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arthur dukes, sr.

1909-1984

Life Story

Early Life in Jasper County

Arthur Dukes, Sr. was born on January 1, 1909, in Montrose, Jasper County, Mississippi, to George Dukes and Flora Gray Dukes. Although census records vary slightly regarding his birth year, all place his birth during the opening decade of the twentieth century.

Arthur grew up in the rural farming communities of Jasper County alongside older brothers Eddie, Ezra, Willie, and Brookie Dukes. Like many African American children of his generation, he divided his time between school and helping support the family through agricultural work.

He completed approximately the sixth grade, an education typical for many rural Black children in Mississippi during an era when segregated schools operated with limited resources and shortened academic terms.

Building a Home in Newton County

As a young man, Arthur married Rosie Lee Watkins, and together they established their home in Newton County, Mississippi, where they spent the remainder of their lives.

The Dukes family lived in both the Lawrence and Newton communities, eventually making their home on South 7th Street in Newton. Their household reflected the close-knit, multigenerational family life that characterized many African American communities in eastern Mississippi.

Together, Arthur and Rosie became the parents of nine children:

Arthur devoted himself to providing for his growing family while instilling values of faith, perseverance, and hard work that would continue through future generations.

Working Through Changing Times

Throughout his adult life, Arthur earned his living through manual labor and agricultural work.

On October 16, 1940, he registered for the World War II draft in Lawrence, Mississippi. His registration described him as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion. At the time, he was employed by G. W. Brantley.

Although Arthur did not enter military service, the draft registration provides a valuable snapshot of a hardworking husband and father supporting his family during a period when the nation was preparing for war.

By 1950, Arthur was employed as a farm laborer, working long hours to provide for his household. Like many African American men in rural Mississippi, he accepted whatever honest work was available, balancing the demands of manual labor with the responsibilities of raising a large family.

A Father’s Greatest Joy—and Greatest Sorrow

Arthur’s life was centered on his family.

One of the greatest tragedies he endured came in December 1967, when his son, Arthur David Dukes, Jr., died unexpectedly just two days before his thirty-first birthday.

Losing an adult child is among life’s deepest sorrows, and Arthur carried that loss for the remaining years of his life while continuing to serve as the family’s patriarch.

Despite that heartbreak, he remained surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, and extended family, whose lives reflected the foundation he and Rosie had built together.

Final Years

Following an extended illness, Arthur died in November 1984 at Rush Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, at the age of seventy-five.

Funeral services were held on November 25, 1984, at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Lawrence, Mississippi.

He was laid to rest in Union Chapel Cemetery, returning him to the community where he had spent much of his adult life raising his family.

At the time of his death, Arthur was survived by his devoted wife, Rosie; eight surviving children—following the earlier death of his son, Arthur David Dukes, Jr.; thirty-two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a large extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Legacy

Arthur Dukes, Sr. belonged to the generation that bridged two centuries of African American history.

Born in rural Mississippi during the years following Reconstruction, he witnessed the hardships of the Great Depression, the mobilization of World War II, the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, and the beginning of a new era for Black families across the South.

He was never a public official or nationally known figure.

Instead, his legacy was built through quiet faithfulness—as a husband, a father of nine children, a hardworking laborer, and a family patriarch whose influence extended across multiple generations.

Today, the Dukes family continues to bear witness to the life that Arthur and Rosie built together. His descendants remain part of the enduring history of Newton County, carrying forward a legacy rooted in perseverance, family, and community.

Resting Place

Union Chapel United Methodist Church Graveyard

Photos/Albums

Sources

  1. U.S. Federal Census records, 1910–1950, Jasper and Newton Counties, Mississippi.
  2. World War II Draft Registration Card for Arthur Dukes, Sr., October 16, 1940.
  3. Mississippi death records, November 1984.
  4. Obituary of Arthur Dukes, Sr., November 1984, documenting his funeral, survivors, and burial.
  5. Burial records, Union Chapel Cemetery, Lawrence, Mississippi.

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