Verma Polson Wade and Irma Polson Walters are tied as the oldest children.
Irma Polson Walters
The Polsons’ first children were also their first set of twins: Irma Polson Walters (January 22nd, 1905 – April 10th, 1953) and Verma Polson Wade (January 22nd, 1905 – April 8th, 1994). Irma and Verma first appear in the 1910 Census as having lived on John Quincy’s farm near Errata, on Mossville Road. They continue to live on their father’s farm until at least the 1920 Census, in which they are both still listed, though they do not labor on the farm. Both twins received an education to the ninth grade level.
Beyond the 1920 Census, it is unclear where Irma lived, though it is likely that she moved into the new family home on 214 North 14th Avenue in Laurel and remained there while in her mid-to-late teens. However, at eighteen years-old, she married John Huston Walters (October 10th, 1905 – September 28th, 1969) sometime between October 1923 and January 1924. John Huston was born and raised in the community of Ovett, southeastern Jones County. It is likely that soon after their marriage, Irma had left her parents’ home – before Robert was even born.
Indeed, by the 1930 Census, Irma and John Huston had moved into a home on Selma Avenue, Selma, Alabama. At this time, John Huston provides for the family as a barber shop barber. By 1930, Irma had given birth to all their children: Ada Belle and Harold Marshall, both Mississippi-born. Ada, the eldest, was born in approximately 1926, and Harold was born in roughly 1927, indicating that the family only moved to Selma in the last three years. Both of these children are evidently named after John Huston’s parents, Marshall and Ada, John Huston’s mother actually living with them in Selma at this time.
The family would remain in Selma for the remainder of Irma’s life. In 1931, they had established themselves at 1401 Alabama Avenue, and John Huston worked at the Union Barber Shop. However, by at least 1935, they had moved to 1318 Selma Avenue, and by 1940, John Huston’s mother was no longer living with them. At that time, John Huston continued to work as a barber, and Irma stayed at the house as a homeworker. John Huston registered for the Draft on October 16th, 1940, and by then the family still lived on Selma Avenue. However, at this point he now worked for Brown Barber Shop on 124 Broad Street. He is described as having a “crippled right foot and leg” within his Draft card.
For about a decade longer, Irma and her family continued to live in Dallas County, in the meantime moving to Selmont, across the Alabama River from Selma. Furthermore, John Huston had quit working at barber shops and opened a music store he ran with his son, called Walters Brothers Music Company. However, Irma would eventually succumb to a yearlong illness while in the hospital, becoming the first among fourteen siblings to die. She was forty-eight. Irma was buried in Selma’s New Live Oak Cemetery, nearby where John Huston would subsequently be buried with a later wife after dying in Pensacola, Florida.
Beyond the 1920 Census, it is unclear where Irma lived, though it is likely that she moved into the new family home on 214 North 14th Avenue in Laurel and remained there while in her mid-to-late teens. However, at eighteen years-old, she married John Huston Walters (October 10th, 1905 – September 28th, 1969) sometime between October 1923 and January 1924. John Huston was born and raised in the community of Ovett, southeastern Jones County. It is likely that soon after their marriage, Irma had left her parents’ home – before Robert was even born.
Indeed, by the 1930 Census, Irma and John Huston had moved into a home on Selma Avenue, Selma, Alabama. At this time, John Huston provides for the family as a barber shop barber. By 1930, Irma had given birth to all their children: Ada Belle and Harold Marshall, both Mississippi-born. Ada, the eldest, was born in approximately 1926, and Harold was born in roughly 1927, indicating that the family only moved to Selma in the last three years. Both of these children are evidently named after John Huston’s parents, Marshall and Ada, John Huston’s mother actually living with them in Selma at this time.
