they were called up and sent overseas. Everyone was anxious and sad from the beginning. Grandpa saw a picture in a magazine or newspaper of soldiers loading onto a boat and he thought one was EG. He circled it and framed it and hung it on the wall. He pointed it out to everyone and some would agree that it looked like him.

A local area man who had been captured and who was with EG in the march to the Japanese prison, came to Grandma & Grandpa after the war and told them a sad story about that time and about EG's death. It was said that his girlfriend was devastated by the news of his death.”

My mother always spoke fondly of her Aunt Sudie, her mother Agatha's half sister, visited her a time or two that I can remember, and always invited her and her family to come to the Ransdell reunion which was held for so many years. Some of them may have come at one time or another; when I was very young I wasn't too interested in all the strangers (to me) who showed up at the reunions.

Sudie's granddaughter said that Sudie had a greenhouse and that she had won ribbons with her prized dahlias. Flower beds were everywhere on their property. Two ponds grew huge water lilies.

I do remember my mother feeling very bad when she heard that Aunt Sudie's leg had to be amputated due to diabetes. I'm sure she visited her about that time.

Photos--thanks to C. Rote

Wills family 1953

Sudie & Ed Wills 1953

Sudie and Ed Wills celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in January 1953 with all six of their living children. Sudie was bedridden, and they pinned her corsages to her pillow. Ed gave Sudie a new gold wedding band to replace the one she had lost in the garden many years before.

Sudie Mattingly Wills died on Christmas Eve of that same year, 24 December 1953,[6] at the age of 71, and is buried in the Berea Christian Church Cemetery, where her father, mother, and twin brother are also buried. Her death certificate indicates she was a retired florist, though her granddaughter doesn't remember that she did that professionally.

Edward G. Wills died on 14 Aug 1968 at the age of 95. He is also buried in the Berea Christian Church Cemetery[7].

**End Notes**
[1] Ky death cert Vol. 20, #25575, Clark Co., 28 Nov 1852-13 Sept 1920. [2] Ky death cert Vol. 53, #26345, Boone Co., died 10 Nov 1920. [3] Names, birth & death dates of Ed & Sudie’s children from M. Brown in letter dated June 1975; additional information from C. Rote and J. Whittridge. [4] Ky death certificate of Susan Barnitt, age 78, Mercer Co., Vol. 024, #11739. [5] Harrodsburg Herald, 21 Mar 1919. [6] Ky death cert Vol. 53 #26066 incorrectly gives her mother's name as Sarah Silcox. Informant: Mrs. Sally Graves, dtr. [7] Ky death cert Vol. 68 #20282.

[1] Ky death cert Vol. 20, #25575, Clark Co., 28 Nov 1852-13 Sept 1920.

[2] Ky death cert Vol. 53, #26345, Boone Co., died 10 Nov 1920.

[3] Names, birth & death dates of Ed & Sudie’s children from M. Brown in letter dated June 1975; additional information from C. Rote and J. Whittridge.

[4] Ky death certificate of Susan Barnitt, age 78, Mercer Co., Vol. 024, #11739.

[5] Harrodsburg Herald, 21 Mar 1919.

[6] Ky death cert Vol. 53 #26066 incorrectly gives her mother's name as Sarah Silcox. Informant: Mrs. Sally Graves, dtr.

[7] Ky death cert Vol. 68 #20282.

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