Descriptive SummaryMSS 2216Jean Cannon Willis Collection,
1891-1997
Willis, Jean CannonL. Tom Perry Special Collections5 boxes (2.5 lin. ft.)Jean Cannon Willis,
daughter of Lucy Grant Cannon and George J. Cannon, married Bertram Trowbridge
Willis.Boxes 1 and 2 being mostly manuscript
material and booklets (as well as a few photographs), and boxes 3-5 being
diaries. Most the manuscript material is typescript in form, coming from
various persons, such as Lucy Grant Cannon, Bertam T. Willis, Bertram F.
Willis, Annie Buck Willis, and others. 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 color, have her husband's name (George J.
Cannon) embossed on the front. Box 5 also houses seven diaries of Bertam
Fredrick Willis, and two diaries of Lester Jenkins Cannon. (It is not
completely certain, though, if the 1926 diary found in box five, folder 36, is
Bertram Frederick Willis's. The handwriting appears to be quite different than
the others). ProvenanceJean Cannon Willis handed the material over to Harvard Heath, Curator
of 20th Century Western and Mormon Americana of Brigham Young University's
Special Collections and Manuscripts, on
25 January 2000.
AccessThis collection is open to the public.
Conditions of UseIt is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary
copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Jean Cannon Willis Collection
must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom
Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Preferred CitationInitial Citation: MSS 2216; Jean Cannon
Willis Collection, 1891-1997; 20th Century Western and Mormon Americana; L. Tom
Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
Following Citations: MSS 2216, LTPSC.
Biographical HistoryHeber J. Grant, a son of Jedediah M. Grant and Rachel Ridgway Ivins
(Grant), was born in Salt Lake, Utah,
22 Nov. 1856. He married Lucy
Stringham (Grant)
1 Nov. 1877 (she died in
1893) who gave birth to Lucy
Grant (Cannon)
22 Oct. 1880. Heber was called as
president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
23 Nov. 1916, and president of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
23 Nov. 1918. He died in Salt
Lake
14 May 1945.
Lucy Grant married George J. Cannon on
26 June 1902, in Salt Lake, Utah.
George J. is the son of Abraham H. Cannon and Sarah Ann Jenkins (Cannon), and
the grandson of George Q. Cannon and Elizabeth Hoagland (Cannon). He is also
the brother of Lester Jenkins Cannon (born
4 July 1888 in Salt Lake, Utah,
and served a mission to the Netherlands from
1909-1911 where he died suddenly
on
May 16, supposedly of
appendicitis complicated with peritonitis). George J. was born
27 July 1879, set apart as a
Seventy of the LDS Church
30 Dec. 1898, and worked most his
life for Beneficial Life Insurance Company. Lucy and George gave birth to seven
children, the fourth being their daughter Jean Cannon (Willis).
Jean married Bertram Trowbridge Willis ( -
1997), who is the son of Bertram
Fredrick Willis (from England) and Rebecca Eliza Trowbridge (Willis). Bertram
F. Willis’s mother was Annie Buck Willis.
Scope and Content NoteFive boxes and 39 folders in size (2.5 lin. ft.), boxes 1 and 2 being
mostly manuscript material and booklets (as well as a few photographs), and
boxes 3-5 being diaries. Most the manuscript material is typescript in form,
coming from various persons, such as Lucy Grant Cannon, Bertram T. Willis,
Bertram F. Willis, Annie Buck Willis, and others. 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 color, have her husband’s name
(George J. Cannon) embossed on the front. Box 5 also houses seven diaries of
Bertram Fredrick Willis, and two diaries of Lester Jenkins Cannon. (It is not
completely certain, though, if the 1926 diary found in box five, folder 36, is
Bertram Fredrick Willis’s. The handwriting appears to be quite different than
the others.)
