My grandfather, Hector Barker Humphrey was born Sept 2, 1864 in Robeson County, St Pauls, N. C. His 
father, Duncan C Humphrey died in 1887 leaving his mother Mary Ann (Johnson) Humphrey to rear the 
children who ranged in age at that time from age 22 to age 3. 

H B married Della Ann (Graves) Humphrey 8 June 1889. About 1894 they left North Carolina and went to 
Georgia. Not much is known about their ten years there except the birth of four of their children. In 
1905 when Nathan was born they lived in Claxton, Georgia. By the time William W Humphrey was born in 
1899 they lived in Miller County and by 1900 and 1901 when Annie Belle was born they lived in Arlington, Ga.

Dr. & Mrs. Humphrey

They returned to Bladen County by the 
time of Alma Ruth's birth in 1904. 
H B was an ordained Baptist minister 
and may have served churches in GA, we 
do know he is mentioned in 1904-1906 as 
pastor of St Joseph's at Clarkton, NC 
in Bladen Associational minutes. 

H B was also a watch repairman and 
mention is made of this in census 
reports. My father, E H Humphrey 
remembers going with him into the 
clock tower of Robeson County 
Courthouse at Lumberton as he 
maintained that clock when they 
lived in Lumberton. In Robeson 
Baptist Associational minutes 
he's listed as an ordained 
minister 1908-1911. 

H B Humphrey went for optometric 
training while operating a watch 
repair shop in Lumberton and was 
issued a certificate with the NC 
Optometry Board in 1908. He practiced 
fitting glasses until his death in 1954. In 1926 H B Humphrey had an office in Kannapolis, NC which burned 
on a Sunday while  he was preaching at a local church.  This temporarily put him out of business. He worked 
in Troy for a time, returned to Kannapolis and then set up an office in Rockingham.

An ad appeared in the Post-Dispatch in Rockingham, NC 26 January 1933: 
"H B Humphrey, Optometrist-Attention given to eye examination and fitting glasses. Every afternoon from 
2 to 5 o'clock. Office in Rancke Building, Rockingham."

While living in Rockingham the Humphreys were members of Cobb Memorial Baptist Church where both taught 
Sunday School. 

Two of their sons married and remained in Rockingham. Nathan C Humphrey married Rose Ella Dawkins 31 August 
1915 in Bennettsville, SC. Rose was born and reared in Roberdel. They are buried in East Rockingham Cemetery. 
Nathan worked in textiles after his marriage. This couple had eight children and reared seven to adulthood. 
Some of these children still live in Richmond County. 

Dan J Humphrey married Nina Williams of Richmond County. They lived at 405 Haywood Ave and both are buried 
at Richmond Memorial Park. Dan worked at Hanna Pickett Mills from 1932 to 1943 when he was inducted into 
the U S Navy. He later operated a gun shop in Rockingham. Dan and Nina had two children one of whom still 
lives in Rockingham. 

In 1939 the H B Humphreys moved back to Kannapolis into the home of their daughter, Annie Belle Humphrey 
at 204 Hillside Ave. Mr. Humphey established an office in North Kannapolis where he practiced until his 
wife became an invalid when he moved his office into his home. 

Largely self educated, he spent a great amount of time keeping up with his profession and informing himself 
on religious questions of the day. Mr. Humphrey died in December 1954 and he and his wife and two of his 
daughters are buried at Carolina Memorial Park, Concord, N. C.

The Humphrey family in 1939 in Rockingham on the 50th anniversary of HB and his wife Della Ann (Graves) Humphrey. The back row is Nathan, Dan, Walter, HB, Ernest, Charlie, Front row: Annie Belle, Della, Eulah Bracket. Absent was Alma Ruth Beal.