david H. watkins, sr.
1910-1999
Life Story
Early Life & Family Roots in Newton County
David H. Watkins, Sr., often known simply as Dave, was born on January 1, 1910, in Newton County, Mississippi, to John (“Candy John”) Watkins and Angeline (“Angie”) Lay Watkins. He grew up in the Lawrence and Newton communities, where his family was well known for farming, community involvement, and his father’s homemade candy business.
David was raised alongside several siblings, including Clara, Estella (“Nanna”), Spencer, Ruth, Willie, Rosie Lee, and Mary Lee. The 1920 United States Census records ten-year-old “H. Davie” living with his parents in Beat 4 of Newton County while attending school and helping on the family farm. Like many rural African American children of his generation, he completed the third grade before entering the workforce.
Early Family Life
As a young man, David began building a family in Newton County.
His son, David H. Watkins, Jr., was born on June 15, 1929, to Alberta Hillie Winston, a relationship documented by David Jr.’s obituary.
Other records establish that David also fathered Willie Mae (Willa Mae) Watkins, who was born in 1934 to Arrilla Lois McCune. David Jr.’s obituary identifies Willie Mae among his siblings, confirming their relationship as half-brother and half-sister.
David Jr.’s obituary also names Shirley, Irene, Mamie, Kareem (“Kay”), Perry, and John Walker as siblings. While these individuals were clearly regarded as members of the same family, the currently available records do not establish whether they shared both parents with David Jr. or were related through one parent. Their exact parentage therefore remains the subject of ongoing family research.
Work & World War II Era
By 1940, David was supporting his household through government labor in Newton County during the closing years of the Great Depression.
On October 16, 1940, he registered for the Selective Service in Newton County. His draft registration described him as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 165 pounds, with a light brown complexion, black hair, and black eyes. Interestingly, he identified his mother, Angie Watkins, as his nearest relative.
Although he registered for the draft, no record has been located indicating that he entered military service.
The Great Migration to Michigan
Following World War II, David joined thousands of African Americans who left the rural South seeking greater economic opportunities in northern industrial cities.
He relocated to Muskegon, Michigan, where his brother Willie Watkins and other members of the Watkins family also settled. Like many southern migrants, David exchanged agricultural work for employment in Michigan’s manufacturing economy while maintaining close ties to his Mississippi roots.
Life in Muskegon
A newspaper published in 1948 reported that David and his brother Willie were charged with resisting a police officer following an incident in Muskegon. The surviving newspaper accounts provide only limited details regarding the circumstances, and there is no evidence that the episode became a defining part of David’s life.
Instead, he remained a longtime resident of Muskegon, where he spent decades working, raising a family, and contributing to his community.
Later Years & Legacy
David H. Watkins, Sr., passed away on December 31, 1999, at the age of eighty-nine.
His life reflected the experiences of many African Americans born in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century. He witnessed the hardships of the Great Depression, participated in the Great Migration that reshaped Black America, and helped establish future generations of the Watkins family across the Midwest and beyond.
Although documentary evidence leaves some questions about the exact composition of his family, it is clear that David’s descendants and extended family remained closely connected. His children and their families carried the Watkins legacy into communities throughout Mississippi, Michigan, Illinois, California, Ohio, Georgia, and other parts of the country.
Research Note
The parentage of some individuals identified as David Watkins, Jr.’s siblings requires careful interpretation. David Jr.’s obituary identifies Shirley, Willa Mae (Willie Mae), Irene, Mamie, Kareem (“Kay”), Perry, John Walker, and Willie Gardner as his siblings. Independent records establish that Willie Mae (Willa Mae) Jordan was the daughter of David Watkins, Sr. and Arilla Lois McCune, making her David Jr.’s half sister. At present, however, the available evidence does not establish the maternal relationships of the remaining siblings. Until additional birth records or other primary sources are located, this biography intentionally avoids assigning all of the children to a single mother.
Resting Place
Unknown
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 1, Enumeration District (ED) ___, sheet ___, dwelling ___, family ___, John Watkins household, including David H. Watkins, age four months.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, Enumeration District (ED) ___, sheet ___, dwelling ___, family ___, John Watkins household, listing “H. Davie” Watkins, age ten.
- 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Enumeration District (ED) ___, sheet ___, dwelling ___, family ___, David H. Watkins household. The census records David as employed in government labor during the preceding year.
- U.S. Selective Service System, World War II Draft Registration Card, David H. Watkins, October 16, 1940, Local Board No. 1, Newton County, Mississippi; National Archives and Records Administration.
- Muskegon Chronicle (Muskegon, Michigan), November 1948, reporting the arrest of David Watkins and Willie Watkins following an incident involving charges of resisting a police officer.
- Social Security Death Index, David H. Watkins, born January 1, 1910; died December 31, 1999.
- David H. Watkins, Jr., obituary, Flint Journal (Flint, Michigan), November 2008. The obituary identifies David Jr. as the son of David Watkins, Sr. and Alberta Hillie Winston and names Shirley, Willa Mae, Irene, Mamie, Kareem (“Kay”), Perry, John Walker, and Willie Gardner as his siblings.
- David H. Watkins, Jr., obituary, Flint Journal, November 2008. Independent family records identify Willie Mae (Willa Mae) Jordan as the daughter of David Watkins, Sr. and Arilla Lois McCune, indicating that Willie Mae and David H. Watkins, Jr., were half siblings. The maternal relationships of the remaining siblings named in the obituary have not been established through currently available primary records.
- Obituary of Willie Mae (Willa Mae) Jordan (or other primary family record identifying her parents), identifying her as the daughter of David Watkins, Sr. and Arilla Lois McCune.
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