Person:Margaret Hinson (1)

Photograph http://www.ancientfaces.com/research/photo/358896 http://www.ancientfaces.com/research/photo/357307

(Report of W. J. "Billy" Armstrong) Maragret divorced Robert O. Black in the early 1930's. According to Billy Armstrong (2000), Bob Jr's. mentor and close friend who lived across the street from Papoo and Ardenne, Margaret and her son Bobby moved in with Papoo and Ardenne on Eastmoreland when Bobby was between12-14. (He dates this to 1933-34.) He met Bobby when he had a paper route. Billy A. worked at UP Bank and was about 12 years older. Billy encouraged Bobby to apply for the Commercial Appeal's scholarship to Battleground Academy which he applied for and won. Bobby attended Battle Ground through high school before attending Southwestern.

Margaret had known Whit (her 2nd husband) as a young girl but both had married others. When she moved to Memphis she worked for the YWCA and the Red Cross. She dated Whit. She married CM Cornelius Milton (Whit)Whitaker (b. Como, MS) when her son Bob was in college and remained married until his death. In 1958 Mr. Armstrong moved away from Eastmoreland. Ardenne and Shelton were still living across the street. Therefore, Margaret & Whit bought the house on ? Circle behind Southwestern when they married (1938-1939).

She did not work after she married Whit. She was commissioned to paint portraits and landscapes and continually took drawing classes; Mr.Pinzner was her favorite teacher. They traveled quite a bit, particularly after Whit's retirement from Esso as manager of Tires,Batteries & Accessories for the SE region of the US. They attended the Methodist church although he was more staunch in his attendance due to his strong, conservative beliefs and participation in the church orchestra (trumpet). He was frugal and had investments in the stock market. When he died, Margaret was comfortable financially.

Margaret closed her son, Bobby's, dental office when he died abruptly at the age of44. She also closed her sister's (Ardenne) dental office when she developed Alzheimer's. She endured quite a bit in her life but tended to handle it stoically.

She was a quiet person, loving and giving. Stylish, ladylike and attractive, she was called by many the "prettiest woman in Memphis." She told a funny story. Once, when she traveled to Chicago to meet her first husband's friends as a young bride, she had tea one afternoon with a woman who was born and raised in Chicago. The woman asked Margaret if she would mind if she asked her a personal question. Margaret replied, "of course not." The woman then proceeded to ask Margaret how long she had been wearing shoes, being born in the south!

1. ↑ Self Report.

   Brenda Black Watson, Self Report.

2. ↑ Death Certficate.
3. ↑ Census
   Shelby Co., TN, Vol 62, ED 58, Sheet 5.

   Census. TN 1900

4. ↑ Obituary.
5. ↑ Raymond Finley Hughes and Howard Clift Black. William Black and his Descendents A Genealogy of the Descendents of William Black of Augusta County, VA and la. (Unpublished. Copyrighted 1973 by Hughes).