Emily Julia Ann Josephine East

Female, #35343, (27 Jan 1858 - 14 Jul 1918)

Birth*27 Jan 1858 Emily was born at Alabama on 27 Jan 1858.1 
Marriage*6 Feb 1876 She married William Jehu Culpepper at Randolph Co., Alabama, on 6 Feb 1876. 
Married Name6 Feb 1876  As of 6 Feb 1876, her married name was Culpepper. 
1880 Census1880 Emily was listed as William Jehu Culpepper's wife on the 1880 Census at Louina, Randolph Co., Alabama. 22 m-p. 336 hh 83. 
Photographed*circa 1890 She and William Jehu Culpepper were photographed From Tommie Sue Reeves Smith, May 2001:

"I talked with Hannie McGill Simpson, daughter of Clara Culpepper McGill today. She had received the copy of the picture and had time to examine it.... She basically agrees that it is almost sure to be a picture of William Jehu and Josephine Culpepper.

The youngest child being held by Julia should be Mary Glanton ,3. George was born in 1890 but is not here at least in the picture. If we can accept this scenario then we have left to right, Malcolm Henry Luther, Josephine Culpepper with Emily Delura, 9, standing in front of her. Julia Eldora,10, would be standing next holding a child that would be Mary Glanton ,3. William Jehu Culpepper would be standing behind Frank, 6, . Carrie Eunice and Clara Earnest the twins, 7, should be the toddlers dressed somewhat alike. James Benjamin and John William , 11, the twins should be standing on either side of the horse.

I know this version requires accepting spurts of growth expecially for the three older boys. This would have been in Arkansas because I know that Robert Earl was the first child to be born in Texas. Following him would be Nannie, Carl, and my mother Tessie who was last."
circa 1890.2
William Jehu Culpepper & family
1900 Census1 Jun 1900 Emily was listed as William Jehu Culpepper's wife on the 1900 Census at Hopkins Co., Texas.3 
Death*14 Jul 1918 She died at Pine Forest, Hopkins Co., Texas, on 14 Jul 1918.2 
Burial*circa 16 Jul 1918 Her body was interred circa 16 Jul 1918 at Pine Forest Cemetery, Pine Forest, Hopkins Co., Texas.1 
Photographedsay 1920 She and William Jehu Culpepper were photographed say 1920 at Hopkins Co., Texas.2
William J. & Emily (East) Culpepper
Biography* William Jehu Culpepper called his wife "Miss Jo."4 Mrs. R. W. (Tommie Reeves) Smith wrote of her grandmother:5

Julia Ann Josephine East [was the] daughter of Ben and Ikasie (? Kirk) East (for a time I believed that the father of Josephine was Tom but the Randolph Co. Census of 1870 names her as Emily East with correct siblings in Fairplay Township. She was 13. This was six years before her marriage to Billy Culpepper. Her brother was named Tom.) Actually Ben East married twice. Josephine was the youngest child from his first marriage. Her full siblings were named Bill, Laura, and Mary. His second wife's maiden name was Susan Duke. Their children's names were Jim, Richard, John, Wyatt, Mitchell, Tallie and Thomas Elias.

According to the 1910 census record, "Emily J. Culpepper" gave birth to 17 children during 34 years of marriage. William Jehu Culpepper announce new arrivals by saying that he and "Miss Jo" had "done wrong again."4 Only 16 of the 17 children have been identified and only 14 were still living in 1910.

