THIRD GENERATION

4. DeWitt Ambrose Compton was born on 22 Aug 1855 in Jefferson Co, MS. He died on 1 Jan 1925. Compton, DeWitt Ambrose ( C001)

1855: Born August 22, Jefferson Co., Mississippi.

"Had a brother whose children were Richard, Layton, and Henry; Richard married a Compton and died in Louisville, Ky." (Family recollections)

1860: U.S. Census of Mississipi, Jefferson County, lists: "Richard Compton, age 60; Planter; Real Estate value: $12,000, Personal Estate, 42,000; Wife, Mary, age 32; Children: Richard D., 15; Jalone D., 9; Clarence, 7; Dewit, 5, Clara W., 4."

1884: Feb 14: Deed to DeWitt Compton from O. Pickney Compton for all his interest in the Belle Grove Plantation, 51 acres in Jefferson and Franklin Counties, for $250 (Copy in file).

1891: DeWitt had the Plantation surveyed by R.R. Ford. (See copy in file.)

1892: April 9: Quit Claim for above property from O.P. Compton to DeWitt.

1893: November 3: DeWitt mortgaged the above property to J.J. Ledden, along with 44 acres adjoining same on Harper's Creek which he had purchased. He borrowed $258.72.

1895: February 26: DeWitt deeded to S. Simon 75 acres of Belle Grove, plus one black mule named "Kate" and one mule named "Kit", also all crops of cotton and corn, as security on a promissory note of $100, plus interest of 10%, payable before November 15, 1995. In January 28, 1897, note was cancelled.

1895: June 1, D.A. Compton got marriage license with Miss Bertha Stampley. He is listed as aged 35, she as 18. They were married on July 12 by T.P. Bullen, Justice of Peace, Dist. 3.(Cert. of Marriage, State of Miss. Jefferson Co. Book "K" p 106).

1896: First daughter, Mary Erzila., born in January. Mary married Henry Harden and had two children, Bonnie Ruth and Buddy. Bonnie Ruth married a Nagel. Bonnie Ruth's children were Bobette and Tommy. Buddy had one child, Stewart. Mary died April 20, 1981.

1896: DeWitt and Bertha were living on and cultivating cotton and corn on the Belle Grove Place with "one black mule named Kate and dun mule named Kit." On Feb 18 they borrowed $200 from S. Simon, due with 10% interest on November 15, 1896, giving a deed of trust on their property. Attached to deed on June 25, 1897, is note signed by S. Simon cancelling "Deed in Trust I hold against D.A. Compton for 1895 and 1896."

1898: April 2; "DeWitt A. Compton and B.M. Compton his wife, indepted to Dodds and Strahan (General Merchandise Store in Hamburg) in the sum of $214.03 evidenced by their promissory note due on 12th of Feb, 1899, and wanting an advance of $50 for supplies and merchandise during the year 1898 in the Town of Hamburg, Miss, for crops of cotton and corn..." gave a deed of trust on the plantation. The note was cancelled as paid on January 22, 1900.

1898: Daughter Alice Zenobia was born in April. She married Henry Judson Green ("H.J."); children: Evelyn, Margie, W.J. (William Judson) and Hugh Lyndon. Alice died February 21, 1985.

1900: January 18; DeWitt and wife Bertha borrowed $290 on promissory note due with 10% interest on December 15, 1900, apparently for farming expenses, again giving a deed of trust as security.

1900: January 22: J.J. Ledden acknowledged payment of remainder of mortgage on Belle Grove Plantation and set aside his deed held as security.

1900: June 26 U.S. Census of Mississippi lists: "D. Ambrose Compton, born November 1853, age 44, married 6 years; Farmer, owned house, mortgaged; wife Bertha, born March 1860, age 40; Mary D., born Jan 1896, age 4; Alice, born April 1898, age 2."

