Junius Walker Leatherwood

1882, 11 April        Born Junius Walker Leatherwood to William Marion Leatherwood (Rev) and Sarah Morrison in Danville, Tennessee.  Today there is no Danville but there is still a Danville Post Office and a Danville Wharf/Ferry on google maps.

 1890                        No Census Records

 1900, 2 June        Kaufman, Texas        enumerated as Walker; being 18; and  born in April 1882  in Tennessee.  He is listed with both parents, William M and Sarah M (both of Mississippi - Jan 1850 and May 1852 respectively) and his younger sister, Annie R who is 15 having been born in May 1885 in Tennessee.  Walker and Annie are listed as being At School with the ability to read, write and speak English.  His father's occupation is Preacher.  His parents have been married for 26 years by this time and his mother has given birth to 6 children but only 5 are still living.  The family is living in Forney, Kaufman County, TX but no street address is given.

 1910, 19 April        Corpus Christi, Nueces, Texas        enumerated as Walker (27) and is now married to Erin (19); they have been married for 3 years with no children.  His occupation is listed as salesman in a department store and he went without work for 3 weeks in 1909. They are living in the home of his widowed mother, Sarah (who has shaved a few years off her age - 54 vs 58), at 721 Staples Street in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, TX.  His wife, Erin, and her parents, were born in Texas.  Also in the house is he younger sister, Annie and her family.  Annie is now 23 and married to W. T. Williams, also 23 (born in TX with parents born in  MS), and their young son Lowell (2, born in NM).  This is a sad period, his father had died 10 days before the census was taken which could explain why so many were in the house.  As a side note, their older sister, Minnie Lee (my great grandmother) is living in New Mexico in 1910 with her husband, Guinn Terrell Williams.  Guinn Terrell Williams is the brother of  W. T. Williams.  So our 2nd great Uncle, Walter T Williams, and our 2nd great Aunt, Annie R Leatherwood, are relatives by birth and by marriage.

1918                     Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas       City Directory for Fort Worth records him living in rooms at 1417 E 20th and that his occupation is a Motorman

1918, 12 September       Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas       Registration for World War I.  He has registered in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, TX.  He is described as as white, native born, tall, slender, brown hair and brown eyes.  His draft serial number is 474 and his order number A2835.  He gives his full name as Junius Walker Leatherwood; residing at 1410 E 19th Street, Fort Worth, TX; I cannot make out his occupation title but he works at the North Texas Tractor Company; and, from his listing in the city directory, previously, I would guess it is motorman.  Here's were it gets interesting as he lists his mother, Mrs Wm Leatherwood, as his nearest relative and at the same address.  Where is Erin?

1920, 17 January              Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas        enumerated as Junius W Leatherwood, age 37, married, residing at 1401 E 19th Street (rental) and working as a motorman for the Street Railway.  His wife is listed as Lillian (27) and they have a 7 year old daughter (abt 1913, born in Texas) named Marie.  Could Lillian and Erin (from 1910 census) be the same?  The ages have a 2 year difference and, since the census was taken at different times of the year which might account for one year, it seems logical.  I cannot locate his mother on a 1920 census at this time but she dies in 1923 in Decatur, TX so she could be with or travelling to another family member's home.

1924                        City Directory for Fort Worth records him as Walker, living in rooms at 916 S Henderson with his wife, Lillie, and, he is a driver.

1925                        City Directory for Fort Worth records him as J Walker, living at 923 S Henderson (rental) wife his wife, Lillian, and, he is a salesman with Texas Ice and Refrigerator Co

1926                        City Directory for Fort Worth records him as J Walker, living at 1125 S Henderson (rental) with his wife, Lillian, but there is no occupation listed.  His brother, Jesse Olin, and family have moved to Fort Worth and are living nearby.

1930, 7 April             Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas       enumerated as J.W., age 48, widowed and the brother of the HoH;  It shows that he was 24 at the age of his first marriage and he is currently a construction worker in the steel industry.  He is living with his brother and sister-in-law, Jesse Olin and Effie, and the family have a radio.  Also living with them is their widowed niece, Lucille (Williams) Andrews, and her 4 children.  J.W is listed as widowed but there is a Lillian Leatherwood, about the right age, with a daughter Marie in another district of Fort Worth on this census.  The Lillian Leatherwood I have did not pass away until 1960.  This could mean several things - that I have the wrong Lillian/Marie combination; or, JW and the family is trying to save face.  But I think I will go into those details when I write about her, at another time.

1936                        City Directory for Fort Worth records him as J Walker, living at 318 Bryan Avenue; renting a room in his brother's house, Jesse Olin.  (his daughter, her husband and his wife are living at 3413 Townsend)

1937, 24 January             Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas   His only child, Ruth Marie Westland, dies of broncho-pneumonia.

1940, 01 April              Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas       enumerated as Walker; age 58; widowed; His address is 312 Kentucky and this is the same address he lived at in 1935. He completed the 9th grade;  he pays $15 a month in room rental; and, it looks like he had no work or income in 1939.

1942, April              Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas       "Old Man" registration card; Junius Walker Leatherwood; lists Dansville, TN as his birthplace. Very shaky signature; Mailing Address: 312 Kentucky; Description: 6'3", 173 lbs, brown eyes; brown/gray hair; light complexion; no scars.  Lists 815 E Denney as his address but his mailing address is 312 Kentucky. Currently there is no Denny/Denney street in Fort Worth (2014).  He also lists a Mrs Arthur Brady (courthouse) as someone who will always know his address.

1954, 06 Mar             Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas        He dies as a result of a homicide.  His death certificate shows that he has lived in Fort Worth for 45 years; the last address was 1004 E Belknap; he was a retired night watchman; he was born in Tennessee; his father is William Marion Leatherwood and his mother is Sarah Morrison; and the informant is Mary Louise Leatherwood (his niece the daughter of Jesse Olin and Effie Leatherwood).  Mary Louise records him as never being married and he was being listed as widowed since she was 7 or younger.  The medical information shows that he was killed by a gunshot wound in the mouth; it happened in the evening hours; and there is a check in the box showing that it happened while at work.  Even though retired perhaps he was working part-time.  A newspaper article from Abilene reports that the incidence occured outside a liquor store.  The body was removed to Itasca but I am unable to find a marker or grave listing for him.

On Ancestry, I share a DNA connection with 14 people that have a known relative named Leatherwood; but there are no connections between our trees- so far.

Ex-Watchman Shot

Junius Walker Leatherwood, 71,

retired Fort Worth night watch-

man, was killed by a single bullet

Saturday night in front of a down-

town Fort Worth liquor store.  Po-

lice Sunday arrested two brothers

who they said had fired a shot in-

to the floor of a café next door

and then felled Leatherwood with

one shot when he ran out of the

liquor store.

Abilene Reporter News (Abilene, Texas) 

1954 March 8