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| This picture of Aunt Alice was taken about 1910. It shows her sitting with three of her children; Ida, Alice, Charles and Mattie. To me she looks as her mother Edna must have looked at this age. Picture was donated by my cousin Sherry Carver. News article taken from "Hickory Daily Record" 14-Jul-1998 Valdese: For nearly 35 years the grave of John and Mary Alice Willix had an unmarked stone that bore no description of their eerily romantic death dates two weeks aprt. After a three year mission to properly mark the graves the Willix descendants gathered Sunday night at a small Burke County cemetery to pay their respects and to reflect on the past. The man and his wife came from Tennessee to Burke County during the WW2 years and raised their eight children are buried side by side. Their story is intersting and the extended family was willing to share the ups and downs of the couples marraige. |
| At one point during the marraige, John the fortune teller ran off with another woman and lived with her for 22 years. Mary Alice did not follow him or attempt to win him back even though she knew where he was at. Only after she heard of the death of his second wife and his failing health did she take him back. They remained together until his death 03-Sep-1963. Two weeks later on September 16, mary Alice died also. Sunday's service was at Mountain View Cemetery on Old Highway 70, a few yard back from where the railroad tracks cross underneath and cars whiz on back roads between Morganton and Hickory. There on the hill, prayers were said alound and the family heard music by the singing group "Eyes of Faith" which happens to be made up of Willix descendants. The gathering included a large number of descendants and most notably the last living child, Lillian Robinson, who was guest of honor. Raising money for the stone took the better part of three years and was a wide spread family effort with yard sales and private donations. The family shared memories of Mary Alice's cooking and Johns fortune telling. As the story goes, John never offered his services to family. Mary Alice went to church every Sunday, carrying a lantern. She worked in a cotton mill . As for John's fortune telling, you could write him a letter and he would write you back. John Horace Willocks 18-Jul-1878, Blount Co., TN to 03-Sep-1963, Rutherford College, Valdese, NC NC. Burial: Mt. View Cemetery (SOURCE: Death Record & Family Records) John married Mary Alice as John Willocks but died as John Willix (SOURCE: Marriage Record, Census 1900, Blount Co., TN) +Mary Alice Yearout 1880, Blount Co., TN to 16-Sep-1863, Rutherford College, NC Aunt Alice was born and married as Mary Alice Yearout (SOURCE: Marriage Record: 11-Nov-1898, Blount Co. She died as Mary Alice Stinnett Willix (SOURCE: Death Record) Her Father was CW Lawson (SOURCE: Maintenance Bond) Mother: Edney Yearout (SOURCE: Census 1900, Death Record, Family Records) 1. Lillian Willix (Living) 2. William Leon Willix 03-Jul-1920, Englewood, TN to 22-Jul-1974, Valdese, NC (SOURCE: Death Record) +Beatrice Duncan 09-Jul-1926, Granite Falls, NC (MD: 12-Dec-1942) 3. Charlie Wade Willix 1908-1987 (SOURCE: Family Records) +Essie Wallace +Anna McCauley 09-Oct-1912 to 02-Apr-1999 Buried: Dripping Springs Cemetery, Sevier Co., TN 1. Ruby Willix 2. Buddy Willix 3. Billy Eugene Willix 07-Apr-1935 to 12-Feb-2001 Buried: Sherwood Memorial, Blount Co., TN +Gertrude Virginia McCall 17-Apr-1938 1. Wanda Jean Willix 2. Carol Jane Willix 3. Billie Rachel Willix 4. Rebecca June Willix 5. Anthony Lynn Willix 4. Bobby Willix 5. Shirley Willix +Rudy Abbott +Charles Hannon 6. Lois Irene Willix +Everett Valentine Spova 7. Floyd Willix 05-Jun-1912 to 19-Aug-1943 +Essie Wallace 8. Ida Willix +Bill Elliott 9. Mattie Willix 31-Dec-1905 +George Grady Webb 1. Geneva Willix +Johnnie Whisnant 12-Dec-1921, Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC to 02-Feb-1992, Knox Co., TN Johnnie was a well known Bluegrass Music artist, invented the "cheater" used on banjo's and recorded. 1. Judy Whisnant +Dermid Punch 10. John Lewis Willix 02-Jun-1916 to 19-May-1989 John was actually a Willocks, but changed his name to Willix. We had always thought Aunt Alice to have been a Stinnett, but when we got a copy of her marraige Certificate we were surprized to discover she actually carried the surname Yearout. Mary Alice Yearout was the child of Edney Yearout and C.W. Lawson This is a reseacher of Willocks. He links to this line. Back to mother of Mary Alice Picture of Mary Alice with her sisters Death Records Mary Alice Willix Place of death: Burke County, Valdese, Lovelady Township, North Carolina Residence: Hildebran, NC Female/white/widowed/ housewife/born TN Parents: William & Stinnett Edna Lawson Husband: John H. Willix Coronary Occlusion Died 9:05 PM 16-Sep-1963 William Stinnett was actually the father of Edna Yearout who helped raise the children. Aunt Alice married as Mary Alice Yearout, but carried the Stinnett name her entire life. No one knew that she had ever actually used the Yearout surname until we got a copy of her marriage certificate. We wondered why her mother was listed as Edna Lawson until we were able to locate this bond. John H. Willix Place of death: Burke County, Valdese, Lovelady Township, North Carolina Male/white/married/jeweler repair/born TN Parents: Marion Willix & Elizabeth Farr Wife: Mary Alice Willix Intrahepatic obstruction Died: 6:10 AM 03-Sep-1963 |
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| This census was sent to me by Jackie Ginn: 1910 11th District, Blount County, TN Robert Willocks 39, md 15 yrs. laborer odd jobs Susan wife, 36 Alice A., daughter 14 Amanda, daughter 10 Hilbert, son, 9 Charles A. , son, 6 Alice, sister in law Ida A., 8, neice Mattie, neice age unclear Charlie W., nephew, line through age |
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| Coming Soon |