REVELATION

I found a sibling:

My next step is to locate information on  Joe Whitfield, his parents, and siblings. 
Parents: Cephas Whitfield and Emmaline Whitfield.
Siblings: George, Ike, Margaret, Helen, Millie, Jennie, and Sallie.

My search  was in the Giles county, Tennessee. For Emmaline Westmoreland, Emmaline Whitfield, Cephas Whitfield, Ike Whitfield, George Whitfield, Margaret Whitfield, Helen Whitfield, Millie Whitfield, Jennie Whitfield, and Sallie Whitfield.

While trying to trace Joe's mother, Emmaline Westmoreland, I kept coming across an Ike Harris' death certificate. Listing an Emmaline Westmoreland as his mother.  I didn't even look at the image of the death certificate.  Why because the last name was not Whitfield, but Harris.  In addition, the father listed was Gabriel Harris. 

So, I was reading an article, "Are Your Assumptions Leading You Astray?  written by msualumni.  
  
Questions:
1. Were their parents married before the birth of child?
2. Were their Parents married at all?
3. Were their Parents only married to each other?

The last one clicked. What if, Joe and his siblings had different fathers.  I finally went back and looked at Ike Harris' death certificate.   On the line listing the informant was a name I recognized.  Opra Whitfield [Joe's daughter in-law].  Also, the name of the cemetery which is Payne Cemetery located in Limestone, Alabama.

Ike Harris' Death Certificate

Payne Cemetery was known in our family as the "Whitfield" cemetery because so many of our family members were buried there. 

How did I verify this information?  I spoke to my Aunt Opra (named after her mother).  Her mother is listed on the death certificate.  But, her mother Nancy (in her 90's) verified that Ike's last name was Harris and not Whitfield. 

Maternal Lineage

My maternal grandmother was Edith Whitfield (1911-1973) and she was born in Tennessee.

Her father was Joe “Bud” Whitfield (1872-1954). He was my maternal great-grandfather. He was the father of possibly 16 children:

Birth Order of the Children

George Whitfield (Jan 1890) Tennessee
Luther Whitfield (Apr 1894) Tennessee
Maggie Whitfield (Jan 1896) Tennessee
Ruby Whitfield (1900) Tennessee
Tommie Whitfield (1901) Tennessee
Rosenthal Whitfield (May 1905) Tennessee
Van Whitfield (1907) Tennessee
Edith Whitfield-Smith (1911) Tennessee
Irene Whitfield (1914) Alabama [Not Certain]
Velma Whitfield-Martindale (1915) Tennessee
Booker T. Whitfield (1916) Tennessee
Emmaline Whitfield-Moore (1918) Tennessee
Fairella Whitfield-Holt (1920) Alabama
Jerry Whitfield (1923) Alabama
Mabeline Whitfield-Phillips (1924) Alabama
Hartselle Clay Whitfield (1929) Alabama

BEGINNING

 


I am currently researching my maternal great grandfather Joseph "Bud" Whitfield.  I have found him in the U.S. Census Records dating from 1900 to 1940 living either in a bordering town in Tennessee or Alabama.  I also have found his death certificate dated August 28, 1954. However, his birth year has varied some from record to record:

• 1900 CENSUS, listed his age as 28 and his birth date as February 1872 and living in Civil District 2, Giles, Tennessee.

          On the 1900 Census Joe is listed as having been married for 12 years (1888). 

          He is 28 years old.

• 1910 CENSUS shows his age 28 making his birth year 1872 and living in Pettusville, Limestone, Alabama, 
• In the 1920 CENSUS, his age 52 making his birth year 1868 and he lives in Civil District 2, Giles Tennessee,  
• 1930 CENSUS, his age 56 making his birth year 1874 and he is living in Pettusville, Limestone, Alabama,
• 1940 CENSUS, says his age is 65 making his birth year 1875 and living in Election Precinct 4, Elkmont, Limestone, Alabama,

Finally, on the DEATH CERTIFICATE, it states his birth date is June 15, 1883 and he was born in Prospect, Giles County, Tennessee. When he died he was living in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee with his daughter Ruby Whitfield.  Joe was buried on August 31, 1954 in Payne Cemetery in Elkmont, Limestone County, Alabama.   

 
Birth Year: 1868, 1872, 1874, and 1875, 1883.
Age at Death: 86, 82, 80, 79, and 71, respectively.

 
At this point, I can only speculate as to how old he was when he died.
 
My next step is to locate a copy of Joe's birth record or to check the 1880 and 1890 Census records.  Currently, I have not been able to locate a copy of Joe's birth record. Nor a copy of the 1880 and 1890 U. S. Census Record's listing Joe Whitfield, his parents, and siblings.  However, I did learn that the 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire. So, that leaves the 1880.

 

MY BRICK WALL-

[1] Locating Joe Whitfield on Census records with his parents and siblings.

What do I know?

1. Joe’s parents names:

a. Emma Westmoreland or Emmaline Westmoreland

b. Cephas or Ophas Whitfield