Submitted by Eugene Simpson Holbert; Researched & written by Kobe Brown; edited by Cheri Todd Molter
Marcus Jefferson (Jefferson Russell) Holbert was born on February 7, 1855, in Polk County, North Carolina to John Holbert Sr. and Maden Foster Holbert. Marcus appears in the 1860, 1870, 1900, 1910, and 1920 census records. In the 1860 census, Marcus was living with his parents and his siblings. In the 1900 Census for Polk, North Carolina, Marcus was listed as a farmer and the head of a household, and he was married to Esther Selina Nicholson of Georgia. They had had children by the 1900 census, including Josiah Simpson Holbert and seven other children. Marcus Jefferson lived with his family until his death on September 28, 1929 at the age of 74.
Left: Selina and Marcus Jefferson Holbert ~ Right: Holbert Family portrait – Back row: Floyd, Josiah, Jane, Jake, & Tom; Front row: Roxie (Josiah’s wife who’s holding L.M.), Selina and Marcus Jefferson Holbert
According to vital records, Josiah Simpson Holbert was born on May 7, 1884, in Georgia, although some census records claim he was born in North Carolina. At sixteen years old, Josiah was living with his parents and siblings in Polk County, North Carolina in 1900. By 1910, he was married to Roxanne Johnson. Josiah made a living as a farmer and a carpenter. He also served as a Baptist Minister during his lifetime. Josiah died on April 21, 1952.