The family would remain in Selma for the remainder of Irma’s life. In 1931, they had established themselves at 1401 Alabama Avenue, and John Huston worked at the Union Barber Shop. However, by at least 1935, they had moved to 1318 Selma Avenue, and by 1940, John Huston’s mother was no longer living with them. At that time, John Huston continued to work as a barber, and Irma stayed at the house as a homeworker. John Huston registered for the Draft on October 16th, 1940, and by then the family still lived on Selma Avenue. However, at this point he now worked for Brown Barber Shop on 124 Broad Street. He is described as having a “crippled right foot and leg” within his Draft card.
For about a decade longer, Irma and her family continued to live in Dallas County, in the meantime moving to Selmont, across the Alabama River from Selma. Furthermore, John Huston had quit working at barber shops and opened a music store he ran with his son, called Walters Brothers Music Company. However, Irma would eventually succumb to a yearlong illness while in the hospital, becoming the first among fourteen siblings to die. She was forty-eight. Irma was buried in Selma’s New Live Oak Cemetery, nearby where John Huston would subsequently be buried with a later wife after dying in Pensacola, Florida.
Verma Polson Wade
Moving back to Irma’s twin, Verma likely lived in her parents’ Laurel home for roughly a year after Irma married John Huston. Beyond that point, she likely left home after marrying Louis Clyde Williams (March 28th, 1905 – May 1968) at the age of nineteen, sometime between 1924 and January 1925. Louis Clyde was a native of Laurel.
Verma had at-latest left home by 1928, when by that time she was living with Louis Clyde in a house of their own: 805 North 13th Avenue, Laurel. Louis Clyde provided for the family as a bricklayer. At this point, Verma had already given birth to two daughters, Pearl Estelle and Clydie Jean, born roughly in 1925 and 1927, respectively. However, between then and 1930, the family had moved to Jackson, Mississippi, living on 915 Bailey Avenue. At this time, Louis Clyde still worked as a brick mason in the housebuilding industry.
However, sometime between 1930 and 1935, Verma and Louis Clyde received a divorce, with Verma moving back to Laurel, both children in her custody. Meanwhile, sometime between 1930 and 1940, Louis Clyde remarried to another wife, still living in Jackson. Nevertheless, likely in mid-to-late 1940, he was divorced again, and by 1950 he was living with his parents in Hattiesburg. Again, custody of the couple’s one daughter went to the wife. Within his Draft card, he is described as having “two noticeable scars” on his chin.
Verma remarried to the recently-widowed James Watson Wade (March 5th, 1899 – December 4th, 1977), a man born-and-raised on a farm in Mize, Smith County. By 1930, James had lived in Laurel with this previous wife, and they had raised three children: James Leon, Mildred Myrtle, and Charles R, born in roughly 1923, 1927, and 1929, respectively. James was a cotton mill blacksmith. However, tragedy struck when his wife died in 1932, leaving him unmarried until he met Verma. The two would marry in the latter half of the 1930s, bringing in both sets of children from their previous marriages. They lived at 214 14th Avenue and worked at a cotton mill, James as a machinist and Verma as a general laborer.
When James registered for the Draft on February 16th, 1942, the Wade family had moved to 203 South 12th Avenue, and the mill he worked for then is explicitly given as having been Laurel Mills Inc. By 1950, the family still lived in Laurel, now at 114 South 12th Avenue, as well as with their first child together, Janice Kay, who was born in roughly 1943. At this point, James still worked as a mechanist in the textile industry, meanwhile, Verma had left work to become a homemaker.
The Wade family continued to live in Laurel for the remainder of the 1950s and the majority of the 1960s. The first confirmation of this appears in the publicized notice of Irma’s death and funeral, where Verma is listed as a resident of Laurel alongside her mother and other siblings. In 1955, They still lived at 114 South 12th Avenue, and at this point James was a “master machinist” at Laurel Textile. However, it seems that by 1957, they had moved to 540 South 13th Avenue, and James had taken another job as a mechanist at T. C. Fuller Plywood Company.
In about 1969, James retired as a master mechanic, and the family decided to relocate from Laurel to sunnier shores: Fort Walton Beach, Florida. At some point of their life in Fort Walton, Verma and James settled at 710 Hazel Drive. It is evident that Verma was active in the community of Okaloosa County, for she is noted as a guest of the square-dancing club “Flying Squares” to celebrate the success of the local fish fry committee’s recent outing in mid-August 1973.
