Huie Family History

And the Lonnie Joseph Huie Family

Two dreams were certain of fulfillment for James Huie and Mary Lynn, their marriage and their destination, the new world of America. A strong wind was blowing in from the North Sea as they strolled across the docks near Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland in 1762. Mary, James, her parents and his suddenly realized the ocean's flat horizon was not the eastward boundary of the world. It was just the beginning. America lay beyond.

When they married is uncertain. There is one report they did so aboard ship. Their settlement in New Jersey would have been by February 2, 1764. His name appeared in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette informing the public of a quantity of unclaimed letters in the Philadelphia post office.

They moved first to Connecticut, then back to New Jersey, later south to Orange County, North Carolina, and finally to South Carolina and Georgia. Robert, the ancestor of Blount County Huie Families, was born in Orange County, North Carolina in 1779. At least the first 12 years of Robert's life were there. It was not a casual, non eventful life. He worked from the moment chores became compatible with his ability. He saw both sunrise and sunset from his working vantage points. Planters could give little attention to time -- only the job at hand.

Robert was the youngest of James and Mary's family. Robert and the other children, Margaret, Pheby, Martha, Joseph and Elizabeth were taught morals and scruples from birth. They were staunch Presbyterians. Later in Georgia they provided land for the still-existing Philadelphia Presbyterian Church in Clayton County, Georgia where they are buried.

Opportunities that the Alabama territory could provide attracted the attention Robert's oldest son James, namesake of his grandfather, and Nancy, his wife. All ten of their children were probably born in their Cobb County, Georgia home--John Wilson, Margaret, Sarah E., Mary E., Robert B., Nancy, Martha Sarah, Mary L., William Alexander and Francis L. Huie.

John Wilson Huie, James' and Nancy's first born, left Georgia for Blountsville, Alabama in 1859. A blacksmith, he married Margaret Foust, sister of Rev. William F. Foust, who later married John's sister Martha Sarah Huie when John's family moved from Georgia to Anderton (Cleveland) in 1861.

Born in 1808, James was 53 years old, not ordinarily an age to seek new ventures. But, his vision of a more affluent future for his children was more persuasive than his age. They purchased 210 acres of farm land near today's Five Points Road in Cleveland February 11, 1861. Their Presbyterian Faith was exchanged for the Methodist, the Foust's church. He joined New Bethlehem Methodist Church, the mother church of Cleveland United Methodist and Rosa Methodist Churches. Their daughter Sarah Catherine married Adam Orlando Huffstutler there. They both are buried in the small cemetery. Their daughter Mary Emily Huie, married George M. "Dallas" Tidwell there. She is buried there as well. A third daughter, Martha Sarah Huie, born August 9, 1847, died and was buried July 9, 1896 at 49 years of age. She married Rev. William Thomas Foust March 15, 1865. Three of their infant daughters lie beside her at New Bethlehem. A fourth daughter, Nancy and her husband Josiah Tidwell are among the unmarked graves there.

William Alexander, the last of James and Nancy's children to leave the farm, on April 4, 1872 married Cena Louiza Daily, the daughter of Sergeant William Daily, the Civil War regimental companion that fought with his brother Robert Huie at Shiloh, Corinth and Port Hudson. Robert is also buried at New Bethlehem.

William and Cena moved 15 miles southeast to Blount Mountain. While farming was their occupation, Cena's spare-time work included quilting, cooking and weaving cloth for the clothing of William Alexander and their sons James, John, Robert, Gus, Luther and Lonnie and dresses for their daughters Ida Velma, Dora and Emma Lou Huie.

Their younger sons, Gus and Lonnie, were part of the American Expeditionary Forces' 81^st Division that fought in the battle of the Argonne Forest against Germany with decorated World War I hero Alvin C. York. During the final days, Lonnie breathed mustard gas that left his lungs permanently damaged.

While Lonnie was reared a planter and farmer, he worked in the Blount County iron ore mines when he returned from France. Lonnie's marriage to Chloe Putman, daughter of John and Louella Putman, ignited the desire to farm again. They had three children, W. Eudelle, who married Robert L. Paul, Dorothy M., who married Charles E. Ellis and Joseph Carlton (J.C.), who married Rebecca Milam.

William and Cena moved to Lonnie's and Chloe's home in the early 1930s. William fell from the upper floor of his barn sustaining severe, but not fatal injuries. His active farming days had ended, though he supported Lonnie in the cultivation of their fields as well as he could.

Generated power energized the Huie home in the mid 1940s. "The first thing mother bought was an iron and a refrigerator," Eudelle and Dorothy recalled. The Huies blew out the kerosene lamps for the last time.

Eudelle, J.C. and Dorothy attended primitive, but average, education facilities. Elementary grades were divided between two rooms. The first, second and third were together. Instructors divided their time among the three groups.

Farming had been, until the 1929 panic, primarily a vocational choice. Pioneering needs were meager - food, clothing, shelter and an adequate amount of land to acquire those needs. Excessive essentials were bartered with "rolling stores" for assets they could not grow or make themselves. During the Great Depression and later, the Huies and other farmers planted excess crops to sell on the Birmingham produce markets.

Three weeks were set aside each summer for musical instructions. "Some of our teachers were Ed Brown, Edgar Moses, Elmer Huggins, Daddy's cousin, Elmer Blakely and John Hull." Eudelle said. A monthly singing service was held by area churches. Adults and teenagers formed their own trios, quartets and mixed groups and vigorously rehearsed a requiem of music to performed. Many singers emerged to perform professionally.

Lonnie (1895-1972) and Chloe (1903-1984) left eight grandchildren - Larry Huie, Randy Huie, Kenneth Huie, Charles Edwin Ellis, Jerry Ellis, Russell Kent (Rusty) Paul, who served as Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Secretary Jack Kemp in President George Bush's administration, Debra Diane Paul and Sherrie Leona Paul. Their great grandchildren are Larry Huie, Jr., Adam Huie, Lindsey Huie, Melonee Huie, Rebecca Ellen Huie, Kenneth Alexander Huie, Adam Mitchell Huie, Charles Edwin Ellis, Jr., Susan Elizabeth Ellis, Austin Ellis, Katherine Paul, Russell Paul, Brittany Paul, Emily Paul, Andrew Paul, Alesha Gifford, Danielle Gifford, Robert Cornelius, Justin Cornelius and Jonathan Cornelius. Their great, great grand daughter is Brookelyn Taylor.