WILLS ANCESTORS

Little is known about the Wills except Edward James Wills and Lousia Welma Johnston Van Stone, were both from England. They had twin daughters, Sara and Susan Wills, born about 1860.

A double wedding must have been held!  James and Frank both married Edward and Louisa Wills' daughters. On 6 April 1879, Frank Joshua Woolston Smullen married Susan Wills and James Herbert Dexter Smullen married Sara Ann Wills. Photographs show Sara and Susan as rather pleasant and attractive young ladies for their time... but look out for the mother-in-law, Lousia Welmer Johnston Van Stone. [Who could be pleasant with a name like that!] The photographs were all taken by Philadelphian photographer, which indicated the families lived in Philadelphia, PA.

Frank and Susan Wills Smullen had two children: Bernice Smullen was born in 1884 and Roy W. Smullen was born in 1886. Frank died in 1901 at the early age of 45. Susan lived on into the twentieth century,  died in 1940.

James and Sara Wills Smullen apparently remained in Philadelphia while  twin brother, Frank  Joshua Woolston Smullen, went west. It is said that Frank rode shot-gun on the stage-coach west. However there are photographs of his children, Bernice Smullen born 1884 and Roy W. Smullen born 1886, which were taken by a Philadelphia photographer. Maybe he didn't ride west until after 1886.  There are no photographs of Frank; however there are several of James taken as a young man through his elderly years. Likewise there are photographs and pictures of his wife, Sarah Wills Smullen, from her years as a mother  until her "golden" years. James and Sara had four children: 

            1880   Edward James H. Smullen - Philadelphia; married Constance Gertrude Bastian, of Delaware County PA. in 1906 

            1882   Stanley Bartlett Smullen - Philadelphia; married Mabel Trist Kugler and settled in Philadelphia PA. 

            1884   Clinton Wills Smullen - Iona City, California; married Clara Willels, Haddonfield NJ and settled in Norwood, Delaware County PA.  

            1887   Marion Cornelia Wills Smullen - Philadelphia; unmarried but was a "super" aunt to all nieces, nephews, and their spouses and children. Aunt Marion lived in Germantown, Phila., where we visited her often.

 I don't know when James Herbert Dexter died, nor do I know when Sara Will Smullen died. Sara Wills Smullen was around after 1944 because there is a snap shot of her taken in 1944when she was 84 years old.