"Miss Jo" died in 1918. Lavyn (Wright) Sisco wrote6 that, in 1955, when a new Methodist Church was being built near the cemetery in Pine Forest:

The Billy [William Jehu] Culpepper family donated the bell for the bell tower. Once upon a time the bell hung in the back yard of the Culpepper home. Ringing the bell was Josephine Culpepper's way of telling the family in the field that dinner was ready.
.
First the name Ikasie is spelled phonetically by me [Tommie Reeves Smith]. In the 1980's I had a personal interview with Mae East Hancock in her home. She was a grand daughter of Benjamin
Franklin East by his second wife. My mother knew her well. She pronounced the name but did not know for sure how to spell it. So I can only suggest you keep an eye to names that sound like it to be sure.
.
For purposes of this discussion I am going to call her Ikasie Kirk East. She could indeed have had another name like Lucy but I do not have that information . Lucy's age would place her two years younger than Benjamin which would work well. She married Benjamin Franklin East who was born Nov. 15, 1834. I do not know Ikasie's birth date unless she is Lucy.
.
Benjamin Franklin East married for the second time Nov. 4, 1858. So Ikasie must have died when my grandmother Emily Julia Ann Josephine East was very young infant. I do not know if the birth had anything to do with Ikasie's death or not.
.
I have seen a census for 1860 that shows a definite reference to the baby about age 2 Emilie Julia Ann Josephine both in the home of J.P. Kirk and in the home of Benjamin East and his new wife Susan. Evidently the census taker came at different times and both the grand parents and the birth father counted the child that was my grandmother. The grandparents must have helped take care of the child between the time of the death of Ikasie and Benjamin's new marriage.
.
I have a very old Bible that has a face sheet in front that shows Billy
Culpepper and Josephine East were married in the home of J.P. Kirk and the ceremony was performed by William Henry Culpepper the grandfather of Billy.
.
I asked Mr. Hoyt Kirk once specifically if he knew of a connection with my grandmother's relatives and those of John Wesley Kirk. He was not able to shed light on it then and of course if I had mentioned Lucy he would probably have known.
.
Source: Tommie Reeves Smith, Jan 2002. 

Family

William Jehu Culpepper (15 Oct 1857 - 12 Aug 1929)
Children

Last Edited 7 Feb 2004

Citations

  1. E-mail from Tommie Sue Reeves Smith, e-mail address, 942 Clarice, Grand Prairie, TX 75051 to Lew Griffin, numerous e-mails.
    William Jahue Culpepper Family Group Sheet.
  2. E-mail from Tommie Sue Reeves Smith, e-mail address, 942 Clarice, Grand Prairie, TX 75051 to Lew Griffin, numerous e-mails.
  3. 1900 Federal Census, United States.
    ED 51, Sheet 2A, Pg 109A, Pct 2, Gen.com Img 2, Hopkins Co., TX
    W. J. Culpepper, Head, M, Oct-1857, 42, md-25 yrs, AL GA MS, Farmer
    Emily Josephine Culpepper, Wife, F, Jan-1858, 42, md-25 yrs, Ch 16/13, AL AL AL
    William Culpepper, Son, M, Jan-1879, 21, S, AL AL AL, Farm Laborer
    Julia E. Culpepper, Daughter, F, Dec-1880, 19, S, AL AL AL
    Dee M. Culpepper, Daughter, F, Nov-1881, 18, S, AL AL AL
    Clara Culpepper, Daughter, F, Mar-1883, 17, S, AL AL AL
    Carrie Culpepper, Daughter, F, Mar-1883, 17, S, AL AL AL
    Frank Culpepper, Son, M, Sep-1884, 15, S, AL AL AL, Farm Laborer
    Mary G. Culpepper, Daughter, F, Nov-1887, 12, S, AL AL AL
    George F. Culpepper, Son, M, Apr-1890, 10, S, AL AL AL, Farm Laborer
    Irl Culpepper, Son, M, Apr-1896, 4, S, TX AL AL
    Nannie Culpepper, Daughter, F, Jun-1898, 1, S, TX AL AL
    Carl Culpepper, Son, M, Feb-1899, 1, S, TX AL AL.
  4. Jerry Post, Alive and Good to Know p. 29, preserved by Lavyn (Wright) Sisco
  5. letter 22 May 1994
  6. Bradford Newsletter 1993 issue