A Sad Story

**NOTE: I located a birth certificate that led to updates in my earlier posting. So if you read the post of 10 January 2015, then this is the same post, just updated/corrected.**

Sarah Mindora "Dora" Pruitt was born November 25, 1899, the daughter of Adam Hampton Pruitt and Samantha Blevins Pruitt. She grew up in the Walnut Grove township of Wilkes County, North Carolina, one of a dozen children in that family.

She married on September 4, 1919 in Alleghany County to Rufus Gordon Pruitt, who likely was somewhat, but not closely, related to her.

Dora and her husband were enumerated in January 1920 in Slab Fork Precinct in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Rufus G. Pruitt was a miner in a coal mine. (1)  By March of 1921, Dora and her husband were back in Wilkes County, where she gave birth to their son.

Dora Pruitt died on May 14, 1921, of "tuberculosis, contracted in West Virginia". (2)  She was 21 years old, and died when her baby was about two months old. He lived only about two weeks longer than Dora.  She may have been quite sick before his birth; she was almost certainly sick while caring for her baby.

Death Certificate for Dora Pruitt - click to enlarge

James Hampton Pruitt was born March 6, 1921, and died on May 30, 1921. He was not quite three months old. (3,4)   Mack Pruitt was the informant on his Death Certificate. (5)  "Flux" is listed as the cause of  death on the copy which remained in Wilkes County, which generally means severe diarrhea.  (Information was handwritten onto two copies of the Death Certificates, as was typical in an era prior to copy machines. One was forwarded to the state and one was retained by the county.)

Death Certificate for James Hampton Pruitt - click to enlarge

My father-in-law, son of Charlie Pruitt and Phoebe Caudill Pruitt, told me he was told that his mother, Phoebe, helped to take care of Dora's baby until the baby died. Phoebe and Charlie's first son, Vern, was born in February of 1921, so she would have been caring for two babies at the same time. My father-in-law was born in 1931, ten years after the death of Dora and her baby, so can only relay the stories that were told to him.

Copies of the death certificates which remained in Wilkes County indicate that both Dora Pruitt and her baby, James Hampton Pruitt, were buried at Walnut Grove Baptist Church. There are no grave markers in the cemetery for either of them.

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(1)  1920 census, Slab Fork, Raleigh County, West Virginia, Rufus G. Pruitt household, www.ancestry.com

(2)  1921 NC Death Certificate for Mindora Pruitt, #187 (stamped) copy forwarded to the State Board of Health; www.ancestry.com

(3)  1921 birth certificate for James Hampton Pruitt, Vol. 7, #1156, Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro, North Carolina

(4)  James Hampton Pruitt's death certificate, was found on Ancestry.com, which provides an image of the copy submitted to the state. It provides a birth date of March 6, 1921, and a death date of May 30, 1921, and also lists his age as ten months and 28 days old.  Birth date is correct, but his stated age is wrong. The copy of his death certificate retained at the courthouse in Wilkesboro, NC, provides the correct death date, with a birth date of July 2, 1920 and an age of 10 months, 28 days. The birth date must have been calculated using his (incorrect) stated age. His Wilkes County birth certificate confirms his birth date as March 6, 1921, which means he died at two months, 24 days old .

(5)  Mack Pruitt was unmarried in 1921, possibly still living with his mother, Samantha.

A Short Life

Rhoda "Fay" Pruitt was born March 20, 1902, in the Walnut Grove township of Wilkes County, NC. She was the daughter of Adam Hampton Pruitt and Samantha Blevins Pruitt.  Fay never married, and died on October 13, 1930. At the time of her death, she was living with her brother, Charlie, and his family, which also included Fay and Charlie's mother, Samantha.  (1)

My father-in-law was born about a year after Fay died, however, he grew up hearing stories about Fay.

According to him, Fay was staying with another brother, Callie Pruitt, in North Wilkesboro when she developed tuberculosis. She was going to go to the County Home when her brother Charlie went and got her and brought her to his home on Pokey Branch. A room was built on the east side of the house, on to the front porch. Fay made her own funeral arrangements, including having her casket made and buying her own tombstone. Charlie's wife, Phoebe, took care of her until her death.

After Fay's death, all material and clothing was removed and burned, and even the bed from Fay's room was burned because tuberculosis was contagious.  (2)

I have found no death certificate for Fay Pruitt, even though one should have been filed in 1930.  Fay is buried at Walnut Grove Baptist Church.  (3)

Fay was the second member of this family to die from tuberculosis. Her sister Dora, older than Fay by two years, died in 1921 from tuberculosis "contracted in West Virginia."

