Pearl T. (Fortenberry) Holifield (1904 - 1981)

Born 28 Apr 1904 in Mississippi, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Franklin Waites — married 25 Nov 1922 (to after 1940) in Jones County, Mississippi, USA

Wife of Andrew Tim Holifield Sr. — married 19 Oct 1946 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA

Died 29 Jan 1981 at age 76 in Jones County, Mississippi, United States

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Biography

Pearl T. Fortenberry was born on Apr 28, 1904 in Mississippi, USA as the sixth child of Rufus K. Fortenberry and Lettie Luckey.

She had seven siblings, namely: Rufus Cleveland, Elizabeth, Phenie, Susie Florence, Infant Brother, Carrie, and Bertie May.

She had seven siblings, namely: Rufus Cleveland, Elisabeth, Phenie, Florence, Carrie, Bertie May, and Infant Brother.

She died on Jan 29, 1981 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA (car accident west ofLaurel; Age at Death: 76).

When she was 18, she married Robert F. Waites on Nov 25, 1922 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA. ^[1] They divorced after the 1940 census.

When she was 42, she married Andrew Tim Holifield Sr. on Oct 19, 1946 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA. ^[2]

Pearl T. Fortenberry lived in Beat 2, Simpson, Mississippi, USA in 1910 (Age: 6; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter).

She lived in Beat 1, Simpson, Mississippi, USA in 1920 (Age: 16; Age: 14; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter).

She lived in Laurel, Jones, Mississippi, USA in 1930 (Age: 24; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Wife).

She lived in Northwest, Jones, Mississippi in 1935. She lived in Northwest, Jones, Mississippi, USA on Apr 01, 1940 (Age: 31; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Wife).

She lived in , Jasper, Mississippi, USA in 1950 Marital Status: Married. Race: (White)

She was buried in Laurel, Jones, Mississippi, USA (Spring Hill Cemetery). ^[3]

Robert Franklin Waites and Pearl T. Fortenberry had the following children:

1. Otis Ray Waites was born on Mar 17, 1924 in Smith County, Mississippi, USA. He died on Mar 13, 2015 (Age at Death: 90). He married Essie Mae Johnson on Jan 22, 1946 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA. He married Annie Lois Johnson on Apr 04, 1949 in Jones County, Mississippi, USA.
2. Robert Leland "Bob" Waites was born on Sep 17, 1926 in Jasper County, Mississippi, USA. He died on Sep 28, 1997 (Age at Death: 71).
3. Ernest Lloyd Waites was born on Aug 12, 1932 in Laurel, Jones, Mississippi, USA. He died on Mar 23, 2021 in Laurel, Jones, Mississippi, USA (South Central Regional Medical Center; Age at Death: 88). He married Shirley Shaw on Mar 02, 1956 in Steuben, Indiana, USA.

Andrew Tim Holifield and Pearl T. Fortenberry (her step-children) had the following children:

Hilman, Julius Harold, A. T. Jr., Jewel, Hazel, and Myrtle.

Obituary

Laurel Leader-Call, Thursday, January 29, 1981, front page

Area Crash Kills One

A Laurel woman, Pearl Holifield, died today as the result of an accident in which she and her husband Andrew were involved on Highway 84, about five miles west of Laurel.

Her husband Andrew is listed in critical condition in Jones County Community Hospital.

The accident occurred when the Holifield auto driven by Andrew and a Jones County school bus driven by William Chapman collided. Mrs. Holifield was a passenger in the car her husband was driving.

Traffic along 84 West was partially blocked by the accident which occurred about 10:30.

No school children were on the bus.

Holifield and his wife were removed from their auto by Jones County Community Hospital ambulance workers and taken to the hospital.

Jones County School transportation supervisor James Pitts said Chapman told him he was returning from the school bus “shop” when the accident occurred.

Passersby and emergency medical technicians from Jones County Community Ambulance Service also attended Stephen Sumrall, 22, 85 Wansley Road, who was involved in an earlier traffic accident today at Sixteenth Avenue and Tenth Street.

Two cars, one driven by Troy Bond of Jackson, and the other by the injured Sumrall, collided. Sumrall was taken to Jones County Community Hospital.

The extent of Sumrall’s injuries is not known. He is listed in critical condition at Jones County Community Hospital. Laurel police officer Jonathan Hare, who accompanied Sumrall to the hospital, said he complained of chest pains.^[4]

Laurel Leader-Call, Friday, January 30, 1981, p. 2

MRS. TIM HOLIFIELD SR.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday from Memory Chapel for Mrs. Tim (Pearl) Holifield Sr., 76, Route 10, Laurel, who died Thursday in Jones County Community Hospital as the result of an automobile accident Thursday on Highway 84 West.

The Rev. Howard Rogers and the Rev. Arthur Smith will officiate and burial will be in the Spring Hill Cemetery.

Mrs. Holifield was a native of Smith County.

She is survived by her widower, Tim Holifield Sr., Laurel; six sons, Odis Waites, A. T. “Buddy” Holifield Jr., and Hilman Holifield, all of Laurel, Robert Leland Waites, Gulfport, Lloyd Waites, Gretna, La., and Julius Harold Holifield, Tucson, Ariz.; and three daughters, Mrs. W. T. (Jewel) Windham and Mrs. Arnold (Hazel) Knight, both of Laurel, and Mrs. Keith (Myrtle) Dykes, Ellisville.

Survivors also include two sisters, Mrs. Feme Wells, Laurel, and Mrs. Bertie Mae Griffin, Mobile, Ala.; 21 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Mike Holifield, Renee Ivy, Austin Spradley, Glenn Clark, Freddie Mozingo and Roy Ishee.

Visitation began at 4 p.m. today at Memory Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "Mississippi, County Marriages, 1858-1979," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:8CKL-TS3Z : 19 July 2020), Pearlie Fortenberry in entry for Robert Waites, 25 Nov 1922; citing Marriage, Jones, Mississippi, United States, 00404, citing multiple county clerks; Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson.
2. ↑ "Mississippi, County Marriages, 1858-1979," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DHDB-KMPZ : 10 October 2020), Pearl Fortenberry Waits in entry for A T Holifield, 19 Oct 1946; citing Marriage, Jones, Mississippi, United States, 00142, citing multiple county clerks; Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25189562/pearl-t-holifield: accessed 9 September 2023), memorial page for Pearl T Holifield (28 Apr 1904–29 Jan 1981), Find a Grave Memorial ID 25189562, citing Springhill Cemetery, Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi, USA; Maintained by Annese Welborn Savage (contributor 46906345).
4. ↑ Published Laurel Leader-Call, Thursday, January 29, 1981, front page
5. ↑ Published Laurel Leader-Call, Friday, January 30, 1981, p. 2

• "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FMH-W1CJ : Thu Jul 27 22:19:02 UTC 2023), Entry for Myrtle Lee Halifield and Julius Harold Halifield, 21 April 1950.
• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB9B-BJ8 : Fri Jul 28 16:01:56 UTC 2023), Entry for R T Wattes and Pirl Wattes, 1940.
• "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM1Z-34N : Fri Aug 04 02:58:22 UTC 2023), Entry for R H Waites and Pearl Waites, 1930.
• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNTX-YTY : Wed Jul 26 02:53:37 UTC 2023), Entry for Rufus K Fartenbery and Cattie H Fartenbery, 1920.
• "United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPDG-SJB : Wed Jul 19 03:59:03 UTC 2023), Entry for R K Fortenberry and C L Fortenberry, 1910.