Whitley, Fab and Rena

Fab B. Whitley
Son of Wiley and Winnie Whitley
Nov. 24, 1874 - May 11, 1958
Rena H. Whitley
Daughter of Perry and Susan Hooks
April 12, 1893 - April 7, 1983

Children : Fab B. Whitley, Jr., Dorman Whitley, Eloise Whitley, Newsome Everette Whitley, Rena Dell W. Moore, Evelyn B. Lynch, Mabel B. Thompson, Blanche B. Simpson, Russell Barnes, Iva Mae W. Etheridge

Fab and Rena Married on April 11, 1920

Fab was first married to Cornelia Earp of Selma, NC. They had a daughter, Iva Mae. Corneila died when Iva Mae was five years old. Rena was first married to Walter Barnes from Fremont. He died in 1917 during the flu epidemic. They had four children, Evelyn, Mabel, Blanche and Russell Barnes.

Fab was a successful merchant in Selma, NC when he and Rena were married. He continued operating the business until the Depression when he was forced to close the doors, as many business and landowners lost property during this period of time.
Fab and Rena then moved to the farm, owned by Rena's family, near Kenly, where they lived the remainder of their lives and reared their children. The house they moved into was not on a road. There was a path by their home and there was no mail delivery or school bus service by their house. Fab, in his impressive script hand writing, wrote to the Governor and State Representative regarding making a road by their property. In 1935, he was rewarded for his efforts by the road actually being built.

Fab and Rena were hard working people. They shared farm work with their neighbors because of the economy money was not available to pay wages. Rena was a good homemaker and mother, and was a good neighbor.