Willis Brown Jr. was born 23 October 1860, at Ogden, Weber County, Utah, son of Willis Brown Sr. and Jane Williams Brown.
He married 20 March 1884, at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, Alice Matilda Dinsdale, born 23 August 1962 or 63, at Ogden, Weber County, Utah, a daughter of Jeffery Dinsdale of England and Alice Rushton Dinsdale.
After Willis Jr. left the family and went back to Illinois to live, she had a cancellation of sealing performed on 4 December 1924. She was later sealed 21 December 1929, at Logan, Cache County, Utah. to George David Anderson [Andersen].
Alice Matilda died 21 April 1934, at Riverdale (now Roy), Weber County, Utah, and was buried 24 April at Logan, Cache County, Utah.
Willis died 22 February 1920, at Joliet, Will County, Illinois. He was buried there 26 February 1920.
Other versions of Willis's story have him as a very abusive man to both wife and children. He eventually deserted his family of nine children and went back to Illinois and picked up with another woman. He died there. His wife Alice Matilda, met brother Anderson who wanted to be sealed to her. She told her children that Willis followed her all the way up the hill to the Logan Temple begging and pleading with her not to cancel their sealing, but she did it anyway.
Alice Matilda also reportedly told her children not to leave her alone with her son Marion Wolf Brown. He was a modern day polygamist and she could feel the influence of Satan around him.
From the 1880 Census:
Alice [Rushton] DINSDALE Self Female W 54 ENG Keeping House ENG
Rachael DINSDALE Dau S Female W 29 MO Dressmaker ENG [b. 1851?]
Robert DINSDALE Son S Male W 20 UT Farming ENG
Alice M [Matildea] DINSDALE Dau S Female W 18 UT Dress Making ENG
Mathew I. DINSDALE Son Male W 15 UT Farmer ENG
Benjamin DINSDALE Son S Male W 12 UT Going To School ENG
Source Information: Census Place 3rd Ward, Ogden, Weber, Utah Family History Library Film1255339 NA Film NumberT9-1339 Page Number454C
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