Genealogy Jamboree Blog: Calling All Authors - The Stars in Your Family Deadline Is Close!

Who Is Your Special Relative?

Calling all authors!

Honor your ancestor with words so others can know who the stars are on your family tree. Then submit your story for

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Adrian Foushee Honors His Paternal Grandfather

Jeff Foushee

His occupations included farmer, mine worker, sawmill laborer, mechanic, restauranteur, and policeman. Born April 1, 1888, near Glendon, Moore County, North Carolina, Jeff Foushee farmed throughout his life, vegetables, chickens, and hogs, for subsistence and also commercially. In 1909, he married, Mattie Dorsett, his uncle’s niece. Together for 23 years, they had ten children. Miner was listed as the 1920 census occupation. Coal and industrial minerals had been profitably mined, but it was waning by this time. By 1930, the family had moved across the northern county line into Chatham County. In 1933, Mattie died in Gulf Township, Chatham County due to a pulmonary event. By 1935, Jeff relocated the family farther north to Orange County, North Carolina.

Living in Carrboro, next to the college town of Chapel Hill, there were more opportunities. It’s not clear which job came first, car mechanic at the Strowd Motor Company Garage or laboring in the local lumber yards (something he would be followed into by three sons). On October 8, 1938, Jeff remarried, to Mary (Gunn) Barnett (her second marriage also), however, on the 28 of November, she passed due to apoplexy (a stroke). Also, it’s not clear if Jeff opened his café before or after Mary’s death, but he and his children would manage it into the 1960s. Jeff remained single for over 20 years, marrying one more time, to Ella Mae Hartman, who being 24 years younger, survived him.

Jeff’s most notable occupation would be policeman. Standing over six feet and weighing over 225 pounds, in 1949, at the age of 61, Jeff Foushee and Nathaniel “Bud” Hopkins became the first African-American officers of Orange County. They were hired as part-time patrolmen only, on duty from 7:30 to 11pm, to “handle the tough, unpredictable Negro section of Carrboro where even the bravest men fear to tread”. Both were temporarily deputized in prior unrests. After the race-riot of August 1937, a report included a recommendation for the hiring of Negro police. And, although the county hired one additional officer within one year, it was 12 years before the Board of Alderman approved the hire of Negroes. It was said Foushee and Hopkins were respected men in both the Negro and White communities. Even so, they were only to patrol the Negro communities and could only detain a person if they were also Negro. It’s said that the area was so segregated that when a motorist stopped for directions, the officers could not assist, as they were not familiar with the White neighborhoods.

My grandfather died on September 20, 1966, two days after my second birthday. I have no personal memories of him, but I have stories about him, not just from family but those from family friends and neighbors speaking of his resolution, strength, and kindness.

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