Willard Eugene Witt was born February 25, 1935, in a small farming community in Laurel County, near London, Kentucky. He was the fifth of ten children born to Dillard Witt and Sallie Bowling.
The Witts were tenant farmers (sharecroppers) until Dillard and Sallie bought a small farm in1940. In 1945, they bought the larger farm in London, KY where they had previously lived as sharecroppers and built the family home where they would live out their lives raising children and grandchildren.
In addition to farming, Dillard became a contractor and built one or two homes each year. Eugene, as he was known as a boy, learned farming, carpentry, churned butter for his grandmother, Elizabeth, and operated a bellows for his grandfather, Andrew Jackson Witt, who was a blacksmith and a farmer.
Eugene attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse with a wood or coal burning stove, one teacher for all eight grades and forty to fifty students. Later, at Lily High School, Eugene was elected Vice President of Future Farmers of America during all four years. It was a high honor to be the leaders of FFA. He learned parliamentary procedures and was part of a cattle judging team which took him to county fairs throughout the state.
Eugene’s mother was a member of the Pentecostal church but none of the children were baptized into a church. When a Baptist Church was built nearby in 1945, that is where he attended Sunday School and other services. As a teenager, Eugene went to church not only because he was taught that it was the right thing to do, but he also learned it was the best place to meet girls and walk them home afterward.
Upon graduating from Lily High School in 1954, Eugene received two awards for achievement in agriculture, an award from the school’s Industrial Arts Department, the Star Chapter Farmer Award from the school FFA Chapter, and the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award given to the outstanding senior in each school. He was also elected Future Homemaker’s Sweetheart.
A week after graduation, Gene left the farm for Dayton, Ohio with his friend, Carl Jones. They found jobs in construction and when that ended traveled to Los Angeles and sub-let a room from Carl’s brother-in-law, who lived in a house he rented from Murl Nelson. They met Murl, his wife Eleanor, their four sons and their daughter Jeannie. Gene had no idea that Jeannie would become his future wife.
After two years in Los Angeles, Gene was working steadily for Container Corporation of America (CCA) and eventually dialed up the courage to ask the Nelson’s daughter, Jeannie to marry him. To his surprise Jeannie and her parents said, “Yes,” and the couple was married July 21, 1956, in the Bell Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They eventually moved to 6250 Casitas in Bell, CA around the corner from where Jeannie’s parents lived.
Gene and Jeannie welcomed their first son, Douglas, in October 1957. Gene seized every opportunity to advance at CCA. As the family grew Gene gave up his avid hobby of racing cars, traded for an older and slower 4-door sedan and bought a brand-new home in Westminster, CA. Three more sons, Dean, Troy, and Barry, were born while Gene and Jeannie lived at 5882 Abraham Ave. in Westminster.
Gene filled the garage with wood working tools. He put up a basketball backboard, made modifications to the house and garage with shelves work benches cabinets and did the same for several neighbors.
Gene and his best friend and neighbor, Bob Woolridge and Bob’s wife had taken the missionary lessons and decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were baptized and confirmed on December 2, 1967. Gene was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood which allowed him to baptize his sons Doug and Dean a short time later. Gene, Jeannie and all four sons would later be sealed in the Oakland Temple.
As Gene advanced his career with CCA, he was promoted and the family moved north to Pleasanton, CA in November 1972. Then, after almost 23 years with CCA, while Doug was serving a Church mission in Iran, Gene was offered a job as plant manager by a competitor.
This move took the family to New Orleans. While living in New Orleans, Gene served in the Bishopric and Stake High Council and Jeannie was Stake Relief Society President. Dean and Troy served Church missions in Spain, and Barry served in Canada. All four eventually went to Brigham Young University.
By July 1989 Gene accepted another offer from Gaylord Container. Gene and Jeannie made their final move to Phoenix, AZ, where many members of Jeannie’s extended family also lived. Gene retired in 1995 at age 62.
During their time in Phoenix, Gene and Jeannie began serving as missionaries in a Church Family History Center and it was there that Gene began to trace his family history back to settlers in the Virginia Colonies and became excited about genealogy.
Jeannie passed away April 3, 1998. Gene would then marry Dixie Lee Hart of Manti, UT October 24, 1998. Dixie brought grown children Nichole and Rob into the family. It was then that Gene broke his vow that he would “never live in Utah,” when they purchased a home in Mapleton.
Gene’s heart had turned to family history and genealogy. He and Dixie spent most their time as Church missionaries helping with name extraction and indexing, and Dixie still serves as a Church History Missionary following Gene’s passing.
Following a short stay in the hospital, having fallen after a neighborhood walk, Willard Eugene Witt passed away quietly at 7:32 AM Sunday, July 17, 2022.
Willard Eugene Witt leaves a legacy of 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He was a dedicated and loving father, son, and brother. He especially loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gene taught his sons to work from an early age, about the importance of education, and the value of the lessons life could teach. Our father and our grandparents have been supreme examples of integrity, charity, and Christian values that encourages their posterity to follow.
Willard Eugene Witt is survived by wife: Dixie Lee Hart; Sons: Douglas Eugene Witt (Mira), Dean Evan Witt (Laurie), Troy Kevin Witt (Sherri), Barry Alan Witt (Beverly), Nichole Ormsby (Eric), Rob Hart (Sela); Siblings: Shirley Diane Dugger, Troy Cyrus Witt.
Preceded in passing by wife: Jeannie Babbette Nelson; Parents: Dillard Witt, Sallie Bowling; Siblings: Julia Marie, Zelma Lee Edwards, Andrew Jesse Witt, Homer Birchel Witt, Un-named Infant, Chester Roy Witt, Dillard Douglas Witt.
Funeral Service will be Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the Mapleton 8th Ward LDS Church, 1215 North 1000 West, Mapleton, Utah 84664.
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