Just as I input the last row in a 700-line spreadsheet cataloging the largest one of my funeral program collections, Cousin Dr. Portia Nicole shared this detailed guide f0r building a family tree workbook using Claude AI and obituaries. I’m a lot of things, but tech-savvy is not one, so I’m excited and intrigued about the possibilities for organizing and extracting data from the thousands of documents I’ve accumulated. Let me know how it works for you!
Behind-the-scenes work for this blog includes cataloguing the hundreds of funeral programs in my personal archive. Most memorialize people who were born or lived in Wilson County, and I would be honored to add funeral programs for your family members.
Lane Street Project has enriched my life in many ways, among them introduction to wonderful people I would not otherwise have gotten to know. Portia Newman is one. Though we are both graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, it turns out, both among the unnumbered thousands of Adam T. Artis‘ descendants, more than two decades separate our paths through Wilson. Nonetheless, we share an unshakeable sense of family and place and a deep commitment to paying forward our gratitude for both. I was not surprised, then, to see this morning that Portia was giving us gifts on her birthday.
Here, in four parts and a dope video, are Portia Newman’s reflections on the importance of documenting family history and her plan for doing so. All of us can be, must be, preservationists. Save your stories.
And, here, listen to Portia’s grandfather, Donald Lee Woodard Sr. talk about his life in the Red Hill area near Stantonsburg. “You just got to live your life. By being 98*, I have seen a lot and been through a lot.” (Be sure to watch to the very end!)
Happy birthday, Portia!
Somebody said: “She got one for Doug in her purse.”
Somebody else said: “All the plot twists. We read it from cover to cover. Tryna add and subtract dates and ages. Also, trying to figure out who are all the extra names listed and who was left off.”
If I shared five a week, it would take me more than three years to highlight every funeral program (or as some of us like to call them, “obituary”) in my growing collection. The earliest date to the 1950s — simple, typed mimeographs that bear little resemblance to today’s full-color, multi-page, photograph-filled productions. Funeral programs are crucial resources for African-American genealogy and community history — save me one!
Image courtesy of Instagram user 25_bwb
At the tail end of Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate our early Afro-Latino community members.
I have found little about Ramon Jose Martinez‘ life before he arrived in Wilson, but Ancestry.com recently yielded an entry in the World War II Alien Registration 1940-1955 database for Ramon J. Martinez, born 7 September 1898 in Argentina, arrived in 1906 at Galveston, Texas.
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In the 1928 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Farmer Woody (c) porter Wm Hines h 706 E Green.
On 13 January 1929, Woody Farmer, 22, son of John Wash Farmer and Edmonia [no maiden name], married Savannah Powell, 21, daughter of Wiley Powell, in Wilson. Presbyterian minister A.H. George performed the ceremony in the presence of Emma Farmer, Rufus E. Speight, and Theodore Speight.
An unnamed boy was stillborn to Savannah Powell and Woody Farmer on 26 June 1929 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, his parents’ residence was 706 East Green Street, and he was buried at Rountree Cemetery [probably, Vick.]
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 706 East Green, plasterer John A. Farmer, 60; wife Nona, 61; sons James E., 17, and Woodie, 22, barber; and daughter-in-law Savana, 22, lodge bookkeeper.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1303 Washington Street, Woody Farmer, 33, doorman at Carolina Theatre; wife Savannah, 31, teacher at Ferrell School; and children Levolyre C., 8, William W., 7, Ervin W., 6, and George G., 1.
In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 502 Reid Street, plasterer Woody Farmer, 42; wife Savannah, 41; and children Woody Jr., 17, John Ervin, 16, George C., 11, and Golden B., 4.
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In the 1930 census of Taylors township, Wilson County: farm laborer Joe Williams, 32; wife Bettie, 25; children Leroy, 15, Rosa L., 11, Hurbert, 13, and Madie, 7; and mother-in-law Minnie Williams, 40, widow.
On 20 December 1939, William Mitchell, 24, of Wilson County, son of J.G. and Mamie Mitchell, married Rosa Lee Williams, 19, of Wilson County, daughter of Joe and Hattie Williams, in Nashville, Nash County, North Carolina.
In the 1940 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farm laborer William Mitchell, 23; wife Rosa, 20; father Gray, 65; and brother Samiel, 21.
In 1940, William Pharroh Mitchell registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 7 November 1917 in Wilson County; lived on Route 2, Elm City; his contact was wife Rosa Lee Mitchell; and he worked for Ernest Batts.
Funeral program courtesy of Amanda M. Cameron.
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In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Cora Beckworth, 42; daughter Dezelle Whitick, 28; son-in-law Walter Whitick, 32; and grandchildren Cora, 3, and Walter Jr., 4.
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on South Lodge Street, house carpenter Walter Whitted, 38, wife Delzle H., 35, a public school teacher, and children Walter H., 14, and Cora J. Whitted, 13.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: W.C. Whitted, 47; wife Helen Delzell, 49; son Walter H., 24, and daughters Cora, 23, and Louise, 13.
In 1940, Walter Haywood Whitted registered for the World War II draft in Wake County, North Carolina. Per his registration card, he was born 15 July 1915 in Wilson; he lived at 516 Lodge Street, Wilson; his contact was wife Helen Dezelle Whitted; and he worked for Lewis Thomas, carpenter, in Raleigh, Wake County, N.C.
Walter H. Whitted died 22 October 1993.
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In the 1910 census of Henderson township, Vance County, North Carolina: widow Lina Carroll, 42, and children Nannie, 12, and Daniel, 5.
In the 1928 Hill’s 1928 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Carroll Danl (c) barber Wm Hines h 1005 Atlanta [Atlantic]
On 9 December 1929, Daniel Carroll, 25, of Wilson, son of Daniel and Lina Carroll, married Lenora Dixon, 27, of Wilson, in Wilson. A.M.E.Z. minister J.E. Kennedy performed the ceremony in row presence John E. Knight, C.J. Knight, and Annie Walden.
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Daniel Carroll, 27, barber at Hines shop; wife Lenora, 27; and daughter Hattie L., 8.
In 1940, Daniel Carroll registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 15 April 1905 in Vance County, North Carolina; lived at 549 East Nash Street, Wilson; his contact was Lenora Dixon Carroll; and he was owner/operator of a Billiard parlor.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Daniel Carroll, 34, billiard parlor owner; wife Lenora, 34; and step-[daughter] Hattie Dixon, 18.
Also, a duplicate entry in the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1005 Atlantic, pool room owner Daniel Carroll, 27; wife Lenora, 24, sewing; widowed mother Lina, 76; sister Nannie Barber, 40, owner of pressing club; her son James Barber, 23, presser at pressing club; and roomer Willie Barnes, 28, pressing club tailor.
In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Daniel Carroll, 45, pool room proprietor; wife Lenora, 45; and daughter Hattie L. Dixon, 27, elementary teacher.
Lina Carroll died 22 July 1957 at her home at 1005 Atlantic Street, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 24 November 1864 in Franklin County, N.C., to Washington and Susan Coppedge and was a widow. Daniel Carroll was informant.
Lenora Carroll died 16 May 1960 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 30 September 1902 in Johnston County to Leander Smith and Luvenia [maiden name unknown] and was married to Daniel Carroll.
Daniel Carroll died 27 November 1990 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 15 April 1905 in Henderson, Vance County, to Daniel Carroll Sr. and Lina Coppedge; owned a billiard parlor; resided at 715 Elvie Street; and was married to Bertha Bryant.
Many thanks to Dr. Michael Barnes (no relation to Dr. B.O. Barnes) for sharing this and so many other fantastic documents from his parents’ papers. Stay tuned!