Zorah News, January 16, 1904

The following is from the New Bern Daily Journal of January 19, 1904:

  ZORAH, January 16th.
  Mr. I.R. Whitford of this place, has been elected keeper of the Neuse River bridge.
  Miss Amanda Whitford and Mr. J.R. Wiley went to Clayroot last Saturday.
  Larry Alston, the little son of Mr. D.P. Whitford, caused his people considerable anxiety last week by putting a bean in his nose.
  The recent bad weather has caused our schools to stop several days.
  Mrs. Mary Tunstall is quite sick with grip. Dr. Primrose of New Bern is attending her.
  Mrs. W.D. Toler is in quite a critical condition. She has been lying unconscious since Friday noon. Her recovery is doubtful.
  Mr. Jas. O. Wiley and sister, Miss Rosa, are visiting their sister Mrs. R.E. Lathinghouse, near Vanceboro.
  Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Whitford went to New Bern yesterday to visit their son, Mr. J.R. Whitford.
  Mr. Ransom Booth of Pollocksville is visiting at Zorah.
  The young people of our place had a very enjoyable dance at Mr. W.R. Arthur's last night.

  I.R. Whitford is Ira Romonas Whitford (1880-1948), son of Bryan Cox Whitford and Margaret Jane Wiley. He is probably the J.R. Whitford in the 8th paragraph that B.C. Whitford is going to see in New Bern.
  Amanda Rhesa Whitford (1877-1965) was the daughter of Stephen Edward Whitford and Artemisia Tuten. J.R. Wiley is probably John Redding Wiley (1877-1961), son of Azariah Wiley and Ellen Ann Stilley.
  Larry Alston Whitford continued his love for botany as a long-time professor at North Carolina State University.
  Mary Tunstall (1828-1906) was the widow of Alfred B. Tunstall (1828?-1903). She was the daughter of Calvin Morris and Sallie Reel. Both Mary and Alfred are buried in High Bridge Cemetery.
  Mrs. W.D. Toler (nee Sarah "Sally" Knox) was the daughter of William R. "Bill" and Dorcas Knox. She married William David "Willie" Toler. She died January 17, 1904, from complications following childbirth. The child also died. Both were buried in "Bethel Burying Ground" (now High Bridge Cemetery), but were later re-interred at the Knox Family Cemetery.
  James O'Neal (O'Neill) Wiley, Rosa Wiley, and Mrs. R.E. Laughinghouse (Nancy "Nannie" Wiley), were the children of Azariah F. Wiley and Ellen Ann "Nellie" Stilley, and the siblings of John Redding Wiley mentioned above.
  Ransom Booth was the son of Merritt Booth and the brother of Julia Booth (married Fred Willis Toler) and Claud Booth (and others).
  W.R. Arthur was William Roberson Arthur (1867-1929). He married Nancy Pauline O'Neal.

Ancient News--February 1906

The following is from the New Bern Daily Journal of March 3, 1906:

Zorah--Feby 28--Our farmers are busily engaged in making fences and clearing land, preparing for another crop.
Mrs. Jane Whitford who has been sick the past year, doesn't seem to get much better.
Mr. A.R. Whitford who went to Newport News some time ago, came home last week to see his mother.
Mr. G.A. Whitford went to Washington Saturday.
Miss Carrie Tunstall returned to her school in Jones County last week.
Mrs. Amanda Tuten of Edward spent last week at Mr. Silas Fulcher's.
Mr. J.M. Whitford and sister Miss Lizzie O'Neil spent Saturday night with relatives near Edward.
Messrs. Billy Yates and Jesse Latham of Gilead, spent Saturday night and Sunday at Mrs. Rose Whitford's.
Our Friendship and Pinetree schools had an exciting game of ball Friday afternoon, which resulted in a score of 14 to 21 in favor of Friendship.
Mr. S.M. Brinson our County Superintendent was here last week looking after our schools and delivered some able addresses on education which were highly appreciated by our students. He talks of consolidating our schools before another year.
Miss Rhesa Yates of Gilead is visiting relatives here.
Miss Susie Wetherington spent Monday night with Misses Mary and Cora Whitford.
Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Wiley of Cool Spring, visited relatives here last week.
Master Ivie Toler who has been spending a while on Blounts Creek returned home Friday.

Jane Whitford is Margaret Jane Wiley Whitford, wife of Bryan C. Whitford. She would eventually die in June 1906. A.R. Whitford is her son, Addison Rudolph, as is G.A. Whitford (Gilbert Arthur).
Carrie Tunstall may be Amanda Caroline Tunstall, daughter of Peyton Randolph Tunstall. If so, she later married Robert Pipkin.

Mrs. Amanda Tuten is Amanda Hollon Toler Tuten, daughter of Charles and Caroline Tunstall Toler and wife of Claudius E. Tuten. She is the sister of Mrs. Silas Fulcher (nee Verena Caroline Toler).

J.M. Whitford is John Malcolm Whitford, son of Lewis D and Rosa Tuten Whitford. There is a mistake here, in that Lizzie O'Neal is a cousin, not his sister. There is probably a line missing from this sentence, as in the New Bern Weekly Journal of 2 March 1906, is a "Durhams Creek" column which states: "Misses Mary Whitford and Lizzie Oneal, accompanied by Mr. John Whitford, all of Zorah, were the guests of Miss Maud Tuten on Saturday and Sunday."

Billy Yates is William Gilbert Yates, son of Weston and Josephine Tuten Yates, and nephew of Mrs. Rose Tuten Whitford. I'm not sure who Jesse Latham is at the moment. Rhesa Yates is the sister of Billy Yates [the name is also spelled Yeates].

Susie Wetherington is the daughter of Henry Bryan and Laura Toler Wetherington. She would later marry Mary's and Cora's brother Ira, all children of Lewis D. and Rosa Tuten Whitford.

J.O. Wiley is James O'Neill Wiley, son of Azariah F. and Ellen Ann "Nellie" Stilley Wiley. He married Della Whitford, daughter of William David and Florence Ipock Whitford.

Ivie Toler is actually Evie Toler, son of John A. and Susan (Rosa) Wiley Toler.