William Hoyt Vest

William “Hoyt” Vest, son of Andrew Jackson Vest and Bessie Elliott, was born in Beaverdale, Whitfield County, Georgia, on August 7, 1905. He was the oldest child of six—William Hoyt Vest, Della Mae Vest, Robert Earl Vest, George Luther Vest, Andrew Jackson Vest Jr., and Martha Lee Vest. He was my step grandfather and we called him Hoyt. I last saw Hoyt when I was a teenager so most of my memories of him have faded. I do remember that he was heavyset, tall, and a quiet, sweet man.

William "Hoyt" Vest

I researched and wrote much of this sketch on what would have been his 117th birthday and was anxious to see what I would find. It ended up being quite a few things. My research started out with a bump though. I was unable to find Hoyt in the 1910 and 1930 census records. I spent two days using the Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org search engines, as well as performing manual page by page searches myself. I looked in both Whitfield County and Catoosa County in Georgia, as well as Hamilton County in Tennessee. I searched on his wife and children’s names and found none of them. I finally had to move on but will check back later. This has happened before, and I eventually find them.

On January 19, 1920, the Vest family lived in Blackstock, Catoosa County, Georgia. Hoyt’s father was a farmer on a general farm. He was enumerated as what looks like Harriet, was 14 years old, and worked as a farm laborer on the home farm. Hoyt was attending school and could read and write.

Hoyt married Mary Wells in Hamilton County, Tennessee on November 7, 1925. The Chattanooga Daily Times reported their names on November 8, 1925 in a list of people who had obtained a marriage license. Hoyt’s last name was incorrectly listed as “West” vs. “Vest” in the news clipping. 

One page from the Vest-Wells marriage license (1925)

Vest-Wells marriage license (click to enlarge)

On June 29, 1926, a premature infant was born in Ringgold, Catoosa County, Georgia. It appears the baby was alive at birth vs. stillborn as the doctor certified that he saw her alive on June 29. Sadly, she died at 7 a.m. that morning. The unnamed infant was buried the same day on the home grounds in Ringgold. The death certificate listed the father as Hoyt Vest, born in Whitfield County, Georgia. However, the name of the mother is a mystery. In the box “maiden name of mother,” the name Mary K. Huffacker, born in Knoxville, Tennessee was listed. As you read on, you’ll see that on Hoyt’s World War II draft registration card, his wife was listed as Mrs. Mary Cathern Vest. So, is Mary Wells and Mary K. Huffacker the same woman? Did the “K” stand for Katherine (Cathern)? I don’t find any other records to help solve this mystery so who knows. Any thoughts you might have would be appreciated. 

Cropped image from the unnamed infant's death certificate showing the maiden name of mother

 
Hoyt’s sister Martha Lee Vest was born in Georgia, probably Whitfield County, on May 1, 1927. She died in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia on February 15, 1928. Her death certificate notes there was no physician present. Instead, a statement from Hoyt’s parents said Martha probably died from measles and influenza. She was buried the next day at Ebenezer Cemetery in Catoosa County.

Hoyt and Mary welcomed a daughter they named Louella Mae Vest on November 7, 1929, born in Chattanooga. Another daughter, Billie Jean Vest, was born in Hamilton County on February 16, 1934. Sadly, she didn’t survive infancy and died at home in Lupton City, Hamilton County, Tennessee on March 26. Lupton City was a suburb of Chattanooga. The cause of death listed on her death certificate was influenza and broncho pneumonia, contributed by congenital heart disease. Billie was buried the next day at Ebenezer Cemetery in Catoosa County, Georgia.

