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Willis, Jean Cannon, 1917-2001

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1917 - 2001

Biographical History

Jean Cannon Willis (1917-2001) was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and teacher in Utah.

Jean Cannon was born on June 17, 1917 in Salt Lake City, Utah to George Jenkins Cannon and Lucy Grant. Raised in Salt Lake, she attended Ensign Elementary, Bryant Jr. High, and East High School. She then continued her education at Brigham Young University, studying economics. After graduation she relocated to St. George, Utah, where she taught at Woodward Jr. High for two years.

On March 13, 1941 Cannon married Bertram Trowbridge Willis in the Salt Lake Temple, and they eventually had eight children. After her marriage she lived briefly in Cheyenne, Wyoming before returning to Salt Lake to raise her family. She was active in her community, doing volunteer work with the local PTA, the Juvenile Detention Home, the Epilepsy Foundation, and an ESL tutoring program. She also served in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including as ward and stake Primary president. After their children were grown, the Willis's served a mission to Washington, D.C. Temple between 1982 and 1983.

Jean Cannon Willis passed away on November 28, 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Citation:
Familysearch.org, via WWW, Oct. 14, 2015 (Jean Cannon; Jean Cannon Willis; b. June 17, 1917 in Salt Lake City, Utah; parents: George Jenkins Cannon and Lucy Grant; m. Mar. 13, 1941 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Bertram Trowbridge Willis; d. Nov. 28, 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah)

Deseret news, Dec. 6, 2001 (Jean Cannon Willis; attended Ensign Elementary, Bryant Jr. High, and East High School in Salt Lake City; attended Brigham Young University, graduating in economics; taught at Woodward Jr. High in St. George, Utah for two years; m. 1941 in Salt Lake Temple to Bertram Willis, eight children; lived briefly in Cheyenne, Wyo., then returned to Salt Lake City; involved in volunteer work, including PTA, Juvenile Detention Home, Epilepsy Foundation, ESL tutoring; served in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including time as ward and stake Primary president; served mission to Washington, D.C. Temple, 1982-1983)

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Cannon and Willis families papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2216
Abstract Boxes 1 and 2 being mostly manuscript material and booklets (as well as a few photographs), and boxes 3-5 being diaries and a folder of photocopies from a scrapbook and an autobiography. Most the manuscript material is typescript in form, coming from various persons. Boxes 3, 4, and the first folder of 5 contain all 33 of Lucy Grant Cannon's diaries. Some of her diaries overlap, meaning she apparently kept, sometimes, two or even three diaries at the same time. Her last six diaries, black in...
Dates: 1891-2003
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Cannon and Willis families papers

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