James (Loury) Whitehead 

My Grandfather 

By Joyce Whitehead Orr

James Loury Whitehead was born Feb 28, 1885 to W.K. and Rachel Pratt Whitehead in Greene County Tenn. In 1902 at the age of 17 Loury came to Iowa and made his home with the Aim Linebaugh family. The Linebaugh's were friends from Tenn. who had came to Iowa earlier. Loury worked as a farm hand for Frank Cunning on a farm south of New Market, Iowa. There he met Lenna “Gertie” Cunning. They were married March 5, 1913 and farmed south of New Market, only in later years moving to a farm north of New Market in a community known as “Coal Holler”. Gertie taught at Kendrick # 9 school. Later moving to Hepburn, Iowa and teaching at Sullivan School. Nov. 5, 1949 Gertie was killed in an auto-gravel truck accident south of Bethesda, Iowa at the age of 59. Loury passed away Sept 1969 at the age of 84. He and Gertie had 4 children; Raymond A (my dad) born August 17, 1914, Milo D born March 24, 1917. Cleta L born Oct. 15, 1924, Cleva C born Dec 11, 1926. Each child middle name was a lone letter. All 4 of the children attended country schools in the New Market area and graduated from New Market High School. Raymond and Milo have both passed away, Cleta and Cleva still live in New Market.

Loury played the Banjo and Fiddle by ear, he was well known for his fiddle playing. Loury played at many dances and we grandchildren always encouraged him to play some good ole tunes like the Tennessee Waltz. He was quite a character and loved to visit with all. When he was older he lived with each of the 4 kids for 4 months out of the year. He had a small green trailer that was pulled from house to house. He walked many a gravel road with a cane he had whittled. People would stop their car and pick him up, he would always get in and visit with them, even strangers. When ask where he was going he would say no where in particular and get out and walk back home. He loved playing Wahoo a board game. He had made the board and carved some holes out for the marbles to set in. For hrs I would set and play Wahoo with him, rolling the dice before each move.

Raymond Whitehead (my dad) worked in the coal mines north of New Market in the mid-thirties. He married Marie Pullen Dec 31, 1940 and started farming north of New Market. In the fall of 1982 they retired from farming and moved to New Market. Marie passed away suddenly on March 4, 1985. They had 3 girls, Judy, Janice and Joyce.

Milo (Mike) also farmed and worked in the coal mines with my father. He married Helen Pullen (my mothers sister) on Nov. 26, 1938. They started farming north of New Market in 1939. In Nov 1946 Mike lost his arm in a farm accident. In Nov. 1983 they moved to New Market, Milo passed away Feb. 4, 1984. The had three children Phyllis, Richard and Linda.

Cleta married Weldon Jones in 1945. She taught school at Kendrick # 9 and Lone Star in Taylor County. They moved to Hepburn, Iowa and there she taught at the Sullivan and Fulton Schools in Page County. In 1950 Weldon got a job with the County and they moved to New Market where she still lives with her husband. They had 4 children, Patricia, Jeanne, Susan and David.

Cleva married Floyd Jobe in 1945. She taught school at Frog Pond, Nodaway Center, Siam, Turner, and Lindsay in Taylor County. She worked at the Clarinda Co in Clarinda, Iowa for over 30 years retiring in 1992. They lived in Siam until 1966 then moved to New Market where she still lives with her husband. They had two children James and Jacky.