Willet Johnson Graves is a direct descendant of Thomas Graves (1585-1666), one of the early settlers of the American Colonies in Connecticut & Massachusetts, who came to America from England aboard the George Bonaventure, arriving in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629. Thomas(1); John(2); Samuel(3); David(4); Matthew(5); Israel(6); Daniel(7); Willet J. (8).

Third child born to Daniel Graves & Lucretia Dakin Graves, Willet was also known as "Johnson" Graves. By the 1830 census Johnson, age 14, was living in Roxbury, Ohio with his parents and many siblings. The family was still in Ohio (Leroy) in the 1840 census. By the 1850 census Johnson lived in Roscoe Ill. with his parents, and worked as a carpenter.

In 1852 he married Rebecca Ann Murphy in Rock Co., WI. They farmed in Delton Township (originally called New Buffalo) & were considered "one of the pioneer families of Sauk Co". He was 36, she was 17 when they married.

Willet Johnson farmed actively until his death at age 68 in 1859. Sauk Co. plat maps show Willet J. owning 2 parcels of land in New Buffalo (later named Delton) Section 7 in 1859, & Section 16 in 1877, near son-in-law Samuel Searle and his father Wm. M. Searle. For a number of years Willet J. was a member of the school board of Delton Township.

Willet Johnson is buried next to his son Arthur Nelson Graves and in the same row as his wife Rebecca.

Willet Johnson and Rebecca's daughters Celestia & Katie married brothers William Francis & Samuel P. Searle. whose father was a near-by farmer. They grew up as neighbors with the two farms in close proximity.

Webster Prairie Cemetery (formerly Pleasant Prairie), est. 1852, is 2 miles northeast of Willet Johnson Grave's Delton Twp. farm. It's a small cemetery outside Baraboo on Co. Rd BD/Business 12 (Old 12) , parallel to HWY 12; 1/3 mile north of Ho Chunk Casino on the west side ,at the edge of the road. Cemetery is divided into 2 blocks; north of drive is block 1, south of drive is block 2. The cemetery has no identifying sign and easy to miss.