Written by Jerry Duke, a descendant

Willis Boren lived a long life, He was born on March 11, 1796, in Springfield, Robertson County, Tennessee, and died on November 20, 1895, in Loseeville, Garfield County, Utah. He was the son of John Boren and Sarah Ally, some of the very earliest non-native American residents of the Cumberland.

Willis Boren was married to Mary Boren, his first cousin. Mary had left her first husband Jacob Young about 1808 because of his abandonment and returned to live with her father in Union County, Illinois. Jacob Young had previously been married to Cassandra Boren, a sister to Willis Boren. Jacob brought two children to the marriage, a boy and a girl. Cassandra had died in 1802. Jacob and Mary had three boys together. Jacob Young and Mary Boren were my 3rd great-grandparents. Alfred Douglas Young, their son, was my 2nd great-grandfather through his marriage to Anna Mundine Chappell from Smith County Tennessee, the daughter of Christopher Goodridge Chappell and Susanna Martin. Both from Virginia.

Alfred Douglas Young also married his cousin Adolphia Young’s widow, Rhoda Byrn Jared in 1852 as a plural marriage. Adolphia had died from Cholera while crossing the plains to Utah. Adolphia Young and Rhoda Byrn Jared are my 2nd great-grandparents. Aldolphia and Alfred Douglas were the sons of brothers, John Harmon and Jacob Young, sons of William Young and Elizabeth Huff. I can easily get confused about how I’m related to my various Young ancestors. Willis Boren was the stepfather, grandfather, and great-grandfather to a slew of individuals with the name Young. Jacob Young was quite an artisan crafting long rifles; he was arguably a much better craftsman than a father.

Jacob Young was often an absent father and Mary Boren’s father, Bazel Boren convinced her to leave her husband and return to live with him in Illinois, yet still within the Cumberland area. Bazel died in 1812, leaving her with five children and no visible means of support. At this point, Mary went to live with her seventeen-year-old cousin, Willis Boren who was twelve years her junior in a common law marriage. I don’t know if this was a relationship born out of love or one of necessity, but it was one that endured until the death of Mary in 1848. Albert Douglas said that despite his youth, Willis was a good father to him and the other children and that he and his mother had a very happy marriage. They were formally married in 1819. From 1814 until 1825 Willis and Mary Boren had eight more children while living in Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Willis and Mary joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1840 and shortly thereafter moved to Nauvoo to join the Saints. Most of their children were adults by then and it appears that only the two living Young brothers and one Boren girl who married a church member emigrated to Utah. Many of them died early in life. Given the marriage arrangements in Utah at the time, this shortly became a pretty large posterity.

Willis and Mary Boren were driven from Nauvoo and made their home in Pisgah, Iowa. Mary Boren died in 1848 and Willis married Mary Sampson from Fairfield, Connecticut, the daughter of Samuel and Anna Sampson. Willis was the Union Branch President for some time before they emigrated to Utah in 1853. Willis married another lady in 1856, Sophia Dutton of Vermont the daughter of Benjamin Dutton and Clarissa Thomas and widow of Jacob Degraw. Mary Samson disappears from the scene about this time, and I can find no information about what happened. FamilySearch has a death date for her in 1877, but there is no day or place of death, and the documentation is lacking. Apparently, she and Willis separated somewhere around 1855. They had no children together.

Willis Boren is a resident of the Od Heber City Fort. He and Sophia show up in the 1860 US Census as residents of Provo Valley, Utah County, Utah Territory. He and Sophia had a son, Willis Boren, born in Heber Valley on June 22, 1860. Willis was sixty-four years- old. I thought of my own father, Sterling Duke, who was fifty-seven when I was born. Willis moved to Spring Valley, Nevada with some of the Degraw family sometime in the 1860’s. The 1870 census shows Willis living with his daughter, Sarah Ann Boren Smith, and her husband in Washington, Washington County, Utah Territory. Sophia was still in Nevada with her son Willis Boren and some of her other children from the previous marriage. Willis would remain with his daughter for the rest of his long life. At later times, Sophia lived in locations near Willis, but they apparently didn’t reunite. In 1880 Willis and his daughter were in Paria, Kane County. Utah Territory and then they moved to Loseeville, Garfield County, Utah Territory where Willis died in 1895. He is buried in the Tropic Utah Cemetery. His stepson Albert Douglas Young lived many years nearby in Kanab, Utah with his wife, my 2nd great grandmother Rhoda Byrn Jared Young Young (the extra Young is intentional).

