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.