"Pete" was born William Warner Sexton on the 20th of June 1905 in Metcalfe County, Kentucky to Gallant Anderson Sexton and Ruby Alma Miller Sexton.
(I have no control over the memorials for Pete's mother or father so a little background here for genealogical purposes.)
The Sexton surname was given to Pete's father, G.A. at age nine, since the identity of Gallant Anderson Sexton's biological father is unknown to anyone left living. Gallant carried two nicknames used by kin and friends; G A and Mann.
According to family lore he was nicknamed, "Mann" as an unintentional clue of sorts since that spelling is said to have been a portion of his biological father's surname.
His mother, Lucille Frances "Fannie" Crawhorne gave birth to two boys prior to her marriage in 1895 to Thomas Daniel Sexton. Mann was the eldest of the two; Samuel Jacob "Jake" Sexton was the younger. Once married to Thomas, she went on to have four more biological Sexton children.
Ruby Alma Miller Sexton, known as Maymie, was the daughter of John A and Malinda Hulsey Miller. She was born in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
Ruby and Mann married 20 August 1903 in Edmonton, Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
The Sexton family made it's primary living off of the farm, but G.A. was also a carpenter who specialized in building the big tobacco barns that proliferated the area. Pete was the eldest of the couple's ten children born.
His siblings were; Bob who was a stillborn, Ruby Lucille Grubbs, Dora Lee Nunn, Lera Nell Sexton Crain, Ewing Damon "Johnnie", Stanley Howard, Ruth Dale Chaney, Duard Lee "Bill", and Dewey Lester Sexton.
The family was musically inclined with Pete known to play the fiddle.
In 1929, at age 23, Pete married 20 yr old Verda Owens and they quickly produced one child, William Leon Sexton. Verda, it is said, grew weary of Pete's need to live near his family and soon divorced him. Their son was less than 2 yrs old. She soon remarried and upon the death of Pete changed her eldest son's last name to Peak.
Pete remarried 21 September 1932 to Bessie Jewell Witherspoon. She was 19 and he 27. The marriage produced two boys, Raymond Anderson in'34 and James Damon in '37. The family lived just a couple of farms away from his parents.
The following is the story always told in the family of Pete's failing mental health;
"In the Fall of 1938, Pete was battling the bad weather trying to produce a crop for his family. His stress level crested during a stint of multiple days in the fields attempting to salvage what he could from the withering crops.
He was found dehydrated and in the midst of a mental breakdown out in the fields."
In actuality, Pete had had mental issues since his late teens. He was institutionalized in 1922, at 17 in the Central State Kentucky mental hospital. He spent a few months there prior to being released. He managed his problems well enough to marry twice and father three boys prior to his next breakdown. In September of 1938, his father finally gave in and had him committed due to repeated suicide attempts.
Pete was taken to the Western State Hospital for the mentally ill located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His diagnosis; Manic Depressive Psychosis; Manic. He was admitted 7 September 1938 and died 15 February 1939 at 8:20 am. A period of five months and eight days. His cause of death was a Cerebral Hemorrhage with an onset period of 36 hrs.
His body lay in-state at his parent's home prior to burial at the Houk Cemetery in Metcalfe County, not far from the family home and Pete's birthplace.
His son, Raymond's last remembrance of his father was watching him walking away down the drive with his arm interlocked with his grandpa, Mann. Raymond was four years of age.
He left behind two sons and a widow who faced a tumultuous future. Bessie remarried to a man who seemingly had no interest in her biological children. In all fairness to him her sons were both suffering from issues not unlike their dad in some small measure, making them difficult to handle. So, she left the eldest, Raymond with his late father's parents and siblings to raise. She left the younger, James Daymond with her folks. Her new marriage took her to Tennessee, where she went onto have two more children with her second husband, Jennings Norvell. The Sexton boys did spend a part of their childhood with their mother and eventually in their teens relocated to the Memphis, Tennessee area.
