WILES FAMILY CIRCLE

Issue No. 1
November 1995
JAMES HENRY HASSEL WILES

James Henry Hassel (Haskel) Thomas Wiles went by several different names. One name as you can see came about by the misspelling of a clerk or a person writing his name by the way they thought it sounded. On his tombstone in Mountain Hill, Pittsylvania County, Virginia it states Henry H. Wiles. His death certificate states his name as James Henry Wiles. So from here I will refer to him as James Henry Wiles.

James Henry Wiles was born January 5, 1868, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He was a shoemaker and a Confederate soldier, as was Robert's father. Robert Wiles died in 1875, James Henry was only 7 years old. He had a lot of responsibilities placed on him at a very early age. James Henry farmed and helped provide for his family.

James Henry met and fell in love with Lettie Ann Moore. She was the daughter of Richard E. Moore and Mary Jane "Nannie" (Adams) Brightwell Moore. Lettie Ann was born on December 11, 1872, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. James Henry and Lettie Ann married on October 18, 1893 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. When they married James Henry was 25 years old and Lettie Ann was 21 years old.

James Henry was farming to support his new bride and they started in on having a family right away. They lived in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. James Henry and Lettie Ann's children were: Hattie Mae Wiles born October 20, 1894; Minnie Sarah Wiles born October 14, 1896; Lettie Pearl Wiles born November 30, 1899; Hugh Henry Wiles born July 28, 1901; Raleigh Hassel Wiles born June 10, 1904; Johnnie James "Jim" Wiles born March 5, 1906; Annie Louise Wiles born January 2, 1912 and Armistead Yeatts Wiles born September 27, 1914.

During Lettie Ann's child bearing years her health deteriorated. Much of the responsibility of helping with the household duties and also rearing the younger children fell back on Hattie and Sarah.

On October 6, 1908, James Henry Wiles bought a 105 1/4 acre farm in Pittsylvania County in the Mountain Hill area known as "The Cain Creek Farm". James Henry Wiles paid cash for the farm the price was $1,578.75. They lived a good life. They had lots of farming land, they raised tobacco. All the children old enough to help, did so. Hattie, in later years told her children about picking the tobacco leaves and curing them. Hattie always referred to her homeplace as the "Plantation." They had lots of orchard trees, and lots of room for the kids to play. Most all of the children in the family were musically talented. They entertained themselves and their friends a lot by playing their music. Teasingly, some of the boys, would sing, "Hattie Mae, Minnie Sarah, Lettie Pearl, Pearl, Pearl".

Slowly the children started growing up and getting married and moving out on their own. Hattie was the first to marry. She married William Felix Collie on January 7, 1917.

James Henry started getting sick. Dr. W.C. Yeatts started tending to him on January 5, 1921. Earlier, he had sought shelter under a shed from a thunderstorm when the roof came down, hitting him in the stomach. He never fully recovered from this. On his death certificate, they listed the cause of death as "Stomach Cancer". James Henry died April 27, 1921. He was 54 years old when he died. He was buried April 28, 1921 in Mountain Hill on their family farm.

After James Henry died, Lettie Ann's health started slowly getting worse. During this time, their son, Hugh married Ollie Vester Moore on August 20, 1922 and also their daughter Pearl married Robert Oscar Barber on November 2, 1922 and their daughter, Sarah married Oscar Thomas Slayton on January 10, 1924.

Lettie Ann's doctor was W.C.W. Pritchett. Lettie Ann died on November 26, 1926, in the Memorial Hospital in Danville, Virginia. She is buried right beside her husband, James Henry Wiles on their family farm in Mountain Hill. After Lettie Ann's death, their son, Raleigh married Darna Graves Williams on November 6, 1927. Later, their daughter Louise married Otha George Jefferson in January 1930 and that same year, their son Jim married Annie Gertrude Pruett on December 24, 1930. Their youngest son, Armistead married Odell Owens on April 20,1935.


OBITUARIES

THE REGISTER, DANVILLE,VIRGINIA
THURSDAY, APRIL 28,1921
DEATH OF HENRY WILES

Henry Wiles, of near Mountain Hill, of this county, died at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning. He had been a suffering from cancer for some months and his death was not unexpected. He was a consistent member of Mountain Hill Baptist Church and for some years the superintendent of the Sunday School at the church. The funeral will be held from his late home, Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock, being conducted by his pastor, Rev. E.C. Owen, assisted by Rev. J.C. Holland, of Keen Street Church.

THE REGISTER, DANVILLE, VIRGINIA NOVEMBER 28, 1926 DEATH OF MRS. WILES

The death occurred yesterday morning at Memorial hospital of Mrs. Henry Wiles after a long illness. The remains were taken to Mountain Hill where the funeral will be held this afternoon.

James Henry Wiles was the son of Robert R. Wiles and Sarah Frances Colley. Robert R. Wiles was the son of Joseph Madderson Wiles and Celia Milam.

Sarah Frances Colley was the daughter of Dicy Colley. Dicey Colley was the daughter of James Collie and Nancy Jennings.

Lettie Ann Moore Wiles was the daughter of Richard E. Moore and Mary Jane "Nannie" (Adams) Brightwell. Richard E. Moore was the son of George W. Moore and Louisa Weatherford. Louisa Weatherford was the daughter of Charles A. Weatherford. Charles A. Weatherford was the son of the Minister John Weatherford.

Mary Jane "Nannie" (Adams) Brightwell Moore was the daughter of James Adams and Letitia (Letsy) Vaden Adams was the daughter of Silvester A. Vaden and Mary Chatten.

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