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{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Puckett Willis
|nationality=[[United States|American]]
| office=[[Louisiana]] State Senator<br> for Grant, LaSalle, and Winn parishes
| party [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]
| term_start=1948
| term_end=1952
| preceded=W. T. Hodges
| succeeded=Gove D. Davis
| birth_place=Sikes, Winn Parish, Louisiana
| birth_date=August 17, 1924
| death_date=March 27, 2019 (aged 94)
| death_place=[[New Orleans]], Louisiana
| resting_place=Sikes Cemetery
| religion=[[Southern Baptist]]
| occupation=[[Business]]man
| spouse=Rose Parker Willis (married 1952-2018, her death)
|children=Susan Willis<br>
Jennifer Willis Buckley<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
Ernest and Lena Puckett Willis
alma_mater=Sikes (Louisiana) High School}}
'''Puckett Willis''' (August 17, 1924 – March 27, 2019) was the youngest person ever elected to the [[Louisiana]] State Senate, a position he filled for only one term from 1948 to 1952 during the administration of [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], who like Willis was a native of Winn Parish. A [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Willis was elected at the age of twenty-three in 1947<ref name=findagrave/>. He represented Grant, LaSalle, and Winn parishes in the north central potion of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/1880membership.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2024|publisher=Louisiana State Senate|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
A native of [[rural]] Sikes in Winn Parish, Willis was the son of Ernest C. Willis (1891-1940) and the former Lena Puckett (1895-1976), who operated a country store in Sikes. After his father's death, Willis operated the store and later opened a sawmill in Caldwell Parish south of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/willis-puckett/willis-puckett?valid=true&|title=Willis Puckett|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref> Willis graduated in 1941 from Sikes High School, where he met his future wife, the former Rose Parker (1924-2018). The couple had two daughters, Susan Willis and Jennifer Willis Buckley. From 1950 to 1986, Willis operated the Merchants Insurance Agency in downtown Winnfield. He was also a founder and director of Winn State Bank (since Sabine State Bank).<ref>{{ cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/puckett-willis-obituary?pid=192020180|title=Legacy.com|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>After he left the state Senate, Willis served a number of years as the [[mayor]] of the [[village]] of Sikes. He was also a member and chairman of the Winn Parish Democratic Committee.<ref name=findagrave>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197898908/puckett-willis|title=Puckett Willis|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
Rose and Puckett Willis were long-time member of the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church in downtown Winnfield. He died in [[New Orleans]] at the age of ninety-four, a year after Rose's passing. His service was held at the church followed by burial in Sikes Cemetery.<ref name=findagrave/>
A year after his death, Willis was posthumously honored with the "Friend of Earl K. Long Award" by the Winnfield-based [[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2020/01/14/louisianas-latest-political-legends-named-for-hall-fame-induction/4464284002/|title=Meet Louisiana's latest political legends to be enshrined in Hall of Fame|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=January 14, 2020|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Puckett}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:State Senators]]
[[Category:Mayors]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
[[Category:Southern Baptists]]
Created page with " {{Infobox officeholder |name=Puckett Willis |nationality=American | office=Louisiana State Senator<br> for Grant, LaSalle, and Winn parishes | pa..."
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Puckett Willis
|nationality=[[United States|American]]
| office=[[Louisiana]] State Senator<br> for Grant, LaSalle, and Winn parishes
| party [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]
| term_start=1948
| term_end=1952
| preceded=W. T. Hodges
| succeeded=Gove D. Davis
| birth_place=Sikes, Winn Parish, Louisiana
| birth_date=August 17, 1924
| death_date=March 27, 2019 (aged 94)
| death_place=[[New Orleans]], Louisiana
| resting_place=Sikes Cemetery
| religion=[[Southern Baptist]]
| occupation=[[Business]]man
| spouse=Rose Parker Willis (married 1952-2018, her death)
|children=Susan Willis<br>
Jennifer Willis Buckley<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
Ernest and Lena Puckett Willis
alma_mater=Sikes (Louisiana) High School}}
'''Puckett Willis''' (August 17, 1924 – March 27, 2019) was the youngest person ever elected to the [[Louisiana]] State Senate, a position he filled for only one term from 1948 to 1952 during the administration of [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], who like Willis was a native of Winn Parish. A [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], Willis was elected at the age of twenty-three in 1947<ref name=findagrave/>. He represented Grant, LaSalle, and Winn parishes in the north central potion of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/1880membership.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2024|publisher=Louisiana State Senate|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
A native of [[rural]] Sikes in Winn Parish, Willis was the son of Ernest C. Willis (1891-1940) and the former Lena Puckett (1895-1976), who operated a country store in Sikes. After his father's death, Willis operated the store and later opened a sawmill in Caldwell Parish south of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/willis-puckett/willis-puckett?valid=true&|title=Willis Puckett|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref> Willis graduated in 1941 from Sikes High School, where he met his future wife, the former Rose Parker (1924-2018). The couple had two daughters, Susan Willis and Jennifer Willis Buckley. From 1950 to 1986, Willis operated the Merchants Insurance Agency in downtown Winnfield. He was also a founder and director of Winn State Bank (since Sabine State Bank).<ref>{{ cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/puckett-willis-obituary?pid=192020180|title=Legacy.com|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>After he left the state Senate, Willis served a number of years as the [[mayor]] of the [[village]] of Sikes. He was also a member and chairman of the Winn Parish Democratic Committee.<ref name=findagrave>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197898908/puckett-willis|title=Puckett Willis|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
Rose and Puckett Willis were long-time member of the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church in downtown Winnfield. He died in [[New Orleans]] at the age of ninety-four, a year after Rose's passing. His service was held at the church followed by burial in Sikes Cemetery.<ref name=findagrave/>
A year after his death, Willis was posthumously honored with the "Friend of Earl K. Long Award" by the Winnfield-based [[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2020/01/14/louisianas-latest-political-legends-named-for-hall-fame-induction/4464284002/|title=Meet Louisiana's latest political legends to be enshrined in Hall of Fame|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=January 14, 2020|accessdate=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Puckett}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:State Senators]]
[[Category:Mayors]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
[[Category:Southern Baptists]]