A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Watlington arrived in Des Moines by 1917 as he registered for Selective Service for World War I in the city on June 5, 1917. He married Viola Williams of Knoxville in July of 1917.

He was widowed in 1920 but remained in Des Moines through 1932. Watlington was listed as junior steward for the Doric Lodge in 1920. Watlington is believed to have been a participant with Harry E. Wilson for the installation of Rev. A. Ross Brent as pastor of the Maple Street Baptist Church on April 27, 1928.

He later moved to Kansas City, appearing in the Kansas City Call in March of 1933 and in the city directory for 1934. He lived there into the 1940s, as Watlington registered for Selective Service in that town in 1942. He is also listed there in the 1950 city directory. According to a Social Security record on ancestry.com he died in February 1971. Denver, Colorado was listed as his last known place of residence, though he does not appear in the city directory for 1970 or 1971. His exact death date and burial location are unknown at this time.