Happy Veteran's Day

In honor of Veteran’s Day, The Caton Chronicle has listed the following people, who have served or are serving in one branch of service and live or lived in or near Caton.
Gilbert Arthur, NC Militia, Civil War; Harvey Arthur, NC Militia, Civil War; William M. Arthur, NC Militia, Civil War.
Vernon Bazemore, US Army, Vietnam.
David B. Caton, NCST, Civil War; Jackie Darrell Centers, USMC, Vietnam; Demetrius H. Cherry, NC Militia, Civil War; Alex Cuthrell, US Army, WWI.
Elijah Dunn, NC Militia, War 1812; John Dep Dunn, NC Militia, Revolutionary
War; Levin Dunn, NC Militia, War 1812; Richard Dunn, US Navy.
Joseph Franklin, USMC.
Alois Gaskins; Leston Gaskins, US Army, WW2; Will Gibbons; Donald Graham, USAF; Paul Graham, US Navy; Paul Graham, Jr., US Army.
David Harrington, NCNG; Lenwood Holmes, US Army, Vietnam.
George Ipock, US Army, WW2; John Ipock, NC Militia, War 1812; Milan Ipock, US Army; William Ipock, NC Militia, Civil War.
Ben Jones, US Navy, WW2; Jimmie Jones, US Army; Lenwood Jones, US Army; Michael W. Jones, NCNG; Preston Jones, US Army Reserves.
Graham Lane, US Army, WW2; McCoy Lewis, US Army, WW2; Terry Lewis, US Air Force.
Troy Miller, US Army; Gilbert Morris, US Army, WW2; Hosea Morris, US Army; Perry Morris, US Army; Rayfield Morris, US Army; Richard Morris, US Army, WW2; Stephen E. Morris, NCST, Civil War.
Jerome Norman, US Army; Jerry Norman, US Army Reserves.
Joe Raines, NCNG; Curtis Russell.
Arthur Stilley, USAF; Chrysler Stilley, US Army; Dewitt Stilley, US Army, WW2; Grady Stilley, US Army, Vietnam; Harrell Stilley, US Army; Herman Stilley, US Army; Oscar
Stilley, USAF, Vietnam; Wilbur Stilley, US Army, WW2; William Earl Stilley, USAF, Cuban Crisis.
Alton Toler, US Army, Korea; Anita Toler, NCNG; Aubrey Toler, US Army,
WW2; Bert Toler, US Army, WW2; Bill Toler, Jr., US Army, Korea; Cecil Toler, US Army, WW2; Clifton Wade Toler, USAF; Daniel Toler, US Continental Army, Revolutionary War; David Toler, US Army, WW2; David Toler, Jr., NCNG; Duffy L. Toler, US Navy, WW2; Eddie Toler, NCNG; Evan Toler, USAF, WW2; Garfield Toler, US Army, WW2; Isaiah Willis Toler, US Army, WW1; Ivey Toler, US Army, WW2; James Toler, NC Militia, War of 1812; James Madison Toler, US Navy and US Army; James Zeffie Toler, US Army, WW1; Jeff Toler, NCNG; Larry Toler, USAF; Matthew Toler; Quentin Toler, US Army, WW2; Ronald Toler, US Army, WW2; Seth Toler, US Army, WW1; Stanley Toler, US Army, Vietnam; William D. Toler, NC Militia, Civil War; W. Harvey Toler, NCNG, WW1; William Thomas Toler, Jr., US Navy.
Biggs Wetherington, Jr., US Navy, WW2; Eugene Wetherington, US Navy, WW2; Guy Wetherington, US Army, WW1; Guy Wetherington, Jr., USAF, Korea; Harry Wetherington, USAF, Korea; Joseph Wetherington, NCNG; Larry Wetherington, US Army, Korea; Leslie Wetherington, US Army, WW2; Otto Wetherington, US Navy, WW2; Ronald Wetherington, US Army, WW2; Walter Wetherington, Sr., US Army, WW2; Addison Whitford, NCST, Civil War; David P. Whitford, NCST, Civil War; Edward Whitford, NCST, Civil War; Garland Whitford, US Army, WW2; Hardy Whitford, NC Militia, War of 1812; Hardy Whitford, NCST, Civil War; Harvey Whitford, US Army; Ira Edgar Whitford, Jr., US Army, WW2; John Whitford, NC Militia, War of 1812; John N. Whitford, NCST, Civil War; Latrille Whitford, US Navy, WW2;McRay Whitford, US Army; Rita Whitford, US Navy.

Print Edition of Caton Chronicle Ends

The editor of the Caton Chronicle announced in the September 2009 printed issue that he was ending the print edition effective immediately. He stated, "Effective with this newsletter, I am closing the printed Caton Chronicle after 18 years of publishing."
The reasons given for his ending the newsletter included declining subscriptions and rising costs.
Subscribers with 6 months or more remaining on their subscriptions were given a pro-rated refund.
The online, blog, version of the Caton Chronicle will continue from time to time.

Douglas M. Gaskins

Douglas M. Gaskins, 60, of Grantsboro, died September 16, 2009, in an automobile accident.
He served his country in the US Army during the Vietnam Conflict.
The son of Leston Gaskins and Betty Hall Gaskins, Douglas is survived by two sons, Jesse Gaskins of Pollocksville and Jeremy Delgado of Bertie County; and two sisters, Phyllis Hawkins of New Bern and Janice Stumph of Westerville, Ohio.
A memorial service was held at New Haven Church with Rev. Graham Lane officiating on September 19. Inurnment followed in High Bridge Cemetery.
Arrangements by Cotten Funeral Home

Two New Blogs on Toler and Caton History

I have created two new blogs, one on Toler Genealogy and another on the history of the Caton Community.

