Samuel Agustus Whitehead

Samuel Augustus Whitehead was born in Hillsborough in 1877, the ninth of 11 children. His whereabouts are unknown during his early life and he did not appear in any documents until his marriage in 1900. He would have most likely lived with his parents or family members until he ventured out on his own.
It likely wasn’t an easy childhood for Samuel. According to his grandson Billy Whitehead, “Grand Pop never talked about family much.” His daughter Carrie’s assessment was the same. I always found it odd that no family members were ever mentioned and thought originally that there was some sort of falling out between Samuel and his parents. Research proved a different story.
Samuel lost his father at the age of 7 and his mother at the age of 15, which means he probably didn’t have many memories of either of them to pass on. Though he had older brothers and sisters, it can be assumed that he went to work as a farm laborer at a very young age because he only finished the eighth grade before leaving school.

Samuel married Velma Fink, daughter of John Fink and Mercy Lake Fink, at Clover Hill, Somerset County in 1900. By 1910, the family was living on a farm in Ringoes, at that time listed as Copper Hill, in East Amwell Township and had 7 boys. The marriage would eventually produce 12 healthy children from 22 pregnancies.

Samuel lived and worked his farm for his remaining years. According to the 1940 census, he was working 70 hours a week and making $800 a year.

In 1945 Samuel died of apoplexy, better known as a stroke or cerebral hemorrhage. He is buried with much of his immediate family at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell.