William Willis, 1945 onwards....

Whilst at the 'Emmanuel Independant Church', Birkenhead, William met Fanny Marsh, the Choir Mistress and owner of a Hosiery Stall in Blackburn Market. The following photograph was taken of them at Christmas 1944 or 1945, at 24 Dalebury Road, London....

Fanny's Daughter, Florence was living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, married to Frank Whitehead, and Fanny went over to live with them about August of 1957. In 1946 William left the family home; He was an Itinerant Preacher - he sometimes preached at the 'Trinity Road Baptist Church', Wandsworth, London, and went to live with his daughter Ruth in Manchester. His son-in-law, Alec (Rhoda's husband) wrote to him there twice after 1953 in order to try and get to know him.

Ruth's son Dudley (b. 1952) recalls "With regard to our Grandfather, I was fortunate to have spent quite a lot of time with him when I was young, we lived in Longsight which is near to the centre of Manchester. He came to the house and stayed with us on at least a couple of occasions that I can remember, he used to play football with me in the hallway of our house (My comment - This was probably when he returned from a preaching tour...); he was a very gentle and easy person with me. I do remember him leaving for California as I can vaguely recall my mother and father taking him to the airport on a cold and wet Manchester evening. With regard to Grandma Willis, I met her on many occasions; my parents took me to she her she lived at two different addresses in the Yorkshire area. Looking back this must have been not long after my Grandfather had left her for the another woman - when I think about it now this must have been a very traumatic time for all of the family, not myself as I was too young to appreciate what had happened - all I understood was that Grandfather had gone away and that it was unlikely that we would see him again."

He was still travelling and preaching. In August 1957, a couple of weeks after Fanny went to Canada, William followed.... Eric Bond (Fanny was his wife's Grandaunt) recalls "Fanny dumped her then husband (known to my wife as "Uncle Ern") on a nephew's family and took off to the US."

Fanny's Grandson Peter has been kind enough to give me the following information on their time in Canada:

They lived with the Whitehead's in Winnipeg for a short time before William got a Church in the Manitoba town of Portage la Prairie. The Whitehead's moved from Winnipeg to Los Angeles, California in 1960. William and Fanny arrived about 1961 after William lost his church in Canada. (My comment - according to his Daughter Rhoda when his wife, Florence, found out that they were preaching, she wrote to the "Baptist Union of Canada" to report his misdemeanour - he was apparently de-frocked! But it didn't stop his ministry....) They again lived with the Whitehead's for a while until they got situated.

By 1961 they were resident in Calfiornia, USA, as William obtained his 'Social Security Number' (557-64-7214) in that year, and Fanny got her's (545-66-2956) in 1962, although she had a UK passport issued to her in 1968 - Dual-Nationality maybe?

They got married in Los Angeles on 13 April 1965 at a wedding chapel, he aged 75, she aged 69. The Passport we have replaces one issued on 21 October 1964 - evidently due to the change in her name

In 1968 they went on a tour - Fanny's passport shows visa stamps for the following destinations:

Again, in August/September 1975, they went on a tour to the Philippines and Hong Kong

In 1977 they were living in Long Beach, California. William taught prayer at the Bible College in San Diego, being Chaplain for the Horizon School of Evangelism, staying with the Goodrich family whilst there. At Long Beach they were resident in a Salvation Army apartment building.

In about 1980, they moved to San Diego to live near the church, and be cared for by church members, due to infirmities brought on by old age (William was 91, Fanny 85).

Fanny died in San Diego in December 1981, and William moved in with the Goodrich family. He died in 1986, just one month off 97 years of age.

Back in the UK, Florence Willis never allowed anyone to mention the name "Mrs. Marsh" in the home again. We know that she would not have agreed to a divorce under any circumstances. However, Fanny died as 'Fanny Willis', as recorded on the USA 'Social Security Death Index'; and we have the marriage record in Los Angeles, so we have to believe that William obtained a divorce, probably on the grounds of separation or desertion.

Through email, Vi has kindly given me an insight into William's character - comments which I have summarised below:

Mr. and Mrs. Willis (William and Fanny) were a part of our family in San Diego, Ca. We met them in 1977 when they lived in Long Beach, CA. They lived with us when he taught prayer at the Bible College. We flew them down on an airline called PSA. They lived in a Salvation Army apartment building. When they couldn't take care of themselves anymore, due to age, we moved them down to San Diego and took care of them. Mrs. Willis died in San Diego around 1981, and Mr. Willis died on March 12, 1986.

