Contributed by Randy Willis; randy@randywillis.org

Daniel Hubbard Willis, Jr. and Julia Ann Graham Willis

The Old Willis Home Place

Ilie Close (b. 1907) wrote to me about the Old Willis Place: "The home was a gathering place for all the family.  There was always food cooked for family and friends. There was lots of blackberries, huckleberries and fruit of all kinds for good pies.

The home was about a quarter of a mile from Barber's Creek,  known to be one of the coldest and clearest waters in the area.  Grandma  [Julia Ann Graham Willis] would walk down and swim sometimes twice a day. She said that was what had prolonged her life. All of the children and grandchildren loved to go swimming with her.

The Old Willis Place is gone and replaced with a huge gravel pit.  Barber's Creek is full of sand and gravel from the pit. The tall pine trees that surrounded the old place have long since been harvested.