Cora Belle Doby Dunning 1873-1920

Cora Belle Doby was born on February 28, 1873 in the Jackson Hill Community of Davidson County.

Cora Belle was the oldest daughter. Her father Manly Goldsberry Doby was 20 years of age and her mother Adaline Sarah Johnson Doby was 18.  Cora Belle’s mother, Adaline may have read her this poem which appeared in the Salisbury Carolina Watchman on March 13, 1873 on page 1 in the weeks after the birth of her first daughter. The Doby’s had one son, James L Doby who was one year older than his sister.

When Cora Belle was two, her brother Arrastus was born. In the 1980 census, James L, Cora Belle, and Arrastus are living with father Manly Goldsberry and Adaline Sara Doby. Father Manley is working as a farmer and reports being unemployed three months of the year.

In the decade of 1890, there are several children added to the Doby household. Brother Walter Finch is born in 1880, Brother Columbus M is born in 1883, Sister Mary Emma is born in 1885, Brother Joseph Monte is born in December of 1886. Brother Grover Cleveland is born in 1888 and Sister Essie is born in 1890.

Brother Joseph Monte died in February 1889 and is buried at Clear Springs Cemetery in Denton, Davidson, North Carolina.  His monument says he was 2 years 2 months old.

On September 8, 1891, Cora Belle begins her own family. She married William Robert Dunning in Davidson North Carolina when she was 18 years old.

 

After Cora Belle was married, her mother and father continued to have children. Maggie, sister was born in 1893 and Goldsberry Vance, brother was born in 1896.

During the same period of time, Cora Belle and William Robert had six daughters. These were Ethel Lou born in 1892, Bertie Alice born in 1894, Minnie Irene born in 1896, Fannie, born in 1897, Marry A in 1898, and Lillie Beatrice was born in 1900.

In early 1900, Manley Goldsberry and Adaline Sarah decide to move to Salisbury.

Cora Belle and William Robert continued to live in Healing Springs. They were living on a rented farm there in the 1900 census with their six daughters. William Robert is a farmer there. Ethel Lou age 7, Bertie Alice age 6, and Minnie Irene, age 5 all attended school some months during the year. Fannie, Marry A, and Lillie Beatrice did not attend school as they were toddlers or babies.

Cora Belle’s mother and father, Manley Goldsberry and Adaline Sarah Doby had moved to nearby Salisbury, Rowan County. Manley lists his occupation as farm laborer. They are living in a rented home not a farm and many of the children are now employed. Walter Finch age 19 is a convict guard, Columbus age 16 is a brick hand, Mary Emma age 15 spools cotton and Grover Cleveland age 11 is a doffer at the cotton mill. Essie age 8, Maggie age 7, and Goldsberry Vance, age 5 are not working or attending school. The census also says that Adaline Sarah has had three children that had died. From this we can assume that in addition to Joseph Monte, sons James L and Arrastus have passed away at an early age prior to 1900.

Unfortunately, Manly Goldsberry, the family patriarch died suddenly on July 19, 1900. The Salisbury Weekly Sun reports that he had the measles following typhoid fever. He was only 47 years old.

Cora Belle and William Robert Dunning have a son, Robert Lee Dunning, who was born sometime after 1900 who dies and is buried at Clear Springs in 1902. Two other sons are then born. William Adam was born in 1903 and Walter Goldsberry was born in 1905.

Cora Belle’s younger brother Goldsbery Vance Doby, age 11 dies in 1906 of catarrhal pneumonia and peritonitis. The Lexington Dispatch ran the following death notice on February 7, 1906 on page 4.

Daughter Carrie L Dunning is born to Cora Belle and William Robert in 1907. The Dunning family continues to live at Healing Springs. However, Cora Belle’s mother Adaline Sarah Doby has moved to Durham, North Carolina. She dies there December 13, 1908 but is brought back to Clear Springs Cemetery to be buried with her husband. Cora Belle and William Robert’s daughter, Cora May, also dies on February 4, 1909 and is buried at Clear Springs.

In 1910, Cora Belle and William Robert continue to live in the Healing Springs community on their rented farm. They have nine living children now. Ethel Lou, Bertie Alice, Minnie Irene, Fannie, Marry A, Lillie Beatrice, William Adam, Walter Goldsberry, and Carrie B. All of them are attending school except for Walter and Carrie who are too young.

