obituary

The obituary of Elder Cordie Lucas.

Wilson Daily Times, 30 November 1972.

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In the 1900 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: Ruffin Woodard, 20, and Corda P. Lucas, 17, servants and farm laborers in the household of Bennett Bullock, 37, farmer.

In the 1910 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: Esic C. Watson, 34; wife Mary, 32; children Pienetta, 14, Eureka, 12, Ila, 10, Ola, 8, and Edgar, 6; and hired man/farm laborer Cordie Lucas, 26.

On 19 March 1913, Cordie Locus, 29, of Nash County, son of John P. Locus and Millie Locus, married Jane Ellen Darden, 20, of Oldfields township, daughter of Peter Darden and Lucy Darden, in Oldfields township. Original Free Will Baptist minister B.H. Boykin performed the ceremony.

In 1918, Cordie Peter Lucas registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 15 December 1883; lived at R.F.D. #1, Sims; worked as a tenant farmer for Wiley Farmer; and his nearest relative was Janie Lucas.

In the 1920 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Cordie P. Locus, 36; wife Janie E., 25; and children Millie J., 5, Willie C., 4, Walter J., 2, and Mary L., 3 months.

In the 1930 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Cordy P. Locus, 46; wife Jane E., 35; and children Millie, 15, Willie C., 14, Walter J., 12, Mary L., 10, John R., 9, David, 7, Benjamin, 5, Ruth, 4, and Ruby L., 1.

In the 1940 census of Beulah township, Johnston County NC: farmer Cordie P. Lucas, 56, widower, and children Mary L., 20, John R., 18, David, 17, Benjamin, 15, Ruth, 13, Ruby L., 11, Beulah M. and Eula P., 8, Janie, 5, and Nannie, 4.

In the 1950 census of Beulah township, Johnston County NC: farmer Cordie P. Lucas, 65,; [children] Ruth, 23, Beulah M. and Eula P., 18, Jannie, 15, Nanny R., 14, Willie C., 34, Hazel, 23; and [grandchildren] Barbara A., 4, and Linda Locus, 1, and James L. Simms, 5.

Cordie P. Lucas died 26 November 1972 in New Jersey.

The obituary of Ellen Wilson Freeman of Tuskegee, Alabama.

Alabama Journal, 2 November 1968.

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In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: William Wilson, 51, livery stable groom; wife Sarah, 48; and daughters Ellen, 23, and Lillian, 21, both tobacco factory laborers.

On 28 May 1921, Dedquard [Daniel Edward] Freeman, 25, born in Wilson, N.C., to Julius Freeman and Eliza Daniel, sign painter, married Ellen D. Wilson, 22, born in Wilson, N.C., to William Wilson and Sarah Bullard, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

William Wilson died 21 May 1922 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 55 years old; was born in Cumberland County, N.C., to William and Sophia Wilson; was married to Sarah Wilson; lived on Woodard Avenue; and worked as a common laborer for T.J. Herring. He was buried in Wilson [likely, Vick Cemetery.]

In the 1930 census of Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama: Daniel A. Freeman, 32, private school drama teacher; wife Ellaine, 28; and daughter Elaine, 6, born in Ohio.

In the 1940 census of Greenwood, Macon County, Alabama: at Tuskegee Institute, Dequard Freeman, 43; wife Ellen, 35, laundry checker; and daughter Elaine, 16.

In the 1950 census of Greenwood, Macon County, Alabama: Daniel E. Freeman, 53; wife Ellen D., 47; and cousin Donald McLauren, 10, born in New York.

The obituary of William H. Vick, first black pharmacist in New Jersey.

Montclair Times, 17 September 1959.

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In the 1880 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: gristmill worker Daniel Vick, 38, wife Fannie, 35, and children Samuel, 16, Nettie, 14, Earnest Linwood, 12, Henry, 10, and James O.F., 8, plus Frank O. Blount, 20, and Marcus W. Blount, 26.

William Henry Vick graduated from the Wilson Colored Graded School in 1889 and from Lincoln University in 1894 with a bachelor’s degree. He later received a master’s degree from Lincoln. In 1897, he passed the pharmacist licensing exams of North Carolina and New Jersey.

In the 1903 and 1905 Charlotte, N.C., city directories:

In the 1907 Atlantic City, N.J., city directory: Vick William H (Caroline J) druggist 1811 Arctic av

Per delayed birth record, Fannie Marene Vick was born 7 September 1908 in Mecklenburg County, N.C., to William Henry Vick and [unnamed] Dixon.

In the 1910 census of Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey: druggist William H. Vick, wife Carrie J., 32, daughter Fannie  M., 6, and William, 2.

In 1912, the Vicks migrated to Toronto, Canada, where they remained for ten years. In the 1921 census of Toronto, Ontario, Canada: at 5 Crocker Street, William H. Vick, 48; wife Carrie, 43; and children Fanny, 17, and Henry, 13. William immigrated in 1912; the rest of the family in 1913. He reported that the family was of Scotch descent and were Presbyterian, and he worked as a porter in a railroad club. [Why did Vick leave his pharmacy career to move to Canada to work as a servant for a decade? And “Scotch”? (By the way, 5 Crocker Street is a small, semi-detached house in the Trinity-Bellwoods neighborhood now valued at more than $850,000.]