The Willis' were a very precious part of our family! We will never forget them! I have a video of what we showed at his funeral. It is only a video of slides of him, and his voice, but it's beautiful! My husband, Bill Goodrich, was the assistant pastor, with Mike MacIntosh at Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, where Mr. Willis was the chaplain for the Bible College there. We all loved he and Mrs. Willis dearly!!

They flew down to San Diego every month for a week and lived with us during that time (when Mr. Willis was teaching at the church). When they got to a point where they couldn't take care of themselves anymore, we moved them down from their furnished apartment at the Salvation Army. Mike MacIntosh rented a small house near the church, and a few of the students moved in with them to help them during that six months to a year before Mrs. Willis died. The area is called North Park.

His favorite saying after breakfast was, "I have an audience with the King!" And he would go to his bedroom and pray for hours! I would hear him weeping in prayer as I passed his bedroom door! He was more like Jesus than anyone I've ever met! It was a pleasure to have him as a part of our family!

Yes, his writing was beautiful! So was his voice!! He could really sing!!! And his laugh was the greatest joy!!

They both had physical problems and couldn't help take care of William and Fanny. So we were thrilled to have them with us! They were such a great part of our church! Respected by everyone! When Mr. Willis gave an altar call, multitudes would come forward! And he would be so broken!!! What a tremendous preacher he was!!! It was wonderful!!

Mr. Willis was writing a book, the first chapter being his testimony. Fanny never wanted him to publish it because she didn't want anyone to misinterpret his heart. She was so cute about it! She was a determined woman, full of joy! They went everywhere together.

Each night at bedtime, they would call us when they were in bed, and we would come in and tuck them in and pray for them, just as we did our own children. They were like a grandfather and grandmother to our children.

He was very healthy until about age 95, when he started falling. He went from a cane, to a walker, to a wheelchair. I would push him everywhere. It was only due to age. He was a very proper man, dressing nicely always.

Once Mr. Willis was on the Christian radio station in Los Angeles. I would love to have a copy of that! I doubt they would have records back that far. It was in the late 70's or early 80's. Fanny did all the driving (not on the freeway). She drove until about age 90, I think. Once she fell going into the post office and hurt her shoulder. She never quite recovered from that. She began to have physical problems after that.

He, in that final year, failed fast. When he began to fall, he would end up in the hospital for a few days. That happened about three or four times. The doctor kept encouraging us that he needed to be in a convalescent home. We said, no. (Mr. Willis did not want to go there). When Mr. Willis fell the last time and was hospitalized, the doctor wouldn't release him anywhere but to a convalescent home. He said that Mr. Willis was now a bed patient and our family wouldn't be able to take care of him and still function as a family. So, Mr. Willis went to a convalescent home for a few months before his death. I don't think he ever adjusted to that. It was a hard time for us all. When we visited him, he didn't recognize who we were. He got pneumonia shortly thereafter, and they sent him to the hospital. We spent that day or so after that waiting. They could do nothing for him. He was in a coma state.

Two days before he died, he sat in his wheelchair and reached his hand to shake Bill's. He said to Bill, "Nice to meet you." That was the last thing he said to my husband. We had some wonderful people at church that helped us take care of him. They would help me take him to the doctor. It took all morning. The wheelchair was very helpful

He died at Mercy Hospital of pneumonia. He spent two days in the hospital (in a coma). We sat with him and remembered all the wonderful things God did through him! Mr. Willis died in San Diego, but we buried him somewhere around Torrance. I think they were buried in the same place.

He says in his testimony that he was saved - born again - in the Great Welsh Revival in 1904-1905. He wrote that the exact date for him was Feb. 19, 1905. He said he was sitting in the front seat of the gallery in a Baptist church. Where, I don't know.

From the following 'Testimony', and Article, William was in Exeter at the time of his conversion in 1905. Also in the Baptist Chapel were his Father (John), Mother (Agnes) and Sister (either Agnes Lillian or Minnie - or both..)