Fay Pruitt's tombstone - click to enlarge

**Additional information found**   In the 1926 and 1928 copies of the Winston-Salem City Directory, Fay was living with her mother, sister and three brothers in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina. In 1926, Fay worked at P.H. Hanes Knitting Company; no City Directory was found for 1927; and in 1928, Fay worked at Turner-White Coffin Company. By 1929, her four siblings were listed in the City Directory, but Fay and her mother were apparently no longer living in Winston-Salem.  (4)

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Updated information listed in red:

(1)  1930 census, Charlie Pruitt household, Walnut Grove township, Wilkes County, NC.

(2)  Email from Ervin Pruitt to Stephen Pruitt, dated January 30, 2009, recounting information about Fay and her illness and death

(3)  Photograph taken by Debbie Hendren Pruitt at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, 4650 Cabin Creek Road, Hays, NC.

(4)  Winston-Salem City Directory, 1926-1929, www.ancestry.com

Samantha Blevins Pruitt Adams

Samantha Blevins was born December 5, 1870, to Rev. Calloway C. Blevins and his wife Lucinda Caudill, presumably in Wilkes County, North Carolina, as her parents were living in Walnut Grove township when the census was taken in July of 1870.  (1)

Samantha married Adam Hampton Pruitt on December 30, 1885, and gave birth to thirteen children, twelve of whom lived to adulthood. She was widowed in July of 1916, when her husband, Hamp, died of cancer of the stomach at age 53. Samantha was about 46 years old, with six children still under the age of 18.  Dora was 17, Fay was 14, Gar was 12, Vestal was 9, Zona was 7 and Dennis was only five years old. All except the perhaps the youngest two children were old enough to do chores and help provide for the family. Additionally, two of the older boys, Mack and Charlie, were still at home. Mack was 20 and Charlie was 19 years old when their father died, and were still living with their mother and all the younger siblings when the census was taken in 1920, except for Dora, who married in 1919.  (2)

Samantha Pruitt and her five youngest children - click to enlarge

In this photograph, from left to right: Gar, Samantha and Fay. Back row, left to right, Vestal, Dennis and Zona Pruitt.  Dennis was born in 1911, so perhaps the picture was taken around 1920 or so.  (3)

In 1926, Samantha and five of her children, Fay, Gar, Vestal, Zona and Dennis were living at 221 E. 13th Street in Winston-Salem, NC. Fay and Zona worked at P.H. Hanes Knitting Company, Gar was a barber, Vestal was a laborer, and Dennis was a clerk at Hampton Brothers. The youngest in the family, Dennis would have been 15 years old in 1926. No city directory was found for 1927, but in 1928 Samantha and the five children were still in Winston-Salem. By 1929, Samantha and Fay had left Winston-Salem.  (4)

By 1930, Samantha was back in Wilkes County living with her son Charlie, who was married with four children of his own. Her daughter, Fay, was also living with Charlie and his wife, Phoebe.  (5)

On September 14, 1931, Samantha married a second time, to her late husband's first cousin, Ambrose Adams. (6)  Samantha was 60 and Ambrose was 56. This was a first marriage for Ambrose, whose shared the homeplace with his mother, Lucy Adams. Ambrose died May 27, 1943, leaving Samantha a widow for the second time.  (7)

Ambrose and Samantha, probably 1941, with three of Vestal's children - click to enlarge

Samantha died of bronchial pneumonia at the home of her son, Gar Pruitt, in Edwards township of Wilkes County, in the town of Elkin, on April 2, 1957, at the age of 86. (8)  She is buried at Walnut Grove Baptist Church beside her first husband, Adam Hampton Pruitt.  (9)

Hamp and Samantha Pruitt's grave marker - click to enlarge

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Information added after initial publication is referenced in red below

(1)  1870 census, Calaway Blevins household, Walnut Grove township, Wilkes County, NC, www.ancestry.com.

(2)  1920 census, Mack W. Pruitt household, Walnut Grove township, Wilkes County, NC, www.ancestry.com.

(3)  picture shared by Robyn Pruitt, daughter-in-law of Vestal Pruitt, email to Ervin Pruitt dated 20 January 2007.

(4)  Winston-Salem City Directory, 1926-1929, www.ancestry.com

(5)  1930 census, Charlie Pruitt household, Walnut Grove township, Wilkes County, NC, www.ancestry.com.

(6)  Register of Deeds Office, Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro, NC, record #7362.

(7)  NC Death Certificate for Ambrose Adams, #336 (stamped), www.ancestry.com.

(8)  NC Death Certificate for Samantha Pruitte Adams, #13916 (stamped), www.ancestry.com.

