cora lee whitehead viverette
1914-2009
Life Story
The Early Years in Newton County (1914–1930s)
Cora Lee Whitehead Viverette was born on March 7, 1914, in Newton County, Mississippi. Across the records, her name appears in several forms, including Pearline, Coraline, Cora Lean, and Cora Lee, a reminder of how African American names were often recorded inconsistently by census takers and clerks.
She was the daughter of Ambrose B. Whitehead, and Marietta Whitehead. Cora grew up in Beat 4 of Newton County in a large farming family that included siblings Andrew, Ila, Litha, Inez Wortley, Fannie, Luada, Archie, Thelma, Elijah, and Virginia.
By 1930, at age sixteen, Cora was living in the rhythm of rural farm life. She worked as a farm laborer on the family land, yet she was also attending school and had learned to read and write. Those skills would become central to the direction of her life.
Dedication to Education
By the mid-to-late 1930s, Cora had become part of Newton County’s Black teaching community. A newspaper clipping by County Superintendent E. M. Smith, discussing the “Colored Schools and Teachers of Newton County,” identifies Cora Lee Whitehead as a faculty member assigned to Miles School.
She served alongside J. M. Hardaway and Dessie Pilate at Miles School. Education was clearly a strong tradition within the Whitehead family. Her sister Luada Whitehead was assigned to Union Grove School, while another sister, Inez Whitehead, taught at Lake School. A third sister, Fannie A. Viverette, was assigned to Spring Hill School. Fannie had married into the Viverette family, and both she and Cora would eventually marry Viverette brothers, further intertwining the families through education and community life.
These teaching assignments reflect the remarkable presence of the Whitehead family within Newton County’s Black school system during the era of segregated education. Together, they represented a generation of African American educators who carried literacy, discipline, hope, and opportunity into rural classrooms despite limited resources and difficult conditions.
Cora’s work as a teacher placed her among the dedicated men and women who helped sustain and uplift their communities through education during one of the most challenging periods in Mississippi history.
The Great Migration to Chicago
Cora later married Willie Coleman Viverette, from Newton County. Like many African American families of their generation, Cora and Willie eventually left Mississippi in search of greater opportunity and a broader future.
By 1940, they were living on East 50th Street in Chicago, Illinois. They were not alone in that transition. Their household included Cora’s sister Luada, Luada’s husband Thomas Revish, their young daughter Vivian, and Cora’s brother Andrew Whitehead. This shared household reflected the strength of family networks during the Great Migration, as relatives often helped one another establish roots in northern cities.
By 1950, the family had moved to 5952 South Ada Street in Chicago. Cora was managing the home while Willie worked to support the family. Their household included their children Walter, Bernadine, Alfreda, and Geraldine, along with Luada, Thomas, and their family. Even in Chicago, the Whitehead-Viverette-Revish family ties remained close.
A Long Life and Lasting Legacy
Cora spent the remainder of her life in the Chicago metropolitan area, while still carrying the foundation of Newton County with her. For many years, she resided at 9628 South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Chicago.
Cora Lean Viverette passed away on November 2, 2009, at the age of 95. Her last registered residence was in Country Club Hills, Illinois.
Her life tells a powerful story of education, migration, family strength, and endurance. From the farm fields and schoolrooms of Newton County to the neighborhoods of Chicago, Cora Lee Whitehead Viverette represents a generation that carried knowledge, faith, and family connection across state lines and into the future.
Resting Place
Unknown
Photos/Albums
Sources
1920 Federal Census
- Source Citation: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920; Census Place: Beat 4, Newton County, Mississippi; Roll: T625_888; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 95.
- Footnote Application: Documenting Cora (recorded as “Pearline,” age 6) living in the household of her parents, Ambrose B. and Margetta Whitehead, alongside siblings Andrew, Ila, Litha, Workl, Fannie, and Luada.
1930 Federal Census
- Source Citation: Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930; Census Place: Beat 4, Newton County, Mississippi; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 51-12; Dwelling 182, Family 188.
- Footnote Application: Documenting “Coraline” Whitehead (age 16) as an unpaid family farm laborer who is literate and attending school. Household includes parents “Ammus” and Marietta, and siblings Inez, Ira F., Londa M., Archelus, Thelma, Elijah J., and Virginia D.
Newton County Historical Newspaper Records
- Source Citation: E. M. Smith (County Superintendent), “Colored Schools and Teachers of Newton County,” Local Newspaper Clipping [n.d., ca. late 1930s].
- Footnote Application: Confirming Cora Lee Whitehead’s employment as a teacher at the Miles School alongside J. M. Hardaway and Dessie Pilate; noting Luada Whitehead at Union Grove.
1940 Federal Census
- Source Citation: Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940; Census Place: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-00931; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 103-200; Street: East 50th Street.
- Footnote Application: Documenting “Coralean Viverette” (age 26) living in Chicago with her husband Willie Viverette, brother Andrew Whitehead, sister Luada Revish, and brother-in-law Thomas Revish. Notes migration from rural Newton County since 1935.
WWII Draft Registration Records
- Source Citation: Selective Service Registration Cards for Illinois, 1940–1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System.
- Footnote Application: Confirming marital status and spelling of “Cora Lean Viverette” as the wife/next-of-kin for Willie Coleman Viverette.
1950 Federal Census
- Source Citation: Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Census Place: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois; Roll: 6015; Page: 71; Enumeration District: 103-625; Street: 5952 S. Ada Street (Upstairs).
- Footnote Application: Documenting “Cora Viverette” (age 36) keeping house in a shared residence with the Revish family, listing her four children: Walter, Bernadine, Alfreda, and Geraldine.
Public U.S. Phone and Address Directories
- Source Citation: U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 & 2 [Directories for 1993, 2002]; Residence Place: Chicago, Illinois; Zip Code: 60628.
- Footnote Application: Documenting Cora L. Viverette’s long-term residency at 9628 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (S. King Dr.).
Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
- Source Citation: Social Security Administration; Social Security Death Index, Master File; SSN: 348-28-2530.
- Footnote Application: Confirming Cora L. Viverette’s exact birth date (March 7, 1914), SSN issuance state (Illinois, 1951–1952), death date (November 2, 2009), and last known residence zip code (60478, Country Club Hills, Illinois).
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