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Verdie Lee Loftin |
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Born: 07 Sep 1903, Catawba County, NC Died:
06 Mar 1993, Catawba County, NC |
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Verdie Lee
Loftin was the fifth child born to Alonzo Lester Loftin and
Cornelia Estelle Lowrance. Verdie Lee was born 07 Sep 1903 in
Catawba County, NC. On 11 Feb 1904 her mother, Cornelia,
died from pneumonia. Verdie Lee's maternal Grandmother,
Sarah Josephine Bost Lowarance, had just died on 02 Feb 1904. |
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Alonzo couldn't
raise five small children, run the family farm, and work, too
The children were so young. Nannie was 8, Lillie 6, Roy 4,
Floye 2 1/2 and Verdie Lee was 6-months-old. The decision
was made to send the children away to live at an orphanage until
he could bring them back home and care for them. |
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Verdie Lee's
son, Russell Boggs, said that after Cornelia's death, Verdie Lee
was sent to live with her grandmother Sarah Lowrance, but
unfortunately Sarah also died that same month. |
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Alonzo's
parents, William Alexander "Alec" Loftin and Laura Cranford,
decided to take "the baby", Verdie Lee. Alex was 53 at the
time and Laura was 49. Several of their own children were
still living at home, including Zettie, Garland, Pearl and
Cordie. |
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In November
1904, Alonzo married Ida Lillian Setzer, 9 months after
Cornelia's death. |
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According to
the 1910 Catawba County Census, Alonzo and Ida had three
children, Charlie, Theodore and Sadie. Lillie, Roy and
Floye were also living with them. Nannie was still living
at the orphanage. Verdie Lee continued to live with Alec
and Laura. |
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According to
Verdie Lee's son, Russell Boggs, when she was 9-years-old Verdie
Lee went to Gastonia to live with Lillie and Nannie. |
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1920 Gastonia City Census |
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| Last Name |
First Name |
Relation |
Sex |
Race |
Age |
S/M/W |
Can
Read |
Can
Write |
Born |
Occupation |
Occupation |
| Martin |
Wade V. |
Head |
M |
W |
25 |
M |
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
Manager |
Battery Repair Shop |
| ------ |
Nannie M. |
Wife |
F |
W |
24 |
M |
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
None |
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| ------ |
Cornelia L. |
Daughter |
F |
W |
4 |
S |
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NC |
None |
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| Loftin |
Lillie S. |
Sister-In-Law |
F |
W |
22 |
S |
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
Operator |
Telephone Office |
| ------ |
Floye H. |
Sister-In-Law |
F |
W |
18 |
S |
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
Operator |
Telephone Office |
| ------ |
Verdie Lee |
Sister-In-Law |
F |
W |
16 |
S |
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
Knitter |
Hosiery Mill |
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The 1920
Gastonia City Census shows Verdie Lee, Lillie and Floye living
with Nannie and Wade Martin. Verdie Lee's age was 16 and
she was working as a knitter at a Hosiery Mill. |
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Verdie Lee only completed 10th grade, but she had a great
interest in geography and history. |
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On 14 Jan 1921,
at the age of 17, Verdie Lee married Fitzhugh Boggs.
At
the age of 18, Verdie Lee and Fitzhugh were living in the home
of an elderly Mrs. Kale in Catawba. Mrs. Kale had told
them, "If you'll stay with me, this house will be yours when I
die." Several years later, however, an unfortunate house
fire burned Mrs. Kales home. It was eventually rebuilt,
but Verdie Lee and Fitzhugh had moved in with his parents,
Alexander & Celia Boggs, on Boggs Rd. in Claremont. They
continued to visit Mrs. Kale as if she were family. |
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Verdie Lee and Fitzhuch eventually built their
own house in Claremont. |
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(Left) Verdie Lee and Fitzhugh |
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(Below) Verdie Lee in the snow |
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They had four children. |
| Name |
Birth Date |
Death Date |
Spouse |
| Parlier Cornelia Boggs |
19 Oct 1922 |
12 Oct 1924 |
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| James Russell Boggs |
18 Nov 1923 |
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Mary Cloninger |
| William "Billy" Bruce Boggs |
05 May 1929 |
31 Dec 2005 |
Edith Caroline Harrison |
| Walter Roy Boggs |
22 Jul 1933 |
29 Dec 2006 |
(1) Joan Coulter
(2) Norma Cline
(3) Ruth Shook |
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(Left) Verdie Lee and Parlier
(Right) Fitzhugh |
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First born,
Parlier, only lived for two years. She died 12 Oct 1924
and is buried at
Catawba United Methodist Church. |
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Verdie Lee gathers with her siblings for step-mother Ida's
yearly birthday dinner |
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(Left to Right) Elma, Theodore/Speedo, Charlie, Thelma, Frances,
Roy, Ida, Sadie, Verdie Lee, Lillie, Mike and Nannie |
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(Left to Right) Sadie, Frances, Verdie Lee, Allie, Ida, Oscar,
Nannie, Mike, Thelma and Elma |
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Verdie Lee and
Fitzhugh loved flowers and she loved garden parties. They decided to move to Newton and
open Boggs' Florist. It was around that time that Fitzhugh
was diagnosed with Luekemia. He died 6-weeks later on 25
Mar 1949. |
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The Boggs home and florist was located on 409 W. C Street in
Newton (Hwy 10) |
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Verdie Lee
continued to run Boggs' Florist at a time when it was difficult
for a woman to own and run a business - and she did it well. |
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Verdie Lee (left) |
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Sometime later,
Verdie Lee called her son Russell and told him that she had been
seeing a family friend, Ralph Copeny, and that he has asked her
to marry him. She asked Russell what he thought. He
told her that she was a still a young woman - that she should go
for it. |
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Verdie Lee and Ralph were only married 5 - 7 years before his
death. She never took the Copeny last name during her
marriage.
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A few years
later she called Russell again and told him she was considering
marriage again. Verdie Lee married Harold Yount.
They were only married for five years before his death from
cancer. |
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(Right) Harold Yount in 1972 |
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After Harold's
death, Verdie Lee decided to spend the rest of her days alone. |
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Verdie Lee was a hard working woman with high ideals - a
beautiful lady. |
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The family gathers to celebrate Verdie Lee's 80th birthday
Verdie Lee with sons (left to right) Roy, Russell, and Bill |
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Verdie Lee with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren |
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(Left to Right) Kevin, Carol, David, Verdie Lee, Darlene &
Ashley, Leah & Shannon |
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Verdie Lee (right) with sister-in-law Mae Loftin (left),
Mae's son-in-law and daughter Eddie & Yvonne Bryson (top center)
and sister Lillie Loftin (middle) |
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Verdie Lee Loftin Boggs died 06 Mar 1993 at the age of 89. She and Fitzhugh
are buried at Catawba United Methodist Church near their
daughter Parliear. Their son William Boggs is also buried
near them. |
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(Below) Russell & Mary Boggs with their children,
Terry Kristan Boggs and Olivian Russell Boggs |
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Roy Boggs in 1966 |
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If you have additional information or photos of Verdie Lee &
Fitzhugh, please contact me. |
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A special thanks to Russell Boggs for additional information
about his mother. |
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A special thanks to Leah and Kevin Boggs for additional photos
of the Verdie Lee and the Boggs family |
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