Wednesday, October 13, 2010

All in the Name of Justice or is it Justis or is it Jestes - You Be the Judge for Luvina Justice

Jack Justice has been allusive to our family for many years.  I recently began doing research on this line of the family tree to see if I can finally break through this brick wall that has been around for longer than I have been alive.  Here is what I believe to be information about his mother Luvina Justice.

Recently I found a death certificate for a Luvina Justic in Winston Salem, Forsyth, NC showing her born in Patrick County, Virginia. From there I have found the following information.  If anyone can help verify any information it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.  You will notice Justice is spelled three ways through out this post.


Luvina Justice (Justis/Jestes)
Information gathered by Belinda Blades
I can be reached at bladeshandyblog@gmail.com


1840 Born in Virginia according to 1870 US Census.

1865 Shows Jack Justice was born in Patrick County, Virginia and his parents as Luvina Justice. Have not found Jack Justice’s birth record yet. The 1870 Census is the only other document that ties them together.

1870 Luvina Justice is in the 1870 US Census for Smith River, Patrick County, Virginia with a son, Jackson Justice born abt 1865. She is keeping house and can read and write.

1873 Luvina Justice is found in the Patrick County, Virginia Birth Records as giving birth to SUSAN R. JUSTICE born 13 Dec 1873 fathers name not given.

1882 Luvina Justice is found in the Patrick County, Virginia Birth Records as giving birth to WILLIAM H. JUSTICE born 5 Nov 1882 fathers name not given.

1882 THOMAS G. JUSTICE born 15 Oct 1870 in Virginia according to Death Certificate and his mother is Luvina Jestes with no record of father.

1886 Vinny Justice appears on the Marriage Certificate of Jack Justice and Adaline Midkiff. Jack and Adeline married in Patrick County on 21 Oct 1886. Can find no other documents with Jack Justice other than the 1870 US Census. They had three children: Delia Justice Austin Lankford (1886-1970) John Justice (1892-1950) Posey Luster Justice (1894-1997). Adaline had another child, my grandfather, Daniel Lee Justice, however, we are not sure who the father is. Daniel Lee was given to James Preston Handy and then his father Jeff Handy and raised in Woolwine, Virginia.

1908 Lavinia Justice is in the Winston-Salem, NC City Directory living with her son Thomas G. Justice and his wife Alice. They are living on North Liberty Ext. (W).


1910 According to the US Census for Winton-Salem - Thomas G and Alice JESTES have a child named Carrie M (female) born about 1908 and Thomas’s age is incorrect according to the 1920 and 1930 census. His age should be 38 not 28. Levina JESTES is shown as a boarder, age 67 which puts her birth abt 1843 and born in Virginia. She is able to read but not write. They are now living on Salvator Street. All the information match between the 1908 and 1912 City Directories and 1910 U.S. Census except the spelling of the last name.

1912 Lavinia Justice is still with Thomas G (Laura, new wife) Justice. His first wife, Alice died shortly after the 1910 census. The listed as having a home on Salvator Street, Fairview.

1915 Lavinia, Thomas G. (Laura) Justice are still at Salvator Street Fairview according to the Winston-Salem City Directory. The directory also shows Lavinia Justice as a widow of W.D. Justice. W. D. Justice appears on Luvina’s Death Certificate as her husband. The 1915 City Directory and her Death Certificate are the only documents that show her husband as W. D. Justice.

1920 Thomas Jestes , Margie - his 3rd wife , 4 children, his sister-in-law, 2 nieces, 2 boarders and his mother Luvina Jestes, a 79 year old widow born in Virginia are shown as living at 824 24th Street in Winston, Forsyth, North Carolina as free of mortgage according to the 1920 US Census.

1923 Luvina died 22 Dec 1923 at the Lawrence Hospital according to her Death Certificate found online.   I posted Luvina's death certificate in a previous post http://bladeshandy.blogspot.com/2010/10/wordless-wednesday-luvinia.html.


Also have a copy of her obituary that appeared in the Winston-Salem Journal on December 24, 1923. It reads as follows:

Mrs. Luvina Justice: The funeral services of Mrs. Luvina Justice, who died at a local hospital Saturday night will be conducted from the home, 824 East Twenty-fourth Street this afternoon at three o’clock by Elder O.J. Denny. Internment will be in Woodland Cemetery.
I have also obtained a location map from Woodland Cemetery showing she is buried in Section 10, Line A, Grave 6. Located within a 15ft radius of her with the same last name are the following:

1.  Jestes, D. (10, A, 1)
2.  Jestes, Infant (10, A, 2E)
3.  Jestes, James I. (10, A, 5)
4.  Jestes, Laura Jane (10, A, 3)
5.  Jestes, T.G. (10, A, 4)
6.  Justice, infant ( 10, A, 10)

Located headstone pictures of the following at http://www.findagrave.com/

1.  Sarah Alice, his 1st wife (1881-1910)
2.  John Willie, son of T.G. and S.A. Justice (1916-1917)
3.  Luvina Jestes died 1922 aged 83Y - this is T.G. Jestes' mother - however the death year is wrong, should be 1922 according to her death certificate and obituary.

After all this information, do you think this is the same person?  I would love your feedback as to what you think.  Over the next several posts, I plan to list information I have on the other Justices/Justis/Jestes in hopes of making contact with someone that has inforamtion about these relatives.

Belinda











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