Hugh R. Whitehead

Submitted by: Amy Collins

I am looking for info on my dad’s grandmother and grandfather. The last
census info on them in 1920 is from Big Spring, Texas. 
My father’s name is Jerry and his father’s name was H. S. Whitehead, his
father was Hugh R. Whitehead. He lived in Mineral Wells, TX  around 1901-1915 with his first wife Ella (her
fathers name was R.L. Whitehead) and they had two children named Otis and Edith Whitehead. He also
had a brother and uncle living in Mineral Wells named Robert (Robert’s wife Annie) and Preston Whitehead.
Hugh was born in either Alabama or Mississippi, he had papers saying both. Ella’s maiden name was also Whitehead and she
had a sister named Lottie and several brothers. I found court appeal papers where Hugh was accused of raping
Lottie and she had a baby. His appeal was denied but I could not find original trial or a prison record for Hugh.
They divorced? And he married my Great-grandmother Maggie Hope Whitehead, daughter of Sam and Lucinda Hope from Andrews County, TX.
They had three children H.S., Effie Mae, and Oscar Whitehead. I know H.S. was born in Waco.
Hugh took the children from Maggie after 1920 and moved to Fulton County, KY where he raised them until his death.
He originally went to Arkansas for 2 years then received a telegram from Maggie saying she was on her way
and then they went to New Madrid, MO area for a short time (they are in the 1930 New Madrid census) and then onto Fulton County, KY.                                  I think Hugh had family in Fulton County.H.S. could remember someone coming to their house in Fulton County and Hugh telling him if he told where they were
living he would kill him, so we assume this was someone from Maggie’s family looking for children.
He also made them promise (on his deathbed) never to find their mother. He said she ran off with another man but I sense there is
a lot more to this story. I can find no info on Maggie after 1920 census with Hugh. I did find where Maggie’s father Sam Hope died in Sweetwater,
TX in 1968 but it does not mention Maggie only a daughter named Leona Poe. I assume Maggie was deceased by then.

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