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Note: HUNTSVILLE TIMES
Illness Is Fatal For Joseph Lewis
Joseph T. Lewis, 71, died early today at his residence, 129 North Patton street, following a long illness. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Betty Lewis; two daughters, Mrs. Ervle Simmins, Walling Tennessee, and Etehl McBride, Campaign, Tennessee; two sons Auburn A. Lewis, Dallas, Texas and Henry A. Lewis, Toledo, Ohio; one brother, Ed lewis of dallas; 21 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. Funeral services are scheduled at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon from the residence with the Rev. J. Otis King officiating. Burial will follow in the maple Hill Cemetery with the Spry funeral home in charge. JOSEPH T. LEWIS
Bigraphic Brief
Joseph Tulis LEWIS was born in about1865 near Sparta, White County, Tennessee. He was the second of four children (Thomas Jasper, James (Joseph) T.ulis, George W., and Edward Franklin) born to Sarah Ann LEWIS. Joe T. was listed in the 1850 Census as "James." However, Alabama marriage and death records identify him as Joseph T. LEWIS.
Date and place of Joe T. LEWIS and Trasdy E. THURMAN's (born 25 January 1861) marriage is unknown. Seven children were born of this marriage; however only four survived (Ervle, Ethel, Floyd Mitchell Brown, and Auburn Austin). Three of the children either were stillborn or died during infancy.
During the early years of their marriage, Joe T. and Trasdy raised their family in and around White County, Tennessee, living and share-cropping on the "SWIFT" and "CRANE" farms. In about 1912, they moved to Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. In Huntsville, Joe T. worked briefly as a fireman in the boiler room of a textile mill. Early in 1915, he moved his family to Madison, Madison County, Alabama, where the family lived and share-cropped on the Charles APPERSON farm. (Source: Auburn A. Lewis)
Joe T. and his family remained in the Madison area less than one year because Trasdy became ill and died on 18 August 1915. Death records list cause of death as "Congestive Chill." Joe T. forfeited to Mr. APPERSON his share of the crops in the field at the time in exchange for enough money to return Trasdy's body and his children to Sparta, Tennessee. Trasdy was buried at Indian Mound Cemetery in DeKalb County near the graves of her three infant children and members of the THURMAN family.
Shortly after burying Trasdy, Joe T. left his two sons in the care of his daughter, Ethel, and her husband, Will MCBRIDE, and simply disappeared for about a year. Auburn, the youngest son at the time, expressed the opinion that Joe T. was overcome with grief and just wandered aimlessly. After an absence of about a year, Joe T. returned to White County and with his two sons, Floyd and Auburn, lived on the mountain near Quebeck, White County, Tennessee.
Joe T. LEWIS married Bettie Erona Jamar LECROY on 4 June 1919 in a second marriage in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama (Marriage Record 45-12, Madison County, Alabama, 4 June 1919). A son, Henry Aquilla, was subsequently born on 17 May 1920.
The marriage license for Joe T. LEWIS and Bettie E. LECROY, dated 4 June 1919, show Joe T. Lewis was 54 years of age at that time. Alabama Death Summary Card #17429 show him as being 71 years old at the time of his death 11 September 1950. There appears to be a conflict between these two sources: age shown on marriage license (54) indicate birth in about 1865. However, age shown on Death Summary Card (71) indicates birth in about 1879. The1860 Census lists a 6-month-old "James" T. LEWIS along with mother, Sarah (21), Aunt Elizabeth A. (23) living with Grandmother Charity LEWIS (62) in DeKalb County. Oddly, Sarah's first child, Thomas Jasper, is not listed. Thomas Jasper would have been about 3-years-old at the time of the census. It is possible the 6-month old infant was initially named Joseph T. and subsequently re-named Thomas Jasper.
In late 1945 and early 1946, at about 66 years of age, Joe T. stood about 5'10" tall and was of slender build. He was left-handed, had thin brown- greying hair, blue eyes and sharp, well-defined facily features. He was a staunch pro-Roosevelt Democrat and when goaded, would become highly emotional during political discussions. (Source: Alton A. Lewis)
Joe T. died 11 September 1950 while living at 129 North Patton in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. Cause of death was listed as a cerebral hemorrhage, complicated by senility and sclerosis. During the last five years of his life, he was an invalid, having suffered a broken hip during a fall in 1945. He was survived by his second wife, Bettie, two sons, Auburn and Henry, two daughters Ervle and Ethel, 20 grandchildren and 20 greatgrandchildren. Joe T. LEWIS is buried at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. ---------- Note: I have seen Joe T. LEWIS' middle name spelled as "Tulis" and as "Tulin." To date, I've seen no official or definitive documents spelling out the middle name.
Sources 1. Marriage Record 45-12, Joe T. Lewis and Bettie E. LECROY, Madison County, Alabama. 2. Death Summary Card #17429, Joe T. LEWIS, Alabama State Department of Health. 3. Memories of Auburn A. Lewis as related to Alton A. Lewis. 4. Granddad as I remember him. Compiled by: Alton A. Lewis, 222 Bella Vista Drive, Fox Island WA 98333-9702 as of 4 December 1998.
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