Pictured – My grandfather James Arthur Willis and his older brother Fletcher Willis. My grandfather was born in March of 1918 in Wynnewood Oklahoma. He was born in the Big Woods.. He had three brothers and one sisters, (Tom, Fletcher, Lonnie, and Marie). According to census documentation his siblings and mom and dad were listed as Mullatto. That was a revelation to me when I was examining the 1900 census data. Who knew. That racial classification makes sense now based on some of the stories my grandfather told all his grand children. He was one no nonsense man. Fearless and without equivocation. What he said was exactly what he meant. We all thought our grandddady was spinning tails. It all NOW males sense.

By the time my grandfather was eight years old he was an orphan. Both parents died during the plague of the 1920’s. My Uncle Fletcher was a business man. In the 1930s he went to cobbler school in Kansas. Some white relative paid fis tuition. I’m not sure what Uncle Tommy did. Still researching. Aunt Marie died in the 1950’s during child birth. Uncle Lonnie was a WW I and Korean War veteran. He was murdered by the military police in 1964. They the (Army) says he fell down a flight of stairs over on Ft. Sill Army base in August of 1964. Uncle Lonnie’s death broke Uncle Fetchers Heart. Uncle fletcher died one week later. Uncle Fletcher, and Uncle Lonnie voices still ring in my ears. They both would pick up this little cripple boy who needed multiple surgeries to walk and throw me up in the air and say. DAN KEY, DANKY, DANKY. Those words and their voices still resonates in my spirit. They are still alive. Their funerals were the first time I had ever seen a mason. My grandad and all his brothers were Prince Hall Masons. I wanted to be like them.

During the funeral I was dressed in black shorts, white shirt, and a black bow tie. I sat next to my grandad on the first row. My first memories of death, and the casket, was being picked up to view the casket by my (James, Fields, and Hamilton), great Uncles to view the body. The cautionary voice of my grandfather said « don’t put him in the casket. » it was that series of moments that are part of the tapestry of my manhood framework.

At the turn of the 21st century my Granddad and his brother Fletcher were included on a list of Garvin County’s influential citizens.

Giants – I stand on the shoulders of giants.