Confederatevets.com

Judge J. A. Willson, a Confederate veteran who had long held the office of city recorder at Santa Ana, Cal., died there on the 15th of June, widely lamented. Many friends and Confederate comrades and officials of both city and county assembled to pay honor in the last sad rites to this kind-hearted Southern gentleman.

J. A. Willson was born in Rockbridge County, Va., near Lexington, October 22, 1838, and received his education in the schools of Lexington and Brownsburg. At Lexington he married Miss Lavinia Wallace, and to them four children were born, two sons and two daughters, all residing in Santa Ana. After leaving Virginia the family first lived at Sherman, Tex., where Judge Willson was in the dry goods business, going to Santa Ana in 1887. After the death of his first wife, Judge Willson married Mrs. Henrietta Jackson, who also survives him.

Judge Willson served in the Confederate army as captain of Company H, Rockbridge Guards, 25th Virginia Infantry, and fought all through the war. He was wounded in the hip. At the time of his death he was Commander of Hi Bledsoe Camp, U. C. V., of Santa Ana. He was the last surviving pallbearer of Gen. R. E. Lee, the two families having been close friends.