Pete would have been proud to know his three sons all proceeded to learn to play stringed instruments despite the loss of their true father.
May he rest in Peace
(I have no control over the memorials for Pete's mother or father so a little background here for genealogical purposes.)
The Sexton surname was given to Pete's father, G.A. at age nine, since the identity of Gallant Anderson Sexton's biological father is unknown to anyone left living. Gallant carried two nicknames used by kin and friends; G A and Mann.
According to family lore he was nicknamed, "Mann" as an unintentional clue of sorts since that spelling is said to have been a portion of his biological father's surname.
His mother, Lucille Frances "Fannie" Crawhorne gave birth to two boys prior to her marriage in 1895 to Thomas Daniel Sexton. Mann was the eldest of the two; Samuel Jacob "Jake" Sexton was the younger. Once married to Thomas, she went on to have four more biological Sexton children.
Ruby Alma Miller Sexton, known as Maymie, was the daughter of John A and Malinda Hulsey Miller. She was born in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
Ruby and Mann married 20 August 1903 in Edmonton, Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
The Sexton family made it's primary living off of the farm, but G.A. was also a carpenter who specialized in building the big tobacco barns that proliferated the area. Pete was the eldest of the couple's ten children born.
His siblings were; Bob who was a stillborn, Ruby Lucille Grubbs, Dora Lee Nunn, Lera Nell Sexton Crain, Ewing Damon "Johnnie", Stanley Howard, Ruth Dale Chaney, Duard Lee "Bill", and Dewey Lester Sexton.
The family was musically inclined with Pete known to play the fiddle.
In 1929, at age 23, Pete married 20 yr old Verda Owens and they quickly produced one child, William Leon Sexton. Verda, it is said, grew weary of Pete's need to live near his family and soon divorced him. Their son was less than 2 yrs old. She soon remarried and upon the death of Pete changed her eldest son's last name to Peak.
Pete remarried 21 September 1932 to Bessie Jewell Witherspoon. She was 19 and he 27. The marriage produced two boys, Raymond Anderson in'34 and James Damon in '37. The family lived just a couple of farms away from his parents.
The following is the story always told in the family of Pete's failing mental health;
"In the Fall of 1938, Pete was battling the bad weather trying to produce a crop for his family. His stress level crested during a stint of multiple days in the fields attempting to salvage what he could from the withering crops.
He was found dehydrated and in the midst of a mental breakdown out in the fields."
In actuality, Pete had had mental issues since his late teens. He was institutionalized in 1922, at 17 in the Central State Kentucky mental hospital. He spent a few months there prior to being released. He managed his problems well enough to marry twice and father three boys prior to his next breakdown. In September of 1938, his father finally gave in and had him committed due to repeated suicide attempts.
Pete was taken to the Western State Hospital for the mentally ill located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His diagnosis; Manic Depressive Psychosis; Manic. He was admitted 7 September 1938 and died 15 February 1939 at 8:20 am. A period of five months and eight days. His cause of death was a Cerebral Hemorrhage with an onset period of 36 hrs.
His body lay in-state at his parent's home prior to burial at the Houk Cemetery in Metcalfe County, not far from the family home and Pete's birthplace.
His son, Raymond's last remembrance of his father was watching him walking away down the drive with his arm interlocked with his grandpa, Mann. Raymond was four years of age.
He left behind two sons and a widow who faced a tumultuous future. Bessie remarried to a man who seemingly had no interest in her biological children. In all fairness to him her sons were both suffering from issues not unlike their dad in some small measure, making them difficult to handle. So, she left the eldest, Raymond with his late father's parents and siblings to raise. She left the younger, James Daymond with her folks. Her new marriage took her to Tennessee, where she went onto have two more children with her second husband, Jennings Norvell. The Sexton boys did spend a part of their childhood with their mother and eventually in their teens relocated to the Memphis, Tennessee area.
Pete would have been proud to know his three sons all proceeded to learn to play stringed instruments despite the loss of their true father.
