Alfred Willett
Alfred Willett, farmer, P. O. La Fayette, was born in the State of New York May 31, 1842; he is a son of John and Jane Willett, natives of England, who, shortly after their marriage, emigrated to America and settled in Livingston County, N. Y., where they resided several years, but finally became residents of Ohio. He died at La Fayette in August, 1876. Mrs. Willett is still living and now resides at Rockford, Ill. They had three children – Alfred, Nellie (deceased), and Reuben. The subject of this sketch came to Madison County and located at La Fayette in the spring of 1858. Mr. Willett enlisted in the spring of 1862, in Company A., One Hundred and Thirteenth Reigment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served till the close of the war – nearly three years. He was in the Fourteenth Army Corps under Davis, Stedman and others, and was engaged in the battles of Chickamauga, Kenesaw Mountain, Savannah, Atlanta, Jonesboro and others; but passed through all without a wound, and was discharged in July and mustered out of service in August, 1865. On November 5, 1865, Mr. Willet was united in marriage with Sophia Snyder, who was born in La Fayette September 25, 1843, a daughter of Jacob and Christena Snyder, natives of Germany, who emigrated to America and became residents of La Fayette, Madison County, ohio; and thence removed to Mercer County, Ohio, where they died. They had seven children – Elizabeth (married James Mllens), La Fayette (the first child born in the town of La Fayette), Margaret (married James Simpson), Sophia, Mary (married Morris Agler), Martha Jane (married William Shaffer), and Anna (married Lewis Minter). Mr. Willett and wife have had four children, three now survive – Clarence, Morris and Clara. Mr. Willett settled in La Fayette and engaged in mercantile business, carrying on a trade in dry goods and general merchandise, in which he continued till January, 1882, when he closed out his stock, sold his residence, and is now giving his attention to farming. During his sixteen years of mercantile trade, he did a large and prosperous business, and was Postmaster during several of the last years in which he was in business. He is one of the leading, active citizens of this community, and possesses the confidence and respect of the people, and is now serving his third year as Treasurer of Deer Creek Township.
From HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY - W. H. Beers [Chicago, 1883]