Darden

Lightner works for Darden.

My recent examination of World War I draft registration cards from Wilson County is yielding pleasant surprises. For example, I had no idea that South Carolina native Lawrence T. Lightner, brother of prominent Raleigh builder and funeral director Calvin E. Lightner and founder of Goldsboro’s Lightner Funeral Home had lived in Wilson and worked for Charles H. Darden. He seems not to have stayed long, for by the 1920 census L.T. Lightner is listed as an undertaker in Goldsboro.

Darden and Son funeral home’s address was 610 East Nash Street. 615 was a small shotgun house across the street that the business, or Darden himself, may have owned.

The 500 block — at the end of its glory.

Thirty years ago, the north side of the 500 block of East Nash Street was largely intact. In 2024, however, all of these buildings, except the one at far left, are long gone.

The three-story brick building at left is, of course, the Odd Fellows hall that Samuel H. Vick erected in 1894, when he was barely in his 30s. The lodge met on the top floor, and the Globe Theatre occupied the second floor for decades. In the 1920s, Camillus L. Darden built the two-story building at right and the two one-story buildings between it and the Odd Fellows lodge.

Photo courtesy of Richard L. Mattson, “The Cultural Landscape of a Southern Black Community: East Wilson, North Carolina, 1890-1930,” North Carolina Historical Review, January 2011.

The Dardens buy another lot on Pender Street.

Deed book 290, page 585, Wilson County Register of Deeds Office, Wilson.

Herman Ernest Dannenberg of Baltimore, Maryland, died suddenly during a 1928 visit to Wilson, where he and his family had briefly lived. On 20 March 1941, the trustees of his estate sold to Camillus L. and Norma Duncan Darden a lot on Pender Street for the nominal sum of ten dollars. 

The estate of Theophilus Bass (1857).

At October Term 1857, Wilson County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions ordered the division of a group of eight enslaved people belonging to the estate of Theophilus Bass — Charles, Mary, Easter, Warren, Eliza, Martin, Sarah, and Howell.

As we saw here, Bass had inherited Charles, Mary and Easter (Esther) from his uncle James A. Barnes after the death of Barnes’ widow Sarah Daniel Barnes. Warren, Eliza, Martin, and possibly Sarah were Easter’s children. Their father Howell was also owned by James A. Barnes, but passed to McKinley Darden, and the Howell listed above may have been Howell and Easter’s child.

A ninth enslaved person, Mason, was ordered sold at public auction in Wilson County.

Sarah, valued at $250, was allotted to Winnefred Bass.

——

We traced Charles, Mary, and Easter forward here.

  • Warren

In the 1870 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: Howard Darden, 47, farm laborer; wife Esther, 38; and children Warren, 20, Eliza, 18, Martin, 17, Toby, 12, and Crawford, 1.

Warren Darden, 24, married Louisa Dew, 18, on 1 May 1873 in Wilson, before witnesses Amos Dew and Raiford Dew.

In the 1880 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Warren Darden, 30, wife Louisa, 25, children Warren, 3, and an unnamed infant, and farmhand Wilie Lee, 14.

In the 1900 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Warren Darden, 50; wife Lou, 45; and children Warren Jr., 23, Mary L., 18, Lizzie, 12, Sallie, 6, and Minnie, 2.

Minnie Darden died 7 May 1925 in Black Creek township, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was born 27 August 1898 in Wilson County to Warren Darden and Louisa Darden. Grant Farmer was informant.

Sallie Farmer Eddie died 9 December 1945 in Black Creek township, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was born 2 March 1891 in Wilson County to Warren Darden and Louisa Dew; was married to John Eddie; and was buried in Newsom Cemetery near Lucama, N.C. George W. Dew was informant.

  • Eliza

On 29 December 1892, Henry Dortch, 52, of Wilson, son of Isaac Thorne and Bedie Artis, married Eliza Darden, 42, at Crawford Darden‘s in Wilson County. Free Will Baptist minister Daniel Blount performed, and Frank Woodard, Warren Darden, and Isom Sutton witnessed the ceremony.

  • Martin

On 22 December 1871, Martin Darden, son of Howell Darden and Esther Jordan, married Jane Dew, daughter of Haywood and Jane Dew, at H. Dew’s in Wilson County.

In the 1880 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Martin Darden, 27; wife 25; and daughters Esther, 5, Ellen, 5, and Nellie, 3.

On 25 December 1888, Lawrence Mitchell, 21, of Crossroads township, Wilson County, son of Primus Mitchell, married Ester Darden, 18, of Crossroads township, daughter of Martin and Jane Darden, at Primus Mitchell’s.

In the 1900 census of Great Swamp township, Wayne County: farmer Martin Darden, 48; Jane, 50; and children Tinsey, 17, Howard, 14, Jineva, 11, and Silvey, 9.

In the 1910 census of Glissons township, Duplin County, N.C.: farmer Martin Darden, 58; wife Jane, 59; and daughter Silva, 18.

