Payton’s Funeral House was a family-owned African American funeral dwelling established within the early twentieth century by Chester Cornelius Payton Sr. within the small city of Dunn, North Carolina. Chester Payton Sr. was born on November 1, 1908, in Craven County, North Carolina. He later married Addie B. Payton, and so they had two youngsters: a daughter, Pearlie Mae, born in 1928, and a son, Chester Cornelius Payton Jr., born in 1933. Within the early Fifties, 18-year-old Chester Payton Jr. was drafted by the U.S. Military and despatched to Korea on the peak of the Korean Battle.
In the meantime, the household’s funeral dwelling, which doubled as their residence, made headlines within the native newspaper. In September 1951, Labor Day weekend in Harnett County was marred by a airplane wreck, a number of vehicle accidents, and a taking pictures. The weekend ended with the demise of Mary Roberts on Sunday night. Her husband, Eugene Roberts, was being held within the Harnett County jail in reference to the taking pictures. Roberts’ spouse died at Dunn Hospital at 1AM Monday after being shot by way of the abdomen. The bullet handed fully by way of her physique. An inquest was referred to as for at Payton’s Funeral House the place her physique was taken.
In November 1952, Zollie Brown, a 38-year-old plumber’s helper, was shot to demise by his spouse, 30-year-old Eula Mae Brown, as he got here at her with an open knife. When questioned by the police, she mentioned the taking pictures was unintentional. Eula Mae testified on the inquest carried out at Payton’s Funeral House that her husband had been cursing and abusing her and began in the direction of her with an open knife, threatening to kill her. She mentioned their 11-year-old daughter, Beulah Mae Brown, pushed her out the kitchen door and handed her the .32 caliber pistol to guard herself. The mom mentioned she didn’t need the gun and was handing it again to her daughter when it went off. The bullet struck Brown within the left chest, and he fell to the bottom mortally wounded. Eula Mae said that she didn’t recall pulling the set off and by no means supposed to kill her husband.
Policeman Aaron Johnson testified that the lady was hysterical when he arrived on the scene. He mentioned he discovered the gun below a tree, the place she instructed him she threw it, and that he discovered the open knife by the useless man’s physique. The daughter testified and corroborated her mom’s story. Alice Melvin, a neighbor, testified that simply earlier than the taking pictures, the couple’s 6-year-old son, Larry, ran over to her home and instructed her his daddy was attempting to chop his mom. Shortly afterward, she mentioned she heard the gunshot. Policeman John Brockington testified that on the evening earlier than the taking pictures he handed and noticed Eula Mae leaving the home and requested her the place she was going. She instructed the officer she was leaving the house earlier than she acquired in bother. There was proof the couple was having bother for a while. Three years prior, Zollie Brown was given a suspended sentence for hitting his spouse over the top with a chair. After listening to testimony from a number of witnesses, a jury impaneled by Coroner Grover C. Henderson dominated that the demise of Zollie Brown was unintentional, and Eula Mae Brown was acquitted.
A number of years later, in April 1954, the Nationwide Affiliation for the Development of Coloured Folks (NAACP) fashioned a chapter in Dunn. The group held a gathering at Payton’s Funeral House, that includes Charles A. McLean, the assistant discipline secretary of the NAACP, because the speaker. McLean referred to as for a house-to-house marketing campaign for members and referred to as consideration to the ability on the poll field.
Payton’s Funeral House has been an integral a part of the lives of residents of North Carolina for a few years. Addie B. Payton died in 1990. Chester Payton, Sr. died in 2003, and so did his daughter Pearlie Mae. Chester Payton, Jr. continued managing Payton’s Funeral House because the funeral director.
In 2008, a state funeral board inspector visited the funeral dwelling and found a number of violations, necessitating the proprietor’s look earlier than the state board for a disciplinary listening to. The board inspector discovered the funeral institution didn’t meet constructing code necessities and was not in compliance with pricing necessities. Chester Payton, Jr. was positioned on probation for one yr and required to finish a unbroken schooling course. In compliance with the consent order, he relinquished his funeral institution and preneed licenses till the ability met code necessities. He constructed an extension behind the funeral dwelling, that includes a brand new casket show and embalming rooms, and subsequently reopened Payton’s Funeral House. Chester C. Payton, Jr. died in 2021 on the age of 88. Following his demise, the ability was largely emptied, aside from the embalming room. It nonetheless contained tools, a number of gurneys, quite a few chemical bottles, and cremated stays. The property was acquired by Genesis Mortuary in 2024, resulting in the institution of a funeral dwelling.
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