William Leon Willix was born 3 Jul 1920 in Englewood, TN and died 22 Jul 1974 from complications of alcoholism.
He married Beatrice Ester Duncan on 12 Dec 1942. She was born 9 Jul 1926 in Granite Falls, NC. She had just graduated from Hildebran High School. Her parents were John Duncan and Della Mae Page.
The marriage lasted until Jun, 1965 when they divorced. Just a few days afterward, Mother maried Forest Alphonso Setzer. Their marriage lasted until Forest died of cancer 19 Aug 1992.
The first thing that I would like to do is thank Elizabeth Olmstead and Judy Watson for all the support and help that they have given to me. Both have done so much hard work on the Willix Family Tree and have been very generous in sharing it. We have spent so much time on the computer and phone getting to know one another, not only as cousins, but also as friends.
I remember my grandmother, Mary Alice Willix, as being a very small woman that used a walking cane to get around. She also used it to keep everyone in line, although I never remember her using it on anyone. She also used to tell us stories about when she was growing up and how it had been with all her brothers and sisters.
Grandma Willix also had very long hair and always wore it up in a little granny knot on the top of her head with a tortoise shell comb on each side and two or three pens stuck into the knot. She let me brush it for her a couple of times and I loved it so much that I wore mine the same way for a couple of years.
If Grandpa Willix were living today, he would be called an herbologist. One time when Mother and Daddy went to visit them in Waynesville, I had to stay with my other grandmother because of the flu. He sent back one of his mixtures with instructions on how it was to be given. That was the most vile tasting stuff that I had ever had and after one dose, I slipped out and poured it on the ground.
He would take us for walks with him when he was gathering his herbs and roots and explain what each one was and what they were used for. One time, Mother had forgotten our toothbrushes and he took us out to make us some. He cut twiggs off an old cherry tree, frayed the ends, then showed us how to use them.
Memories can be a great thing if they are good, but there are also the bad ones that are best forgotten. I am continually trying to make peace with the past and hopefully one day I will. I am always thankful that I have grandchildren that make me look to the future. Our gradson Donathan, is a very intelligent child and is my heart. He is so calm and mature for his age. Our granddaughter Kaley, is a bundle of energy and will go very far if channeled in the right way.
Kayla Williams is our honorary granddaughter and a survivor of Ewing's Sarcoma, a for of bone cancer. What God's plans are for her still have to be seen, but I do know that they have to be special. She has come a long way in her battle and still has a long way to go. She is a fighter and I am sure that by the grace of God and everyone's prayers, she will make it.
My one wish for our grandchildren is that they look back at their ancestors, see the mistakes that we have made, and go on to a better future.