May he rest in Peace
"Pete" was born William Warner Sexton on the 20th of June 1905 in Metcalfe County, Kentucky to Gallant Anderson Sexton and Ruby Alma Miller Sexton.
(I have no control over the memorials for Pete's mother or father so a little background here for genealogical purposes.)
The Sexton surname was given to Pete's father, G.A. at age nine, since the identity of Gallant Anderson Sexton's biological father is unknown to anyone left living. Gallant carried two nicknames used by kin and friends; G A and Mann.
According to family lore he was nicknamed, "Mann" as an unintentional clue of sorts since that spelling is said to have been a portion of his biological father's surname.
His mother, Lucille Frances "Fannie" Crawhorne gave birth to two boys prior to her marriage in 1895 to Thomas Daniel Sexton. Mann was the eldest of the two; Samuel Jacob "Jake" Sexton was the younger. Once married to Thomas, she went on to have four more biological Sexton children.
Ruby Alma Miller Sexton, known as Maymie, was the daughter of John A and Malinda Hulsey Miller. She was born in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
Ruby and Mann married 20 August 1903 in Edmonton, Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
The Sexton family made it's primary living off of the farm, but G.A. was also a carpenter who specialized in building the big tobacco barns that proliferated the area. Pete was the eldest of the couple's ten children born.
His siblings were; Bob who was a stillborn, Ruby Lucille Grubbs, Dora Lee Nunn, Lera Nell Sexton Crain, Ewing Damon "Johnnie", Stanley Howard, Ruth Dale Chaney, Duard Lee "Bill", and Dewey Lester Sexton.
The family was musically inclined with Pete known to play the fiddle.
In 1929, at age 23, Pete married 20 yr old Verda Owens and they quickly produced one child, William Leon Sexton. Verda, it is said, grew weary of Pete's need to live near his family and soon divorced him. Their son was less than 2 yrs old. She soon remarried and upon the death of Pete changed her eldest son's last name to Peak.
Pete remarried 21 September 1932 to Bessie Jewell Witherspoon. She was 19 and he 27. The marriage produced two boys, Raymond Anderson in'34 and James Damon in '37. The family lived just a couple of farms away from his parents.
The following is the story always told in the family of Pete's failing mental health;
"In the Fall of 1938, Pete was battling the bad weather trying to produce a crop for his family. His stress level crested during a stint of multiple days in the fields attempting to salvage what he could from the withering crops.
He was found dehydrated and in the midst of a mental breakdown out in the fields."
In actuality, Pete had had mental issues since his late teens. He was institutionalized in 1922, at 17 in the Central State Kentucky mental hospital. He spent a few months there prior to being released. He managed his problems well enough to marry twice and father three boys prior to his next breakdown. In September of 1938, his father finally gave in and had him committed due to repeated suicide attempts.
Pete was taken to the Western State Hospital for the mentally ill located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His diagnosis; Manic Depressive Psychosis; Manic. He was admitted 7 September 1938 and died 15 February 1939 at 8:20 am. A period of five months and eight days. His cause of death was a Cerebral Hemorrhage with an onset period of 36 hrs.
His body lay in-state at his parent's home prior to burial at the Houk Cemetery in Metcalfe County, not far from the family home and Pete's birthplace.
His son, Raymond's last remembrance of his father was watching him walking away down the drive with his arm interlocked with his grandpa, Mann. Raymond was four years of age.
He left behind two sons and a widow who faced a tumultuous future. Bessie remarried to a man who seemingly had no interest in her biological children. In all fairness to him her sons were both suffering from issues not unlike their dad in some small measure, making them difficult to handle. So, she left the eldest, Raymond with his late father's parents and siblings to raise. She left the younger, James Daymond with her folks. Her new marriage took her to Tennessee, where she went onto have two more children with her second husband, Jennings Norvell. The Sexton boys did spend a part of their childhood with their mother and eventually in their teens relocated to the Memphis, Tennessee area.
