Jefferson Sterling Willis, born July 5, 1885, per the Willis Family Bible, is the son of William Sterling Willis (April 1829 Garrard County, KY - abt 1901 in either Kingsport, Sullivan County, TN or Hiltons, Scott County, VA) and Catherine Hopkins (1838 Garrard County, KY - January 31, 1892 in Kingsport, Sullivan County, TN)

Jeff married Martha Gertrude 'Mattie' Doran in Sullivan County, TN July 17, 1899. Per the Willis Family Bible, she and Jeff lied about their ages in order to wed, she was only 13 and he was only 15. The Marriage Certificate has them 15 and 17 respectively.

Jeff and Mattie had six children:

1) John William Willis born June 22, 1900 in Hiltons, Scott County, Virginia and died January 29, 1965 in Colma, San Mateo County, California. He was married to Iva Mae Bock and they had two children.

2) Myrtle Lea Elsie Willis born March 3, 1903 in Hiltons, Scott County, Virginia and died October 2, 1979 in Johnson City, Washington County, Virginia. She was married to Clyde Burke and they had one son.

3) Howard Elwers Willis born February 5, 1905 in Hiltons, Scott County, Virginia and died Lynn, Polk County, North Carolina March 21, 1964. He was married four times: 1) Thelma Florence Baxter? Kelly and they had one son 2) Marquerite 'Maggie' Mier 3) Anna Lee Mast and 4) Mildred Monita Vaughn with whom he had twins.

4) Joseph Andrew Jackson Willis born March 27, 1907 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana and died Kingsport, Sullvan County, Tennessee on November 13, 1994. He married Hettie Maggie Cole and they had four children.

5) Willie Willis, March 12, 1909 to March 13, 1909, born, died and supposedly subsequently buried by nuns in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana. Death certificate says he was buried Mar 13 and Thompson handled the burial.

6) Fannie Mae Willis, born April 11, 1910 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana and died May 10, 1985 in Lynn, Polk County, North Carolina. She was married twice, her first Roy McDavid (killed in car wreck) and Roy Bayless Panther with whom she had one child.

Jeff, Mattie and the children moved to Logansport, Indiana about 1905 shortly after Howard was born when the local railroad transferred him to their major hub site as a mechanic. Jeff hated the farming life, but loved trains and the "Wild West", hoping one day to move his family to Arkansas where his older brother, Abijah, known to all as Bige, lived. (Bige was married to Mattie's older sister, Nancy Selma who was known as Sallie and Sadie.) The four were very close and Bige and Sallie encouraged Jeff and Mattie to move west to join them. Jeff did live and work for short periods of time in Gilmore City, Iowa, Little Rock, Arkansas and Wichita, Kansas.

Jeff sent a postcard from Indiana to Mattie and each of his five children who were visiting Mattie's parents in Kingsport, TN. The postcard, dated Feb 1913, is from Logansport, Cass County, Indiana. A few weeks later, Mattie and Jeff's kids received notice from Jeff's youngest sister, Nancy Katherine (who lived with Jeff and Mattie in Logansport from 1901 to 1903 until she married) that Jeff had drowned during the Wabash River flood on March 21, 1913 in Logansport. Mattie moved back to Kingsport permanently after Jeff's death and had Jeff declared Legally Dead on March 21, 1920, two months before she married William Joseph Heister in Kingsport, Sullivan County, TN.

Jefferson was "married" to Betsy 'Bessie' Marie Sullivan (they couldn't have legally married as Jeff was still married to Mattie and he was supposedly drowned in Mar 1913). Bessie was born May 22, 1894 in Wabash County, IN and died Mar 25, 1943 in Anderson, Madison County, IN. Jeff and Bessie lived a great deal of their life in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana where Jeff worked as an auto mechanic and for many years had his own garage there. According to Jeff's and Mattie's siblings, it is known that Jeff also lived for a short time in Gilmore City, Iowa; Little Rock, Arkansas; Wichita, Kansas; and Jacksonville, Florida. Bessie and their three children may or may not have lived with Jeff in these towns, though from family records Bessie and the children were with him in Gilmore City and Jacksonville. We do know that Jeff and Bessie are buried together in Maplewood Cemetery along with other of their family members.

Jeff and Bessie had three children together:

1) Virginia Agnes born March 12, 1913 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana and died November 1978 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. She was married and had one child.

2) Helen L born December 22, 1918 in Madison County, Indiana and died August 1920 at 19 months in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana from acute nephritis.

3) Everett 'Willie' born June 20, 1921 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana and died May 8, 1995 in Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana. Everett was married twice, his first wife died from complications of childbirth (as did their only son, William Sterling Willis, born 1943 and died shortly after birth). Everett did not have any known children with his second wife.

Through DNA Testing, it is now known that Jeff is the father of twin sons born in Indianapolis on Apr. 8, 1916. Their Mother was Harriet 'Hattie' Amos (who was at the time married to John Curtis Harrison Piercefield who was in jail at the time Hattie and Jeff were having relations). Hattie was born Nov 2, 1882 in Scottsburg, Scott County, Indiana and died Mar 5, 1920 in Lexington, Scott County, Indiana. She was most likely the daughter of Thomas Wesley Amos and Elizabeth Shield Amos.

1) Eugene 'Gene' Piercefield (legally on birth certificate) was adopted by John Hunter and Mattie Pruett Hunter. Gene married Helen Moling and they had two children, Robert Eugene born June 26, 1936 and died Feb 23, 2000 & John William born July 27, 1938 and died 2008. Gene died Feb 14, 1995 in Redlands, San Bernadino County, CA.

2) Eudell 'Dale' Piercefield (legally on birth certificate) was adopted by Louis Guthrie and Elsie Hunter Guthrie. Dale married Helen Nelson and they had three children, Mary Faye born Aug 26, 1938 and died Apr 8, 2021, James Dale born Oct 31, 1942 and died Mar 15, 2001 and Lawrence 'Larry' Richard born Feb 18, 1945 and died Feb 28, 2016. Dale died Apr 23, 1988 in Van Nuys, Los Angeles County, CA.

Jeff is also probably the father of a baby girl born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1925 who is still living and does not wish her information to be made public.

Jeff leaves behind a legacy of children and loving, caring grandchildren. Not half bad for a man who drowned in 1913!