Cora Belle’s final child and another daughter, Lola Pearle was born at Healing Springs on April 9, 1911. Daughter Minnie Irene sickens and passes away on October 18, 1915 at the age of 19. She had been ill since at least since September when the Lexington Dispatch reported her very ill.

Cora Belle and her children’s life were enriched by her world traveling brother, Walter Finch Doby, who is in the military and helped build the Panama Canal. Walter often visited the Dunnings when he was on leave and brought back curios of the tropic such as giant bean pods and boa constrictor snake skins. He lectured the students and his nieces and nephews on the building of the canal and was quite the local celebrity.

Cora Belle, with seven living daughters must have looked on having the right to vote in 1920 favorably. Many of her friends and neighbors did as reported by the Lexington Dispatch on October 26, 1920, page 1.

“4,000 OR MORE WOMEN REGISTER – SOME ESTIMATE NUMBER AT HIGHER FIGURE THAN THIS

That there was a tremendous outpouring of women to prepare for voting during the last week of registration became evident Saturday evening after the books had closed, when advices received here from different parts of the county showed that a great majority of the qualified women of the county had their names enrolled on the registration books.  It appears to be a safe estimate that at least four thousand women are now eligible to vote.

One well posted political observer puts the number at 4,300, it is understood, this estimate being based on information received from the various precincts in the county on Saturday.  More liberal estimates place the number registered at 4,500 or above.

Considering the fact that woman suffrage descended rather suddenly on the women of Davidson County and that many of them had thought little of the privilege of voting until it was upon them, the registration is phenomenal.  Early in the period of registration the Republican leaders in the county put on a strong drive to have all registered thought to be of their political faith and they met with a considerable measure of success.  The Democrats responded with an equally valiant effort and the women of the Democratic household have answered the call and are prepared to meet the issue on next Tuesday.

Lexington township, being the most largely populated in the county, shows in the neighborhood of 1,300 women on the registration books.  Thomasville township is reported to have approximately 1,000 registered.  Emmons, the third largest township in the county reports practically a solid registration.  Cotton Grove women have also registered almost solidly, as is the case also in practically all the southern tier of townships.  Advices from the townships north of Lexington are not as definite, but it is learned the registration of women has been generous.

This week will be devoted by political headquarters on both sides to plans for polling the full registered vote as nearly as possible on next Tuesday.  It being realized that a name on the registration books counts only when the potential voter casts his or her ballot at the polls on election day.  It would appear that the vote in Davidson County this time will run several thousands larger than in any previous election and that the women vote will not be far behind the male vote.”

Cora Belle did not live long after this. She died on December 2, 1920 from complications of gallstones. According to her death certificate she suffered with this condition for about a year.

The Lexington Dispatch reported that she passed away quietly on Thursday December, 2, 1920.

Cora Belle Dunning, house wife, 47 years old, 9 months, and 4 days old was buried at Clear Springs with the many members of her family on December 4, 1920.

Cora Belle Doby and William Robert Dunning’s children were:

1. Ethel Lou Dunning 1892-1969 married Oscar Lewis Brady Sr. 1888-1963
2. Bertie Alice Dunning 1894-1995 married James Harrison Cameron 1883-1971
3. Minnie Irene Dunning 1896-1915
4. Fannie Dunning 1897-1923 married John Everett Beck 1895-1959
5. Marry A Dunning 1898-1974 married Ernest Dexter Sexton 1893-1979
6. Lillie Beatrice Dunning 1900-1972 married Edmund Burch Gallimore 1896-1952
7. Robert Lee Dunning died 1902
8. William Adam Dunning 1903-1971 married Sadie Lee Everhart 1910-2002
9. Walter Goldsberry Dunning 1905-1988 married Mary Elizabeth Brady 1908-1982
10. Carrie L. Dunning 1907-1968 married Edward Emerson Rogers 1897-1956
11. Cora May Dunning died 1909
12. Lola Pearle Dunning 1911-2003 married Dewey E Rogers 1910-1934 and Martin E Cooper 1895-1987

References available at Rogers Family Tree on Ancestry
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/34712803/family
and at Family Search https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LYWF-YKW