Willis Cemetery

WILLIS CEMETERY is located in the northwest corner of Section 25 of White Breast Township. It is two and one quarter miles east and northeast, and one mile south of Lacona, Iowa. There is not an access road to this cemetery, and it is about one-quarter mile back through a field. Long ago a road went to Willis Cemetery and was lined with flowers. At this point, this has been abandoned and the cemetery is in the middle of private property.

Anderson Willis was born in Virginia around 1790 and lived in Kentucky from 1814 to 1820. He lived in Missouri until 1840 and then moved north to Davis County, Iowa. He made temporary settlements in Warren County, Iowa, from 1843 to 1846. Every winter Anderson and his sons William and Martin, would go back to Davis County, and leave one man in charge of the cattle at the settlement.

In 1846 William and his wife, Mary Richison Willis, and Martin and his wife, Mary I. Willis, settled permanently in White Breast Township of Warren County. They arrived in April. Henry H. Willis, son of William and Mary, was the first child born in the township. He arrived on March 4, 1847. Anderson and Sarah Willis, with their children arrived later in 1846.

Other early settlers to the White Breast area were Nicholas Helm, who lived two miles from the Willis settlement in Dallas Township of Marion County, William Winning, Buck Townsend, E.G. Barlett, El Myers, Mr. Henton and Mr. Cochran. Most of the settlers lived out of their covered wagons while they built their log cabins.

The first marriage of the township was the bond between Fielden Wilhite Willis and Lucinda Helms, daughter of Nicholas. The license was recorded at Knoxville and they were married in the home of Nicholas Helms on October 11, 1849. JP Joseph Bauer officiated.

When White Breast Township was organized in 1851, Henry Willis was elected constable. Anderson Willis, James Purcell [husband of Anderson's daughter Jincy], and Joseph Howard were elected trustees. William Willis was the first Township Clerk, and John Willis was the Justice of the Peace. The first to die in White Breast Township was William Winning [1846]. Next was A. Ulch and Mrs. William Willis [Mary Richison Willis].

John Willis used his cabin for a school to instruct the Willis and other neighborhood children, until a regular subscription school was erected about 1855. In 1866 John moved to Marion County and was postmaster there for sixteen years.

Lucinda and Fielden Willis had five children who died and were buried at Willis Cemetery. They were Isaiah, Feb. 10, 1851, Perry, Sept. 9, 1852, Andy, Nov. 21, 1855, William, Oct. 21, 1863, and Frank, Feb. 16, 1873. Lucinda died October 10, 1901 and Fielden died in 1897. All are listed on one stone in Willis Cemetery. Children of Lucinda and Fielden who are not buried at Willis are Robert A., Fielden W., Sarah Davis, Tamzey Sargent, Angelina Mitchell, Alonzo, Benjamin and Milla.

Anderson and Sarah Willis' other children left Warren County. Greenberry Willis married Nancy Wade and lived in Knoxville, Iowa. Robert and Martin Willis eventually went west. Rev. Joseph Howard had preached the first sermon for White Breast Township at the home of Martin Willis. Nancy Willis married David Shannon and her brother, Irvin moved to Missouri and married Martha Stewart, Frances Richerson and Margaret Keah.

In Deed Book 39 on page 406, David Kinney and Louisa J. Kinney, conveyed for the sun of one dollar, to the trustees and to their successors, an area six rods by six and one-half rods. The same to be used for a cemetery. This deed was recorded on May 16, 1885.

In Deed Book 64, page 4, Rhoda Ellen Kinney, of McLean County, Illinois, conveyed to the Trustees of White Breast Township, an area six rods by twelve and one-half rods. Is was conveyed with the land heretofore conveyed by David Kinney and wife, one acre in the northwest corner of land now consisting of twelve and one-half rods to be used for burying purposes. This was dated January 26, 1904 and Rhoda Kinney was paid $37.50 on Feb. 9, 1904.

Cemetery and Death Records of Warren County, Iowa, Warren County Genealogical Society, Walsworth Publishing Company, Marceline, Missouri: 1980.

View records submitted to the Iowa Gravestone Photo Project for Willis Cemetery.