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