Our grandfather on Tom's side, Roger K. Mullis (pictured with his father above) wrote the following in the spring of 1996:
"My grandfather, William Henry Mullis, was born in Laurens County, Georgia, I believe sometime around 1846 or 1847. It's no wonder there was once a town in Georgia named Mullis. "Old Man Will", as he was affectionately called, was the father of 23 children. When his first wife died, he married her sister, Dolly Peacock Mullis, my grandmother. He not only had more children than most, but he also had the most land. He was a merchant, cotton gin operator, and a leader in his community. He often donated land for good causes. According tot he History of Laurens County, Georgia (1807-1941), the Mullis Post Office was established on June 17, 1905. The name was changed to Cadwell on August 17, 1908. Old Man Will's son, Hiram, was the first Postmaster of Mullis and Cadwell.
Grandfather William Henry was a soldier in the Civil War until his unit was overrun by the Union forces in Tennessee. I was told that the men were lost and without leadership, so Grandfather just went back home. He died in 1923 and was buried in the Ready Springs Cemetary where a number of his offspring are also buried.
Old Man Will's eldest son by his second wife was Willie E. Mullis, my father. He served in World War I. After the war, he went to the University of Georgia to study Pharmacy. I was born on the Georgia Campus in the married students housing at Ag Hill. Some time later, he bought a mill in Alma, Georgia, which he operated for a number of years. He retired and resided in Jacksonville, Florida until his death. His children are a daughter, Dimples L. Colvin, a resident of Orange Park, Florida, and three sons, Charles W. Mullis, a retired pharmacist, John E. Mullis, a retired trade show producer, and me Roger K. Mullis. I have been married to Betty D. Mullis for 49 years. We have two daughters, Betty D. Mullis Kirchner, and Barbara Mullis Holt, and four grandchildren, Julie Holt, Lisa Holt, Thomas Kirchner, and Pamela Kirchner. We have a brand now great-grandson, Sage.
I am a World War II verteran, and made the Normandy invasion in France, and served in Japan and Korea. I was a combat photographer and after retiring from the military, I became a photo journalist for the Florida Times Union in Jacksonville, Florida. I retired from there, and my wife and I are enjoying our home on Cedar River in Jacksonville.
Dedicated to William Henry Mullis,
Roger K. Mullis
