Obituary of David Harlin Pitman(1869-1949) Chula Vista CA

Last Rites Held For D. H. Pitman

Funeral services for David Harlin Pitman, 80, who died Sunday in Paradise Valley sanitarium, were conducted at Hubbard mortuary Monday afternoon. The Reverend Clive Williams officiated and burial in Glen Abbey followed. Mr. Pitman, a retired farmer, was born February 25, 1869 in Smithville, Tennessee and resided Tennessee for 29 years later moving to Texas where he lived until moving to Chula Vista in 1942, Survivors include his Mrs. Minnie May Pitman, Chula Vista and the following sons and daughters: Mrs. M. C. Walters, Chula Vista, Mrs. M. P. Smith and Virty L. Pitman, both of El Cajon, Mrs. Mary Cheatwood, Carpenteria, Mrs. Lydia Kendall, Mrs. Rosa Rudolph, Mrs. Billie Gowan, Ollie Ellis, Altie Hendrix, I. L. Pitman, R.V. Pitman, 0. S. Pitman, all of Texas and Mattie, Matthews of Leavenworth, Kansas. Of Mr. Pitman's 48 grandchildren the following reside in this area: David and Patsy Pitman, and Carolyn, Terry and Charles Smith. He is also survived by 20 great grandchildren.

Source:

"Last Rites Held For D. H. Pitman," The Chula Vista Star, August 19, 1949, p 14, col 6; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chula-vista-star-last-rites-held-for/38098237/ : accessed April 24, 2026), clip page for Last Rites Held for D. H Pitman by user rmbeckman

Edith Penny "Geg" O'Brien(My 2C1R)

Edith Penny "Geg" O'Brien(My 2C1R)

• Name at Birth: Edith Marie Pitman
• Parents:  Beecher Lee "Boots" Pitman and Myrtle Lee Huckabee
• Born: April 17, 1925
• Died: July 15, 2002
• Age at Death: 77
• Member of the first group of women Marines during World War II graduating from boot camp Sept. 1, 1945, from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. She attained the rank of staff sergeant and was honorably discharged.

• Served as a volunteer for the American Red Cross. Penny Became a nurse in 1956 then went on to attend Tarrant County. Junior College, making the dean's list. She graduated in the spring of 1976 as a registered nurse, specializing in psychiatric nursing

She was my 2nd Cousin once removed.  A descendant of David Pitman and Mary Adcock.  She descended thru their son Thomas Lucian Pitman, brother of my maternal great grandmother Nancy Pitman Luna.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 4, 2002, Page 42. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-obituary-for-pe/192310777/ : accessed February 27, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Penny "Geg" O'Brien by user rmbeckman

David Pitman(Apr 1838-11 Feb 1922)--52 Ancestors

David Pitman(Apr 1838-11 Feb 1922) is my maternal 2nd Great Grandfather. This week's 52 Ancestor prompt was "branching out" and I can think of no other ancestor of mine who fits that more than he does.  He was born near Paint Rock Alabama in 1838 to Daniel & Comfort Hatfield Pittman.  His family was in Dekalb Co TN by the 1850 Census which is where he was living when he met and married his first wife Mary D. T. Adcock(1842-1902) 22 DEC 1859.  I descend thru their daughter Nancy Florence Pittman(my Mom's Paternal Grandmother).

David's surname is spelled several different ways:  Pittman, Pitman and Pitmon.  It's also "butchered" in the 1920 census and several other documents a few times. Also, nicknamed Dave.   There are some online trees that have his name as David Harlin Pitman but I've never found anything to indicate that.  He did name one of his sons David Harlin Pittman but I've never found a record showing that name for the elder David "Dave'" Pitman.

David was in the Civil War with the Co A 16th TN Regiment(Confederate) and is listed among others that served with him in an article in the Southern Standard from 1884.  I have a copy of his 2nd wife's confederate pension application which was approved.  

There had been some tails passed down thru the family that he had made his own alcohol but I'd never found any proof until I located several Federal court case announcements at Newspapers.com.  These were spanning the years from 1873-1876.  I haven't yet been able to get copies of the cases but that is one of my top items on my to-do list in my research on him.  