Keep track of updates to the Toler Family by following the Toler Genealogy Blog. Or, learn about the history of Caton by following the Caton History Blog.

Toler Genealogy can be read at http://tolergenealogy.blogspot.com and Caton Community History can be read at http://catonhistory.blogspot.com.

If you have news you would like added, let the editor know!

Early Mention of Little Swift Creek School, 1870

I was browsing through Google Books doing a search on "Little Swift Creek" and found a mention of a school there in 1870. It also mentioned that Silas Fulcher (a known Caton/Zorah resident) was teaching school at "Deep Run".
The description of schools in Number 2 Township for Craven County was not too good as seen in the view below (you can scroll up a page to begin at Number 2 Township).

Leslie O. Wetherington, 1918-2009

Leslie O. Wetherington, 91, died April 4, 2009.
Born on March 5, 1918, to Henry W. and Cora Whitford Wetherington, Leslie married Inez Lamm on January 25, 1942.
During World War II he served as a Corporal in the US Army and toured North Africa, Sardinia, Corsica, Southern France and Germany. He was awarded 2 Battle Stars and a Good Conduct Medal.
Survivors include his widow; two daughters; a son; several grandchildren; and a sister.
Memorial services will be held at Broad Creek Christian Church in Olympia on April 11 at 2 p.m.

LSC VFD BBQ

The Little Swift Creek Volunteer Fire Department will be having a BBQ Pork Sale on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. until all BBQ is sold.
The Sale will be held at the Main Station in Askins, located on Highway 17 between Vanceboro and Bridgeton.
The plates will sell for $6.00 each and include BBQ, slaw, and hushpuppies.
As always, the Department thanks you for your support as they strive to serve the communities of Askins, Antioch, Caton, and Ernul.
Watch for signs on Highway 17.
Drive Thru or Eat In.

G. Jerome Norman, 1933-2009

G. Jerome Norman, 75, died at Craven Regional Medical Center in New Bern on February 11, 2009. Born on October 2, 1933, Jerome was the son of Leon and Dezelle Stilley Norman.
He graduated from Farm Life High School in 1951. He was a veteran of the US Army and a registered land surveyor for more than 50 years.
In 1960, he married Carol Marie Whitford, who preceded him in death in 1998.
Surviving are two sons, Gilbert H. Norman and wife, Ananda, of Asheville and Jeremy L. Norman and wife, Marsha, of Caton; one granddaughter, Zoey Norman; two brothers, Kirby Norman and Jerry Norman, of Caton; one sister, Annette N. Arnold, of Fuquay-Varina; and his mother-in-law, Marie Stilley Whitford.
Graveside services will be held 11 a.m. on February 13, 2009, at Stilley Family Cemetery in Caton.

Snow Blankets Area

Residents of Caton awoke on February 4 to find a fresh blanket of snow. During the night about 2 inches of snow fell. Snow continued to fall through the morning, but once the sun began to shine, the snow quickly melted.
The recent snow is the second snow storm this year. Another storm, on January 21, left close to 3 inches.
The photo at right shows Martha Toler's handiwork at building a snowman.

Car Hits Tar Bridge

Little Swift Creek VFD was called to a wreck on Aurora Road at Tar Bridge on Monday, January 19, 2009. A car was demolished as it struck the metal bridge safety railings. The driver of the vehicle refused to be transported to the hospital.

Caton School Students, Photo 1

For those of you with Facebook profiles, Cristy Lewis has created a group called the Caton/Cayton Experience as "A place for all of those familiar with Caton/Cayton (whichever way you spell it) can gather, reconnect, and share."

I have posted a few photos of the students of Caton School, taken in the 1930s. One of these is posted here. The students are seated on the front steps of New Haven Church. This is the building built in the 1920s and replaced in 1951.

The students shown here are:
Front row: Lora Marie Whitford, Lillian Knox (bending over), Johnnie Knox.
Second row: Milton Whitford, Bill Toler Jr., Chrysler Stilley, Unknown boy with hand on face, L.J. Lane, Robert Mowrey.
Third row: Roberta Mowrey, Jeanette Wetherington, Bernice Stilley, Dolores Toler, D.L. Toler (?).
Fourth row: Cecil Toler, Garland Whitford (?), Harrell Stilley, Ronald Wetherington, James Madison Toler, and Lucille Knox.

The picture was probably taken by Frank Mowrey, father of the twins Robert and Roberta Mowrey in the picture. Frank, from New Hampshire (I think), was a mail order husband for Mary Jane Toler Stilley.

Lillian and Johnnie Knox were too young to attend school, but were there to get their picture made anyway.

If anyone can identify the two unknown boys, please let me know.

Crystal Gray Watts Watson, 1975-2009

Crystal Gray Watts Watson, 33, of Vanceboro, died at her home on January 2, 2009. Born on May 30, 1975, Crystal is the daughter of Michael and Louise Toler Watts, of Caton.

She married Ricky Watson in 1995, who survives. Other survivors include her two sons, Ricky Watson, Jr. and Michael Brandon Watson; her parents, Michael and Louise Watts; and her grandmother, Margaret Stilley Toler.

Graveside services were held January 6, 2009, at High Bridge Cemetery in Caton with the Rev. Graham Lane officiating.