(9)  Photograph taken by Debbie Hendren Pruitt at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, 4650 Cabin Creek Road, Hays, NC.

Hamp Pruitt

Adam Hampton Pruitt was the only son of Hampton P. Pruitt and Mary Wagoner Pruitt. He was born on April 19th, either 1863 or 1864, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. (1)   He went by by the name "Hamp" Pruitt. His father, Hampton P. Pruitt, died during the Civil War.

Hamp married Samantha Blevins, the daughter of Rev. Calloway Blevins and Lucinda Caudill Blevins, on December 30, 1885.  (2)  

One of their descendants has a picture of Hamp and Samantha, along with a story that the clothes in the picture were "painted on, they didn't own anything that 'fine'."  (3)

Hamp and Samantha Pruitt - click to enlarge

Hamp and Samantha were the parents of thirteen children:

1)  Cordillia Pruitt, born and died December 7, 1886  (4)

2)  Ida Victoria Pruitt, born December 8, 1887, died 29 July 1957, wife of Volney Cleary

3)  Rev. John Caloway "Callie" Pruitt, born 28 December 1889, died March 19, 1976, husband of Amanda Ethel Cleary

4)  Rev. Adam "Addie" Wesley Pruitt, born November 17, 1891, died June 28, 1978, husband of Cordova Blevins

5)  Myrtle DeEtte Pruitt, born March 29, 1894, died November 26, 1970, wife of James Harrison Felts

6)  William Mack Pruitt, born January 7, 1896, died June 10, 1968, husband of Norma Wyatt

7)  Charlie Pruitt, born August 17, 1897, died December 15, 1980, husband of Phoebe Elizabeth Caudill

8)  Sarah Mindora "Dora" Pruitt, born November 25, 1899, died May 14, 1921, wife of Rufus Gordon Pruitt

9)  Rhoda "Fay" Pruitt, born March 20, 1902, died October 13, 1930, never married

10) Rev. James Garfield "Gar" Pruitt, born September 14, 1904, died August 1, 1962, husband of Lola Carter

11)  Sherman Vestal Pruitt, born February 10, 1907, died September 5, 1989, husband of Jessie Mae Steelman

12)  Martha Zona Pruitt, born March 5, 1909, died November 30, 1991, the wife of Lee Raymond Wheeling

13)  Leonard Dennis Pruitt, born April 30, 1911, died January 15, 1960, husband of Esther Key

Hamp and Samantha Pruitt family - click to enlarge

This photograph, badly faded and scratched, did not include any names. However, the ages of the children would suggest that the back row, left to right, would include Addie, Callie, Ida and DeEtte. The front row, left to right, would include Charlie, Dora on Hamp's lap, Mack (with his hand on his father's shoulder), and Fay sitting on Samantha's lap.  (5)

Hamp Pruitt died on July 10th, 1916, in the New Life community of Wilkes County, of cancer of the stomach, per his death certificate.  (6)

Hamp Pruitt's death certificate - click to enlarge

He is buried at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, in the same community where he lived and died. The area is now identified as Hays, NC. His tombstone provides a death date of July 9th, 1916.  (7)

Hamp Pruitt's tombstone - click to enlarge


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(1) Official records weren't kept when Hamp was born. His death certificate lists his birth date as April 19, 1863, born in Wilkes County. The 1900 census provides a birth year of 1864. There is no indication who provided the information to the census taker, but this information was provided during Hamp's lifetime.

(2)  Marriage date is engraved on their joint tombstone at Walnut Grove Baptist church in Hays, NC.

(3)  Email from Robyn Pruitt to Ervin Pruitt, dated May 8, 2008, indicating the photo was sent to Robyn from Franky Pruitt, son of Gar Pruitt.

(4)  Ervin Pruitt has a list of names, birth and death dates, with no idea where they were originally recorded. This list contains the only known information about Cordillia.

(5)  This photograph copy is in the possesion of Stephen Pruitt. The original photo was borrowed and photographed many years ago. I'm not certain who has the original, but would like to obtain a better copy.

(6)  NC Death Certificate for Adam Hampton Pruitte, found online at Ancestry.com.

(7)  Photograph taken by Debbie Hendren Pruitt at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, 4650 Cabin Creek Road, Hays, NC.

What became of Gambill's Hollow Church?

Judge Johnson J. Hayes, in his book “The Land of Wilkes”  (1) quotes from the surviving records of (old) Roaring River Baptist Church, which is one of the oldest Baptist churches in Wilkes County.  Judge Hayes wrote that Roaring River Baptist Church:

“voted to let a church be constituted in Gambill’s Hollow, if they were found ready and ripe for it. It was constituted April 10, 1786. This was the beginning of the Baptist Church of South Fork of Roaring River. Gambill’s lived on south prong of Roaring River, as shown by numerous grants to William Gambill.” 

