ara fannie whitehead viverette
1909-1971
Life Story
Birth & Family
Ara Fannie Whitehead was born on May 22, 1909, in Newton County, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Ambrose Whitehead (1876–1960) and Marietta Walker Whitehead (1879–1968). Newspaper accounts identify her as one of twelve children in the Whitehead family, reflecting the size and strength of the extended household in which she was raised.
Education & Early Life
In early life, Ara Fannie worked as an unpaid farm laborer on the family farm, a common reality for Black girls growing up in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century. She completed the 8th grade of elementary school, an educational milestone that later enabled her to pursue professional work.
She taught in Newton County for nine years at Spring Hill in Union, Mississippi, where she was remembered as a dedicated educator. Her role as a teacher positioned her among a small yet influential group of Black women whose efforts sustained rural education during segregation.
Marriage & Family
Ara Fannie married Henry Clarence Viverette (1910–1978) on March 4, 1937. Henry Clarence was the son of the late Dock and Jammie Viverette of Union, Mississippi.
From this union, five children were born:
- Pauline Viverette (1938–?)
- Tyrone Edwin Viverette (1939–?)
- Duether Virginia Viverette (1942–1994)
- Helena Viverette (1944–?)
- General Henry Viverette (1947–?)
Migration & Work
In 1941, Ara Fannie and her husband migrated to Chicago, Illinois, joining the broader movement of Black Southern families seeking expanded opportunities during the Great Migration.
By 1950, she was employed as a grocery clerk in a retail grocery store, demonstrating her transition from agricultural labor and teaching into urban wage work while supporting her family.
Church & Community Life
Ara Fannie Whitehead Viverette was deeply engaged in church life. Newspaper accounts describe her as a Sunday school teacher and “mother of the church”, with involvement at Antioch, Holly Lee, New Christian Fellowship, and New Macedonia Missionary Baptist Churches. She was also described as a businesswoman, reflecting her economic independence and leadership within both church and community spaces.
Death & Burial
Ara Fannie Whitehead Viverette passed away on February 5, 1971, in Chicago, Illinois. Funeral services were held on February 12, 1971, at Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Union, Mississippi, where she had formerly been a member. The service was officiated by Rev. Rudolph Whitehead, her nephew.
She was laid to rest at Spring Hill Cemetery.
Resting Place
Spring Hill Graveyard, Union, Mississippi
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The Newton Record, Ambrous Whitehead Obituary, Wed, Nov 09, 1960 ·Page 11
- Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988
- The Newton Record, Mrs. H.C. Viverette Obituary, Wed, Feb 17, 1971 ·Page 13
- U.S., Chicago and North Western Railroad Employment Records, 1935-1970
Leave a Reply