Discovering Family

Researching family history is always a journey. This week, that journey took me to the discovery of a relative I had never heard of. A routine review of databases revealed names that were familiar in my research but included a child I did not know: Leslie Eugene Toombs. His last name was transcribed as “Traubs.” His parents were listed as Willie and Adeaner Toombs.

I knew the names of the parents as members of my family. Leslie would be my uncle. He was born on March 29, 1927, and died on March 30, 1927. His cause of death was “premature birth.” Dr. George W. Hayman is listed as the physician of record. Leslie was the second child and first son for his parents. Their residence is listed as 3506 W. 12th street. He was buried by Dubisson Undertaking Company in Oakland Cemetery (Oakland-Fraternal Historic Cemetery Park) on April 4, 1927. I asked my cousin, Kay Frances Toombs Pansy, if she’d heard the name. She had thought the child was a female because of the name. The record proves he was our uncle. A few weeks after his death, the city of Little Rock was experiencing two major events: the opening of Little Rock High School honored by the American Institute of Architects for its beauty and the lynching of John Carter.

Emotionally, I felt the connection to my grandfather. He was born in Galloway, Arkansas, in 1905. Most of his life was lived in the Little Rock area. When he was fourteen, the Elaine Race Massacre was in the news. His grandfather, who was discharged from the United States Colored Troops in Memphis, Tennessee, after the Civil War, survived the Memphis Race Riots of 1866 and the flu outbreak of 1868, and he moved the family to Solgohachia, Arkansas. When my grandfather was sixteen, the Tulsa Race Massacre was in the news. Two of his uncles, Clarence and Turley, lived in Tulsa at the time. Only Clarence appears in United States Census records after this event. My grandfather would name another son Turley in honor of this uncle. The lynching of John Carter in 1927 may have exceeded his emotional capacity to remain calm. Two years after the death of his child and the events of 1927, his wife had given birth to another daughter. His wife also decided to leave the marriage. Her decision led to the expansion of his family. He married again. His second wife is Myrtle Mae Phifer Toombs. She gave birth to nine children, including twins Remous and Romos. Romos died in infancy and is also buried in Oakland Cemetery. She would die after the birth of her youngest child, Calvin.

My grandfather did not give up on his future. Relatives discussed what he should do with all those children. Some offered to take a particular child or children, but he decided his children would remain together. His third marriage was to Lillie Stewart. She would raise their children. His first wife was always included in family events. Their marriage did not last, but their commitment to the children did. My knowledge of how she fit into the family came with my research into how I connected to all these people. My grandfather worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and took pride in pointing out the infrastructure around Little Rock that he had helped build. He later worked for the Rock Island Railroad. His overalls and railroad hat were an advertisement for the skill of Lillie in ironing clothing. Her skills brought her business from some of Little Rock’s well-known residents.

My grandfather had a saying, “One mo’, one mo’ won’t hurt.” It was a reference to the fact that each day was a new beginning. His desire to look to his future provided the opportunity to add his name and some of his children to the Aaron v. Cooper case focusing on desegregation of Little Rock public schools. His first cousin, Preston A. Toombs, worked for L. C. Bates and Daisy Bates with their newspaper, the Arkansas State Press, and later for the Arkansas Gazette. Daisy Bates was a driving force behind the initiative to obtain educational balance for students in Little Rock.

His observations of some of the events of his youth and young adult years may have determined his resolve to be a focal point in the lives of his children. The collaboration of his first and third wife to assist him in accomplishing this goal provided the assurance, security, and love needed for his children and their children to obtain levels of education beyond his dreams. He is responsible for providing the foundation to elevate the family in professional areas including medicine, education, engineering, military service, law, and small business ownership. The young man who survived the state and national violence of his youth continued to move toward the future and provided guidance in how to love your family while allowing your family to expand the possibility of what their lives could be. Was the brief life of Leslie the strength that guided his journey into the future? Discovering Leslie provided me with a view of my ancestors that I would not otherwise have considered. I honor him by sharing his name and enjoy imagining which sibling he would have had the most in common with.

Come to the Research Room in the CALS Roberts Library and let us help you delve into your own family history. Visiting information is at https://robertslibrary.org/visit/location-hours/.

By Rhonda Stewart, genealogy and local history specialist for the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, housed in the CALS Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art

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