Constantine Winfrey

Oprah’s paternal grandfather was Elmore Winfrey (the son of Sanford Elias Winfrey and Ella Staples). Elmore was born in Mississippi. Sanford was the son of Constantine Winfrey, who was born a slave, in Georgia, and of Violet A. Nunn, who was also born a slave, in North Carolina. Constantine likely took his surname from a slave owner, Absalom F. Winfrey. Oprah’s great-grandmother Ella was the daughter of William Staples and Abigail Howard.

References

• https://ethnicelebs.com/oprah-winfrey
• https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/85452988?cid=mem_copy
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4GR-KL8 : 13 November 2020), Constantin Winfrey, Montgomery, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district ED 144, sheet 415C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,658.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9XJ-T94 : accessed 22 December 2020), Constantine Winfrey, Beat 5 Poplar Creek (south portion), Montgomery, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 84, sheet 2B, family 31, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,820.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPDZ-DF5 : accessed 22 December 2020), Constantine Winfrey, Beat 5, Montgomery, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 93, sheet 9A, family 153, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 752; FHL microfilm 1,374,765.