Memorials
This page is dedicated to honoring the memories of family members who have passed away.
If you know of a family member who has passed who is not listed here, you can add a new memorial with a photo by clicking the Create a Memorial button.
You can also write a tribute or leave your comments about those already listed on the page. (Approval may be required prior to publishing)
Emma Daniel Wilson Andrews
1887-12-27 1989-01-07
Last surviving child of Lawrence and Savannah Daniel.
Emma and her husband Milledge had 6 children Lawrence, Sophie, James, Johnie, Garvey, and Estelle. When the boll weevil ruined crops in SC, they relocated to Hephzibah, GA . After her husband was tragically killed while digging a well, the family moved back to Johnston. She was then briefly married to Rev. John Andrews before her eldest son Lawrence permanently relocated the family to DC in the 1930s.
Dubbed the "Harriet Tubman" of the family, as family members began migrating North her home at 1219 Harvard St NW, DC was always a welcoming respite.
Vitron Varnetta Valentine (Daniel)
1922-03-17 2008-06-08Eldest daughter of Johnny and Varnetta Daniel. Granddaughter of Savannah Jay and Lawrence Daniel.
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Dr. Firpo Hurley
1925-10-25 2017-10-14
Grandson of Lawrence & Savannah Daniel. Son of Sophia & Romulus Hurley. His last Daniel-Jay Reunion was in 2016. As the oldest surviving family member he accepted a proclamation recognizing the Daniel-Jay Family on our behalf from the Mayor of Johnston, SC.
Firpo graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University in 1950.
While a student there a Congressman from S.C. remarked that only white boys were veterinarians in S.C. So Firpo decided to go to Kansas instead since he was told that he would not be welcome there. As he was preparing to start a practice in Harper, Kansas, a Wheat farming town 50 miles west of Wic...
Lt. Col. Spann Watson
1916-08-14 2020-04-15
Spann is remembered for his class and courage. He refused to obey segregation laws in the military so he helped change them.
Spann was one of the original Tuskegee Airman and a member of the famed 99th Fighter Squadron.
Spann’s picture hangs with other Airmen in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. He received a number of significant awards and recognitions. He was one of the Tuskegee Airman honored by President Bill Clinton at the White House in 1998. He was also a VIP attendee at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. His trip from his NJ home to the inaugural was filmed and reported on by the New York Times.
Spann developed an ea...