Here you will find out a little about my paternal 
Grandparents James Andrew Wilhite & Mintora Abegail Lee.  
James was the son of Holloway Peter Willhite & Mary Dicey 
Riley. Mintora was the daughter of Jesse Vincent Lee & 
Mary Abigail Rubottom. 

James & Mintora married on April 14, 1919 in Benton County, 
Arkansas.  James was born November 11, 1880 in Monett, Barry 
County, Missouri.  He died on March 12, 1934 of Pulmonary, 
Tuberculosis, which I believe our ancestors of the 18th 
century called it 'consumption'. My Grandfather, James,
died at his home in Garfield, Benton County, Arkansas.   

Mintora was born in Benton or Carroll County, Arkansas in 
April 1894. Mintora died in Billings, Christian County, Missouri 
in 1965. Mintora remarried after James death to Bennie Stephenson.
Mintora, Bennie & James are all buried in Ruddick Cemetery, 
Garfield, Benton County, Arkansas.  

My father, James was only 4 years old when my Grandfather died.  
So my father doesn't remember alot about him.  Grandfather 
would be proud to know that my father, named my brother 
after him. My brother was also born in the month 
of November, ironically the same month as my Grandfather 
and also only 2 days apart.  What a coincidence!  My brother 
and my Grandfather both have the exact same name and their 
birthday's almost fall on the same day of the same month, 
with the exception being they were born nearly 85 years apart.  

My Grandfather was in the Navy during WWI.  Soon after 
the war was over he worked in the mines in Picher, 
Oklahoma until about 1929.  At this particular time 
after working in those mines, he and the rest of his 
family moved from Oklahoma to Benton County, Arkansas 
and lived with Mintora's parents Jesse Vincent Lee & 
Mary Abigail Rubottom for a short time until my Grandfather 
was able to provide a home for his family.  

After my Grandfather died in 1934, Mintora remarried Bennie 
Stephenson.  I belive that Mintora & Bennie may have 
moved to Cherryvale, Kansas for a while, as I remember 
my father saying something about being there as a child.  

I never got to know either my Grandfather or Grandmother but, 
my father and his sister have told me several stories about 
them.  I feel as though I knew them, as I feel a very close 
connection to them. 



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A link to the left will lead you to a photograph of James & Mintora 
in their early years.

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