Willis Holford

Willis Holford, the seventh child of John and Sarah Holford, was born 25 October 1820 in Overton County.

Willis married Nancy Jane Tate on 13 September 1838. Nancy was born 22 March 1818, the daughter of Rev. John Tate.

Willis and Nancy had the following children born in Tennessee:

1. John T., born 25 December 1839. He was a Private in Company C of the 9th Texas Infantry and died 28 April 1862 at Corinth, Mississippi.
2. Solomon Monroe, born 9 February 1848. He married Quintiller Conner on 5 December 1867 and Fannie Sarah Elizabeth Damron on 22 March 1871.
3. Coe, born 7 February 1851 and died 19 June 1851.
4 Sarah, born 8 October 1854. She was called Sallie Lee. She married 1 January 1871 to a Mr Bowlan or Rowland. She died 12 November 1878 in Little Rock Arkansas.

After moving to Texas, Willis and Nancy had another son:

5. Willis, Jr., born 23 June 1861. He died 9 November 1879.

In the 1840 Census, Willis has two slaves, a male aged before 10 and 24 and a girl under 10.

In 1850, his real estate was valued at $1200. He has six slaves.

In the 1860 Census, Willis owned 13 slaves. His real estate was worth in excess of $5300 and his personal property at $12,000.

Willis enlisted 6 Aug 1863 at Camp Stonewall, Collin Co., as a Private in Company B, 15th Battalion, Texas State Troops under Captain John Goode. He served for six months.  He was 42 years old and was discharged due to his election to the Texas House of Representatives.  Willis was informed by a letter dated 25 Sep 1863 from Major J. B. Wilmuth that he would have to come into camp with a writ of Habeas Corpus in order to be released.

Willis served in the Tenth and Eleventh Texas Legislatures.

By 1870, his real estate was worth $8000, but his the value of his personal property had declined to $8000 as well. His occupation is given as merchant of a dry goods store.

Nancy died 29 July 1871. Willis married a neighbor widow, Mary Mildred Taylor Mealer, on 19 November 1871. They had one child:

6. Agnes Norris, born 25 September 1874, in Pilot Point.

In 1880, he gave his occupation as a cattle trader.

Willis Holford died in 1899 and is buried in the Masonic addition of the Pilot Point Community Cemetery. He is buried next to Mary, who died in 1900.

 

 

 
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