This is a photo of Fannie A. Whitehead and a step-grandson, Charles.
Samuel Augustus Arrowood’s sister, Fannie, the baby of the family:
Birth: Jan. 29, 1840
Yancey County
North Carolina, USA
Death: Mar. 28, 1935
Happy Valley
Blount County
Tennessee, USA
At the time of her death, she had 29 living grandchildren, 15 dead grandchildren, 83 great-grandchildren, 5 dead great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great grandchildren, and 1 dead great-great grandchild.
Burial:
Boone Cemetery
Blount County
Tennessee, USA
The following was published in the Maryville Times (Blount Co. TN) Thursday, October 20, 1932:
"Mrs. Fannie Whitehead of Rasor, Tennessee, is visiting her grandson, Lawrence H. Marine of Maryville.
Mrs. Whitehead is 93 years of age and is the only survivor of a family of 14 children. Her father also raised seven of his brother's children. His brother died and left the children homeless, so the burden fell to him, making his family total 21 children. Mr. John Arrowood raised the 21 children to maturity and never had the attention of a doctor except with one of his grown sons who had typhoid fever.
Mrs. Whitehead is in very good health and talks freely. She very often talks of Civil War days and says young folks don't know what hardships are.
Her grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and was in the Army when George Washington led his forces to victory. Her father, John Arrowood, of Rock Creek, North Carolina, fought in the Jackson Army in 1812 and helped drive the Indians from the southern swamps.
Her husband, James Whitehead, volunteered in the Union Army when the Civil War broke out, leaving her with two small children. She also had four brothers who volunteered in the Union Army. Their names were James, George Washington, William and Wesley Arrowood. Washington and James returned, but Wesley and William died and are buried in the Soldier's Cemetery in Knoxville.
Her son-in-law, W.M. Boone, volunteered and fought in the Spanish-American War. She also had four grandsons in the World War. Their names are Roy and Roscoe Whitehead of Jade, Oklahoma; Horace Boone of McKeldry, Tenn., and Leonard F. Marine of Rasor, Tenn. They all returned except Leonard, who died at sea. Mrs. Whitehead will be at the Marine home on Morganton Road several days. All relatives and friends of Mrs. Whitehead are cordially invited to pay her a visit. She recognizes almost everyone she ever knew.
Mrs. Whitehead now is proud to say that she lives to see her fifth generation. She is the mother of six children. She has 30 grandchildren, 70 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. She says nothing would do her more good than see all her generations together at one time, but she hasn't much hope that she ever will, for they are scattered from Tennessee to Oklahoma. She does hope to live to finish 100 years. She likes to call the little folks around her and sing to them or tell them stories. Piecing quilts is still a great pastime for her."
The following was published in the Maryville Times (Blount Co. TN) Thursday, April 25, 1935:
"Mrs. Fannie Arwood Whitehead was born January 29, 1840, and departed this life March 28, 1935, being 95 years, 1 month and 29 days old. She was united in marriage to James Whitehead on January 29, 1860. To this union were born six children, two sons and four daughters. They are Thomas Whitehead of Oklahoma, Mrs. Belle Marine and Mrs. G.G. Hearon of Rasor now living. She has 29 grandchildren still living and 15 dead, 83 great-grandchildren living and five dead, and five great-great-grandchildren living and one dead. Her husband departed this life 63 years ago and left her and her children to make their way in life as best they could in the trying days just after the Civil War. By hard labor and toil, she kept the wolf from the door and reared her children in honor. Aunt Fannie as she was known was born in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and came in young womanhood to Happy Valley in the 3rd District of Blount County where she spent the remainder of her life.
Aunt Fannie professed faith in Christ at the tender age of 12 years and first united with the Treeville Baptist Church. Not content to remain with them, about 60 years ago, she united with the Missionary Baptist Church in which she remained until her death. She was faithful to her church, her home and her neighborhood and country. She loved her church more than most of us. She gave her last dollar one time to lift the debt off the church at the dedication. She was loved by young and old wherever she was known. She was always in her place at church as long as she was able to attend, always ready to lend a helping hand in every time of distress and need. She lived long enough to learn what trouble was, but was always looking to the future Home where trouble would be over. She was a widow of a Federal soldier and was faithful to the memory of him, living in widowhood for more than three score years, one of those that the Bible speaks of as a widow indeed. She will be missed you know, but we bow to His will who does all things well. Our great loss is Heaven's gain. Her funeral was conducted at the Happy Valley Church of which she was a member for more than 60 years. The service was conducted by the present pastor, Rev. Robert Porter, and the Rev. William Brown, a former pastor, with three other former pastors present. Her mortal remains were laid to rest beside her husband in one of the Valley cemeteries to await the Resurrection Morn." ---Written by a friend and former pastor.
The 1860 Yancey County, North Carolina Census:
Samuel was living beside his sister Fannie Arrowood Whitehead.
Down toward the bottom, line 31 through 35.
Samuel and Sarah had our little Welzia,the first baby.
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Fannie struggled to prove her claim to a Civil War Pension as widow of James Whitehead, this struggle was well documented.
"National Archives have the handwritten records of her deposition by Federal authorities prior to her being approved for the pension, to which she was entitled. It is a long account and involves the sworn testimony of several people, attesting to her identity, and to the fhe fact that her children, belonged to James, that she had not remarried, etc. It is an interesting and somewhat revealing document."
The land on which Boone Cemetery is located is adjacent to the property that was owned by Fannie Arrowood Whitehead. The Correll family owned the adjacent property.
The land for the Boone Cemetery was donated by Fannie Arrowood Whitehead.
Descendants of Fannie remember her in a wheelchair in later years. She knitted and quilted, making quilts for each of her grandchildren.
The following is a story that was told by one of Fannie's descendants:
**My father, Cecil, grandson of James, once told me a story that his father, Solomon, told him. Seems that one day a salesman came by the Whitehead homestead. Fannie was weeding the flowerbed inside a small picket fence where the salesman stopped. At the time, James was doing some leather work nearby. Evidently the fellow had been a confederate soldier as he started giving James a hard time about him being wounded in the war. Grandma Fannie took offense to this and hopped over the small picket fence and took a "swipe" at the man, cutting off some of his beard with her knife. The man ran off and she resumed her weeding without a word being said.**
This is Fanny Arrowood Whitehead and her daughter Mary Belle Whitehead Marine (born 1868)in the dark dress, and her children.
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