Our Unique Stories

hattie moore cleveland

1929-2000

Life Story

Early Life in Mississippi

Hattie Moore Cleveland was born on September 29, 1929, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Gilbert Moore and Tennie Currie Moore. She entered the world during a period of profound change in American history, arriving only weeks before the stock market crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression.

Raised in the Lawrence community of Beat 4, Hattie grew up in a large and closely connected family. The 1930 census records her as an infant living with her parents and siblings in rural Newton County.

Her household included her older brother and sister, Otis and Mattie, as well as several maternal half-siblings from her mother’s first marriage to Charley Collier:

The family lived within a strong network of relatives whose roots in Newton County stretched back for generations. Despite the hardships faced by African American families during the Depression and Jim Crow eras, Hattie was raised in a home centered on family, faith, and community.

Growing Up in Lawrence

Hattie’s childhood unfolded in the rural countryside of Newton County, where farming and agricultural labor shaped everyday life.

Like many children growing up in the Lawrence community, she benefited from the support of an extended family network. Grandparents, siblings, cousins, and neighbors all played important roles in the social fabric of the community.

The values of hard work, perseverance, and family loyalty that characterized the Moore and Collier families would remain with her throughout her life.

A New Chapter in Louisiana

As a young woman, Hattie left Mississippi and relocated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, seeking new opportunities and independence.

At some point during the late 1940s, she married and became known as Hattie Cleveland. Records indicate that by October 1948 she was already using her married surname, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

Shortly afterward, she established her Social Security record in Louisiana, reflecting her transition into adulthood and her growing roots in her adopted state.

Life in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge became Hattie’s home for the remainder of her life.

Over the decades, she lived in several neighborhoods throughout the city, particularly in the northern section of Baton Rouge. Public records place her at residences on Princess Court, Avenue L, and later Topeka Street within the 70805 area.

Although specific details of her employment and community activities remain limited, her long residence in Baton Rouge reflects a life built around family, stability, and community connections.

Like many members of her generation, Hattie witnessed dramatic social changes during her lifetime, including the Civil Rights Movement, school desegregation, and the transformation of the modern South.

Death and Burial

Hattie Moore Cleveland passed away on July 7, 2000, at the age of seventy.

Following her death, she was laid to rest at Norman E. Heine Memorial Gardens in Baker, Louisiana, just north of Baton Rouge.

Legacy

Hattie Moore Cleveland’s life bridged two worlds: the rural agricultural communities of Newton County, Mississippi, and the growing urban landscape of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Born during the opening months of the Great Depression, she witnessed nearly the entire twentieth century unfold. Her life reflected the experiences of many African American women who left small rural communities to establish new lives elsewhere while maintaining ties to the families and traditions that shaped them.

Through the generations that followed, Hattie remained an important link between the Moore, Collier, and Cleveland families. Her story is one of resilience, family devotion, and quiet perseverance across seven decades of remarkable change.

Resting Place

Norman E. Heine Memorial Gardens, Baker Louisiana

Photos/Albums

Sources

  • 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Gilbert Moore.
  • Mississippi birth records for Hattie Moore, September 29, 1929, Newton County, Mississippi.
  • Social Security Applications and Claims Index, Hattie Moore Cleveland.
  • Baton Rouge city directory and residence records, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
  • Louisiana death records, Hattie Moore Cleveland, July 7, 2000.
  • Norman E. Heine Memorial Gardens, Baker, Louisiana, burial records for Hattie Moore Cleveland.
  • Family records identifying Hattie Moore Cleveland as the daughter of Gilbert Moore and Tennie Currie Moore.

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