C. Foster Willson, of Pennville, one of the best known and
most successful oil
operators of Jay county, has been a resident of this
county since the days of his
babyhood. He was born in Union county,
Ohio, September 22, 1879, and is a son of
James and Mahalia (Kelsey)
Willson, the latter of whom also was born in Ohio.
James Willson was
born at Pennville (then Camden), this county, but when a child
moved
with his parents to Union county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and was
married. He had early learned the trade of wagon making and followed that
vocation in
Ohio until 1881, when he returned to Jay county, established
his home in Jackson
township and there set up a wagon shop which he
continued to operate until his death.
He and his wife were the parents
of five children, four of whom are living, the subject of
this sketch
having three sisters, Essie, Leola and Leona.
C. Foster Willson was two years of age when his father
returned to Jay county and
established his home in Jackson township and
there he grew to manhood, receiving his
schooling in the local schools.
When fourteen years of age he became employed as a
pumper on an oil rig
and he has followed the oil-producing business ever since. In due
time
he began contracting on his own account and brought In many wells for others
until presently he took up the producing end and has for years been
engaged as a
producer, now having twenty-six producing wells and
operating a thousand acres of
leases, one of the best known oil men
hereabout. Mr. Willson is a Republican and has
ever given a good
citizen's attention to local civic affairs. He is a Freemason and also a
member of the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the
Knights
of Pythias.
In 1899 C. Foster Willson was united in marriage to Allie
Haffner, daughter of
Mrs. Mary O. (Williams) Letts, and to this union
three children have been born,
Ruby, Pearl and Vera.
SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana,
Historical Publishing
Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp. 339-340.
Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.