Peter White Tillis

     Peter White Tillis was born on 11 December 1853 at Mason County, Virginia. He was the son of Miles Tillis and Nancy Kimberling. Peter White Tillis married, at age 23, Viola Victoria Gard, age 18, daughter of John Wallace Gard and Mary Jane Barcus, on Monday, 3 September 1877 at Mason County, West Virginia. Peter White Tillis died on 30 October 1889 at age 35 years, 10 months and 19 days. He was buried in the Kimberling Cemetery, located in Mason County, West Virginia.
     He From Gary R. Hawpe, ed. and Garnette Tillis Stanley comp., 'The Family of Peter White Tillis,' Van Bibber Pioneers E-Newsletter, Vol. 4 No. 7 (May 2001), p. 9.

THE FAMILY OF PETER WHITE TILLIS

Peter White Tillis was the son of Miles Tillis and Nancy Kimberling born December 11, 1853 in Mason County, Virginia; died October 30, 1889 and is buried in the Kimberling Cemetery near Arbuckle, Mason County, West Virginia. On September 3, 1877 in Mason County, West Virginia he was married to Viola Victoria Gard, who was born December 11, 1858 the daughter of John Wallace Gard and Mary Jane Barcus of Gallia County, Ohio, who died December 21, 1911 at Southside, Mason County, West Virginia and is buried in the Kimberling Cemetery.

Peter's parents Miles Tillis and Nancy Kimberling married December 24, 1852 in Mason County. Nancy was born November 23, 1823, died October 1, 1883 and is buried in the Craig Cemetery near Arbuckle. Miles Tillis was born February 7, 1831 in Mason County, Virginia, the son of Elizabeth Greenlee Van Bibber and Richard Tillis, died July 26, 1855 in Mason County, West Virginia. In a 1930 letter to a great, great, great, granddaughter about the Tillis Coulter Family was given the following: 'Very fine old lady and gentlemandhe always wore white line britches and white muslin shirts all stitched by hand and white knitted galluses in summerdshe wore white linen wrappers and the prettiest blue or pink shoulder shawls, and the log house was built about four rooms long with a covered porch the entire lengthd.'

Peter Tillis was only eighteen months old when his father died. Nancy Kimberling Tillis married John Coulter native of Pennsylvania, March 19, 1857 and who died July 24, 1892, age 82 years. Peter was well nurtured by Mr. Coulter and 'esteemed step-son' as recorded in the Coulter will, 1892. Peter was a school teacher in the Old Forrest Hill school, which was about a mile from home. Among the direct ancestors beginning with his grand-parents: Richard Tillis born January 16, 1809 d. October 2, 1881, m. September 12, 1829 Elizabeth Greenlee Van Bibber b. May 29, 1802 d. May 15, 1883. Other earlier grand-parents living in Mason County by families included Jacob Kimberling and Margaret -----; Jessie Van Bibber and Rachel Greenlee; Peter Van Bibber and Margaret Bounds; Isaac Jacob Van Bibber and Virginia and on to Revolutionary times at Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

The children of Peter White Tillis (1853 - 1889) and Viola Victoria Gard Tillis (1858 - 1911) were the following:

(1) John Coulter Tillis born January 30, 1879 married Alma Miller June 26, 1905, married Maude Kimberling Glover October 4, 1940; died November 11, 1948, Arbuckle, West Virginia.
(2) Charles Bell Tillis born November 8, 1880 at Arbuckle, Mason County; died unmarried February 22, 1950, Huntington, West Virginia.
(3) Mary Margaret Tillis born November 19, 1882; married Fredrick Brooks Holstein August 3, 1904.
(4) Walter Gard Tillis born November 7, 1884. In 1910, married Dorcas Woodruff of Sabina, Ohio, died April 1964.
(5) Nancy Kimberling Tillis born March 10, 1888 married John William Hooper October 13, 1903; died March 15, 1915.
(6) Peter White Tillis born December 3, 1889, married Ethel Irene Bradshaw April 25, 1912; married (second) Frances Goode 1939; died July 8, 1957.

All of the children were born at Arbuckle, West Virginia (Route).

History of Mason County, West Virginia 1987, p. 410.