Listed next: "Compton, Overton, 38; Esther, 36; son, Overton, 8; Richard, 6; Henry, 4; Fannie, 1." Listed next: Claren ? Compton, age 44. (Vol 20; E.D. 84; Sheet 21; Line 86)

1901: Daughter, Bonnie Ruth, born. She married Roy Whitaker; no children; died: December 26, 1979.

1903: Son, Hallie Earl, born June 15. (Listed as Earl Allen in later census.) He married Connie Eual, born 8/4/1907, in Lincoln County. They had no children and she died January 27, 1986.

1905: Son, DeWitt, ("D.A.") born. DeWitt was later believed to be named Alexander, but original second name may have been Ambrose, after his father. D.A. married Lois Judkins; one daughter, Ann Compton. Died May 25, l988.

1908: Son, Elliard Arthur (called Elliot in census), born. Married Birdia ("Aunt Bea") Fields; children: Mary Maude, Elliard Roy ("Eddy Roy"); he died at age 56, February 28, 1967.

1909?: Came to Bel Aire, Louisiana to farm.

1910: U.S. Census of Louisiana, May 13, lists in East Carroll Parish (Ward 2): "Charles C. Compton, age 56; Farmer, renting; Bertha Compton, sister in law; years married, 16; 6 children all living; born in Mississippi, also her father and mother; Mary, niece, 15; Alice, niece, 12; Bonna, niece, 9; Allen, nephew, 7; DeWitt, nephew, 5; Elliot, nephew, 1 8/12, all born in Mississippi." Bertha is listed as aged 34. (E.D. 40, Sheet 27).

1911: Son, Everett Encel, born November 5, in Millikin, La. (See B1)

1914: Daughter, Marie Louise born on March 22. She married Robert Devine, and adopted 3 children from Nicaragua where he was stationed in Army. Died July 22, 1966

1917: Daughter, Ethel Bernice, born on March 31 in Transylvania, La.; listed as "girl" on birth certificate. Married Frank Crigger; children: Gary and Barry.

1925: Died on January 1. Earl remembered, "before I was married". Ethel said he died when she was in school.


Earl Compton, first son of DeWitt, recalled in January 1991: He got a job as Section Foreman on the Missouri Pacific Railroad at Millican. He was working on the tracks when a train loaded with lumber was coming. He failed to put out a "Slow" sign and the train derailed. Earl says, "He was not really tending his business." He met with officials from St. Louis but got blamed for the wreck and was fired. "He was made the goat," Earl says. After that "he was a broken man and moved from one place to another. After the farm he worked at Wooden Spokes.

Other recollections: "They lived out from Fayette, Miss. before they came to La. at the end of World War I. Daddy worked for the St. Louis Iron Mt. & Southern R.R. (Later Missouri Pacific); MH & L branch. I was born near Baton Rouge and lived in Natchez when I was young. We moved to Millican where Everett was born. Daddy was little and looked a lot like Elliard. I remember the family getting excited once about maybe having some money in some bank; but all I could think about was getting in the kitchen and getting me a biscuit.

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Memories of Ethel Compton Crigger; 8/15/91

"I can barely remember Daddy. I know he drank; that was the problem. I remember he just shuffled around. We moved from pillar to post. After Bel Aire to Millican and Transylvania and Dermott.

"I was in school when he died in the little house on Fremont St. He had been sick so much before he died. He was buried under a persimmon tree in the Dermott Cemetary. He died of pallegra. Old Dr. Barlow was tending to him. Daddy died during the night; mama told me in the morning. The old bird, Dr. Barlow, came up whistling to see about him. I never liked that.

"Mama found his pills behind the bed. He wasn't taking his medicine, just throwing them behind the bed after she left from giving them to him. Mama always called him 'Daddy.' He never did want to discipline us kids; he wanted mama to. I can hear him saying, 'Bertha, can't you make them chaps behave themselves?' He always called us 'them chaps.'"

