Paul, as a teenager, accomplished the proverbial boyhood dream of many at that time -- he ran away and joined the circus. He traveled with Barnum & Bailey for awhile before returning to Tarboro and settling down eventually with Olive "Ollie" E. Forest about 1911 or 1912. Her family was living in Tarboro also. As children, she and her sisters were scared to death of "Old Mr. Bradley" (Paul's father) and would cross over to the other side of the road when passing by his house. They verified his reputation of being "mean as a snake". As a result of his disposition, he apparently was pretty rough on his sons.
Paul and Ollie moved to Rocky Mount and Molly, Paul's mother, was probably living with them on Russell Street when she died. Paul and Ollie had three children that lived to adulthood: Pauline, born January 25, 1913 (her mother's birthday); Edward Braxton (named after his Uncle Roland), born January 7, 1921 and Betty Jean, born August 21, 1929, less than four years before her mother's death from cancer in 1933. Pauline was married to Fred Spence by this time and was living in the Washington, D. C. area with their first child, Leonard. Edward, who was only twelve, went to live with his mother's sister, Mabel and her husband, Charlie Hamilton, in Raleigh. Their son, Charles, lives just three doors down from Edward to this day in the same house where they were both raised. Betty Jean, a toddler, was raised as their own by her Aunt Mamie (Olive's other sister) and Uncle Con Sykes and their only daughter, Vivian, in Rocky Mount. Paul and Ollie had moved to Raleigh in 1927 when Paul went to work for the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The death of "his Olive" left Paul devastated and though he lived nine more years they were very unhappy ones for him. He was unable to work a good part of the time. He attempted marriage to a much younger woman and it was a total disaster. He finally died of an aneurysm in October of 1942 at age 57. Paul and Ollie are buried together in Pineview Cemetery in Rocky Mount, in a family plot which was purchased by Paul when their second child, a son, was stillborn in 1916. Three of their other children: Mary Frances who died as an infant in 1921; Dan, born in 1918 and died in 1939; and Jasper (called Jack), born in 1924, died also in 1939, are buried in the same plot, as well as Leonard Spence, Pauline's firstborn son, who died at age three
Paul and Ollie moved to Rocky Mount and Molly, Paul's mother, was probably living with them on Russell Street when she died. Paul and Ollie had three children that lived to adulthood: Pauline, born January 25, 1913 (her mother's birthday); Edward Braxton (named after his Uncle Roland), born January 7, 1921 and Betty Jean, born August 21, 1929, less than four years before her mother's death from cancer in 1933. Pauline was married to Fred Spence by this time and was living in the Washington, D. C. area with their first child, Leonard. Edward, who was only twelve, went to live with his mother's sister, Mabel and her husband, Charlie Hamilton, in Raleigh. Their son, Charles, lives just three doors down from Edward to this day in the same house where they were both raised. Betty Jean, a toddler, was raised as their own by her Aunt Mamie (Olive's other sister) and Uncle Con Sykes and their only daughter, Vivian, in Rocky Mount. Paul and Ollie had moved to Raleigh in 1927 when Paul went to work for the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The death of "his Olive" left Paul devastated and though he lived nine more years they were very unhappy ones for him. He was unable to work a good part of the time. He attempted marriage to a much younger woman and it was a total disaster. He finally died of an aneurysm in October of 1942 at age 57. Paul and Ollie are buried together in Pineview Cemetery in Rocky Mount, in a family plot which was purchased by Paul when their second child, a son, was stillborn in 1916. Three of their other children: Mary Frances who died as an infant in 1921; Dan, born in 1918 and died in 1939; and Jasper (called Jack), born in 1924, died also in 1939, are buried in the same plot, as well as Leonard Spence, Pauline's firstborn son, who died at age three
Paul, as a teenager, accomplished the proverbial boyhood dream of many at that time -- he ran away and joined the circus. He traveled with Barnum & Bailey for awhile before returning to Tarboro and settling down eventually with Olive "Ollie" E. Forest about 1911 or 1912. Her family was living in Tarboro also. As children, she and her sisters were scared to death of "Old Mr. Bradley" (Paul's father) and would cross over to the other side of the road when passing by his house. They verified his reputation of being "mean as a snake". As a result of his disposition, he apparently was pretty rough on his sons.
Paul and Ollie moved to Rocky Mount and Molly, Paul's mother, was probably living with them on Russell Street when she died. Paul and Ollie had three children that lived to adulthood: Pauline, born January 25, 1913 (her mother's birthday); Edward Braxton (named after his Uncle Roland), born January 7, 1921 and Betty Jean, born August 21, 1929, less than four years before her mother's death from cancer in 1933. Pauline was married to Fred Spence by this time and was living in the Washington, D. C. area with their first child, Leonard. Edward, who was only twelve, went to live with his mother's sister, Mabel and her husband, Charlie Hamilton, in Raleigh. Their son, Charles, lives just three doors down from Edward to this day in the same house where they were both raised. Betty Jean, a toddler, was raised as their own by her Aunt Mamie (Olive's other sister) and Uncle Con Sykes and their only daughter, Vivian, in Rocky Mount. Paul and Ollie had moved to Raleigh in 1927 when Paul went to work for the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The death of "his Olive" left Paul devastated and though he lived nine more years they were very unhappy ones for him. He was unable to work a good part of the time. He attempted marriage to a much younger woman and it was a total disaster. He finally died of an aneurysm in October of 1942 at age 57. Paul and Ollie are buried together in Pineview Cemetery in Rocky Mount, in a family plot which was purchased by Paul when their second child, a son, was stillborn in 1916. Three of their other children: Mary Frances who died as an infant in 1921; Dan, born in 1918 and died in 1939; and Jasper (called Jack), born in 1924, died also in 1939, are buried in the same plot, as well as Leonard Spence, Pauline's firstborn son, who died at age three
Paul and Ollie moved to Rocky Mount and Molly, Paul's mother, was probably living with them on Russell Street when she died. Paul and Ollie had three children that lived to adulthood: Pauline, born January 25, 1913 (her mother's birthday); Edward Braxton (named after his Uncle Roland), born January 7, 1921 and Betty Jean, born August 21, 1929, less than four years before her mother's death from cancer in 1933. Pauline was married to Fred Spence by this time and was living in the Washington, D. C. area with their first child, Leonard. Edward, who was only twelve, went to live with his mother's sister, Mabel and her husband, Charlie Hamilton, in Raleigh. Their son, Charles, lives just three doors down from Edward to this day in the same house where they were both raised. Betty Jean, a toddler, was raised as their own by her Aunt Mamie (Olive's other sister) and Uncle Con Sykes and their only daughter, Vivian, in Rocky Mount. Paul and Ollie had moved to Raleigh in 1927 when Paul went to work for the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The death of "his Olive" left Paul devastated and though he lived nine more years they were very unhappy ones for him. He was unable to work a good part of the time. He attempted marriage to a much younger woman and it was a total disaster. He finally died of an aneurysm in October of 1942 at age 57. Paul and Ollie are buried together in Pineview Cemetery in Rocky Mount, in a family plot which was purchased by Paul when their second child, a son, was stillborn in 1916. Three of their other children: Mary Frances who died as an infant in 1921; Dan, born in 1918 and died in 1939; and Jasper (called Jack), born in 1924, died also in 1939, are buried in the same plot, as well as Leonard Spence, Pauline's firstborn son, who died at age three
Bio by: Gayle Weiss
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