The Family of Maxy McCool
and Della Whitten

This page last modified on January 22, 2004.

Mary Della Whitten was born in October 1894 in the Noxubee Hill community in northern Winston County, Mississippi. She was the last child born to parents John Thomas Whitten and Sue Mayo Whitten. After her father died in 1911, Della, her mother Sue, and her sisters Carrie "Sis" and Hassie lived with her brother Johnny Whitten. The family lived very near the county border between Winston and Choctaw Counties, and they were enumerated in Choctaw County on the 1920 census of Mississippi. Della married Maxy McCool in August 1925, according to daughter Maxine Phillips, but I do not know where they married. Della and Maxy made their home in Montrose, a community in Jasper County, Mississippi, sometime before 1947. A cousin told me they moved there for lumber jobs. Some of their descendants still live in that area.

Maxy McCool
Born: Unknown date in Choctaw County, Mississippi
Married: August 10, 1925 in Mississippi (possibly near Winston County?)
Died: December 10, 1960 at Newton General Hospital, Newton County, Mississippi
Buried: Montrose Cemetery, Montrose, Jasper County, Mississippi
Father: Possibly Henry McCool
Mother: Unknown
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Mary Della Whitten
Born: October 1894 in Winston County, Mississippi
Died: January 03 or 05, 1964 -- Daughter Maxine Phillips told me Della died in the Mississippi Delta. Granddaughter Joyce Allen told me Della died at home in Montrose, Jasper County, Mississippi.
Buried: Montrose Cemetery, Montrose, Jasper County, Mississippi
Father: John Thomas Whitten
Mother: Sue Mayo
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1. Hamlet Glenn McCool
   Born: [Date Private] in Mississippi
   Married: [Date Private]
   Spouse: Bonnie Jean Smith

   Ham and Bonnie Jean have two children: Glenda (married a Rodgers) and Jimmy McCool.

2. James Roy McCool
   Born: January 12, 1929 in Mississippi
   Married: April 18, 1955, probably in Rosedale, Bolivar County, Mississippi
   Spouse: Betty Simpson
   Died: October 27, 2002, at home in Indianola, Sunflower County, Mississippi
   Buried: Indianola City Cemetery, Indianola, Sunflower County, Mississippi

   James Roy and Betty had three children: Joyce (married an Allen), Anita (married a Wright), and James Dean McCool. Betty died a year after James Roy on October 21, 2003.

3. Harold McCool
   Born: November 24, 1931 in Mississippi
   Married: Unknown date/place
   Spouse: Mary Henderson
   Died: September 1996
   Buried: Unknown

   Harold McCool was killed in a car accident in September 1996. He and Mary had two children: Barry McCool and Vanessa (married a Smith).

4. Maxine McCool
   Born: [Date Private] in Mississippi
   Married: Date/Place Unknown
   Spouse: Stanley Phillips

   Maxine and Stanley have three children: Debbie (married a Jones), Teresa (married a Nowell), and Frank Phillips

5. Virginia McCool
   Born: [Date Private] in Mississippi
   Married: Unknown date/place
   Spouse: Haskel Sims

   Virginia and Haskel had three children: Tammy Sims, Mary Lynn Sims, and Timothy Sims.

1900 Winston County, Mississippi Census: Enum. Dist 96, House 115, Sheet 7:
Della Whitten -- Daughter, Born Oct. 1894 in Mississippi, Age 5 [1895], Living with John T. and Sussie M. Whitten.

1910 Winston County, Mississippi Census: Enum. Dist 119, House 54/55, Sheet 4, Line 62 (page 235B)
Della Whitten -- Daughter, Age 15 (1895), single, born in MS. Living with John T. and Sue Whitten.

1920 Soundex for Mississippi: Choctaw County, Vol 10, Enum. Dist 61, Sheet 6, Line 83
John T. Whitten -- head, age 28 (1892)
Carrie Whiten -- sister, age 32 (1878) [my note: age should be closer to 38 (1882) per 1900 census]
Hattie Whitten -- sister, age 22 (1888) [my note: age should be closer to 37 (1883) per 1900 census]
Della Whitten -- sister, age 20 (1900) [my note: age should be closer to 25 (1895) per 1900 census]
Sue Whitten -- mother, age 58 (1862) [my note: age should be closer to 65 (1855) per 1900 census]

• 1900 and 1910 Mississippi Censuses for Winston County.
• Soundex for 1920 Mississippi Census.
• Interview with Maxine Phillips, 1983. Maxine is the daughter of Della Whitten McCool.
• Electronic letters from Joyce Allen (jma56@hotmail.com) in 2002 and 2004. Joyce is the granddaughter of Della Whitten McCool through son James Roy McCool.

See pictures of Della as a young woman in my Whitten Family Picture Album.