In 1870 he and his wife Mary are enumerated in the Florence District of Rutherford Co Tennessee.  Next door are his Mom, Comfort(likely widowed) and several of his siblings with their children.  I have no idea what brought them to the Murfreesboro area unless it was the war.  David and Mary would go back to Dekalb County.  Several of his sister would marry in Rutherford Co TN and move on to Gibson Co TN before moving on to other parts.  I don't know if Comfort moved on to Gibson Co TN with them or died before the move because I can't locate her in the 1880 census.

David and Mary had at least 12 children together according to the records which I have found.  They also helped to raise several of their grandchildren before Mary's death in 1902.  After Mary passed,  David remarried to a much younger woman, Florence Alabama Prater(Widow of Leonidas Poss) and had 4 more children.  Avorilla Poss, a step daughter from his wife's previous marriage also lived with them until she married in 1915. David passed in 1922 at the age of 83 and is buried in Young Bend Cemetery in Dekalb Co. Tennessee.  Several branches of his descendants moved to Alabama, California and Texas and there are some who still live in Dekalb, Warren & White Co area of Tennessee.  I see many of them among my maternal DNA matches. I don't know if this is because of the shear number of them or if they are more interested in DNA testing than cousins from other of my ancestors.

Sources:

"Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKH3-XYL5 : 10 March 2021), David Pittman and Mary D F Adcock, 22 Dec 1859; citing DeKalb, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 593,050.

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCD8-MSV : 23 December 2020), David Pitmon in household of Daniel Pitmon, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TH-ZY6 : 18 February 2021), David Pittman, 1860.

"United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD8M-DHH : 29 May 2021), David Pitman in entry for Comfort Pitman, 1870.

“The Courts,” Republican Banner, 19 Nov 1873, p. 4, col. 5 ; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

“The Courts,” The Tennessean, 25 Oct 1874, p. 4, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

“The Courts,” The Tennessean, 21 Oct 1876, p. 3, col. 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD79-LNM : 15 January 2022), David Pitman, Civil District 11, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .

“Roll Company A 16th Tenn. Regiment.,” Southern Standard, 21 Jun 1884, p. 4, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

"United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS8Z-4V1 : 29 January 2022), Davis Pitman, 1900.

"Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002" imaged at Ancestry.com,  Dekalb > 1899 Jan-1909 Aug: Marriages Image 525 of 843 (pg 427) David Pitman to F. A. Prater: accessed 30 Jan 2022.

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGFM-J8B : accessed 31 January 2022), David Pittman, Civil District 7, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 57, sheet 2A, family 21, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1497; FHL microfilm 1,375,510.

"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNPL-G3Z : 3 February 2021), David Pinon(should be Pitman), 1920.

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9BD-BM2 : 1 March 2021), Dave Pitman, 11 Feb 1922; Death, Smithville, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93245425/david-pitman : accessed 30 January 2022), memorial page for David “Dave” Pitman (Apr 1838–22 Feb 1922), Find a Grave Memorial ID 93245425, citing Young Bend Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Walela (contributor 47310007) .

"Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q571-M9LP : 31 October 2018), Florence A Pitman in entry for David Pitman, 1891-1965.

David Pittman in Federal Court for Illicit Distilling

The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Sunday, Oct. 25th, 1874  pg. 4
https://www.newspapers.com  accessed  Wednesday, Jan 3rd, 2018

Connally F Trigg--the judge presiding at the time of David Pitman's hearing.

I believe this is my David Pitman for several reasons: The Thomas Cotton listed with him lives in White Co TN just over the county line from David Pittman, who lives in Dekalb Co. This is the same Thomas Cotton who served with him in the TN 16th Infantry(Confederate). Additionally, the L. R. Dunham is likely kin as David had 2 Dunham brother-in-laws as well as an Uncle by marriage who were Dunhams. I had heard family talk about the Pittman family having been involved in making liquor.

Federal Court would have been District Court in the Middle District.

