1.  Interview of my mother, Nina Gale (Straub) Matthiesen, daughter of Jewell's sister, Nina (Willis) Straub.  She said Jewell worked for the railroad and his wife's name was Alice.   Our families were not in contact after my grandmother, Nina (Willis) Straub, died in 1956, so Jewell's marriage to Cora may have been late in life for both of them.

2a.  Oregon Marriages, 1906-20 (online at Ancestry.com):

Willis, Jewel Raymond	19 Feb 1918	Multnomah
Evans, Alice E	19 Feb 1918	Multnomah

2b.  Anon.  Wednesday, 16 Jul 1952.  "Marriage License Applications."  The Oregon Statesman (Salem, OR), p. 5 (online at Newspapers.com):

Jewell R. Willis, 64, retired, Salem, and Cora W. Riddell, 52, telephone operator, Hillsboro.

3.  1900 Census Index/Microfilm (online at Genealogy.com):  Jewel R. WILLIS (æ 15, b. Dec 1884, MO) is living with his parents in Burr Oak Twp., Lincoln Co., MO (q.v.).

4a.  1910 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):  can't find Jewell.  His family is living in New River Pct., Fallon City, Churchill Co., NV, so I did a page-by-page of the precinct, without success.

4b.  1910 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #4 of 12):  1730 East State Street, Granite City (Ward 1), Venice Twp., Madison Co., IL, Roll T624_310 (Part 2), p. 139B, SN 2B, SD 13, ED 59, enumerated 19/20 Apr 1910, official enumeration date 15 Apr 1910 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1910:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	12	13	14	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
*	1730	31	32	Willis J R	Lodger	M	W	30	M1	5	MO	MO	MO	Eng	Roller	Mill	W	N	10	Y	Y
*East State Street

One of many lodgers in a "Lodging House."  This is only person indexed in the 1910 census who comes close to being our subject.  Madison County is just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO, so the location is not necessarily an obstacle.  His age is off, though tenants in a boarding house rarely have accurate data entered for them.  The question is, where is his wife?  The only other WILLIS in Venice Twp. is Laura WILLIS (æ 30), but her marital status is "S." 

5.  1920 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #10 of 12):  Lum^r(?) Mill & Logging Camp Bunk Houses, Timber Precinct, Washington Co., OR, p. 263B, SN 5B, SD 1, ED 433, enumerated 29 Jan 1920, official enumeration date 1 Jan 1920 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1920:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1

2

4

5

6

7

9

10

11

12

13

14

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

28

Lumr(?) Mill & Logging Camp Bunk Houses

4

Willis Jewel R

Head

R

M

W

34

M

Y

Y

MO

US

US

Y

R.R. Agent

W

______ Alice

Wife

F

W

31

M

Y

Y

NE

PA

IA

Y

none

______ Linn

Son

M

W

4

S

OR

MO

NE

Y

none

Jaurge? Jim

none

M

W

49

S

1910

Al

N

N

Greece

L C

Greece

L C

Greece

L C

Y

Logging

W

Linn is Alice's son from her prior marriage.

6.  1930 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #6  of 8 — mis-indexed "Willie"):  West A Street, Turner Precinct, Turner Town, Marion Co., OR, p. 55B, SH 3B, ED 24-84, SD 2, enumerated 4 Apr 1930, official enumeration date 1 Apr 1930 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1920:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

*

44

49

Willis Jewel R

Head

O

$1200

R

N

M

W

45

M

34

N

Y

MO

IN

MI

Y

Telegapher

Railroad Depot

W

Y

N

______ Alice E

Wife

F

W

39

M

27

N

Y

NE

PA

IA

Y

None

______ Murray

Son

M

W

17

S

N

Y

OR

MO

NE

Y

Lineman

Telegraph Co

W

N

7

N

______ Lindsay

Son

M

W

15

S

Y

Y

OR

MO

NE

Y

None

*West A Street

Is Alice fibbing about her age?  Murray and Lindsay are Alice's sons from her prior marriage. 

7.  The 1943 obituary of Jewell's mother indicates he came "from Timber, Oregon," to attend her funeral (in Nevada). 

8.  Oregon Death Index, 1903-98 (online at Ancestry.com):

Surname	Given Name	Birth Date	Death Date	County	Spouse	Certificate
Willis	Jewell R		28 Oct 1967	Washington	Cora	15616
Willis	Alice E		14 Jun 1947	Multnomah		4416
Willis	Cora Oph	29 Mar 1900	11 Mar 1985	Washington	Jewell	85-04384

The Given Name field is limited to 8 characters, so Cora's middle name has been clipped off.

9.  SSDI:  Social Security Death Index (online at RootsWeb.com):

Name	Birth	Death	Last Residence	SSN	Issued	Post-em
Cora WILLIS	29 Mar 1900	Mar 1985	97236 (Portland, Multnomah, OR)	456-30-6314	TX	Yes

10.  World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-18.  Microfilm Series M1509 (4277 rolls), National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC (card images and index online at Ancestry.com):

Roll:	1852051
Serial Number | Order Number:	63 | A3160
Name:	Jewel Raymond Willis
Permanent Home Address:	Oregon City (Clackamas) Oregon
Age in Years | Date of Birth:	33 | Dec 7, 1884
Race:	White
Citizenship:	Native Born
Present Occupation:	Railroad Telegrapher
Employer's Name:	Southern Pacific Co
Place of Employment or Business:	Cochran Wash Oregon
Name of Nearest Relative:	Alice Emma Willis
Address of Nearest Relative:	Cochran Wash Oregon
Signature:	Jewel Raymond Willis
Height (tall, medium, short):	Medium
Build (slender, medium, stout):	Medium
Color of Eyes | Color of Hair:	Brown | Dark Brown
Physically Disabled:
Date of Registration:	Sept 6 - 1918
Draft Board:	Hillsboro, Washington County, Oregon

11a.  Anon.   Friday, 9 Oct 1931.  "Fallon Personals." Nevada State Journal (Reno, NV), Vol. LVII, No. 157, p. 3 (online at Ancestry.com):

Special to The Journal. FALLON. Oct. 8.— Mr. and Mrs. Jewell Willis of Marion, Ore., are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Harrie Knobloch and Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Crehore.

Mrs. Harry KNOBLOCK is Jewell's sister, Delight; Mrs. Lawrence CREHORE is Jewell's sister, Gladys.

11b.  Anon.  Thursday, 30 Jul 1936.  [Personals.] Nevada State Journal (Reno, NV), Vol. LXV, No. 266, p. 12 (online at Ancestry.com):

FALLON, July 29.— Mr. and Mrs. Jewell Willis of Salem, Oregon are visiting in Fallon with Mr. Willis' mother, Mrs. Ida Willis and his sister, Mrs. L.W. Crehore.  He has been in San Francisco to visit his other sister, Mrs. Harrie Knoblock who has been seriously ill at Stanford hospital.

12.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).

13.  Email from Bob Wilson.