His WW I draft registration card, filed 12 Sep 1918 in Flemingsburg, Ky, records Tobe Petitt, age 33, born 9 Aug 1885, residence Grange City, Fleming Co., Ky, occupation farmer, self-employed, nearest relative Helen Petitt, physical description tall, slender build, blue eyes, black hair.

His death certificate records James Tobe Pettit, age 81, born 9 Aug 1885 in Fleming Co., Ky, died 27 Jan 1966 in Hillsboro, Fleming Co., Ky, occupation farmer, father's name unknown, mother's maiden name Sallie Petitt, informant Vernon Petit, cause of death carcinoma of prostate, buried Fairview Cem., Fleming Co. (The 3 different spellings for Pettit are as typed on the certificate.)

The Social Security death index lists Tobe Pettit, born 9 Aug 1885, died Jan 1966, SSN 407-12-9236 issued in KY, last residence zip 41049 (Colfax, Hillsboro, & Ringos Mills, Fleming Co.)

I have not been able to find Tobe in the 1900 or 1910 census, unless he is the following James W. Pettit:

1910 census of Fleming Co., district 5, enumerated 21 April, lists on p. 5B as family #87/88:
Pettit, Sarah L., head, 36, first marriage, married 12 years, mother of 2 children, 2 living, b. Ky Ohio Ky; James W., son, 24, single, b. Ky Ky Ky.

The following household is that of Robert F. Pettit, age 37 (son of Andrew Jackson Pettit and Mary L. McGill), also born Ky Ohio Ky.

This listing is curious for several reasons. If Sarah is married, where is her husband? If James is her son, are their ages accurate, which if so would mean he was born when she was only 12? Living next door to Robert F. Pettit and with her birthplaces also given as Ky Ohio Ky suggests that she may be Robert’s sister, but his sister Sarah E. Pettit was born about 1861 (not about 1874), and she reportedly married George M. Jones in 1895. (I have not found her as Sarah Jones in 1900 or 1910, however, so it may have been a short marriage, or perhaps the reported marriage date was wrong.) And finally, there is no match for this family in the 1900 census, that is, no Sarah or Sally Pettit with a son James aged about 14.

Morgan Co., Ky marriage book 2, p, 108, records the marriage on 6 Dec 1916 of Tobe Pettitt, age 31, farmer, single, born in Fleming Co., Ky, residence Colfax, Ky, son of Richard Skinner (sp?) and Sallie Pettitt, to Helen Bradshaw, age 17, single, born in Rowan Co., residence Colfax, Ky, daughter of David Bradshaw and Abby Bradshaw (now Hall), by E. C. Sexton, witnesses Henry Pickrell and Bertha Bradshaw. Bond surety is by Jesse Pickerell. There is a consent note attached (on stationery of the Farmers Union Stock Company) that reads:

“Grange City, Ky, Dec. 2, 1916

Mr. A. P. Plummer
County Clerk, Flemingsburg, Ky

Dear Sir:

I hereby authorize you to grant marriage license to Tobe Pettit to marry my daughter Helen Bradshaw age 17.

Yours, Abby Hall

Witnesses: Minerva Bradshaw, Jesse Pickrell’

1920 census of Fleming Co., Ky, Grange City precinct, enumerated 31 Jan, lists on p. 14B on Salt Lick Road as family #266/267:
Pettit, Tobe, 33, farm laborer; Helen, wife, 20; Lola, dau, 2 6/12; Hubert, son, 5/12. All born Ky Ky Ky.

1930 census of Fleming Co., Ky, district 5, enumerated 8 April, lists on p. 2A as family #30:
Pettit, Tobe, 45, farmer, age at first marriage 32; Helen, wife, 30, age at first marriage 17; Lola M., dau, 12; Herbert, son, 11; Lovell, dau, 8; Leon, son, 5; Emerson, son, 3; Robert, son, 0/12. All born Ky Ky Ky.

1940 census of Fleming Co., Ky, ED 35-13 (Elizaville and Ewing), enumerated 12 April, lists on p. 5B as family #100, on Johnson Ford & Colfax Road:
Pettit, Tobe, 54, farmer; Helen, wife, 40; Hurbert, son, 20; Lovell, dau, 18; Leon, son, 15; Emerson, son, 13; Robert, son, 10; Vernie D., son, 6; Nellie, dau, 2. All born in Kentucky, living in same house in 1935.