judie may collier
1914-1916
Life Story
Birth and Family
Judie May Collier was born on June 29, 1914, in the Lawrence community of Newton County, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Charley Collier and Tennie Curry (also recorded as Currie), both lifelong residents of Newton County.
Judie entered a close-knit rural community where family ties, church life, and farming shaped daily existence. The Collier and Curry families were among the many African American families who built their lives in Beat 4, relying upon kinship networks and mutual support to navigate the challenges of the early twentieth-century South.
Her parents were establishing their own household during a period when landownership and family stability represented important achievements for Black families in rural Mississippi. Judie was their first known child and brought joy to a young family working to build a future in the Lawrence community.
A Brief Life
Although Judie’s life was brief, she lived during a period when childhood illness remained one of the greatest threats to young children. Medical care in rural Mississippi was limited, and diseases that are often treatable today could prove fatal.
In the spring of 1916, Judie became ill with colitis, an inflammatory condition affecting the digestive system. Such illnesses were especially dangerous for infants and toddlers because of the risk of dehydration and the limited medical treatments available at the time.
After a period of illness, Judie May Collier passed away on May 13, 1916, at the age of one year, ten months, and fourteen days.
Her death was recorded by local registrar L. C. Price under file number 85, preserving an official record of her brief life and untimely passing.
Burial at Union Chapel
Following her death, burial arrangements were handled by her father, Charley Collier.
Judie was laid to rest at Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery in Lawrence, Mississippi. The cemetery served as an important resting place for generations of African American families in the community and remains a tangible connection to the area’s history.
Though she lived less than two years, Judie’s memory endured within her family. Her passing was the first major loss experienced by her parents, Charley and Tennie, a tragedy made even more poignant by the death of her father only four years later.
Legacy
The story of Judie May Collier serves as a reminder of the hardships faced by families in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century. High rates of childhood illness and limited access to medical care meant that many families endured losses that are difficult to imagine today.
While Judie’s life was brief, she remains part of the historical record and the enduring story of the Collier, Curry, and Moore family connections that shaped the Lawrence community. Her memory survives through the documents that recorded her life and through the descendants who continue to preserve their family’s history.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Photos/Albums
Sources
- Mississippi State Board of Health, death certificate for Judie May Collier, died 13 May 1916, Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi; cause of death recorded as colitis; filed by L. C. Price; Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi.
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