Judge Hayes did not indicate in his book when the last reference to Gambill’s Hollow or South Fork of Roaring River Church occurred in the minutes of (old) Roaring River Church. He did say that:

“it has not been possible to determine what became of South Fork of Roaring River Church. There is some speculation that the present church called Walnut Grove is its successor but we are unable to verify it. However, the subsequent fellowship between Walnut Grove and Old Roaring River does indicate Walnut Grove is the successor to the other.”

So where was Gambill Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church located? We don’t know.

In the 1790 census, there were three Gambill households in Wilkes County. One was Martin Gamble, whose deed records indicate that he lived near the New River in what later became Ashe County. Another household was headed by Jno. Gambell, whose land was located along the Middle Fork of Roaring River. The third household was headed by Mary Gambill, widow of William Gambill, who died before February 1779, and who owned about 900 acres of land, at least some of which was located on the South Fork of Roaring River.  Upon William’s death, his plantation went to his wife during her lifetime, and then to his son, Jesse Gambill, who sold the land to his brother-in-law, Robert Johnson (the one born in 1783 – there have been several Robert Johnsons!)  The land was passed down through the Lewis Johnson family, and a portion of that land is now owned by a Johnson descendant, and located on what is now called Cabin Creek Road in Hays.

No references have been found in any old deeds concerning a church building or church property. It was common practice for churches to meet in the homes of members, rather than construct a separate church building, so perhaps this occurred with Gambill's Hollow Church.

While Gambill's Hollow Church (or South Fork of Roaring River Church) has disappeared over time, there is a creek called Gambill Creek, so named since the land containing this creek was purchased by William Gambill in February 1817.  (2)   However, the church at Gambill's Hollow predates the purchase of this particular piece of land by about thirty years. So it makes the location of the church unlikely to have been located on Gambill Creek or along Gambill Creek Road.

Gambill's Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church was likely located on what is now called Cabin Creek Road, where an early Gambill settler, William Gambill, did indeed own land along the South Fork of Roaring River. The church  was almost certainly attended by Gambills and others living in the area.  While land ownership of William Gambill and his widow, Mary Gambill, can be traced through deeds, there is no record of a separate church property. And apart from references such as (old) Roaring River Baptist Church minutes, there are no surviving minutes from Gambill's Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church to help identify the location of this early church.

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(1) Johnson J. Hayes, The Land of Wilkes (Wilkesboro, North Carolina: Wilkes County Historical Society, 1962. Reprint, Wilkes Heritage Museum, 2010)  

(2)  Wilkes County, NC,  Deed Book 24, Page 45, Sheriff's Sale of George Lewis land to William Gambill, February 4, 1817; located at Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro, NC

The Picture Taken at Cleghorn Baptist Church with all those Blevinses

The spouse of a descendant of John Andrew Blevins has provided the names of some of the people in the picture with Calloway Blevins.  The group includes Calloway, his mother, and five of his brothers. And no doubt a lot of their extended families!

Susan (or Susanna) Joines Blevins

Susan Joines Blevins was the daughter of Thomas Joines and Lydia Hoppers Joines. Susan (or Susanna or Susannah) was born in northwest North Carolina on March 5, 1826 and died July 6, 1918 in Virginia.

Susan married Andrew Franklin Blevins and was the mother of 10 children who survived to adulthood. Two more children evidently died young, but we know about them because Susan indicated on the 1910 census that she was the mother of 12 children.

Of the ten children who grew to adulthood, three were daughters and seven were sons. Several of those sons became ministers - perhaps four, maybe as many as six.

Susan outlived her husband by more than twenty years, and lived in Washington County, Virginia, with her son, Daniel Smith Blevins, in 1900. By 1910, she was living in Marion, Virginia (Smyth County) with her son, Esquire (Squire) Blevins.  Both of those sons have been identified as ministers.

This picture was found online; I am not certain who owns the original. Susan is seated with a dark scarf on her head. The identities of the other people are not known. Likely this picture was made while she was living with one of her sons, either Smith or Squire  (**Correction**) with her daughter, Rhoda Blevins Caudill, in Smyth County, Virginia (according to the distant cousin who sent me this picture).

Susan Joines Blevins  (click to enlarge)

Susan (Susannah) Joines Blevins is buried in the Kell Cemetery in Smyth County, Virginia, where several of her children are also buried.

Susan Joines Blevins is my father-in-law's great-great-grandmother.