About her Dad's name, which everyone thought was Dewitt "Alexander," Ethel remembers: "When I was about 10, after Daddy had been dead a few years, Sister Lou (Aunt Boo) was making out an order for Mama to Sears & Roebuck--we got everything we had from them, and when she had to fill out Daddy's name she said she didn't like 'Ambrose' (his actual name) so she just changed it to 'Alexander.'"

"Alice (second girl) talked about when Daddy used to get drunk. Mama knew when Daddy got his pay check and would go to the pool hall where they were gambling to get some money. She would walk in where they were gambling and say, 'Daddy, we've got to have some money. He always gave it, but if she didn't go we wouldn't have enough to eat. I heard Earl say Everett would come in sometime with Mama. Daddy was a gambler and drinker."

About Mary (her oldest sister): "Mary was a practical nurse. She always had a touch with babies at the hospital where she worked. I once asked her what she did and she said, 'Oh, just keep 'em dry and pat 'em a little bit.' Her husband (Hugh Hardin) was a drinker too. She would get upset about it at the hospital, come home, then cool off and go back to work. Hugh had a store in Dermott."

About her mother: "Everybody called Mama 'Miss Bertha.' I think Lou started it. One of her favorite expressions was, 'I swannee.' Everything was 'I swannee this... or that...' I think Elliard looked the most like Daddy and that was why Mama favored him. Everett used to say Mama could throw a stick of stovewood around the corner to hit them. They always teased her, untying her apron strings when she was cooking. She would wait till they were gone and pretend to throw stovewood at them.

"Mama broke up housekeeping in Bastrop. She had moved to Dermott to Bastrop where Lou was working.

Frank Crigger remembered: "Mama loved to play pitch. She called all whiskey 'Old Crow.' after I brought some once. She loved to go for a ride and never did want to sit. When she came to visit us once in West Virginia she told me I better keep Ethel because I'd never get another one to sit here with me."

"I met Uncle Sam (This is probably Samuel H.,older brother of Bertha, born in 1874). He lived with us for awhile with his wife Callie. Mama was embarrassed because we couldn't take care of them. Callie was pregnant and had her baby while they were living with us. Mama also had a brother who lived in St. Martinville. We went to visit him when I was a kid. I remember we had to ride in a caboose, just me and Mama in there."


Ethel also noted that her next oldest sister, Louise (Boo) was really named "Marie--pronounced Mar ee, Louise, not Margaret. She was named for Marie Warfield in Milligan where she was. She probably born. She must have decided to change it herself, like she dad Daddy's."


He was married to Bertha Maude Stampley on 12 Jul 1895 in Jefferson Co., MS.

5. Bertha Maude Stampley was born on 1 Jun 1877 in Stampley, MS. She died on 6 Oct 1957. 1880 Census: Hamburg, Franklin Co. , MS

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Samuel STAMPLEY Self M Male W 34 MS Farmer MS MS
Alice A. STAMPLEY Wife M Female W 34 MS Keeping House MS MS
Merril R. STAMPLEY Son S Male W 13 MS Farm Laborer MS MS
Henry Levi STAMPLEY Son S Male W 10 MS At Home MS MS
Samuel H. STAMPLEY Son S Male W 6 MS MS MS
Bertha STAMPLEY Dau S Female W 3 MS MS MS
Bernice STAMPLEY Dau S Female W 10M MS MS MS Children were:

i. Mary Urzilla Compton was born on 21 Apr 1896. She died on 20 Apr 1981.
ii. Alice Zenobia Compton was born on 13 Aug 1898. She died on 21 Feb 1985.
iii. Bonnie Ruth Compton was born on 6 Jan 1902. She died on 26 Dec 1979.
iv. Earl (Hallie) Compton (Private).
v. DeWitt Alexander Compton was born on 8 Aug 1906. He died on 25 May 1988.
vi. Elliard Arthur Compton was born on 23 Jun 1910. He died on 28 Feb 1967.
2 vii. Everett Encel Compton.
viii. Marie Louise Compton was born on 23 Feb 1914. She died on 22 Jul 1966.
ix. Ethel Bernice Compton (Private).