lee curry
1892-1967
Life Story
Early Life and Family Roots
Lee Curry was born in December 1892 in the Lawrence community of Newton County, Mississippi, to Jake Curry and Sarah Windham Curry. He grew up in a large farming family during a period of tremendous change in the South, as African American families worked to build stable lives in the decades following Reconstruction.
The 1900 census records Lee as a young boy living in Beat 4 of Newton County with his parents and numerous siblings. His father, Jake Curry, was part of a generation that had witnessed the transition from slavery to freedom, while his mother, Sarah Windham Curry, managed a busy household that included children from both Jake’s first and second marriages.
Like many children raised in rural Mississippi, Lee learned the value of hard work at an early age. Life revolved around the farm, family responsibilities, church, and community, all of which helped shape his character and values.
Education and Young Adulthood
By 1910, seventeen-year-old Lee was working as a farm laborer on the family farm. Despite the demands of agricultural life, he attended school and learned to read and write. His literacy would remain one of the distinguishing features of his generation, providing opportunities that were not always available to African Americans living in the rural South.
During the World War I era, Lee spent time in neighboring Alabama. His draft registration, completed in Washington County, Alabama, places him near the state line and describes him as a man of medium height and stout build with black hair and brown eyes. Though he temporarily lived outside Mississippi, his roots remained firmly planted in Newton County.
Widower at a Young Age
The 1920 census provides a glimpse into a significant personal loss in Lee’s life. At just twenty-six years old, he was recorded as a widower, indicating that he had already experienced the death of a wife during his early adulthood.
Unfortunately, surviving records have not yet revealed her identity or the circumstances surrounding their marriage and her passing. Nevertheless, the census offers evidence of a profound loss that occurred long before Lee reached middle age.
At the time, Lee was living in Beat 4 within the larger Curry family household headed by his aging father, Jake Curry. He supported himself as a farmer working on his own account while remaining surrounded by siblings, nieces, nephews, and extended family members who formed a strong support network during a difficult period of his life.
Independence During Difficult Times
By 1930, Lee had established his own household in Beat 4. Census records indicate that he was divorced and renting his home while supporting himself through day labor. The nation was entering the Great Depression, and like many rural Mississippians, Lee adapted to changing economic conditions by taking whatever work was available.
Despite these challenges, he remained self-sufficient and continued to build a life in the community where he had been raised.
Marriage to Crittie Curry
Sometime before 1940, Lee married Crittie A. Curry. Together they established a household in Newton County and spent the remainder of their lives in the area.
The 1940 census finds Lee and Crittie renting a farm and working to support their household. Lee operated as a farmer on his own account, while Crittie managed the home. Living with them was eighteen-year-old Alice M. Harris, reflecting the tradition of extended family support that remained common throughout the Lawrence community.
Although Lee’s formal education ended after the fourth grade, he successfully navigated decades of social and economic change through hard work, determination, and practical knowledge gained from a lifetime of farming.
Later Years in Newton
By 1950, Lee and Crittie were residing on South 7th Street in Newton, Mississippi. Though living closer to town, Lee remained engaged in agricultural work, putting in long hours as a farm laborer and helper.
Unlike many African Americans who left Mississippi during the Great Migration, Lee chose to remain in Newton County. His life remained closely connected to the land, the people, and the community that had shaped him from childhood.
Death and Legacy
Lee Curry passed away in September 1967 at the age of seventy-four.
His life spanned some of the most transformative years in American history—from the closing years of the nineteenth century through two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights era. Through it all, he remained rooted in Newton County.
Remembered as a hardworking farmer, a literate and determined man, and a devoted member of the Curry family, Lee’s story reflects the perseverance and quiet strength that characterized so many rural African American families in Mississippi. His legacy remains woven into the history of the Lawrence community and the generations of descendants who followed.
Resting Place
Unknown
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Jake Curry.
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Jake Curry.
- World War I Draft Registration Card, Lee Curry, Washington County, Alabama, 1917–1918.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Jake Curry (listing Lee Curry as a widower).
- 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Lee Curry.
- 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, household of Lee and Crittie Curry.
- 1950 U.S. Census, Newton, Newton County, Mississippi, South 7th Street, household of Lee Curry.
- Mississippi death records, Lee Curry, September 1967.
- Family records identifying Lee Curry as the son of Jake Curry and Sarah Windham Curry.
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