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Note: Phillip was born "at home", as were his siblings, on what is now Cedar Stretch Rd, about a mile west of Hertford, Perquimans Co., NC.
School only consited of 11 grades at his point in High School and it is my understanding that he dropped out in the 10th year. In the late 1930's he was employed by the Norfolk & Southern Bus Company as a driver and drove the route between Norfolk, VA and Wilmington, NC, quite often laying over in New Bern. It was while in New Bern that he met Julia Willis and began "dating". In October 1938 they "eloped" and married in South Mills, Camden Co . It is significant that the marriage papers reflected "THATCH " rather thanThach.
I have been told that both sets of Parents were quite upset about the marriage and their feelings were quite open and caused a lot of friction.
While Phillip was working for Norfolk & Souhern, they resided in Norfolk on 38th St upstairs from his sister Ruth and her family. As Julia was about to give birth in 1938 she wanted to come to New Bern to be with her family. She did and that too caused problems, however they returned to Norfok after the birth.
By the summer of 1940 Phillip and Julia had separated and Julia and infant Phillip Jr returned to New Bern and resided with her parents.
Phillip Sr was drafted into the Army in 1942 and served throughout the war in the Pacific. Following the war, Phillip and Julia divorced in 1946 and he soon married Elizabeth (Lib) Beckwith of Raleigh that same year.
Previously, Phiilip Sr's father Ben had decided to quit farming around 1940 and moved to Norfolk. Phillip's brother "Ben", who still liv e d in Hertford, bought the farm from their father and, following the war, Phillip and Lib bought it from Ben. Phillip farmed the land until his death in 1978 of a heart attack during his sleep.
He was a member of Anderson Methodist Church in Perquimans Co. and he and Lib are buried in Cedarwood Cem., Hertford
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