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Below is a family biography included in The History of Marshall County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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DR. G. W. BILLS, a retired physician of Marshall County, was born November 24, 1819, in this county and received a rather limited education. He is the son of Daniel G. and Rachel (Summers) Bills, natives of North Carolina, where they were married and lived until 1816 after which they came to this State and located in what is now Marshall County. The father was a doctor and farmer, and he and wife were members of the Christian Church. He was a Democrat in politics and his death occurred in 1862. The mother followed in 1883 in her ninetieth year. The subject’s ancestors on both sides were of English-Irish descent. After reaching manhood he taught school for a short time. In 1843 he wedded A. E. A. Richardson, a native of Marshall County, born April 10, 1823. To this union were born five children. In politics he is conservative, having voted the national ticket but once since the war. He and wife are members of the Christian Church. About 1847 he began the study of medicine and after practicing for nearly six years, took a course of lectures at Macon, Ga. He then returned to this county and practiced his profession until 1867, when he turned his attention more exclusively to farming. He has a farm of 325 acres, and for twenty-two years has practiced his profession in this county. He has lived to see all his children, except the youngest, become members of the Christian Church, and marry companions who belong to the same. His eldest daughter, Rebecca C. (deceased), was the wife of Thomas J., Allen, a wide-awake young farmer; the second child is C. T., who married Elizabeth Blackwell, and is farming successfully, the third, Daniel W., married Josie Cowden, and is accounted a good farmer; Mollie G. is the wife J. T. Wolland, who is also a tiller of the soil.

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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Marshall County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Marshall County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee

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