They stayed in Fort Walton until James’ death at a hospital there in 1977. At that point, the family lived at 700 Jon Leen Drive, and they were members of Wright Southern Baptist Church. James was buried at Beal Memorial Cemetery in the city.
Now a widow, Verma continued to live in Fort Walton for the remainder of her life. She eventually died in 1994 and was finally buried next to James in Beal Memorial Cemetery. She had lived to eighty-nine years-old.
Verma had at-latest left home by 1928, when by that time she was living with Louis Clyde in a house of their own: 805 North 13th Avenue, Laurel. Louis Clyde provided for the family as a bricklayer. At this point, Verma had already given birth to two daughters, Pearl Estelle and Clydie Jean, born roughly in 1925 and 1927, respectively. However, between then and 1930, the family had moved to Jackson, Mississippi, living on 915 Bailey Avenue. At this time, Louis Clyde still worked as a brick mason in the housebuilding industry.
However, sometime between 1930 and 1935, Verma and Louis Clyde received a divorce, with Verma moving back to Laurel, both children in her custody. Meanwhile, sometime between 1930 and 1940, Louis Clyde remarried to another wife, still living in Jackson. Nevertheless, likely in mid-to-late 1940, he was divorced again, and by 1950 he was living with his parents in Hattiesburg. Again, custody of the couple’s one daughter went to the wife. Within his Draft card, he is described as having “two noticeable scars” on his chin.
Verma remarried to the recently-widowed James Watson Wade (March 5th, 1899 – December 4th, 1977), a man born-and-raised on a farm in Mize, Smith County. By 1930, James had lived in Laurel with this previous wife, and they had raised three children: James Leon, Mildred Myrtle, and Charles R, born in roughly 1923, 1927, and 1929, respectively. James was a cotton mill blacksmith. However, tragedy struck when his wife died in 1932, leaving him unmarried until he met Verma. The two would marry in the latter half of the 1930s, bringing in both sets of children from their previous marriages. They lived at 214 14th Avenue and worked at a cotton mill, James as a machinist and Verma as a general laborer.
When James registered for the Draft on February 16th, 1942, the Wade family had moved to 203 South 12th Avenue, and the mill he worked for then is explicitly given as having been Laurel Mills Inc. By 1950, the family still lived in Laurel, now at 114 South 12th Avenue, as well as with their first child together, Janice Kay, who was born in roughly 1943. At this point, James still worked as a mechanist in the textile industry, meanwhile, Verma had left work to become a homemaker.
The Wade family continued to live in Laurel for the remainder of the 1950s and the majority of the 1960s. The first confirmation of this appears in the publicized notice of Irma’s death and funeral, where Verma is listed as a resident of Laurel alongside her mother and other siblings. In 1955, They still lived at 114 South 12th Avenue, and at this point James was a “master machinist” at Laurel Textile. However, it seems that by 1957, they had moved to 540 South 13th Avenue, and James had taken another job as a mechanist at T. C. Fuller Plywood Company.
In about 1969, James retired as a master mechanic, and the family decided to relocate from Laurel to sunnier shores: Fort Walton Beach, Florida. At some point of their life in Fort Walton, Verma and James settled at 710 Hazel Drive. It is evident that Verma was active in the community of Okaloosa County, for she is noted as a guest of the square-dancing club “Flying Squares” to celebrate the success of the local fish fry committee’s recent outing in mid-August 1973.
They stayed in Fort Walton until James’ death at a hospital there in 1977. At that point, the family lived at 700 Jon Leen Drive, and they were members of Wright Southern Baptist Church. James was buried at Beal Memorial Cemetery in the city.
Now a widow, Verma continued to live in Fort Walton for the remainder of her life. She eventually died in 1994 and was finally buried next to James in Beal Memorial Cemetery. She had lived to eighty-nine years-old.