As Vi has said, in his later years, William was writing a book, the 1st chapter of which he called his 'Testimony'. A copy of it is on this link. I have reproduced the original here as a .pdf file. CAUTION - IT IS 955K (It will open in a separate window, but be patient!)

Also, a .pdf copy of an article about William, mentioning a Missionary from Africa, from the "Worldwide Challenge" Oct 1982... CAUTION - IT IS 310K (It will open in a separate window, but be patient!)

From 1976 onwards, the 'Horizon Christian Fellowship' in San Diego used the 'North Park Theatre'; William preached here many times in the late 70's and early 80's:

There are some other pictures of William and Fanny here....

William's Death Certificate records him as being entombed at Green Hills Memorial Park, Los Angeles, The Cloisters, Coordinates 51,B. Fanny is buried in the same tomb.

As a 'postscript'; we know that William was in London in 1945 - Esther clearly remembers him leaving the family home when she was aged 12. And his Grandson dudley remembers him leaving Manchester in about 1956/57 for the USA. In the "Worldwide Challenge" article above, he states that he was married to Fanny for "40-plus" years when she died in 1981. I've found their marriage record: Los Angeles, 13 April 1965. In 1981 they had only been married for 16 years!!		Fanny's signature in her Passport

Fanny's Grandson, David Whitehead, kindly sent me some more pictures that he found just after his Mother passed away:

Peggy Roberts, who met them when she was about 12, kindly gave me the following information on them...

Mr. & Mrs. Willis (as we were instructed to address them) adopted my family ~1970 when they live in Redondo Beach at the Salvation Army Center there. They were members of the Salvation Army. Although we were instructed to address them formally, they loves us lavishly. They addressed each other that way as well. We were told it was because she wouldn't take such liberties with a minister as to call him by his first name and he wouldn't take such liberties with a minister's wife.

The first time I met them, when I was no more than 12, probably younger, was at the home of a friend who wanted us to meet them (I was already taller then both of them, as I recall). Mrs. Willis had her leg in a full cast, which she broke while climbing the pyramids in Egypt. They told us that on this trip, after Egypt they went to Israel and were trying to get her off the bus to get into the King David Hotel (a rather nice place). The only way they could easily carry her was on the shoulders of this big black guy in their group. So, they made their entrance into the lobby with her on top of this guy, Mr. Willis leading them along, while she's calling out, "Make way for the Salvation Army".

They were guests in our home frequently, including her daughter, Florence, along with Florence's husband Frank. The first time I heard the Welsh language was one night when Mrs. Willis & Florence broke out singing something and I had no idea what it was. I now sing in the Welsh Choir of Southern California and wish I'd paid more attention.

I remember celebrating Mr. Willis's 81st birthday (17th April 1970); our group included the Willises, the five in my family and the woman who introduced us, Mildred Rice. I remember it was his 81st, because he first made us guess how old he was and none of us came close (I tho't he was in his 60s). My sisters & I had long skinny balloons and made him a hat that he very graciously wore during part of the festivities (the man had patience, that's for sure).

Mrs. Willis loved my dad, Charley (and if you ask her grandsons, David and Peter, they will confirm that). She often called him at his office when something was troubling her or getting her excited. When she called, she didn't care if he answered or someone else answered, she ended up having quite a conversation with whoever was on the other end. As a result, everyone who worked for my dad knew the Willises quite well, whether they wanted to or not (and as it turned out, they all fell in love with them).

During the time I knew the Willises, I attended two different churches and the Willises were honoured guests in both of them. He was often invited to speak, usually on prayer, and she usually got to say a couple of words as well. There was one time that he spoke that he didn't have his raw egg before hand, as was his custom, but somehow, he was still able to speak with might.

While Mrs. Willis was a memorable character (everyone has anecdotes about her), I had a very special relationship with Mr. Willis. I will never forget and always cherish how gentle--but firm--he was with me during certain times of my life. I especially remember a time after they'd moved to San Diego and we went to visit them, that while my folks were in the living room visiting with Mrs. Willis, he took me on a tour of the house, which was a pretense to have a talk. He was concerned about the choices I was making in my life and whether I was consulting God sufficiently (we certainly did during that talk). I also remember his consoling me, which is tricky when you're 5'9" and the man consoling you is 5'2".

He spoke often of the Welsh revival and working on different campaigns. He had met Evan Roberts and had a lot of respect for Rees Howell.