Subject TracingsPeopleCannon, Annie Wells, 1859-1942Cannon, George J.Cannon, Lester JenkinsCannon, Lucy GrantCannon, Sarah Ann JenkinsCannon, Elizabeth HoaglandGrant, Heber Jeddy, 1856-1945Grant, Lucy StringhamGrant, Rachel IvinsIvins, Anthony W. (Anthony Woodward), 1852-1934Jeppson, Frances BennettNibley, C. W. (Charles Wilson), 1849-1931Smith, Joseph Fielding, 1838-1918Willis, Bertram TrowbridgeWillis, Bertram FredrickWillis, Annie BuckPlacesSalt Lake City (Utah)Denver (Colo.)San Francisco (Calif.)Seattle (Wash.)Victory (B.C.)OregonVictoria (B.C.)MexicoNew York (State)EnglandNetherlandsGenre/FormLettersPhotographsProgramsDiariesContainer ListPapersPapersBoxFolderContents
11Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, & Charles W.
Nibley, “A Message From the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints,”
1930 Apr. 6.- Booklet.
12Smith, Joseph F., blessing given to Heber J. Grant as he
was set apart as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
1916 Nov. 23.- Typed Manuscript.
- Handwriting on it probably from Heber J. Grant to his
daughter, Lucy Grant Cannon.
13Photographs (black and white) and signature
card.- 3 items.
- One photograph is of the “Millennial Chorus at Ensign
Stake MIA Conference, Pinecrest,”
1940 May 19, while the
other is undated and unidentified. The signature card is of Heber J.
Grant.
14Willis, Bertram T., “Personal Record,” begun
1973 Jan. 7.- Loose-leaf binder, 74 pages.
- Covers birth,
1912 Dec. 3, to
1976 Jan. 3.
15Willis, Bertram T., additional loose-leaf papers of the
“Personal Record” of fd. 4 as well as other writings,
1975-1997. - Additional writings are talks given at Bertram T.
Willis’s funeral,
1997 Jan. 18.
16Four miscellaneous items relating to Bertram T. Willis,
1977-1982. - Booklet titled “The Tempo,”
Dec. 1977, with article
commemorating Bertram T. Willis’s retirement from Beneficial Life Insurance.
- Legal-size yellow paper with pencil writing on it titled
“Mission Report,”
1982 Dec. 12.
- “Certificate of Honorable Release” for Bertram T. Willis
from the Washington Temple.
- Flyer for “Retirement Reception Honoring Bertram T.
Willis,” [n.d.].
17Willis, Annie Buck, “Personal Record,” begun
1939 Dec., finished
1940 Oct.- Spiral-binder.
- There is an introductory letter from Sylvia to Bertram
and Jean Willis,
1994 Aug. 16. The
record comes in two major parts: Photocopy of holograph and typescript. In
addition, the end of both the photocopy and the typescript there is a “Memories
of Her by Others.”
18Cannon, Lucy Grant, xeroxes of letters written to “ones
away from home” regarding death of her father Heber J. Grant,
1945 May 15. - 14 leaves in a folder.
19Willis, Bertram Fredrick, “Life Story,” [n.d. when
written].- Typescript, 26 leaves.
110Six unrelated items.- Menu of cruise ship “SS Empress of Britain,” with typed
diary entry cards titled “European Trip of Lucy G. Cannon,
June 13-Sept
22nd-1937.”
- Cannon, Sarah Jenkins, computer print-outs of two
photographs and a “Sash worn by Geo J. as a child,” newspaper clippings, and
typescript of personal history dictated to Annie Wells Cannon,
1939 Aug. 19.
- “With Joy Wend Your Way: The Life of Rachel Ivins Grant,
My Great-Grandmother,” by Frances Bennett Jeppson,
1952.
- Short-biography of Elizabeth Hoagland Cannon, by Annie
Wells Cannon [ca.
1931-1938].
- Two page biography of George Trowbridge and Sarah Eliza
Colsell, written by Bertram T. Willis,
1979 June 10.
- Cannon, George J., 1 page typescript narrative of his
being set apart as a Seventy and going on a mission to Germany.
111 Stack of unorganized carbon letters and letters; came
in manila envelope, [ca.
1940s].112Yellow envelope titled “Bertram T. Willis’s History,”
which contains photocopy of his “Personal History” found in folder 4 as well as
other items written by him, including hymn arrangements on composition paper.113Cannon, Lucy Grant, personal narrative of her childhood
written to “My beloved children,”
1960 Jan. 6. - Typescript, 42 pages.
- One page typescript story of an incident in Heber J.
Grant’s childhood titled “Home for Mother,” [n.d.].
