Virginia Harris-Phillips, the daughter of Joseph "FreeJoe" and Fanny Harris, was born on a wagon train bound for Shelby County, Tennessee. When Virginia was just a girl and men were educating their sons, her father took her to Hanover, Indiana and enrolled her into an all-girls school. While in Indiana, Virginia met and married Wesley Phillips on November 15, 1849. This union produced twelve children: six boys and six girls. Virginia died on June 2, 1878 and was buried in the Hill Cemetery in Oshtemo Township in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Wesley H. Phillips, husband of Virginia Harris-Phillips, son-in-law of Joseph "FreeJoe" and Fanny Harris, was born in Georgia. His parents moved the family to Jennings County, Indiana when he was just a boy. Not much is known about Wesley's father. His mother's name was Nancy Phillips and he had an older brother named Henry Phillips. Henry was married to a woman named Rosey and they had two daughters, Elora and Cynthia. On September 2, 1862, during the Civil War, Wesley moved his family to Kalamazoo. Wesley died on September 25, 1894 and was buried in the Hill Cemetery in Oshtemo Township in Kalamazoo.
