Month: October 2024

The murder of Sudie Tune.

Wilson Daily Times, 16 March 1935.

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  • London Ruffin

In the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farmer H. Gray Ruffin, 28; wife Maria, 35; and children Hubbard, 13, William, 12, Delphia, 11, Lizzie, 9, Mary, 8, Pattie, 7, Franklin, 6, London, 4, and Bessie, [illegible] months.

In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: on Wilson Road, farmer Gray Ruffin, age unknown; wife Maria, 45; and children G. Herbert, 22, H. William, 21, Delpha, 20, Lizzie, 18, Mary, 16, Pattie, 15, B. Frank, 14, London, 13, Bessie, 11, Dora, 10, and W. George, 9. 

In the 1930 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Gray Ruffin, 58, widower, and children Elizabeth, 29, Pattie, 26, London, 23, Bessie, 20, Dora, 19, and George, 18.

In 1940, London Ruffin registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 22 February 1910 in Wilson County; lived on Route 4, Wilson; his contact was father Gray Ruffin; and he worked for N.W. Webb.

  • Sudie Tune — Sudie Artis Tune.

In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Sam Artis, 56; wife Mary, 45; and children Mary Sims, 23, and Bessie, 18, William, 17, Harriet and Lonnie, 15, Clara, 12, James, 10, Sudie, 8, and Minnie, 5.

In the 1930 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Sam Artis, 66; wife Mary, 55; children William, 25, James, 22, Sudie, 17, and Sammie, 9, 

On 31 January 1931, Willie James Tune, 21, of Wilson, son of John and Mary Tune, married Sudie Artis, 19, daughter of Sam and Mary Artis, in Wilson. Baptist minister F.F. Battle performed the ceremony in the presence of Laura McPhail, Mary L. Hines, and Winnie Mercer.

London Ruffin and Susie Artis’ son Wallace Artis was born 30 June 1932.

Sudie M. Tune died 8 December 1934 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was 20 years; was born in Wilson County to Samuel and Mary Artis; was married to Flenawl Tune; was engaged in farming; and was buried in Wilson [probably in Vick Cemetery.]

Lane Street Project: Wilmington’s Maides Cemetery.

Goals.

Historic Wilmington Foundation is partnering with a community advocate Kathy King to preserve and protect Wilmington’s historic African-American Maides Cemetery. University of North Carolina-Wilmington joined in to conduct ground-penetrating radar to help determine the cemetery’s limits as well find out more about those interred there.

Historic Wilmington’s website links an enviable storymap that reveals the cemetery’s history in detail.

Thanks to Jane Cooke Hawthorne for the tip!

Saint John’s church tower to be lighted.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 October 1941.

I shot this photo of Atlanta’s venerable Big Bethel A.M.E. Church and its iconic JESUS SAVES about a dozen years ago. Was Saint John A.M.E. Zion‘s “beautiful neon sign” like this one? Does anyone remember it?

Photograph by Lisa Y. Henderson, Atlanta, Georgia, 2011.

B.W.A. Historical Marker Series, no. 18: Minshew School.

In this series, which will post on occasional Wednesdays, I populate the landscape of Wilson County with imaginary “historical markers” commemorating people, places, and events significant to African-American history or culture.

We been here.

MINSHEW SCHOOL

Late 19c. one-room graded school for white students. Ca. 1920 began serving Black students in Black Creek area. Not a Rosenwald School. Hosted active 4-H and home demonstration clubs. Closed in 1951 when rural schools on east side of county consolidated after construction of Speight School. 

For more about Minshew School, see here, here, here, and here.