All that is known of the first Willis to arrive on US soil is that he immigrated in 1730 and came from Wales. These stories of his descendants, however, offer a glimpse into the development and settlement of the United States and Texas.

Extensively researched and written by Olive Elizabeth Martin Burns (nee Willis), a.k.a. Tucker, The Braided Cord: The Story of the Willis Family traces the lives seven generations of Willises through the present day. Tucker brings her family's past to life, chronicling their successes and failures, their military service and businesses, and...