Obituary of Bama Louise Hughes Davis
This obituary was published in the order of service that was provided at the funeral of my Aunt Louise.
Bama Louise Hughes Davis, 98, died of old age on Monday, January 14, 2019, at Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming.
Mrs. Davis was born July 2, 1920, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She graduated from the University of Alabama, earning advanced degrees in Education and eventually earning her Master’s degree and T-6. While earning her undergraduate degree she met C.C. Davis Jr., who she married in 1940. They celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary shortly before C.C. died in 2008.
During her near century-long life, she had many noteworthy experiences and marveled at many changes in the world both politically and technologically: Operator-assisted crank telephones transitioned to cell phones. Ice boxes evolved to electric refrigerators and that track contents and talk to you. Houses and cars added air conditioning and then transitioned to smart houses and self-driving cars. She delighted in all the advances.
During World War 2, while C.C. was on active duty in the army, she worked as a chemist in New York City. Afterwards, she taught Home Economics for many years in Atlanta, teaching at one of the first integrated schools. She encouraged people to learn even when she wasn’t in the classroom, realizing the value of continuing education throughout life. After retiring from teaching, she joined her husband in a real estate business, earned her broker’s license and enjoyed selling homes.
She was a proper Southern lady who thought that “tacky” was the worst thing one could be. She was traditional but loved going on adventures, always ready to have fun and participate in activities. For example, she took her daughter to the opening day of Six Flags in 1967, riding the rides in her work dress and high heels. She and C.C. vacationed to Cuba before the Castro regime. She regularly went to the beach even at age 97. Enduring the Great Depression and World War 2, she believed that the U.S.A. was the greatest country in the world where anyone with education and the willingness for hard work could succeed.
She loved to play the piano, cook and work in her yard. She always had a job and was a working mother even when that was rare. She was loyal to her family, delighted in her grandchildren and had a special connection with her great-granddaughter.
She is preceded in death by her husband, C.C. Davis Jr., her son, C.C. Davis III, her parents, Arley and Virginia (Doughty) Hughes, brother James Harvey Hughes, brother Herbert Lee (“Buddy”) Hughes and his wife Mary Evelyn Wilson Hughes.
She is survived by her brother, Arley Ezra (“Bill”) Hughes, Jr. and his wife Gloria Dell Breland Hughes of Mobile, Alabama, daughter and son-in-law, Virginia (Davis) and John Gaston of Dahlonega, four grandchildren, Barbara Gaston Zeller and her husband Ashton Zeller of Meridian, Mississippi, William Gaston of Atlanta, Charlotte Gaston of Atlanta, Rachel Gaston of Dahlonega, and a great-granddaughter, Lyra Marie Zeller.
Mrs. Davis’ funeral service will be held Friday, January 18, 2019 at Dahlonega Funeral Home followed by a graveside service and interment next to her husband and son at Mount Hope Cemetery in Dahlonega.
88 years old, 66 years married
This story about my about my Hughes great-grandparents was published in The Tuscaloosa News in January 1956 — I’m not sure which day.
Pickens Natives, Wed 66 Years, Still Hearty And Independent
By BOB KYLE
News Staff Writer
When Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hughes both turned 88 and close partners for 66 short years, shake hands with St. Peter in another world they won’t have far to go. It’ll be like visiting kinfolks in an adjoining forty.
A Pickens County family most of their lives, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes moved on a better farm near Columbus, Miss., right after World War I.
Last Tuesday, Mrs. Hughes celebrated her 88th birthday. Mr. Jim turned 88 last summer.
It was during the early winter that Mr. and Mrs. Hughes called in their kinfolks to celebrate the 66th anniversary of their wedding.
They have eleven children living. There are 25 surviving grandchildren and 26 surviving great-grandchildren.
A son, Arlie E. Hughes, Tuscaloosa, just recently retired at 65 from employment at Alabama Power Company here. He had worked for the company 16 years.
Another son, E. T. Hughes, is employed by Allen and Jemison Co., in Tuscaloosa. A daughter, Mrs. Ingram Ashcraft, is a nurse’s aid at Druid City Hospital.
The elderly couple has lived through periods of prosperity and the other, were past grownup in the days of Roosevelt’s WPA, but didn’t take any money for plowing under every third heifer or for not planting cotton.
To this day, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes have been self reliant, self-supporting and never the object of any charity from the government, any individual, not even the kinfolks.
Both are still in apparent good health.
Who wears the britches in the family?
“Ours is not an absolute petticoat government,” chuckled the husband, Jim, “but it’s under pretty good control.”
What did his missus think along those lines?
Like most womenfolks, she was smart enough not to say.
My grandparents’ wedding announcement
This story was published on page 3 of The West Alabamian newspaper on Wednesday, August 22, 1917.
Hughes-Doughty
An interesting social event occurred last Wednesday at the residence of Mr. J.H. Doughty, three miles north of Reform, in the marriage of his daughter, Miss Virgie, to Mr. Arlie E. Hughes, of Fayette.
Mr. Hughes has recently graduated in the law department of the University of Alabama and received an appointment to the officers’ training camp at Fort Oglethorpe. He is a young man of excellent character and attainments.
The bride is from one of the best families in the County, and is a young lady of rare accomplishments.
The Alabamian, with numerous other friends of the happy couple, extends congratulations.
My grandmother and her sisters, from left to right: Virginia Ellen “Virgie” Doughty, 1896-1978; Nannie Mae Doughty, 1885-1921; Annie Lee Doughty, 1882-1964. Photo taken circa 1915.
Obituary of my grandfather, Arley E. Hughes (1891-1969)
This obituary was published on page 2 of The Tuscaloosa News on Wednesday, March 12, 1969.