Cropped image from Billie Jean Vest's death certificate showing burial location

 
Martha and Billie’s death certificates were clues that helped me figure out who I believe Mary Wells’ parents were. If I’m correct, that would be James “Glenn” Wells and Amanda Leonard. Both Martha and Billie were buried in Ebenezer Cemetery. Neither death certificate included the cemetery location so I looked for that cemetery in the Chattanooga area. Didn’t find one so looked in Georgia and found one in Catoosa County. Hoyt’s family lived in Catoosa County as did Hoyt and Mary themselves at one point but I still needed a connection. One of the burials listed in Ebenezer Cemetery’s Find A Grave site is Thomas Benton “T.B.” Wells. So now I had both Vest and Wells burials in that cemetery but was still looking to connect Mary to T.B. Wells. I decided to let Ancestry.com do the work for me and started building his family tree. It turns out, T.B. Wells had a son named James Glenn Wells who had a daughter named Mary with Amanda Leonard. The 1910 Blackstock, Catoosa County, Georgia census record shows the Glenn Wells family with daughter Mary (born 1909) and her grandfather “Benton Wells” living in the home. The birth year is off a little but within reasonable numbers. Assuming this is correct, along with the connection to Catoosa County, it makes sense that Mary would bury her daughter at Ebenezer Cemetery. I still need the paper trail to prove the connection, but I feel like I’m onto something here. 

Glenn Wells family, with Mary included, in 1910 census record (click to enlarge)

A son named Hobert McKinley Vest, was born to Hoyt and Mary in Tennessee on December 27, 1937.

On April 3, 1940, Hoyt, his wife Mary, daughter Louella, and son Hobert (enumerated as Hovert) lived in a rental home at 56 Third Avenue in Lupton City. They had been living in the same house since 1935. The highest grade in school Hoyt had completed was the 7th. A 21-year-old white female named Mossie Stepp lived in the home as well. Mossie was enumerated as a servant with the occupation of housekeeper in a private home. She too had been living in the home since 1935. Hoyt was employed as a yarn boy in a cotton mill and had made $789 in 1939. Mary was employed as a reeler in a cotton mill and made $889 in 1939. According to the Hall Genealogy Website: Old Occupation Names, a reeler “received yarn on bobbins or paper tubes and arranged them on a shelf above the machine; guided and attached the end of the yarns to swifts (skeleton reels), which revolved and wound the yarn upon themselves in skein form; controlled the power drive on the machine; mended broken threads; removed the hanks or skeins of yarn from the machine when completed.” Mossie had been paid $156 for her services with I imagine room and board included. 

Hoyt was also enumerated at his parents’ home in the Blackstock District of Catoosa County, Georgia on April 13, 1940. This census record shows that he was married but his wife and children were not listed. Hoyt was employed as a farmer/unpaid family worker and had worked 30 hours during the week of March 24–30, 1940. His father was still a farmer, as was his brothers Andrew Jr., Earl, and George. The record shows that everyone in the house had been living there since 1935, although we know that was not the case for Hoyt.

Hoyt registered for the World War II draft in Hamilton County, Tennessee, on October 16, 1940 at the age of 35. He and his wife, Mary, lived at 56 Third Avenue in Lupton City. His registration card described him as being 6’ 2” tall and weighing 222 pounds. He had a dark complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. Hoyt worked at the Dixie Mercerizing Company in Lupton City. According to Wikipedia, “mercerisation is a textile finishing treatment for cellulose fabric and yarn, mainly cotton and flax, which improves dye uptake and tear strength, reduces fabric shrinkage, and imparts a silk-like luster.”

World War II draft registration card

On April 7, 1950, Hoyt, Mary, Louella, and Hobert still lived in the Third Avenue house in Lupton City. Hoyt worked as an oiler in the spinning department of a textile mill while Mary was no longer employed. Their daughter Louella, age 20, was also working in the textile mill, as a winder. The Chattanooga City Directories for the years 1952 – 1954 showed that they continued to live in the Third Avenue house. In 1954, Hoyt worked as a spinner at the Dixie Mercerizing Company. Sometime after 1954, Hoyt apparently divorced Mary and married my granny, Daisy Lee Shields. I’m told they lived together for several years before they married so it must have been in the late 1950s. Hoyt was Granny’s sixth husband, well technically, fifth—she married one of them twice. 