114 Photocopy of booklet tilted “In Memoriam, Funeral
Services in Honor of Sarah Ann Jenkins Cannon,”
1940 July 14. - 35 pages.
115White diary book titled “80th Anniversary , George J.
Cannon,
July 27, 1959.”
- Has signatures and words of congratulations by those in
attendance (for example, Joseph Fielding Smith), as well as a brief account of
the party.
Box 2 Folders 16-24: Carbon letters with
manila envelopes. [Possibly all from Lucy Grant Cannon.]
2161941 Sept. 2-1942 Jan. 10,
and
1942 Mar. 29-1942 Sept.
20.2171942 Feb. 18-1945 Jan. 15.
2181943 Feb 14-1943 Dec.
19.2191945 Jan. 21-1945 Dec.
2.2201946 Feb. 2-1947 Nov. 16.
2211948 Jan. 18-1949 Dec.
11.2221950 Jan. 4-1953 Apr.
12.2231950 Jan. 16-1953 Dec.
6.2241954 Oct. 10-1963 Dec.
3.Box 3 Folders 25-30: Cannon, Lucy Grant,
diaries, 1891-1950.
325Three- Covers trip with papa from Salt Lake to San Francisco,
1891 Dec. 12-[ca. early
1892].
- Covers account of a few days in Salt Lake were she writes
“mama very bad...at 5:30 pm. she died,” and then she travels to New York with
papa,
1893; diary then skips
ahead while she is back in Salt Lake, travels to Denver, then back to Salt
Lake,
1896.
- Small notebook that appears to have been used as a record
for some type of missionary work [n.d.].
326Three- Trip with papa and Moses W. Taylor from Salt Lake to
Mexico,
1900 June 20-29.
- Trip with papa and “Bro. Kimball” from Salt Lake to San
Fransisco,
1901 Jan. 24-Mar.
15.
- Has no covers, starts on day of her wedding to George J.
Cannon, then trip with papa to Seattle, Washington, a brief visit to Victory,
British Columbia, to see papa off for Japan, and back to Seattle, then Oregon,
1902 June 26-July 6.
327Four- Lots of gaps, many one-word entries,
1931.
- Short entries,
1932.
- Short entries,
1933.
- Lots of gaps, short entries,
1934.
328Five- Short entries,
1935.
- Lots of gaps, short entries,
1936.
- Lots of gaps, short entries, also
1936 (many entries
agree with other
1936).
- Lots of gaps, short entries,
1937.
- Some gaps, short entries, also
1937 (although the
entries do not seem to agree with entries in the other
1937).
329Four- Short entries,
1938.
- Short entries,
1939.
- Lots of gaps, short entries,
1946.
- Lots of gaps, short entries,
1947.
330Two- Lots of gaps, one- and two-word entries,
1948.
- Some gaps, short entries,
1950.
Box 4 Folders 31-34: Cannon, Lucy Grant,
diaries, labeled as numbers 1-10, 1937-1963.
431Numbers 1-3.- 1937-1941
- 1942-1944
- 1945-1949
432Numbers 4-6.- 1950-1953
- 1954-1956
- 1957-1959
433Numbers 7 & 8.- 1960
- 1961
434Numbers 9 & 10.- 1962
- 1963
535Cannon, Lucy Grant, diaries, labeled as numbers 11 &
12 (continuation of box 4),
1964-1965.Folders 36-38: Willis, Bertram Fredrick,
diaries, 1926-1960.
536Two.- Covers missionary call and service in Western States
Mission, and also includes black and white photographs and news clippings glued
to inside,
1926.
- No covers, covers trip from Salt Lake to native land of
England, and also includes black and white photographs glued to inside,
1937.
537Two.- Short daily entries,
1938-1943.
- Short daily entries, lots of unused space,
1944-1945.
538Three.- Short entries, lots of gaps,
1958.
- Short entries,
1959.
- Short entries,
1960.
539Cannon, Lester Jenkins, diaries,
1909-1911.- Two.
- Covers his mission call and trip to Netherlands where he
served in Belgium and France. He suddenly struck ill in
May 1911. L.W. Hardy
wrote the last few entries for
May 13, 14, 15, &
16 as Lester was too weak. He writes for
16 May, “We all prayed
for his recovery if it be the will of God, but on 1:45 he breathed his last.”