In the 1930 census of Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, at 450 Orange Road: drugstore owner William Vick, 58, wife Carrie, 53, and daughter Fannie, 24, with two boarders. Vick’s home was valued at $10,000.

W.H. Vick was active in Republican Party politics in Essex County, as he had been in Wilson.

Montclair Times, 31 July 1936.

In the spring of 1938, Vick and Leo M. Avstreih, a Russian Jewish immigrant, opened Montclair Pharmacy on a downtown corner.

Montclair Times, 25 March 1938.

In the 1947 Montclair, N.J., city directory: Vick William H (Carrie J) pharmacist r 53 Greenwood av

In the 1950 census of Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey: lodgers at 53 Greenwood Avenue, pharmacist William Vick, 78, and wife Carrie, 78.

Caroline Dixon Vick survived her husband by a decade.

Montclair Times, 25 September 1969.

The obituary of John B. Jackson of Baltimore, Maryland.

Baltimore Sun, 20 August 1973. 

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In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Joseph Jackson, 37, minister; wife Annie, 45; and children Eloise, 8, Joseph, 5, Paul L., 2, and John, 2 months.

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 616 Green Street, Joseph S. Jackson, 48, minister; wife Annie H., 45; and children Mary E., 18, Joseph S., Jr., 15, Paul L., 11, and John B., 9.

In the 1930 census of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland: on 1003 Monument Street, roomers John Jackson, 21, railroad laborer; wife Blanche, 25; and son John E., 19 months, in the household of Hugh Lucus. [Is this the same John Jackson?]

On 9 September 1935, J.B. Jackson, 26, of Wilson, son of J.S. and A.H. Jackson, married Annabelle Scott, 23, of New Bern, daughter of Charles Scott and Golda Johnson, in New Bern, N.C.

In 1940, John Burns Jackson registered for the World War II draft in Baltimore. Per his registration card, he was born 4 March 1910 in Wilson, N.C.; lived at 827 Hamilton Terrace [later, 518 Sanford Place and 1728 North Carey Street], Baltimore; his contact was mother Annie Horton Jackson, 618 East Green Street, Wilson; and he worked at Wm. Martien & Co., Baltimore Trust Building, Baltimore.

In the 1940 census of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland: J. Burns Jackson, 30, apartment house janitor, and wife Annabella, 26. [The couple described themselved as Indian and reported living in Goldsboro, N.C., in 1935.]

In the 1950 census of Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland: John Jackson, 40, research chemist; wife Annabelle, 38, research laboratory assistant; and lodger Melvin Dulaney, 30, bricklayer.

Locks Funeral Home Records, 1936-2007, http://www.ancestry.com.

Rest in peace, Willie Woodard Sr.

Willie Woodard Sr. celebrated his 100th birthday in September surrounded by generations of family and friends. This past Saturday, after a brief illness, he passed from labor to reward. As his son Eric Woodard shared, “He was active and vibrant for most of his 100 years of life. He cared deeply for family and friends, and he was full of good humor and had a surprisingly quick wit. He loved singing songs of praise and worship to the Lord, playing his guitar and harmonica, and most of all, praying for and sharing his faith with others.”

Rest in perfect peace, Mr. Woodard. My deepest condolences to all he loved.

Photographs courtesy of Eric M. Woodard.

Rest in peace, Vernell Elliott.

I learned of Vernell Elliott this past September. She had contacted the Wilson Times to talk about her childhood, resulting in a feature on Bynum School. I reached out to Ms. Elliott, hoping to include her among the nearly 20 interviews of elders I conducted this year. She told me that she was in the hospital and not feeling up to talking, but would contact me when she felt better.

This morning, I saw Ms. Elliott’s obituary at Stevens Funeral Home’s website. She passed on 13 December 2025 at age 84. My condolences go out to her family and friends. I am sorry I was not able to hear her stories. Rest well.

In memoriam: Roxanna Kirby Exum.

Wilson Daily Times, 17 December 2009.

Roxanna Kirby Exum was a nurse at Mercy Hospital from the early 1940s until it closed in 1964.

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In the 1930 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: on property owned and valued at $6000, farmer William Kirby, 45; wife Nannie, 41; and children James D., 19, Freeda M., 20, Elizabeth, 18, Sarah, 15, Roxana E., 13, William H., 11, Queene E., 9, Hobby L., 8, Isaac H., 5, Nettie, 2, and Willie K., 2 month.

In the 1940 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: farmer William Kirby, 55; wife Nannie, 52; children Hobby Lee, 17, Havey Isa, 15, Nettie, 13, Willie K., 13, and Roxia A., 22; niece Lucille Shaw, 18; and lodger Jr. Barnes, 4.

Per their marriage license, Levell Exum and Roxanna Eva Kirby, both 25, were married 7 March 1943 in Johnston County, N.C. Primitive Baptist minister David Bynum lived near Lucama, in Wilson County, however, as did Mamie B. Williamson and David Bynum Jr.