DAVID PERRY
June 22, 1871 - MAY 28, 1948

On October 19, 1925, my great uncle, David purchased from J.C. and Sarah W. Powell, 60 acres of land beginning at the ford or bridge on Reedy  Branch on the Louisburg Road for $2500.  This was a lot of money in 1925. The astounding fact is is that he was a Black man.

This land remains in his family today. Even though his descendants now live in trailers on the land, the house and barn still stand.

Uncle Dave also lived in the county as a child. He indicated on  his children's birth certificates that he was born in Franklin County, NC. On June 29, 1880, we find him in his parents' (David and Sallie Perry) household  in Gold Mine Township.

My venture to get to know this man has been interesting.  He  married Winnie West (1880-1922) of Franklin County, NC. Of that union, seven children were born (Ella, David Lee, Georgia Anna, Ned, Rebecca, Joseph, and Johnnie Wesley). Winnie died when several of the children were still young.  After that, Uncle Dave married Annie Powell who mothered his children as her own.

As a child born and bred in Virginia, Uncle Dave's homestead was to me my mama's home.  When mama's first husband died, it was Uncle Dave who said   "bring the boys to me."  So as a product of mama's second marriage we were always visiting Uncle Dave's household because my brothers (Lynwood and Jodie) were there until they graduated from Hawkins High School. As far as they were concerned, Uncle Dave was their "Pa". He was the only father they had known.

My visits back in time reveal that Uncle Dave was truly a patriarch. Very rarely do we find just his immediate family in his home. According to the census records and my personal knowledge-

1900 Both his mother and his sister Georgia Anna lived with him.
1910 His mother was still in the household. 1937-1953 My brothers continued to live in his household even after his death.

During the years I was growing up and visiting Warren County, Uncle Dave's two sons, Junius (David, Jr.) who married Mary Alice Dowtin and Johnnie Wesley who married Julia Lee Alston lived nearby. Both Mary Alice and Julia were born in Inez, North Carolina. Both sons eventually left the county for Washington, DC. Johnnie returned after retirement and one of his adult daughters followed shortly after. Today, she continues to live on the land.

David Perry's legacy lives on. Even though his great grandchildren and their children were not raised on the land, they know they always have a place to call home. Whenever my brothers speak of home, they respectfully recall Uncle Dave's love, nurturing, instructions, and work ethics at his place on the road to Centerville, North Carolina.

Submitted by: Hallie E. Williams, Great Niece.
 

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