Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 727
E. H. WILLS

E. H. WILLS, editor and proprietor of the Dunlap Herald, (a History of which journal appears at another place, in this work) is a native of Harrison County, and was born one mile west of the village of Calhoun, July 29, 1854, and has passed the greater portion of his life in his native county. Until fifteen years of age he remained at home on the farm, and received his education in the public schools. He then went into the Harrisonian Office, at Missouri Valley, with D. M. HARRIS, and remained in his employ for nine years, during which time he mastered the art preservative. He spent the next two years at various points and in 1888 took the management of the Harrison County Democrat at Logan, which was subsequently named the Courier, and was removed to Woodbine and consolidated with the Woodbine Twiner. Mr. WILLS remained there until he went to Dunlap one year later.

Among the important events of this man's lie, may be mentioned his marriage to Miss Mary MALUM, the daughter of C. O. and Emma MALUM; she was born in Norway, in 1863. The date of their marriage was March 27, 1882. They are the parents of two children--Emma and Earl.

Politically, our subject is a stanch Republican, and his editorial writing show him to be a man of ability. He is a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Woodbine, as well as Harrison Lodge No. 284, K. of P., of Dunlap.

Jesse C. and Charity (MCCOOL) WILLS, his parents, were natives of Ohio and Michigan, respectively, and of Scotch-Irish extraction. They located in Harrison County in 1852. The father farmed until our subject was about fifteen years of age, when he removed to Missouri Valley and opened up a general store, and also bought grain, and was in the drug business, continuing until a few years before his death, which occurred in April, 1885. His good wife, the mother of our subject, survived her companion until July 22, 1891. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are still living: Charles E., a resident of Nebraska; Mary, wife of S. A. DANIELS, of Butler County, Iowa; Cyrus, deceased; William F., a resident of Mondamin; Erastus R., a resident of North Dakota; John M., a resident of Sioux City; Royal W., a resident of Wyoming; and E. H., our subject.

Five of the WILLS boys were in the Civil War. Cyrus died from the effects of a saber wound; he was a member of Company H, of the First Iowa Cavalry, over whom he was Captain, and served two years and eight months. William was in Company H, Fifteenth Iowa Infantry, served three years and re-enlisted. Charles, Erastus and John were all in Company C, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and served three years.

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