Brief Life History of Squire Boren Young

When Squire Boren Young was born about 1797, in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United States, his father, Jacob Young, was 24 and his mother, Cassandra Boren, was 23. Willis Boren became his stepfather in about 1813. He married Polly Cox on 6 August 1814, in Gallatin, Illinois, United States. He lived in Union, Illinois, United States in 1830. He died in 1838, in Trenton, Gibson, Tennessee, United States, at the age of 42.

Brief Life History of Elizabeth Young

When Elizabeth Young was born about 1802, in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United States, her father, Jacob Young, was 29 and her mother, Cassandra Boren, was 28. Willis Boren became her stepfather in about 1813. She died about 1820, in Union, Illinois, United States, at the age of 20, and was buried in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United States.

Brief Life History of William Alma Young 

When William Alma Young was born on 28 August 1805, in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United States, his father, Jacob Young, was 31 and his mother, Mary Boren, was 20. Willis Boren became his stepfather in about 1813. He married Leah Holland Smith on 11 November 1826, in Gibson, Tennessee, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Utah, Utah, United States in 1850 and Bedford, Bedford, Tennessee, United States in 1850. He died on 2 September 1875, in Washington, Washington, Utah, United States, at the age of 70, and was buried in Washington, Washington, Utah, United States.

Brief Life History of John Young 

When John Young was born about 1807, in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United States, his father, Jacob Young, was 34 and his mother, Mary Boren, was 24. Willis Boren was his stepfather at the time of his death. He died about 1813, at the age of 8.

Brief Life History of Alfred Douglas Young 

When Alfred Douglas Young was born on 13 April 1808, in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United States, his father, Jacob Young, was 33 and his mother, Mary Boren, was 23. Willis Boren was his stepfather by about 1813. He married Anna Mundine Chappell on 1 December 1831, in Union, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 6 daughters. He lived in Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah, United States in 1852 and Mount Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah, United States in 1860. He died on 17 March 1889, in Kanab, Kane, Utah, United States, at the age of 80, and was buried in Kanab City Cemetery, Kanab, Kane, Utah, United States.

Brief Life History of Andrew Hibbitts 

When Andrew Hibbitts Boren was born on 21 April 1814, in Robertson, Tennessee, United States, his father, Willis Boren, was 18 and his mother, Mary Boren, was 29. He married Mrs. Martha Boren in 1838. They were the parents of at least 4 daughters. He lived in Sugar Creek Township, Barry, Missouri, United States in 1870 and Liberty Township, Barry, Missouri, United States in 1880. He died on 12 March 1890, in Barry, Missouri, United States, at the age of 75, and was buried in Rocky Comfort Cemetery, Franklin Township, Newton, Missouri, United States.

Brief Life History of Parazda 

When Parazada Boren was born on 7 September 1816, in Illinois, United States, her father, Willis Boren, was 20 and her mother, Mary Boren, was 32. She married John Flowers on 24 May 1838, in Gibson, Tennessee, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 1 daughter. She lived in Nebraska, United States in 1870 and Arkansas, United States in 1880. She died on 18 December 1893, in Oklahoma, United States, at the age of 77, and was buried in Chelsea, Rogers, Oklahoma, United States.

Brief Life History of Priscilla 

When Priscilla Boren was born on 22 January 1820, in Johnson, Illinois, United States, her father, Willis Boren, was 23 and her mother, Mary Boren, was 35. She married William Burrell Patterson on 9 July 1836, in Gibson, Tennessee, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 5 daughters. She lived in Fremont, Iowa, United States in 1850. She died on 15 December 1900, in Iowa, United States, at the age of 80.

