Roscoe C. Willis

Roscoe C. Willis was born December 20, 1888, in Indian Territory, the son of James Willis and Amy Harmon.

Thirteen year old Roscoe appears with his family on the 1900 Indian Territory census. The 1904-1905 city directory for Alderson, in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma shows Roscoe working as a clerk at CRI&PRy and living at home.

The 1916-1917 city directory for Krebs, in Pittsburg County, shows Roscoe owning and operating "Willis Livery" on Maple Street in Krebs, with his brother Schuyler. They are both shown to be living at home with their parents.

The 1920 city directory for Krebs indicates that Roscoe and Schuyler were no longer running the livery. They were both still living at home.

Roscoe married Zetta Phelps about 1923. Zetta Phelps was born September 15, 1892, at Koto, Indiana, the daughter of Spencer Phelps and Tempie Jane Hawkins.

The 1925 city directory for McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma shows Roscoe Zetta living at 42 West Ottawa Avenue. It shows Roscoe as owner of "Willis Auto Supply Company" which was located at 119 South Main Street, in McAlester. His brother Schuyler was shown to be working as a salesman for Willis Auto Supply.

The 1928 city directory for McAlester shows Roscoe and Zetta still residing at 42 West Ottawa Avenue. Roscoe still owned and operated "Willis Auto Supply Company" at 119 South Main Street.

The 1929 city directory shows that Roscoe had taken on Alex M. Watson as a partner in the business, which was now called "Willis-Watson Auto Supply Company". Roscoe and Zetta are shown to still reside at 42 West Ottawa Avenue.

The 1930 Pittsburg County, Oklahoma census, McAlester Township, shows Roscoe C. Willis, 42, an auto supply propriator and his wife, Zette M., 37, renting a house on Osage Avenue. The city directory continuously shows them residing on Ottawa Avenue. We can not explain the discrepancy in location.

The 1937 McAlester city directory shows Roscoe and Zetta still residing at 42 West Ottawa Avenue. Now Roscoe is a partner in "Morgan & Willis Grocery & Market" in McAlester.

The 1942 McAlester city directory shows Roscoe and Zetta living at 209 East Wyandotte Avenue in the house with his mother, Amy, who was 88 years old. Roscoe was working as a salesman at "Bennett Pontiac Company".

Zetta died March 27, 1943, at McAlester and is buried in the Willis family plot at Oak Hill Cemetery.

The 1946-1947 McAlester city directory shows Roscoe working as service manager at "Bennett Motor Company". He was still living in his mother's house on Wyandotte Avenue.

Roscoe married Effie P. (last name unknown) about 1948-1950. The 1951 McAlester city directory shows Roscoe and Effie living at 302 West Ashland Avenue. Roscoe was working as a partsman at "Bennett Motor Company". The 1956 city directory shows them still living at 302 West Ashland Avenue.

Roscoe died December 23, 1957, at McAlester and is buried in the family plot in Oak Hill Cemetery. Roscoe apparently had no children.