A.E. Hughes
This photo of my grandparents, Virginia “Virgie” Doughty Hughes and Arley Hughes, was taken at their 50th anniversary celebration in 1967.
Arley Ezra Hughes, 78, of 1519 Fifth Ave., died this morning at Druid City Hospital.
A native of Pickens County, he had lived in Tuscaloosa for 50 years. Mr. Hughes was a graduate of the University Law School in 1916 and worked for many years with the Alabama Power Co. here.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Strickland-Hayes Chapel with the Rev. Allan Watson officiating. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery.
The body will lie in state in the funeral home until servicetime.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. C.C. Davis Jr. of Marietta, Ga.; two sons, H.L. and A.E. Hughes Jr. of Mobile; seven sisters, Mrs. Naoma Ashcraft of Tuscaloosa, Mrs. Floy Patterson of Columbus, Miss., Mrs. Pluma Franks of Columbus, Mrs. Dorothy Hill of Philadelphia, Miss., and Mrs. Annie Mae Sanders of St. Petersburg, Fla.; three brothers, Eli Hughes of Tuscaloosa, Charles Hughes of Columbus and Auvin Hughes of Marietta, and nine grandchildren.
Active pallbearers are Lee Hughes, Charles Davis, Larry, Mark, Lowell and Howard Hughes, Robert and Johnny Doughty.
Honorary pallbearers are Roscoe Gibson, Wilburn Christian, Ed Mathews, Glenn Partrich, Joe Brown, Alton S. Shamblee, and the adult men’s Sunday School classes of Calvary Baptist Church.
The murder of Daniel Doughty: A skeleton in my family closet
I was quite surprised to learn this story while tracing the ancestry of my grandmother, Virginia Doughty Hughes (1896-1978).
In 1804, my grandmother’s direct line Doughty ancestors lived in the western part of the Pendleton District in South Carolina. The eldest was Joseph Doughty (1755-1815), who was my 4th great grandfather. His children included my 3rd great grandfather, Jeremiah Doughty Sr. (1777-1838) and Jeremiah’s older brother, Daniel.
Daniel Doughty’s will, dated Nov. 24th, 1804.
Towards the end of November 1804, Daniel filed a will saying that he was “sick and weak in body but of sound & disposing mind memory and understanding.” In the will he bequeathed “unto my dearly beloved wife Rachel Doughty one feather Bed with the furniture belonging to the same and her wearing clothes and no other part of my Estates.” He left the rest of his estate to his sons, Joseph and Laban.
By the following February, Daniel was dead and his “dearly beloved wife” was in jail, accused of murdering him. A second suspect named John Andrews was also in jail but the alleged mastermind of the crime — Rachel’s father, Laban Oakley — had escaped from jail and was on the run.
South Carolina Gov. Paul Hamilton issued the following proclamation on Feb. 19, 1805:
State of So. Carolina. By His Excellency
Paul Hamilton Governor & Commander
in Chief in & over the State aforesaid.
A Proclamation. Whereas I have received
information that Daniel Doughty late
of the District of Pendleton has been
most barberously and wickedly destroyed
by his wife Rachel, his step-father Laban
Oakley, a certain John Andrews who dis
regarding all social, moral, & religious ties
did most treacherously & cruelly combine
and conspire together and did infuse
into the drink, food and medicine of the
said Daniel Doughty repeated doses
of ratsbane or arsenic of the effects of
which after the most excruting tortures
& lamentable suffering the said Daniel
Doughty did at last die. And whereas the
said Rachel the wife of the said Daniel
Doughty and the said John Andrews
have both been committed to Gaol
under strong evidence of their guilt
but Laban Oakley the step-father as above
said who is believed to have been the first
mover of this wicked conspiracy has
fled & eludes the pursuit of justice. There
fore I deem it proper to issue this my
Proclamation hereby offering a re
ward of $400 to any person or persons
who will apprehend & deliver to the cus
tody of the Sheriff of the District in
this State the said Laban Oakley to be paid
on his being convicted of the said offence.
And I hereby most earnestly call upon
& require all officers civil & military and
all other friends to the peace safety and
happiness of the Community to the
aiding & assisting to the utmost of their
power in apprehending & bringing to
answer with his accomplices to the
Laws the said Laban Oakley to the end
that this dreadful & wicked outrage on humanity
may be followed by the punishment
which is due to it and an example
made which may deter others from
the perpetration of crimes of a nature
so flagritious & detestable. Given under
my hand and with the seal of the State this
19th day of February A.D. 1805 and of
American Independence the 29th.
Paul (L.M.S.) Hamilton. By
the Governor Daniel Huges Secretary
of State. Recorded 19th February 1805.
S.C. Gov. Paul Hamilton offered a $400 reward for the capture of Laban Oakley
A document from Gov. Hamilton dated Dec. 13, 1805, indicates that $400 had been paid “for apprehending Laban Oakley, a murderer under Proclamation who broke Gaol and fled in Tennessee.”
After the death of Daniel Doughty, his sons went to live with their grandfather, and Laban Doughty’s first name was changed to Daniel. By 1820 this Doughty family had moved from the Pendleton District to the area around Tuscaloosa, Ala. Several of them are buried at Big Creek Cemetery. (My grandparents would meet, almost a century later, when Virgie Doughty wrote a letter to Arley Hughes, on behalf of her father, James Harvey Doughty, inviting him to apply for a job as a school teacher in Pickens County, Ala.)
According to sources I found online, Daniel Doughty the younger (the murdered Daniel’s son) later changed the spelling of his last name to “Doty.” Why he did this, I don’t know, but it may have been an attempt on his part to stake a claim of descent from the Mayflower passenger Edward Doty.
He ultimately settled in Mississippi, where some say the community of Doty Springs was named after him.
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