Brief Life History of Mary A 

When Mary A Boren was born about 1822, in Kentucky, United States, her father, Willis Boren, was 27 and her mother, Mary Boren, was 39. She had at least 3 sons and 2 daughters with Charles D Allen. She died on 3 August 1843, at the age of 22.

Brief Life History of Carel 

When Carel Boren was born about 1823, in McCracken, Kentucky, United States, his father, Willis Boren, was 28 and his mother, Mary Boren, was 40. His death date is unknown.

Brief Life History of Susan Mills 

When Susan Mills Boren was born in 1825, in Union, Illinois, United States, her father, Willis Boren, was 29 and her mother, Mary Boren, was 41. Her death date is unknown.

Brief Life History of Sarah Ann 

When Sarah Ann Boren was born on 28 October 1825, in Jackson, Madison, Tennessee, United States, her father, Willis Boren, was 29 and her mother, Mary Boren, was 41. She married Thomas Washington Smith on 14 May 1842, in Gibson, Tennessee, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 4 daughters. She died on 11 October 1908, in Tropic, Garfield, Utah, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Tropic Cemetery, Tropic, Garfield, Utah, United States.

Brief Life History of Hulda Mills 

When Hulda Mills Boren was born in 1826, in Union, Illinois, United States, her father, William Willis Boren, was 30 and her mother, Mary Boren, was 42. Her death date is unknown.

Brief Life History of Willis 

When Willis Boren was born on 22 June 1860, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Willis Boren, was 64 and his mother, Sophia Dutton, was 45. He married Mary Frances Mangum on 7 November 1892, in Paria, Kane, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son. He lived in Hatch Election Precinct, Iron, Utah, United States in 1880 and Joseph, Sevier, Utah, United States in 1900. He died on 6 May 1943, in Elko, Elko, Nevada, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Spanish Fork City Cemetery, Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States.

Willis was the stepfather to those who were in The Old Heber Fort with him, the children of Sophia.

 Brief Life History of Elizabeth Rebecca

When Elizabeth Rebecca DeGraw was born on 28 May 1847, in Bonaparte, Van Buren, Iowa, United States, her father, Jacob De Graw, was 35 and her mother, Sophia Dutton, was 32. She married James Bailey Maxwell on 26 August 1864, in Santaquin, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 1 daughter. She lived in Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States in 1850 and Nevada, United States in 1870. She died on 2 February 1881, in Orderville, Kane, Utah, United States, at the age of 33, and was buried in Orderville Cemetery, Orderville, Kane, Utah, United States.

Brief Life History of Jacob 

When Jacob DeGraw Jr was born on 29 October 1849, in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States, his father, Jacob De Graw, was 38 and his mother, Sophia Dutton, was 35. He married Arrilla Brimhall on 11 December 1884, in St. George, Washington, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 7 daughters. He lived in Iron, Utah, United States in 1870 and Hatch Election Precinct, Iron, Utah, United States in 1880. He registered for military service in 1866. He died on 13 September 1926, in La Grande, Union, Oregon, United States, at the age of 76, and was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, La Grande, Union, Oregon, United States.

Brief Life History of Juliaette 

When Juliaette Degraw was born on 1 February 1852, in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States, her father, Jacob De Graw, was 40 and her mother, Sophia Dutton, was 37. She married Levi Martin Hampton on 4 April 1869, in Spring Valley, Clark, Nevada, United States. They were the parents of at least 9 sons and 3 daughters. She lived in Iron, Utah, United States in 1870 and Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States in 1940. In 1880, at the age of 28, her occupation was listed as spinner. She died on 3 August 1940, in Joseph, Sevier, Utah, United States, at the age of 88, and was buried in Joseph Cemetery, Joseph, Sevier, Utah, United States.

Brief Life History of Ellen Sophia 

When Ellen Sophia DeGraw was born on 5 September 1855, in Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States, her father, Jacob De Graw, was 44 and her mother, Sophia Dutton, was 41. She married John Thomas Mathis Jr on 2 May 1870, in Spring Valley, Lincoln, Nevada, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 2 daughters. She died on 18 April 1920, in Garrison, Millard, Utah, United States, at the age of 64, and was buried in Monroe City Cemetery, Monroe, Sevier, Utah, United States.