Hoyt and my Granny, Daisy Shields in the Smoky Mountains

Hoyt, Granny, and my sister Jennifer

Hoyt and Granny

I remember they lived in a house in Tunnel Hill, Whitfield County, Georgia built by one of Granny’s other husbands. I believe the property the house was built on was given to Granny by her father, James Stewart Shields. The house sat up on a small hill and was a short walk down the dirt road from my great-grandparents house. There was no running water inside—it had both a well and an outhouse sitting in the yard. I recall going to the well, dropping the bucket that hung from a rope, and then drinking water from the big ladle that was always sitting in the bucket. Every summer, a couple of us usually spent a week there and we took our baths in a big wash tub in the kitchen. The outhouse sat on the other inside of the driveway on the back side of the house. Granny was a beautician and owned a beauty shop. The two of them would take us to the shop for a wash and haircut. We traveled together to the Smoky Mountains and they spent Christmas with us.

Hoyt washing hair at Granny's beauty shop (not sure which of us this is)

Me with Hoyt in the background

Hoyt and an unknown man. Unfortunately, I never asked Mama who he was.

My sister Bonita, Hoyt, me, brother Michael, sisters Vanessa and Jennifer and Granny

Me, Mama (Fay Lankford), Hoyt, and Granny

Hoyt’s mother Bessie died on September 17, 1959 at her home in Ringgold, Catoosa County, Georgia. By this time, Hoyt had moved from Tennessee and was living in Ringgold. His father Andrew died at Fort Oglethorpe, Catoosa County, Georgia on April 13, 1969. Both were buried at Nellie Head Church in Tunnel Hill.

Hoyt and his mother, Bessie Elliott Vest

At some point, Hoyt and Granny sold the Tunnel Hill house and moved to Calhoun, Gordon County, Georgia after he got a job in the carpet mills. They lived there four or five years and then moved to Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee. Somewhere along the way, Hoyt developed diabetes and lost a big toe on one foot. He eventually lost the leg above the knee and then later lost the other leg and was totally dependent on Granny. This apparently didn’t sit well with her and she filed for divorce. After the divorce, Hoyt moved to San Diego, California to live with his son. My sister remembers that he didn’t want to go but Granny was moving on. Other Vest family members had moved to California at some point so perhaps they were all together. Hoyt’s brother George died in El Cajon, San Diego County, California on September 20, 1983. We lost track of what happened to Hoyt after his move but did learn he died in San Diego on April 30, 1987. Unfortunately, we don’t know the circumstances or where he was buried. 

In researching to write his story, I learned that Hoyt had a lot of heartache in his life. And when he needed support the most, my Granny wasn’t there for him. I hope he found peace in life before he died.

Granny, my sister Bonita, Hoyt holding me, Daddy (Sam Lankford)
holding my sister Jennifer in our backyard

References

• California Death Index, 1940-1997, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPV7-8HT:26 November 2014), William Hoyt Vest, 30 Apr 1987; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
• Chattanooga, Tennessee, City Directory, 1952, 1953, 1954.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10966405/thomas-benton-wells: accessed 9 August 2022), memorial page for Thomas Benton “T.B.” Wells (1838–7 Apr 1916), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10966405, citing Ebenezer Cemetery, Catoosa County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Lawrence Wells (contributor 47075545).
• George Luther Vest, California Death Index, 1940–1997.
• Hall Genealogy Website: Old Occupation Names; http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/q-r.html#R. 
• Hobert McKinley Vest, California, U.S., Death Index, 1940–1997.
• Inf. of Hoyt Vest, Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919–1998.
• Marriage Licenses, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 8, 1925.
• Mercerised cotton; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercerised_cotton. 
• Mrs. Bessie Elliott Vest and Andrew Jackson Vest obituaries, newspapers unknown.
• Personal Lankford family memories.
• U.S. Federal Census, Blackstock, Catoosa County, Georgia, 1910, 1920, 1940.
• U.S. Federal Census, Lupton City, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Rocky Face, Whitfield County, Georgia, 1930.
• Unnamed infant of Hoyt Vest, Standard Certificate of Birth no. 13709, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• William Hoyt Vest, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947.