From the National Archives site:
21.45 Records of U.S. District and Other Courts in Tennessee
1797-1975

21.45.3 Records of the U.S. District Court for the Middle
District

Textual Records (in Atlanta): Records of the Northeastern Division (Cookeville), including minutes, 1916-25; dockets, 1912- 50; civil, law, equity, and criminal case files, 1912-71; and records concerning bankruptcy, 1915-62. Records of the Columbia Division, including minutes, 1925-57; dockets, 1925-50; civil, law, equity, and criminal case files, 1925-71; and records dealing with bankruptcy, 1925-62. Records of the Nashville Division, including minutes, 1801-1924; dockets, 1814-1955; civil, law, equity, and criminal case files, 1799-1969; and records relating to bankruptcy, 1842-1963. Records of the Winchester Division, including minutes, 1925-38; dockets, 1926- 41; civil, equity, law, and criminal case files, 1926-43; and records concerning bankruptcy, 1925-43.

Microfilm Publications: M1213, M1215.

Looks costly to order copies. Need to see if I can find another mention in the paper.

Shared Ancestor Hint thrown off by tree discrepancies

Overwhelmed with the number of matches lately but today I took the time to work the Shared Ancestor Hints and noticed this.  

The match in question is genealogically a 5th cousin which this should show.  It's really not thru any fault of Ancestry that it isn't showing correctly.  I believe that it's actually caused by the match's entry for the husband of Annie Rice.  We both have the husband as James Hatfield but the middle initials are different for each of us and the other tree has him living over 40 yrs more than what I have in my tree.  That difference likely caused the comparison tool to think it was comparing two different Annie Rices.  I did check the shared matches and they are my Pittman/Hatfield cousins.  I think the DNA may actually be thru the Hatfield line on this one or there may be different shared segments of DNA among all of us and part may be Rice...some Hatfield and maybe some Pittman.  Be prepared to investigate and see what is causing things of this nature.  Triangulation is necessary if I want to be able to mark the matching segment and assign it to a specific ancestor or ancestor group.

Dunham & Pittman descendants among those applying on Baker Roll.

While working on the Pittman/Adcock portion of my 2GrGP to 2C project I have found applications for the Eastern Cherokee(Baker Roll era)  ...not the the Pittman line but through the Dunham line..both were rejected but contained a great deal of detail about their migration.  I thought it might be interesting for others to see what a basic rejection letter looked like and the reasons for not recommending the applicant be accepted as a member to the Eastern Cherokee. Items 1-6 were checked on the two applications for the John Sebron Dunham and Margaret "Peggy" Pittman Dunham descendants.



Dear Sir or Madam:

The enrolling committee has examined your application for enrollment with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina, and from the information contained therein it does not feel justified in recommending you for acceptance as an enrolled member of the Band.  Your application is therefore rejected for the reasons checked below:

1.  The applicant's ancestors have not been enrolled as members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

2.  The applicant or parents not in the state of North Carolina at the time of the Award October 23, 1874.

3.  The applicant, or parents not enrolled in 1868 or since that date.

4.  Proper degree of affiliation and association with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

5.  Not recognized by the tribe as a member thereof.

6.  No contribution made to the purchase of the Qualla Boundary or other tribal lands.

7.  The applicant, or parents enrolled as Western Cherokees.

8.  Any right the applicant, or an ancestor, may have acquired by reason of residence in the state of North Carolina in October 1874 or by reason of enrollment with the Eastern Band prior to that date has been lost through non-affiliation.

9.  The parents of the applicant, one of them being white, married since June 7, 1897, and the applicant born apart from the Indian  community.

Thirty days is allowed in which to appeal to the Secretary of the Interior from this decision.  Any appeal taken must be prepared in proper form and filed in this office so that all the paper in the case may be forwarded at the same time.  The committee has no forms for use in making appeal and no information as to the method of preparing the same.


Very respectfully,

-------?  the enrolling commission

My 16 GG Grandparents(better late than never)

I've been meaning to make this post ever since Randy Seaver's Sat. Night Genealogy Fun idea to
Post your 16 GG Grandparents

Just now finding time. I've not attempted to determine exact percentages for my ancestral ethnicity mainly because I have very few of them back to their immigration date. Most of them were in what would become the US by 1770s and some of them earlier than that. I'd say that I'm probably over 90% a combo of English Scottish and Irish.

