Patrick Pioneers – Eugene Howell Newman and Violet Jane Clifton Newman

This coming week on the 24th of November, Wanetta Newman Doss will celebrate her 96th birthday! Wanetta was the third child born to Eugene and Violet Clifton Newman of the Vesta community. In the photo above, little Wanetta is sitting on the lap of her mother, Violet on the very far right; her father Eugene is standing directly behind them. Wanetta’s older brother and sister, Cecil and Monnie are seated in the front row, the second and third from the left. 

Wanetta’s father Eugene was born on the 25th of July 1902, the oldest of twelve children born to Elijah Everett Green Newman and Jettie Ruth Lewis of Vesta. Eugene’s siblings were Sallie; Harry; Myrtle; Infant Boy, stillborn 1911; Thomas; Nell; Dorothy; Georgia; Delcie; Infant Girl, stillborn 1926; and Lois. Eugene’s father Elijah was the son of James Madison Newman and Susan Lurinda Howell, also of the Vesta community. Eugene’s mother, whose birth name was Sallie, was always called Jettie after one of her father’s students. Jettie’s father, Martin Elkanah Lewis was a schoolteacher, originally from Rockingham County, North Carolina who married Letitia Anne Mason from Henry County, Virginia. 

Wanetta’s mother Violet was born on the 1st of September 1906, the sixth child of ten children born to Emory Dean Clifton (commonly known as the “Clock Man” to locals) and Ruhamah Jane Hylton. Violet’s siblings were Gracie; William T; Pierce; Tony; Alvin; Elsie; Geneva; Emory; and little Tommy.  Violet’s mother Ruhama was the daughter of Abram Alexander Hylton and Violet Jane Plaster of Vesta. Violet’s father Emory Dean was the son of Andrew Martin Clifton and Martha Jane Boyd, of the Vesta community. Andrew was originally from just over the line in the community of Price in Rockingham County, NC, but a beautiful mountain girl brought him to Vesta. 

The following story was written down by Mr. Fred Clifton in what he called Brief Sketch of what is known of One Family of Cliftons in America, “Jack Clifton, who lived at Price, N.C decided to build a gristmill for that area.  Two of his sons, William Barton known as “Bart” and Andrew, made a journey on foot from their home at Price by way of Taylorsville, Virginia which is now Stuart. They followed what trails and roads were available up the Blue Ridge Mountain to the area now known as Vesta and Meadows of Dan. Here they stayed overnight with a friendly settler. A man named Boyd, who had a young daughter Jane, which attracted the attention of Andrew.  They continued their journey west to a stone quarry near Blacksburg, Virginia where Brushy Mountain stone which possesses special quality grit required for making millstones, was quarried.  On the return trip, the lads made it a point, to again, spend the night at the Boyd home. They returned and told their father that he could get the desired stones in unfinished blocks at the quarry. He had the stones hauled to his home, where he forged and tempered the tools in his blacksmith shop, with which to shape and furrow the blanks into millstones for his new mill. Some years passed and Andrew, still remembering the Boyd girl, persuaded Bart to make another trip with him to the Blue Ridge Mountains where he married Martha Jane Boyd.  They built a home and settled near Vesta, where Blair Clark’s summer home is now located. They had 5 sons, – Jack, Bob, John, Dean, and Lupert.  3 daughters, – Harriett, Leahvannie and Mary.” Written by Fred Clifton 27th June 1963. The beautiful mountain girl, Miss Martha Jane Boyd, who would be Wanetta’s great-grandmother, was the daughter of Henry Boyd and Sarah Nancy Cockram.

Wanetta’s parents, Eugene and Violet were married in 1923, and a year later, their first child, Moncella (Monnie) was born, followed by Cecil Reece in 1926. Wanetta Marie was born on the 24th of November 1928, two days after Thanksgiving that year. By the time Eugene and Violet’s next child, Garvin Eugene, was born in 1930, Eugene had taken his growing family to Roanoke where he found work in a silk mill. In the 1930 business directory, the family was living on Murrell Road, near Wilson Avenue NE Roanoke. 

There were two more Newman children born in Roanoke, Violet Paunee in 1933 and Aubrey Dean in 1935 before the family returned home to Patrick County. Elroy Joel was born in Vesta in 1937, followed by Betty Ruth in 1939, Nagatha Agnes in 1943, and Evelena in 1945. 

Evelena reached out to me this week and asked if I could recognize Wanetta’s 96th birthday with a story about the family, for which I was honored. Wanetta married John Dickerson Doss on the 27th of April 1946. John was the son of John David Doss and Minnie McBride. Wanetta worked as a beautician for many years and she and John had one daughter, Elizabeth Jane. I hope Wanetta has a wonderful birthday, filled with wishes for good health and happiness for more years to come! 

Thank you to Evelena Newman Dalton for the information and photographs. Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.