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 1909 - 1958 (48 years)
Generation: 1
| 1. |  Roy Allen Cates was born on 20 Sep 1909 in Durham, Durham County, NC; died on 8 Jun 1958 in Durham, Durham County, NC. Notes:
[Broderbund WFT Vol. 7, Ed. 1, Tree #3244]
Roy is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park. His obituary appeared in the Durham Morning Herald/Sun on 9 Jun 1958. His death certificate listed the cause of death as "Pneumonia due to hemolytic staph aureus" and stated the onset was only three days. He died at Watts Hospital. At the time of his death he'd been living on Shaw Road in Durham. The death certificate also listed his occupation as a bridge foreman for N.C. SH & PWC. Alice's father brought Roy home to clean fish after their fishing trips. Roy and Alice were attracted to each other and wanted to date, but her Dad thought they were too young. Roy was stationed in Va. (working on bridges) and would ride a train to Oxford, spend Sunday at her house, and then ride the train back to Va. to be at work for Monday morning.
Roy would write her exciting letters and her sister, Elizabeth, would get hold of them and wait until company came...then start reading the letters out loud!
Roy and Alice decided to run off to Halifax County, VA to get married at the courthouse by a Justice of the Peace. (She had to have her Mom's written consent because she was only 14 years old.) Wm. Henry Wilson loved Roy like a son, but thought Alice was too young to get married.
Alice said she was so nervous and excited when they got married she exclaimed, "I do! I do!" - even as her knees where knocking! Roy's daughter, Phyllis, remembers his great sense of humor. He once got up on the roof and pretended to be Santa Claus! She said he chased them in the yard and "washed" their faces with watermelon rind - just to be funny! He was a great teaser.
Phyllis recalled his jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. Once when he put on a suit to go to a funeral, she was startled to notice how handsome he was!
Phyllis recalled hog killing day - that is was "interesting". Roy loved to fish and he would go with his father-in-law, who he affectionately referred to as "the old man".
Roy would meet his daughters' dates with his shotgun. He commented that if the dates ran, then they were no good anyway! Phyllis remembers him cleaning the gun a lot.
When Phyllis was about in the 4th grade, she recalls her father taking her coon hunting. Phyllis remembers the respect given to parents at dinner time. The children were expected to be there on time and the parents filled their plates before the children. If there was misbehavior, the offending child was removed from the table. Roy and Alice liked country music.
Roy married Alice Morton Wilson [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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Generation: 2
Generation: 3
Generation: 4
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