William Colin DOXEY, 98, died September 10, 2009 at Seaside Nursing Home. He was born October 9, 1910 in Currituck, NC, to the late Isaac DOXEY and Mollie Sears DOXEY. Colin grew up on Mackey Island, NC, and spent many years there. During his time, Joseph P. Knapp arranged for Colin to attend school in New Jersey to become a duckologist. In 1945, he built his home on Knotts Island and worked as a carpenter his remaining adult life. His love of life hobby was raising a garden year-round and giving away its fruits of labor to family and friends.

Colin was predeceased by his loving wife, Zora W. DOXEY, and his sister, Clara D. IRVING of Knotts Island. Left to cherish his memory are his sister, Louise D. FALCONER of Virginia Beach, VA, several nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews. A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Sunday

at Knotts Island Methodist Church and conducted by Rev. Frank JENNINGS and Rev. David CUNNINGHAM. Viewing will be held at the church one hour prior to the funeral services. Burial will follow in the Knotts Island Cemetery. A reception will follow at the church social hall.

Zora Waterfield DOXEY, 80, died April 16 in Hillhaven Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. She was a retired vault attendant for Nations Bank and a member of Knotts Island United Methodist Church. She was the daughter of the late Onie and Gertrude Dudley WATERFIELD and was recently preceded in death by a sister, Wanita LEPP. She is survived by her husband, William Colin DOXEY of Knotts Island; two sisters: Louise HEATH of Virginia Beach, Va. and Margaret TROUT of Norfolk, Va.; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral service was set for Knotts Island United Methodist Church Saturday at 11 a.m. by the Rev. Frank JENNINGS with burial to follow in Knotts Island Cemetery. (The Coastland Times – Sunday, April 20, 1997; pg. 10A)

Interview with Louise Doxey Falconer

by Janet Grimstead Simons

Louise Doxey was born February 23, 1918, to Isaac and Mollie Sears Doxey on Mackay Island. Her Daddy was working for the John L. Roper Lumber Co, cutting timber. Thomas Dixon and his wife Harriett purchased the land from the Roper Lumber Co. in 1917. Louise was born in the dining room of a house on Mackay Island as the house was being renovated! She was named Louise after Harriett Dixon's daughter, Louise. Isaac and Mollie moved the family to Knotts Island when Louise was about four years old. The family lived on today’s South End Road and Doxey Lane. The Doxey family moved back to Mackay Island to work for Mr. Joseph Palmer Knapp when Louise was seven or eight years old. Louise had a brother Colin and sister Clara Doxey Irving. They lived there until Louise was about 12 years old and then moved back to Knotts Island, where she lived until she married Charlie Falconer in 1947. Louise Doxey Falconer says she has been back to Mackay Island as her brother Colin could not remember where their house was located. She found the old tree that Colin played under and showed him where their house was! Louise says everything was so torn up, she does not want to go back and see it again!

Her Mother (Mollie) was from Shawboro and Daddy (Issac) from Currituck—a place called Pugatory, near Sligo and Shawboro. They lived at Currituck before living on Mackay Island. Mollie was raised by an Aunt Anne. Ray Etheridge in Shawboro is another relative. Her mother ―boarded‖ teachers at Knotts Island until the teacherage was built. Her Daddy Issac hired people to teach her sister Clara and brother Colin at home, until Colin was ―boarded‖ at age 7 with Ellie Bowden. Louise remembers Pud White bringing a mother otter and her little ones to play on the porch at Munden’s store. Louise gleaned potatoes with Susie Litchfield, Mardell Williams Bonney, and several others in the Doxey fields. Thomas Dixon gave permission for ―Square Dances‖ at his log cabin when Louise was a teenager. Some friends she remembers being there include Emma and ―Skeeter‖ Halstead, Ruby Halstead, Minnie Taylor, and Mackay Island workers The Currituck Sound froze in 1918 when Louise was born at Mackay Island when Thomas Dixon still owned it. Her mother had ordered a layette from the Sears catalog. Linwood Bowden walked across the ice to pick it up. Her mother said Louise would not have had baby clothes to wear had he not done that! Louise remembers sitting on Mr. Knapp’s knee and ―riding‖ the stair rails down the Knapp mansion. At the age of 8 (1926), she remembers a body being brought to the boat house at MacKay Island. It was said to be George Waterfield alleged to be the killer of Bertha Ansell and shooter of Willie Tatem. Louise said her mother always wished she had looked at the body as it was believed not to be George Waterfield. The tale was told that a grave plot had been dug up for a body. George Waterfield was supposedly ―spotted‖ in Norfolk after this. (This tale is verified by Jimmy Waterfield, his nephew, on May 11, 2010.) George Waterfield’s mother was rumored to be a witch. Among tales of her at that time: she ―put a spell‖ on someone at the cemetery once and the person was blinded. Knotts Island Methodist Church picnics were sometimes held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. They watched people dance in outdoor Pavilions and played the ―nickel slot machines‖ in a casino. Louise remembers Mardell Jones putting her money in one and so many coins came out, they filled up a stiff brim straw hat one man was wearing.