Category: Craven Co. (NC)

In honor of Valentine’s day, let me share my own Valentine, my ancestor and 2nd-great-grandfather, Valentine Lawhorn. 

Valentine Lawhorn was born about 1830 in North Carolina, and by the 1870 census, lived in Craven County, North Carolina.  I have not yet uncovered any information about who his parents may have been, and even trying to figure out potential slaveowners has been to date a challenge in my research.  I’ve not been able to locate any white Lawhorn families in the area, though I have seen a few McLawhorns. 

Valentine was married to Harriet (born about 1843) and as far as I can tell, they had 5 children.   For this side of my family, we do have an early Bible with listings of births, deaths, and marriages and there is one reference to Valentine in the bible – for his son Wright who was a preacher

Valentine’s son Samuel Becton Lawhorn is my direct ancestor, the father of my grandfather, William Hew Lawhorn. 

Valentine passed away some time before 1900 as by then, his wife Harriet is listed as a widow and lives with her son Wright. I have no information about where Valentine may be buried either, but one day I hope to learn more about this family. 

Valentine’s name continues to be passed along in the family; his son Samuel named a son Valentine and my great-uncle named gave one of his sons the middle name of Valentine.

This is a day late, but I want to still post it anyway.

Yesterday was anniversary of the death of my great-grandfather, William Lawhorn. He was born August 12, 1910, one of five children of Samuel Becton Lawhorn and Cora Cox Lawhorn in Craven County, North Carolina. He married my great-grandmother, Pearlie Mae Kilpatrick in 1931 and they had eight children – my grandmother Cora was their second child and eldest daughter. He was a deacon in the church and a member of the local Masonic Lodge.

From what my father and grandmother have told me, I know that he was a very tough-mannered man. My father described him as downright mean. My grandmother told me that he was indeed very strict and she felt quite restricted growing up and not given much freedom. However, to hear Kalonji tell it, he’s going to be just as tough with Kaleya! I also understand though that in his later years he did mellow out and was kind. My mother in fact remembers him as being quite kind.  At my grandmother’s funeral, I learned even more about him and how he interacted with his family. Apparently, he liked to be the man in the area with the “first” of everything – for example, he had the first black man to own a television in their community.

I do not have but a few pictures of him, but this one is how I remember him in my one memory of him. I was only six years old when he died, but I have one memory of going to visit and he took me to the store and bought me one of those really big Peppermint Patties. As I was talking to my grandmother’s brother the day of her funeral, I told him that story and he smiled – he said his father used to do that with all the kids. I am glad I learned that because it provides me another glimpse into his character.

William died from injuries sustained after he fell off of a ladder while at work. I understand that it was a very trying time for the family, as they sued his job because he had no business being on a ladder at his age (71). I actually have some of the court documents that my grandmother gave to me about 10 years ago.

Since sharing some of the family history online, I have come in contact with descendants of his sister Ida, so I hope to be able to in time, learn even more about his family and theirs. This is what is so nice about the internet, those connections to extended family members that are made possible!