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| John and Anna Callis Family |
He married Anna Lee Duncan in 1882 and they were the parents of the following children: twin girls, Dora Ann Callis and Cora Ann Callis, Clark Cleveland Callis, William Claude Callis, Ethel Callis, Arnold Callis and Orville Niles Callis.
In the 1900 census John and Annie said they had been married 18 years and all 5 of their children were still living. By the 1910 census, John and Anna said that they had been married 27 years and 5 of their 8 children were still living. If that statement is correct then there is still one child left to be found.
According to census records, John was a farmer.
Anna passed away on 18 March 1922. In 1924, many of the Miller/Callis family ventured to move to California and John was among the group. At the time, he was 64 years old when they arrived on their new ranch in Crescent City, Humboldt Co., California
Although John lived most of his life in Benton Co., Arkansas, he was had been living in California and was hit and killed by a car. This was in March of 1933.
and...
The body of John Callis, who lived in Ventura, Calif., arrived on Sunday morning, accompanied by his grandson, Donald Miller. Mr. Callis was knocked down by an automobile and died shortly afterwards without regaining consciousness. Funeral services were held for him at the Christan Church in Hiwasse Sunday morning. Burial was made in Mt. Pleasant cemetery. [Benton County Record & Democrat & Sun - Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas - March 9, 1933]
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RECORDS16 June 1860 census of Osage, Benton County, AR, found the Callis family living in dwellings #215 and #216:
#215
William Callis 50 VA
Elizabeth 50 TN
Amanda 18 TN
Andrew 16 TN
Benjamin 13 TN
#216
Henry Callis 26 TN
Polly 21 AR
Lydia 2 AR
John 3/12 AR
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5 Aug 1870 census of Round Prairie, Benton County, AR, found the Callis family living in dwellings #136 and #137:
#136
Henry Callis 60 VA Cabinet Maker
Eliza 59 TN
Andrew 27 TN Farmer
Benjamin 24 TN Farmer
Kate 20 TN
George 1/12 AR
#137
William Callis 35 TN Farmer
Mary 31 AR
Lydia 12 AR
John 10 AR
Mary 8 AR
Will 6 AR
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25 June 1880 census of Dickson, Benton County, AR, found the Callis family living in dwelling #113:
William H. Callis 46 TN VA KY Blacksmith
Polly 42 AR TN IL
John H. 20 AR TN AR
Mary J.S. 18 AR TN AR
William H. 15 AR TN AR
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19 June 1900 census of Garland, Benton County, Ar, found the Callis family living in dwelling #186. John and Annie said that they had been married 18 years and all 5 of their children were still living. Next door in dwelling #187 was William Callis family:
John H. Callis 12/1855 40 AR TN AR Farmer
Annie L. 5/1864 36 TN TN TN
Dora A. 9/1883 16 AR AR TN
Cora A. 9/1883 16 AR AR TN
Clark 1/1888 12 AR AR TN
Leland 2/1890 10 AR AR TN
Ethal 5/1892 8 AR AR TN
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26 April 1910 census of Garland, Benton County, AR, found the Callis family living in dwelling #102, next door to father William Callis in dwelling #100. John and Anna said that they had been married 27 years and 5 of their 8 children were still living:
John H. Callis 50 AR TN TN - Farmer
Anna L. 46 TN TN TN
Clark C. 21 AR AR TN - Widowed, Farm laborer
Claude W. 19 AR AR TN - Farm laborer
Orville N. 9 AR AR TN
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3 April 1930 census of Distrist 19, Ojai, Ventura County, CA found the Callis family) living in dwelling #10 on Ojai Road:
Claude W. Calis 40 AR AR TN - Fruit rancher
Arthula E. 36 AR AR AR - Packer, Packing house
Lewis B. 18 AR AR AR
John H. 76 AR AR AR - Father
Living nearby was son George G. Callis (45), his wife Grace (37), sons Vale (19) and St. Elmo (13) and daughter Pansy (10). George and Vale were both employed as laborers on county roads, Grace as an orange packer. Also living nearby was daughter Dora (Callis) Miller, wife of Robert W. Miller, and her family.
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THE TRIP TO CALIFORNIA (as remembered by Maxine Miller Mason and written by Margot Mason Stockstill)
On August 1, 1924, the family left Benton County, Arkansas, and headed for a ranch near Crescent City in Northern California that Robert's uncle and namesake, Robert William Miller, had given him. Mimi had only been out of Benton County once and then only a few miles into Oklahoma.
There were 24 people and a collie named Socrates in the moving party packed into a new Maxwell, a Ford, a Buick and a Ford Truck. They were: Mimi and Robert, Herbert and Hershel, Blanche, Margaret, Don, Dick, Maxine, Ruth, Bill, JK (just 7 weeks old), Uncle John Miller (Robert's brother) and his wife Aunt Dove and their 5 girls, Mimi's brother Uncle Claude Callis, Aunt Arthula and their son Louis, Mimi's father John Hamilton Callis, who was 64 years old, and Cora Nichols, Mimi's twin.
The first stop was Grove, Oklahoma, at Mimi's brother Uncle Clark's home. Aunt Cora only went that far. Uncle Clark had a big going away party for the family. Each night while traveling they stayed in campgrounds. The women would wash clothes and the men would work on the cars and truck.
In Colorado there was an inspection stop for boll weevils so the family had to empty all their boxes. the Rocky Mountains were too big for Robert so his sons Herbert and Hershel drove. The family drove down through Oregon and reached Crescent City on Don's birthday, August 30th. The trip had taken 30 days. When they first saw the Pacific Ocean Mimi said,"I think we've come too far."
On their new ranch they lived in tents. The children had fun playing in the river but Socrates, the collie, got ahold of a dead salmon and died. They wouldn't let Grandad (John Hamilton) Callis play his fiddle for fear it would attract bears and Indians.
In September it was time for school so the family moved into town. Uncle John Miller took his family to Smith River. That winter Uncle John's youngest girl died, their house and car burned, but they stayed on in Smith River. There was a hurricane which ruined part of Crescent City. Mimi was sick all winter because the damp weather caused her to have rheumatism. Uncle Claude and Aunt Arthula left Crescent City and moved to Ojai, writing back about the warm and beautiful valley.
As soon as school was out in 1925 the Millers headed south, stopped in Suisun and leased a ranch with apricots and peaches. Mimi always said that that was one of the happiest years of her life. Robert took Hershel and Margaret to Ojai and liked it so well they decided to move down in the Fall of 1926.
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