Pete would have been proud to know his three sons all proceeded to learn to play stringed instruments despite the loss of their true father.
May he rest in Peace
(I have no control over the memorials for Pete's mother or father so a little background here for genealogical purposes.)
The Sexton surname was given to Pete's father, G.A. at age nine, since the identity of Gallant Anderson Sexton's biological father is unknown to anyone left living. Gallant carried two nicknames used by kin and friends; G A and Mann.
According to family lore he was nicknamed, "Mann" as an unintentional clue of sorts since that spelling is said to have been a portion of his biological father's surname.
His mother, Lucille Frances "Fannie" Crawhorne gave birth to two boys prior to her marriage in 1895 to Thomas Daniel Sexton. Mann was the eldest of the two; Samuel Jacob "Jake" Sexton was the younger. Once married to Thomas, she went on to have four more biological Sexton children.
Ruby Alma Miller Sexton, known as Maymie, was the daughter of John A and Malinda Hulsey Miller. She was born in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
Ruby and Mann married 20 August 1903 in Edmonton, Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
The Sexton family made it's primary living off of the farm, but G.A. was also a carpenter who specialized in building the big tobacco barns that proliferated the area. Pete was the eldest of the couple's ten children born.
His siblings were; Bob who was a stillborn, Ruby Lucille Grubbs, Dora Lee Nunn, Lera Nell Sexton Crain, Ewing Damon "Johnnie", Stanley Howard, Ruth Dale Chaney, Duard Lee "Bill", and Dewey Lester Sexton.
The family was musically inclined with Pete known to play the fiddle.
In 1929, at age 23, Pete married 20 yr old Verda Owens and they quickly produced one child, William Leon Sexton. Verda, it is said, grew weary of Pete's need to live near his family and soon divorced him. Their son was less than 2 yrs old. She soon remarried and upon the death of Pete changed her eldest son's last name to Peak.
Pete remarried 21 September 1932 to Bessie Jewell Witherspoon. She was 19 and he 27. The marriage produced two boys, Raymond Anderson in'34 and James Damon in '37. The family lived just a couple of farms away from his parents.
The following is the story always told in the family of Pete's failing mental health;
"In the Fall of 1938, Pete was battling the bad weather trying to produce a crop for his family. His stress level crested during a stint of multiple days in the fields attempting to salvage what he could from the withering crops.
He was found dehydrated and in the midst of a mental breakdown out in the fields."
In actuality, Pete had had mental issues since his late teens. He was institutionalized in 1922, at 17 in the Central State Kentucky mental hospital. He spent a few months there prior to being released. He managed his problems well enough to marry twice and father three boys prior to his next breakdown. In September of 1938, his father finally gave in and had him committed due to repeated suicide attempts.
Pete was taken to the Western State Hospital for the mentally ill located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His diagnosis; Manic Depressive Psychosis; Manic. He was admitted 7 September 1938 and died 15 February 1939 at 8:20 am. A period of five months and eight days. His cause of death was a Cerebral Hemorrhage with an onset period of 36 hrs.
His body lay in-state at his parent's home prior to burial at the Houk Cemetery in Metcalfe County, not far from the family home and Pete's birthplace.
His son, Raymond's last remembrance of his father was watching him walking away down the drive with his arm interlocked with his grandpa, Mann. Raymond was four years of age.
He left behind two sons and a widow who faced a tumultuous future. Bessie remarried to a man who seemingly had no interest in her biological children. In all fairness to him her sons were both suffering from issues not unlike their dad in some small measure, making them difficult to handle. So, she left the eldest, Raymond with his late father's parents and siblings to raise. She left the younger, James Daymond with her folks. Her new marriage took her to Tennessee, where she went onto have two more children with her second husband, Jennings Norvell. The Sexton boys did spend a part of their childhood with their mother and eventually in their teens relocated to the Memphis, Tennessee area.
Pete would have been proud to know his three sons all proceeded to learn to play stringed instruments despite the loss of their true father.
May he rest in Peace
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