Sidney and Lelia
Updated November 1, 2013.
July 28, 2010. ODE TO ELMA
February 7, 2011. OBITUARY
September 27, 2011. Photos from Belinda Buck.
September 13, 2011. SIDNEY GUY WHITE as written by his Daughter-in-Law, Elma Elizabeth Midgett White, and published in the Heritage of Currituck County 1670-1985.
Sidney Guy White, one of eight children of Edmund Lee White and Julia Waterfield White, was born November 12, 1894. A life long resident of Knotts Island, he was born in the center section of the island then known as Woodleigh, North Carolina. It was there that he grew to manhood.
With his three brothers and four sisters, he attended a one-room school located about a mile from his home. His first teacher was Miss Jane Tillet.
In the fall of 1911, he went to work at Currituck Gunning and Fishing Club.
At the age of seventeen, on St. Patrick’s Day, he married Lelia Louise Waterfield. Their marriage lasted until her death in March 1972, a period at just over sixty years. During the years between 1912 and 1940, they became the parents of ten children: Julian Guy, Edna Louise, Virginia Dare, Lloyd Hope, Alfred Eugene, Ira Guy, Jeanette, Ida Jean, Warren Sidney, and Vincent Lee.
Life was not always easy for the young couple. They suffered the lost of their first child, Julian, who died at about nine months. It was more than thirty years later that electricity came to Knotts Island so modern conveniences, as we know them today, were unheard of. For instance, you got your milk from the cow, not the dairy case. Butter came a little harder; that had to be churned. But they were young and strong, and they took pride in their work and their growing family.
Religious people, they had both become members of Knotts Island Methodist Church in 1909. Remaining Methodist all their lives, they raised their children in the same church.
Both Sidney and Lelia took active parts in school affairs. He served several years on the Currituck County School Board, starting in 1950.
He remained employed at the hunting club for about thirty years. His other sources of income at that time came from raising cattle and hogs — some farming and catching muskrats on the club marsh where he had trapping privileges. It was not until 1940 that he went off the Island to work. With the approach of World War II he went to work for a construction company in Norfolk, Virginia doing carpenter work. He continued in that line of work until he retired in 1959.
Now at age ninety he lives alone in the house he and Lelia built in 1938. Although he is hard of hearing and his eyesight is far from perfect he keeps up with current events as well as having the best memory of anyone I know. He remains active, enjoys gardening, and does his own cooking including "boiled dinners" and cake baking.
Probably the thing he enjoys most is playing dominoes. Six nights a week, Monday through Saturday, a group of men gather at Knotts Island Market where they have a table over in a corner and play dominoes. Sidney seldom misses a night. Due to his failing eyesight, he no longer drives at night. His son-in-law, Wilbur (Bugg) Cason (married to Jeanette), who lives next door, usually drives him. Occasionally, he calls Lloyd (one of Sidney's sons). Between Wilbur and Lloyd they see that "Daddy" does not miss many nights playing dominoes.
Of his nine children living, five live within a mile of him, one daughter just over the line in Virginia, a son in California, a son in Georgia, and a son in Florida. He has thirty five grandchildren, sixty one great-grandchildren, and sixteen great-great-grandchildren.
September 13, 2011. Comment - Brenda McLaughlin: Elma Elizabeth Midgett White was Mom. Sidney White was my Granddaddy, married to my grandmother Lelia for 60 years. . My Dad (Lloyd) was one of 10 children. The oldest child died at a young age.
Lloyd and Elma were married September 6, 1941 in Crisfield, MD where Mom was living at the time. They bought their first home in Ocean View. I arrived October 3, 1942. The house is still there today, It's has an addition and been remodeled. They bought a larger home in Colonial Heights (Norfolk County) in 1944 to make room for Larry's arrival on March 31, 1945. We lived there until 1948 when Dad decided he really wanted to move back to KI. Mom didn't care where we lived as long Dad was happy.
Sharon arrived February 1, 1954. Larry and I thought she was the best gift Mom and Dad had ever given us.
Dad died January 13, 1998. Mom died February 6, 2011. Sharon, Larry and I felt we had the best parents and grandparents in the world.
November 1, 2013. Comment - Brenda McLaughlin: Christy Lynne Jennings arrived December 19, 1985. Her arrival blessed both Great Grandparents with 5 generations.
October 5, 2011. Comment - Brenda McLaughlin: My Granddaddy, Sidney White, shared this story with me when I was a teenager.
He went to Norfolk with his Dad. When they stopped for lunch, Granddaddy said, I think I will have a beer. He had never had an alcoholic drink. He ordered a beer. The bartender served it to him. Granddaddy took a sip and announced to the bartender that the beer was spoiled. The bartender drew another beer. Granddaddy took a a sip of that one and said "This one is spoiled too. " The bartender poured some of Granddaddy's beer in a cup and drank it. He turned to Granddaddy and said, "There is nothing wrong with that beer. That's the way beer is suppose to taste." Granddaddy's reply was "Hump, horse pee would taste better than that, you can have that stuff." That was end of Granddaddy drinking anything with alcohol in it.