An upstart of Family Research

by

Billy Whitehead

As I was reading in some Whitehead articles I came upon some genealogy notes. This got me to thinking about how I got into my family research.
For an introduction: Who am I? I am William Edward Whitehead, born July 24, 1945 to Joe Weaver Whitehead and Gladys Waldine Kent. Joe's father is Charlie W. Whitehead and his mother is Ira Bell Womble. Charlie and Ira Bell were married about 1916. Soon to follow were; Lottie Bell Whitehead born January 16, 1917,who married Russell Hill, Charles Benford born March 31, 1919, who married Lillie Mae Garrard and Joe Weaver Whitehead born March 10, 1921. Charlie took sick with appendicitis while working for Jimmy T. Ingram. He went to Dr. Clem Kirk who told him that he could fix him up with surgery. Charlie feared the surgery and refused. A few weeks later he died, January 14, 1921. Joe was born March 10, 1921. About four years after Charlie's death She married Willie Vester Stokes. This explained it for me but there were just too many blank spaces I had to fill in.

Am I a genealogist? Naaa, I ain't gonna go that far. I just love the challenge of finding pieces of my family to see who they are.

During my younger years I remember wondering how a family with the name Whitehead came out of Kent, my mothers folks name, and Stokes, my dad Joe Whitehead, mothers name. I remember how it befuddled me to no end wondering how this could be. There came a time that I asked my dad how it was that his mother was a Stokes and mothers folks were Kent but we were Whitehead. He said that his father had died in 1921 and she had remarried. I ask who his grandfather was and his grandmother was. All he knew was that his great grandfather was "Archie" Whitehead. His son Josh was dad's grandfather who was married three times. Now that confused me some too because I imagined all sorts of ideas as to why grandpa was married three times. Was he a scoundrel? Was he married to more than one at the time? Maybe he was a Mormon with three wives! !

In the early 1970's I was at dad's home when I heard him refer to "Cudden Edna." I knew that cudden Edna was Edna Bea Haggard. I ask, "How are yall cousins?" He said that he did not know. He said that all he knew was that his grandfather, Joshua, was married three times and Edna was from one of the other wives. I did ask who his grandmother was to which he said that she was named Mary and that he never knew her. I then told him that we could go to Edna Bea and ask her.

The next day we drove to Brooksville to see Edna Bea Allen and Lidia Fulton. When ask how they were kin she began explaining it then she told Lidia to go get the paper that Bill gave them. She explained that Bill Thompson had done this research for a school project. From that I could then see that Joshua Whitehead was married three times but nothing like I had imagined. Of course there was now many other new kids and relations to fill in. Why, I was not even in it!

I decided to fill these spaces in. What then came about was many more papers filled with names and relations but to my surprise there were many more gaps that I had to dig out. I then decided that I needed to learn more about this thing I had found to be family research or genealogy!

Somehow I came on to the address of Bula Mae Young in Fort Worth Texas. Perhaps it was in the paper of Bill's I got from Edna and Liddy. I wrote her asking about what I now had and about a couple names and how they fit this puzzle. She wrote back explaining how to get some information. She wrote, "go to the library, to the state archives. Maybe write to the LDS."

By now I had a notebook with about 100 pages (Just started huh.) As I got good information I put it in another notebook. When I found a good tidbit it was exciting. For instance, I found a passport from Georgia for William Whitehead to go into the Mississippi Territory to visit his brother. I thought "Passport?" Oh yea, He is leaving the United States! ! Then one day when I was in the Noxubee County Courthouse I found where an Alex Whitehead sold property in Lowndes County in 1935. Lowndes County?, why in the Noxubee County Courthouse? That brought on another search.. Some weeks later I found that Noxubee County had annexed a part of southwest Lowndes County in 1837 which is the parcel sold by Alex Whitehead. As it turns out Alex Whitehead shows up in the Winston County census in 1840. I assume by this that this is how the two sets of Whitehead families are found in Winston County however as yet I find no one who can explain who this Alex Whitehead is.

One day my son, Joe, came in with a new computer. He ask me if I would like his old one. You can bet I did. Vision of simplifying my researching with this great tool leaped into my head. I got online and started hunting. One of the first sited was when I typed in "Whitehead Family." Up popped a name I never heard of but lets see what he has. I clicked and there was a newsletter with "our Mississippi family" Wow, recond that's us? It was a piece he did of Joshua Whitehead and Sarah Avery. This along with some other information formed my base. Patsy Box Johnson and Bula Young have guided me in many ways. One thing I have learned is "Do Not take internet information at face value.:" It must be checked then rechecked. My biggest problem is checking my own information. Sometimes I will write a name down then during sorting I may put it in th ewrong location but more than likely, I will leave out a note as to how this is related. Such as a re-marriage with a dirfferent name fo rchildren. Talk about hunting! !

Lately I have been still filling in blanks. Where is James Whitehead buried. I found him in Alton Isle Confederate Cemetery, plot 1 0 1, died 03/15/1863, buried 01 01 1865. But he died in 1863! Turns out that there was a flood control project that required relocation the Confederate Graves in 1865. The graves were disinterred and relocated. As it is, I understand that another flood control project in the 1950's backed water over the graves so James Whitehead grave is under water at Alton Island Illinois.

I have decided that my task will never be complete as when I get one thing finished I look around and there is another to look into.