Paternal Lines(1-8)
Maternal Lines(9-16)

1. William Clifford Cook: born 4th April 1811 in NC, USA; married 27th of Sept 1831 in Williamson Co., TN, USA; died 1 Jan 1882 in Bedford Co., TN, USA.
2. Elizabeth Putman: born 1814 in Union Co., SC, USA; died 5th Sept. 1880 in Bedford Co., TN, USA.
3. William Benton King: born Feb 1819 in Bedford Co., TN, USA; married 30 Sept. 1841 in Williamson Co., TN, USA; died 1901 in Gainesville, Cooke Co., TX, USA.
4. Eliza Jane Manire: born 1818 in Williamson Co., TN, USA; died April 1896 in Gainsville, Cooke Co., TX, USA.
5. George Jakes: born abt. 1820 in Franklin Co.,VA, USA; married abt 1845 in Tennessee; died after 1880 census in TN, USA.
6. Catherine Morrow: born abt. 1830; died after 1880 census in TN, USA.
7. David Frizzell: born 23rd Oct. 1808 in Bedford Co., TN, USA ; married 15th Nov 1834 in ; died 27th Dec 1870 in Bedford Co., TN, USA
8. Rebecca Manley: born 1818 in Bedford Co., TN, USA ; died 1862 in Bedford Co., TN, USA.
9. Elisha Luna: born 5th Nov. 1825 in Smith Co., TN, USA; married 11th Dec 1851 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA; died 19th June 1889 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA.
10. Keziah Rigsby: born 1832 in White Co., TN, USA ; died 1909 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA.
11. David Pittman: born April 1838 in Jackson Co., AL, USA; married 22th Dec 1859 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA; died 11th Feb 1922 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA.
12. Mary D. Frances Adcock: born 20th of May 1842 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA; died 30th of Dec. 1902 in Dekalb Co., TN, USA
13. William Leon Acuff: born 25th of Jan. 1842 in Bledsoe Co., TN, USA; married 5th Jan. 1871 in Van Buren Co., TN, USA; died 3 Feb. 1898 in Van Buren Co., TN, USA.
14. Sarah McElroy: born 28th Nov 1847 in Van Buren Co., TN, USA; died 2nd July 1925 in Dallas, Madison Co., AL, USA.
15. William P. Hale: born 1849 in Van Buren Co., TN, USA; married abt 1871 prob. in Bledsoe Co., TN, USA ; died bet. 1920-1930 in Warren Co., TN, USA.
16. Nancy Arminda Hitchcock: born 6th Sept 1840 in Warren Co., TN; died before 1887 in TN(prob. Van Buren Co.), USA

Top five discoveries in my ancestry

Admittedly none of the top discoveries were made specifically by me. I will admit to prodding other researchers of my lines and asking way too many questions. Whatever works...lol.

1. Acuff- Proof of Wm. Leon Acuff's father was found(by Billie McNamara)in Bledsoe Co. TN court records when under oath Wm. L. Acuff was asked how he knew Jonathan Acuff whose case was being heard. His answer was "He is my Father". Case notes and statements further verify that this Wm. L Acuff was indeed the one who lived in Van Buren Co. TN(where my GG grandfather is found on census records)

2. Millie Hitchcock's maiden name--I believe it was Agnes Jones & another researcher who found the marriage record from March 11, 1806 for George Hitchcock and Millie Riddle in Roane Co. TN records.

3. Comfort Pittman's maiden name-- This is the first of 3 breakthrus that came about from one record. That record was the Application to the Eastern Cherokee of Comfort's Grandson, John R. Dunham--discovered by Royce Dunham & Jan Hicks. John was denied but the application stated Comfort was a Hatfield before she married Daniel Pittman.

4. Finding older Children of Daniel & Comfort Hatfield Pittman--These were listed on Annie Pitman Dunham's son's Eastern Cherokee application. These were children who were out of the household before 1850 census.

5. Comfort Hatfield's parents--The Eastern Cherokee application doesn't plainly list her parents names but it does say her mother was Annie Ross and that her dad was a Hatfield. There is record of an Annie Ross who was the first wife of James Hatfield which we feel is correct considering several key factors. There is also a sworn statement that Annie Pittman Dunham(Dau of Daniel & Comfort Pittman) was at Tahlequah in Aug of 1866 though I don't even pretend to know how to go about finding those records I'm going to try. I need to review the copy of the Eastern Cherokee Application. Thankfully the Wallace College Library where I attend classes has those on Microfilm.