U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Willis, Marsh Haymond (1862-1938) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Ritchie County by Minnie Kendall Lowther Wheeling News Litho. Co., Wheeling W.Va., 1911 Page 622 M. H. Willis. — Though Judge Marsh Haymond Willis is no longer a citizen of this county, he shares, with Homer B. Woods, the distinction of being one of the (two) native sons of Ritchie that has attained to the judgeship. Mr. Willis was born at Mole Hill, on January 31, 1862, and there grew to manhood as a farmer-boy. He attended the public schools and like Judge Woods, began his career as a pedagogue at the early age of sixteen years. He was a student of the West Virginia University at Morgantown, but completed his education at the Valpariso University in Indiana, being graduated in 1886. He was the valedictorian of the class, which was composed of seventy-six members. After finishing his college-course, he taught school in Dakota, Wisconsin, and his native state, and while thus engaged, studied law: and in July, 1890, was admitted to the bar, being licensed to practice his profession in this state. This license bore the signatures of the late Judges, Thomas I. Boreman, and Marshall Hagans, and of Judge Thomas P. Jacobs, who still survives. In 1900, when Hon. Romeo H. Freer resigned his office as Judge of the Fourth Judicial district to accept a seat in Congress, Mr. Willis was chosen as his successor; and at the close of this term he was re-elected. When he first took charge of this office, Ritchie county was included in his circuit, but by an act of the Legislature of 1903, a change was made, and Doddridge, Tyler and Wetzel now compose his circuit, which is designated as the Second Judicial Circuit instead of the Fourth. His home was formerly at West Union, but since 1908, he has claimed his residence at New Martinsville. In 187?, he was married to Miss Anita Magness, of Waterloo, Iowa, and the one child of this union, Frances Louise, who was born on January 21, 1892, died on September 15, 1901. Mr. Willis is the son of N. G. Willis, of Mole Hill, and a descendant of three of the more prominent pioneer families of the county, and his ancestral history like that of the other young men of this calendar will be found in earlier chapters. ------------------------------------------------------------------- From Death Certificate, Ritchie County, WV #5999 FULL-NAME: Marsh Haymond Willis BIRTH-DATE: January 31, 1862 BIRTH-PLACE: Mole Hill, Ritchie Co., W.Va. DEATH-DATE: April 17, 1938 DEATH-PLACE: 251 Virginia St., New Martinsville, Wetzel County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Married (Anita Magness) OCCUPATION: Atty at Law / General Practice FATHER: Notley G. Willis (born in W.Va.) MOTHER: Louisa Martin (born in W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Cancer of Prostate Gland INFORMANT: Mrs. M. H. Willis (of New Martinsville, W.Va.) BURIAL: Greenlawn Park Cemetery ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Ritchie County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/ritchie/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------