Born to John Anderson & Susan Box Cates of Cates' Landing, Lake County, Tennessee, on 18 MAY 1860, Willis died at home at Cates' Landing on 20 JUN 1912 of cancer and is buried in the Tiptonville Cemetery in Tiptonville, Lake County, Tennessee.
Two of the nine Cates siblings were twins, Willis and his twin sister, Katherine "Kate" Cates who married to Dr. J. M. Wright. Willis was named for the doctor who delivered the twins, thought to be Dr. Willis Cornelius Jones, 1830-1909, husband of M.A.R. Wright. Willis named his daughter for his twin sister.
Willis was a planter and, also, owned & operated three cotton gins, a steamboat landing, and a general store. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Tiptonville, a bank founder (among the charter members in 1899 of Farmers & Merchants Bank & of its Board of Directors, Tiptonville, Tennessee), and a member of the local school board.
Willis married Martha Darnall "Mattie" Bledsoe (1869-1957) on 16 NOV 1892 and fathered two children:
1. Clifton Bledsoe Cates, 19th Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (31 AUG 1893--4 JUNE 1970) and
2. Katherine Nell CATES (26 DEC 1896--29 AUG 1981)
Willis, Mattie, & their children lived in the Cates' home built by Willis' father, Anderson, shortly before Anderson's death.
RootsWeb link: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=agp4fams&id=I1710
Two of the nine Cates siblings were twins, Willis and his twin sister, Katherine "Kate" Cates who married to Dr. J. M. Wright. Willis was named for the doctor who delivered the twins, thought to be Dr. Willis Cornelius Jones, 1830-1909, husband of M.A.R. Wright. Willis named his daughter for his twin sister.
Willis was a planter and, also, owned & operated three cotton gins, a steamboat landing, and a general store. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Tiptonville, a bank founder (among the charter members in 1899 of Farmers & Merchants Bank & of its Board of Directors, Tiptonville, Tennessee), and a member of the local school board.
Willis married Martha Darnall "Mattie" Bledsoe (1869-1957) on 16 NOV 1892 and fathered two children:
1. Clifton Bledsoe Cates, 19th Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (31 AUG 1893--4 JUNE 1970) and
2. Katherine Nell CATES (26 DEC 1896--29 AUG 1981)
Willis, Mattie, & their children lived in the Cates' home built by Willis' father, Anderson, shortly before Anderson's death.
RootsWeb link: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=agp4fams&id=I1710
Born to John Anderson & Susan Box Cates of Cates' Landing, Lake County, Tennessee, on 18 MAY 1860, Willis died at home at Cates' Landing on 20 JUN 1912 of cancer and is buried in the Tiptonville Cemetery in Tiptonville, Lake County, Tennessee.
Two of the nine Cates siblings were twins, Willis and his twin sister, Katherine "Kate" Cates who married to Dr. J. M. Wright. Willis was named for the doctor who delivered the twins, thought to be Dr. Willis Cornelius Jones, 1830-1909, husband of M.A.R. Wright. Willis named his daughter for his twin sister.
Willis was a planter and, also, owned & operated three cotton gins, a steamboat landing, and a general store. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Tiptonville, a bank founder (among the charter members in 1899 of Farmers & Merchants Bank & of its Board of Directors, Tiptonville, Tennessee), and a member of the local school board.
Willis married Martha Darnall "Mattie" Bledsoe (1869-1957) on 16 NOV 1892 and fathered two children:
1. Clifton Bledsoe Cates, 19th Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (31 AUG 1893--4 JUNE 1970) and
2. Katherine Nell CATES (26 DEC 1896--29 AUG 1981)
Willis, Mattie, & their children lived in the Cates' home built by Willis' father, Anderson, shortly before Anderson's death.
RootsWeb link: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=agp4fams&id=I1710
Two of the nine Cates siblings were twins, Willis and his twin sister, Katherine "Kate" Cates who married to Dr. J. M. Wright. Willis was named for the doctor who delivered the twins, thought to be Dr. Willis Cornelius Jones, 1830-1909, husband of M.A.R. Wright. Willis named his daughter for his twin sister.
Willis was a planter and, also, owned & operated three cotton gins, a steamboat landing, and a general store. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Tiptonville, a bank founder (among the charter members in 1899 of Farmers & Merchants Bank & of its Board of Directors, Tiptonville, Tennessee), and a member of the local school board.
Willis married Martha Darnall "Mattie" Bledsoe (1869-1957) on 16 NOV 1892 and fathered two children:
1. Clifton Bledsoe Cates, 19th Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (31 AUG 1893--4 JUNE 1970) and
2. Katherine Nell CATES (26 DEC 1896--29 AUG 1981)
Willis, Mattie, & their children lived in the Cates' home built by Willis' father, Anderson, shortly before Anderson's death.
RootsWeb link: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=agp4fams&id=I1710
Family Members
Siblings
