Background
Longest was born on April 24, 1860, in Lee County, the son of Ruffin Longest and Sarah Louis (Thompson) Longest.
Longest was born on April 24, 1860, in Lee County, the son of Ruffin Longest and Sarah Louis (Thompson) Longest.
His paternal ancestors came from Virginia. His great-grandfather, James Longest, served in the American Revolutionary War. The maternal line was Scotch-Irish, and settled in Alabama.
Mr.
Longest attended country schools assiduously in youth, a paternal order always keeping him at his desk throughout the ten months" session. He entered and graduated from Iuka Normal Institute in 1889, with an Master of Arts degree. He taught school for ten years.
On September 5.
Her family came from South Carolina. In 1899 he became a farmer in Pontotoc County.
He served as a member of the State Legislature in 1900-1902, and was again elected November 5, 1907, as a Democrat. Longest was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church and a Freemason.