My great grandmother, Artimease Benton was born September 14, 1902 in Gramercy, Louisiana. Artimease was the oldest child of Edward Benton and Mary “Mamie” Penny. According to her daughter, the late Marguerite Jackson Vernell, Mamie died when Artimease was 15 years old.  During that time, Edward moved the family to Baton Rouge (his hometown), and Artimease raised her younger brothers and sisters.  Artimease was affectionately known as “GranMama” to her direct descendants and “Aunt Sister” to extended family members.

Artimease’s siblings were:

1. Arthur Benton (1905 – 1907)
2. Mamie Benton (1906 – 1996)
3. Percy Benton (1908 – 1979)
4. Dalton Benton (1910 – 1996)
5. Velma Benton (1914 – 1976
6. Ernest Benton (1915 – 1991)

Around 1920, at the age of 17, Artimease married Emanuel Willis, Jr. and to this union, 4 children were born:

1. Sanders Willis, Sr. (1923 – 1995)
2. Brenetta Willis (1925 – 1996)
3. Ruth Willis (1927 – 2019)
4. Edward Willis (1929 – 2018)

After her husband’s death in 1931, Artimease married her second husband, Will Jackson. To this union, she bore her last child:

• Marguerite Jackson (1938 – 2016)