13th September 1969, Saturday

[Graeme]

Day number 12668Site Date Map

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Noah E. / P. Presley, Elvis' uncle and former Mayor of Tupelo passed away today
             

Noah was the son of Rosella Presley. Rosella raised all of her children as a single mother, a farmer, never marrying, and giving her children her last name of Presley.
Noah's name has been posted as Noah P. Presley and Noah E. Presley. The census records also show both the P and the E for middle names. On the 1940 census, Noah gave his name as Noah P Presley.
My mother believes the correct middle initial to be the P., however, the tombstone has the E for a middle initial. Noah may have changed his middle name.
Noah's children from his first marriage did not have the tombstone made. It is believed the children from the second marriage had the tombstone made, thus I am unsure of the E on the tombstone and how it came to be.
Some sources claim Noah's father is believed to be Tom Hussey. Tom was a planter in NE Mississippi, owning nearly 7,000 acres. Tom purchased the 69 acres that would later become the 69 acres that comprised East Tupelo, MS. Tom was married to a Fort Worth resident, however, after attempting to live in NE Mississippi, she shortly returned to Fort Worth, TX. They never divorced.
I personally believe it was a Hussey, however, not Tom, but Herman, his father.
Noah married Susan Izora Griffin on July 10, 1910 and had nine children. They are Sump, Whit, Eack, Sales, Goble, Ruble, Vona Mae, Dock, and Sedera. These are not "calculated" relationships as Find A Grave as defaulted with the Asterisks. The children listed for Noah and Susan are actual and these are not half-siblings. They are each an everyone full blood siblings.
Noah and Susan lived in East Tupelo, where they raised their children. Noah was Mayor of East Tupelo, taking office January 7, 1936, and Lee County Sheriff (Marshall) in 1946. Noah also had a general store and the sign outside the store states "Noah P Presley Groceries".
The store was at the northeast corner of East Main and Canal Street. The store location served as C&E Dry Cleaners (Carl and Earl Long) and later became Longs Laundry. Truman McNeece purchased the dry cleaning business from the Long's and also had a coin laundry in the same building.
After Susan passed away in 1939, Noah remarried a younger woman named Christine Mary Houston December 7, 1940. Noah began a second family of six children with Chris. One of their notable children was Harold Ray Presley, former Sheriff of Lee County who died while on duty in a shoot out in a barn in July 2001. Harold Ray shot and killed the criminal, but later died from the gunshot wound he received during the confrontation.
Noah had several brothers; Walter, Calhoun "Cal" and Jessie Dee or "Dee" McDowell, Mack, Joseph and sisters, Robbie and Minnie E. Presley.
Dee was Elvis' grandfather, thus making Noah his grand Uncle. As a child, I always heard "Uncle Noah", thus the generation was not recognized as grand uncle, just uncle. I don't know if this is a southern thing, but this was also true on the McCoy side of my family.
The Presleys of East Tupelo were a tight knit group. Many of them lived on the same block, Kelly Street, and I was told by my grandmother, Ethel Presley, that they shared a milk cow.
During the April 1936 tornado, I was told that Elvis and his parents were at Noah's house. Noah was mayor of East Tupelo at that time.
When Elvis was born, Noah's daughter-in-law, Ethel*, was one of three people present. She was second to arrive and then the doctor was sent for when the mid-wife and Ethel determined a difficult birth would ensue.
*Ethel is my grandmother; Noah is my great-grandfather.
I knew Noah and was in Tupelo in September 1969 with Eack, Ethel, Hazel and my brother.
NOTE: I have been able to either create the page or come to manage most of the Presley family members pages with the exception of just a few. I cannot verify the facts nor edit those that I do not manage. A special word of thanks to those that were kind enough to transfer family members to me. Suzanne E Presley