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Willis King, borh to James and Sarah King in Edgefield County, S.c. in 1792 was the first of his family that is known to have lived in Georgia. The 1790 census of Edgefield include James, his wife, and two males under 16. These two were no doubt Willis' older brothers as he was not born untill 1792. No other info is available for these older brothers. Willis married Nancy Williams in Bulloch County, Ga. on 30 Dec.,1813. Nancy was the daughter of David Williams RS, and Mary James and the g-dau. of William WIlliams, RS. She was the niece of Garrett and Seth Williams, both RS.In 1820 Willis and Nancy are livimg in the new county of Irwin in Georgia.Irwin County Georgia was divided into several smaller counties and in 1830 Willis and Nancy, likely without actually moving,are in Lowndes County.Willis is thought to be the only person known to have lived in what is now Brooks County to be listed on the 1820 census of Irwin County,and the the 1830 census of Lowndes. They raise a large family in Lowndes before Willis died on Tuesday, 27 January,1857. Willis left a large estate of several thousand acres and seventy-five slaves.He had become rich in the cattle business by letting hs many cows graze freely in the vast open wiregrass acres undwer the tall yellow pines. In 1858, Hickory Head, where Willis and Nancy lived was set- off again, this time into Brooks County. William Harden, in his, "A History of Savannah and South Georgia",in his short bio of James Groover, indicates that Willis King and Henry Melton are the earliest settlers in that region.James King, Willis' son, acquired several thousand acres of his father's holdings near the present Grooverville. His sons, Willis and John H., both lived on large farms near Grooverville. John sons, Willis and Raymond also raised families near Grooverville. Willis is buried in the King Family Cemetery which is located a few yards east of Livingston Road about 1/4 mile north of the intersection of Livingston Road and Ramsey Road, and near Hichory Head.John H. and his son Willis are buried in the Grooverville Cemetery. Raymond is buried in the Olive Baptist Church Cemetery in Jefferson County, Fl.

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