crossie barks billingsley leonard
1865-1958
Life Story
A Matriarch Across Three Generations
Crossie Barks was born on July 5, 1865, in Mississippi, just months after the end of the Civil War. The daughter of Louis Barth (Barks) and Manerva Barks, she belonged to the first generation of African Americans born into freedom after emancipation. Her life would span nearly a century, witnessing Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.
Early Life in Newton County
Crossie first appears in the 1870 census as a two-year-old named “Crossey” living in Newton County, Mississippi. She was part of a hardworking household that relied on agricultural labor for survival.
Her parents, Louis and Manerva, raised their children during the difficult transition from slavery to freedom. Like many families of the era, the Barks household was built on collective labor, cooperation, and resilience.
Growing up in this environment shaped Crossie’s character and prepared her for the responsibilities she would later carry as a wife, mother, and eventually a family matriarch.
Marriage and Family Life
Around 1885, at approximately twenty years old, Crossie married Henry Tab Billingsley. Unlike many African American women of her generation who had limited access to schooling, Crossie learned to read and write, maintaining literacy throughout her life.
Together, she and Ta built a large household in Newton County and raised several children:
- Hoye Billingsley (b. 1886)
- Henry Billingsley, Jr. (b. 1891)
- Della Billingsley (1893 – 1991)
- Lelia (Lela) Billingsley (1895-1983)
- Candacie Billingsley (1897-1994)
- Dewitt Robert Billingsley (b. 1899)
- Dora Billingsley (b. 1901)
By 1900, Crossie’s household had become a multi-generational center of family life. In addition to raising her children, she also cared for her aging mother, Manerva Barks, illustrating the extended family structure that sustained many rural Black communities.
Resilience Through Loss
The early twentieth century brought major changes to Crossie’s life. Following the death of her first husband, Ta Billingsley, she remarried in 1908 to Sam Leonard, a man significantly older than she was.
The 1910 census records her in Newton County under the name “Crowther Leonard.” At that time, she was managing a farming household. The census also recorded an important detail: although Crossie had given birth to seven children, all seven were still living—a notable achievement in an era when childhood mortality was tragically common.
By 1920, Crossie had been widowed a second time. Now the head of her own household, she lived on Hickory Road in Newton County and worked as a farmer and wage earner on a general farm.
Despite these challenges, she continued to support her children, with several still living in the household.
Independence and Land Ownership
By 1930, Crossie had achieved a remarkable milestone: she owned her own farm in Newton County. The census recorded her as “working on her own account,” demonstrating her independence and determination.
Living alone during this period, Crossie represented a powerful example of resilience. As a literate Black woman and landowner in the Jim Crow South, she held a position of unusual stability and strength within her community.
Her farm not only sustained her livelihood but also symbolized the hard-won independence that many formerly enslaved families sought after the Civil War.
Final Years and Legacy
Crossie Barks Billingsley Leonard lived a long and remarkable life. She passed away on September 27, 1958, at the age of 93.
She was laid to rest in Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery in Lawrence, Mississippi, alongside her mother, Manerva Barks.
Crossie’s life bridged multiple generations of American history. Born at the dawn of freedom, she lived long enough to see the early stirrings of the Civil Rights Movement.
Her journey—from the daughter of former slaves to a literate, independent landowner—reflects the strength, perseverance, and determination that shaped the Black communities of Newton County.
Through her children and grandchildren, her legacy continues to echo across generations.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 Federal Censuses
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Leave a Reply