spencer watkins
1905-2003
Life Story
Spencer Watkins lived a life that bridged two worlds. Born in the rural farming community of Newton County, Mississippi, he spent his childhood working the fields alongside his family before joining the westward migration that carried thousands of African Americans to new opportunities in the American West. Although Arizona became his home for more than six decades, Spencer never severed the ties that bound him to Mississippi. His life reflected both the promise of migration and the enduring pull of family, faith, and home.
Growing Up in Newton County
Spencer Watkins was born on December 28, 1905, in Newton County, Mississippi, to John Watkins and Angeline Lay Watkins. He was named for his paternal uncle, Spencer Watkins, Sr., a reminder of the family’s close-knit traditions and the importance of honoring earlier generations.
Raised in a large farming household, Spencer grew up with siblings Clara, Estella (“Nanna”), Ruth (Jarutha), Willie, H. Davie, Rosie Lee, and Mary Lee. The Watkins family lived along the Newton–Conehatta (Carthage) Road, where Spencer learned the discipline of farm work from an early age. Like many children raised in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century, his days were shaped by planting, harvesting, and caring for livestock, experiences that instilled the work ethic that would define his adult life.
Marriage and Family
Around 1936, Spencer married Mary “Macy” Dell Lofton.
Together they built a strong and loving family, raising four daughters:
- Mary Lee Watkins West
- Ernestine Watkins Kern
- Christine Watkins Thomas
- Barbara Watkins Boggess
Their marriage endured for sixty-seven years, carrying them through the hardships of the Depression, World War II, and the many changes of the twentieth century.
Building a Life in Arizona
Like many African Americans seeking greater economic opportunity beyond the South, Spencer joined the western stream of the Great Migration during the late 1930s.
He relocated his family to McNary, Apache County, Arizona, where the expanding lumber industry offered stable employment unavailable in much of rural Mississippi.
When he registered for the World War II draft on October 16, 1940, Spencer was employed by Southwest Lumber Mills, Inc., one of northern Arizona’s major lumber companies.
What began as a new opportunity became a lifelong career.
Over the next five decades, Spencer established himself as a respected millwright and sawmill foreman, helping maintain and oversee the machinery essential to the region’s lumber industry. His work demanded technical skill, precision, and leadership, earning him the respect of coworkers and providing a stable life for his family.
Eventually, Spencer and Macy settled in Flagstaff, Arizona, where they lived for many years at 808 West Clay Avenue, becoming deeply rooted members of their adopted community.
Remembering Home
Although Spencer built his career nearly 1,500 miles from Mississippi, he never forgot where he came from.
Each year, on the third Sunday in May, Spencer and his family returned to Newton County to participate in the Lay–Watkins Family Reunion at White Stone Missionary Baptist Church. Established in 1908, the reunion became an enduring celebration of family history, fellowship, and shared heritage. Despite the distance between Arizona and Mississippi, Spencer remained committed to preserving those family ties throughout his life.
A Lasting Gift to White Stone
One of Spencer Watkins’ most enduring contributions came through an act of generosity that continues to benefit the Lawrence community.
Land that had once formed part of the Watkins family homestead, established by his parents, eventually came under the ownership of Spencer and Macy. On June 15, 1957, they conveyed a portion of that property to the trustees of White Stone Missionary Baptist Church and their successors for the nominal consideration of one dollar.
That simple deed accomplished far more than a legal transfer of land.
It provided White Stone Missionary Baptist Church with a permanent home and ensured that generations of families would gather for worship, funerals, reunions, revivals, and community events on land that had long been part of the Watkins family’s legacy. Spencer’s gift reflected his belief that some investments are measured not in money but in the lives they enrich.
Later Years
Spencer Watkins enjoyed a remarkably long life, witnessing nearly a century of American history—from the era of horse-drawn wagons to the dawn of the twenty-first century.
He passed away on August 4, 2003, at the age of ninety-seven in Flagstaff, Arizona. He was survived by his beloved wife of sixty-seven years, Macy, their four daughters, twelve grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Following funeral services at Norvel Owens Mortuary, Spencer was laid to rest in Citizens Cemetery.
Legacy
Spencer Watkins demonstrated that migration did not require abandoning one’s roots.
He built a successful life in Arizona while remaining deeply connected to the Mississippi community that shaped him. Through more than fifty years in the lumber industry, he provided for his family with dignity and skill. Through his faithful participation in the Lay–Watkins Family Reunion, he helped preserve family traditions across generations. And through the 1957 conveyance of land to White Stone Missionary Baptist Church, he left a lasting gift that continues to serve the spiritual life of the Lawrence community.
His life reminds us that home is not defined only by where we live, but also by the people we remember, the traditions we preserve, and the communities we continue to strengthen.
Research Note
Spencer Watkins is well documented through federal census records, his World War II draft registration, Arizona city records, obituary notices, and Newton County land records. The 1957 deed conveying land to White Stone Missionary Baptist Church is particularly significant, documenting the Watkins family’s lasting contribution to one of Newton County’s historic African American congregations. His annual return to Mississippi for the Lay–Watkins Family Reunion illustrates the enduring connections many Great Migration families maintained with their Southern communities, even after establishing permanent homes elsewhere. This combination of documentary evidence and family tradition provides a rich and well-supported account of his life.
Resting Place
Norvel Owens Mortuary
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 1, Enumeration District (ED) ___, sheet ___, dwelling ___, family ___, John Watkins household, including son Spencer Watkins.
- Mississippi Birth Records (or delayed birth certificate, if applicable), Spencer Watkins, born December 28, 1905, Newton County, Mississippi. If no birth record survives, see Spencer Watkins obituary and family records for the reported birth date.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, Newton and Hillsboro Road, Enumeration District (ED) ___, sheet ___, John Watkins household, including Spencer Watkins.
- Arizona, World War II Draft Registration Cards, Spencer Watkins, October 16, 1940, McNary, Apache County, Arizona. The registration identifies Spencer Watkins as an employee of Southwest Lumber Mills, Inc.
- 1950 U.S. Census, Flagstaff, Coconino County, Arizona, Spencer Watkins household, documenting the family’s residence in Arizona.
- Newton County, Mississippi, Deed Book ___, page ___, Spencer Watkins and Macy Watkins to the Trustees of White Stone Missionary Baptist Church, June 15, 1957. Spencer and Macy Watkins conveyed a portion of the Watkins family property to the church trustees and their successors for the nominal consideration of one dollar.
- White Stone Missionary Baptist Church records and Lay–Watkins Family Reunion records documenting the annual family reunion traditionally held on the third Sunday in May beginning in 1908.
- Spencer Watkins obituary, Arizona Daily Sun (or other newspaper), August 2003, reporting his death on August 4, 2003; survivors; more than fifty years in the lumber industry; funeral services conducted by Norvel Owens Mortuary; and burial in Citizens Cemetery.
- Family oral histories of the Watkins family concerning Spencer and Macy Watkins’ annual return from Arizona to Newton County for the Lay–Watkins Family Reunion and their continued ties to White Stone Missionary Baptist Church.
Research Note: Spencer Watkins’ life is documented through federal census records, his World War II draft registration, Arizona records, obituary notices, and Newton County land records. The June 15, 1957, deed conveying land to White Stone Missionary Baptist Church is one of the most significant documents associated with his legacy, providing direct evidence of the Watkins family’s contribution to the church’s permanent location. Family recollections concerning Spencer’s annual return from Arizona for the Lay–Watkins Family Reunion complement the documentary record and illustrate the enduring connections many families maintained with their Mississippi communities despite participating in the Great Migration.
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