On 27 January 1915, Clint Smith, 28, of Duplin County, son of Dudly and Priscilla Smith, married Silva Darden, 23, of Duplin County, daughter of Martin and Jane Darden, at Martin Darden’s in Glissons township.

Easter Mitchell died 16 November 1918 in Crossroads township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, she was 40 years old; was born in Wilson County to Martin Darden and an unknown mother; and was buried in Ricks graveyard.

In the 1920 census of Glissons township, Duplin County, N.C.: farm laborer Martin Darden, 68, and Jane, 69.

Martin Darden died 22 December 1926 in Kenansville township, Duplin County. Per his death certificate, he was 74 years old; was married to Jane Darden; was born in Wilson County to Howard and Easter Darden; and worked as a farmer and blacksmith. Howard Darden of Fremont was informant.

Janie Darden died 21 February 1936 in Kenansville, Duplin County. Per her death certificate, she was 72 years old; was born in Wilson County; was the widow of Martin Darden; and did farm and housework. Clint Smith was informant.

  • Sarah
  • Howell
  • Mason

On 12 May 1866, Mason Bass and Kate Edmundson registered their four-year marriage with a Wilson County justice of the peace.

In the 1870 census of Stantonsburg township, Wilson County: Mason Bass, 32; wife Katy, 33; children Spicy, 7, Bettie, 6, Riley, 1, and Nathaniel, 2 months; Mary, 53, Eliza, 28, and Sarah Bass, 16; and Ruffin Barnes, 18.

In the 1880 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: Mason Bass, 43; wife Kate, 45; and children Isicy, 17, Bettie, 16, Amanuel, 2, and Mattie, 10 months.

In the 1900 census of Coahoma County, Mississippi: North Carolina-born Mason Bass, 63; wife Katie, 65; children Emanuel, 22, and Amelia, 18; and granddaughter Conelus, 1. Next door: Olie Henry, 45; wife Spicie, 37; and their children Amie, 14, William, 5, and Nathan, 3.

Estate File of Theophilus Bass (1857), Edgecombe County, North Carolina Estate Files 1663-1979, http://www.familysearch.org

The family would not take him; Darden sold the body to Wake Forest.

Caught rifling through a money drawer, James Hinton lost a shoot-out with a storeowner northwest of Wilson. Though his family gave information for his death certificate, they refused to arrange with Darden Funeral Home for his burial. Following their suggestion, Darden sold the man’s body to the medical school at Wake Forest College.

News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), 23 September 1933.

Wilson Daily Times, 26 September 1933.

——

James Hinton [not John or Hinnant] died 21 September 1933 at Moore-Herring Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 45 years old; was born in Wendell, North Carolina; worked as a laborer; and lived at the Biltmore Hotel. Cause of death: “was dead from bullet wound when I saw him shot thru abdomen.” Allie P. Hinton, Wendell, was informant. Written in the margin: “was shot robbing a store.”

Darden Funeral Home’s new building.

Wilson Daily Times, 11 June 1949.

The grand opening of the Tudor-style Darden Funeral Home building many remember near the intersection of Nash and Pender Streets.

  • “the wife of C.L. Darden” — Norma Duncan Darden. I had not seen Norma Darden before credited as a designer of this building with architect C.C. Benton.
  • C.H. Darden — Charles H. Darden.
  • C.L. Darden — Camillus L. Darden.
  • Charles Arthur Darden — son of Arthur N. Darden. Born and raised in New York City, Charles A. Darden apparently worked briefly for family business, perhaps stepping in after his father’s death in 1948.
  • Charles James — son of Elizabeth Darden James.
  • Rosalyn Whitehead
  • Dora Dickerson
  • Frank Davis — in the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Frank Davis, 42, assistant manager of funeral home; wife Beulah, 46; and son Frank Jr., 10.
  • Burnice Renfrow — in the 1940 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: farmer Johnie Renfrow, 50; wife Mary Ellen, 49; and children Burniss, 21, David, 18, Minnie, 16, and Ree, 13. The same year, Burnice Elwood Renfrow registered for the World War II draft. Per his registration card, he was born 3 March 1918 in Wilson County; lived at R.F.D. #3, Kenly, Wilson County; his contact was his mother Mary Ellen Renfrow; and he worked for Johnnie Renfrow. 
  • Joe N. Williams
  • Louis Hines
  • Velma Carroll — in the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 907 Washington, Walter Carroll, 44, machinist helper at local oil plant, and wife Velma, 36, practical nurse at local funeral home.
  • Elizabeth Morgan — Elizabeth Darden James Morgan.
  • David Hines
  • E.D. Fisher — Edwin D. Fisher.
  • Henry Speight
  • Oscar Ellis

The new Darden Memorial Funeral Home, circa 1950.

Photo provided by Lu-Ann Monson, original in Wilson City Archives.