Life History

Notes

• Oswald Eugene Recroft was born on 4 August 1907, according to the Social Security Death Index.  I find Oswald E Recroft first in the 1910 census for Newport, Rock County, Nebraska.  He is the 2-year-old son ofan Irish Canadian immigrant and a woman born in Iowa.  Oswald was born in Nebraska.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Rock County, Nebraska, 16 April, Newport Village, District 199, Page 1B, Main Street, Hse/Fam #17
  Recroft, Robert A Head M W 34 Married 13 yrs Canada Ireland Ireland  Immigration 1875 Naturalized  Post Master
  Recroft, Mary A Wife F W 32 Married 13 yrs Iowa Indiana Missouri
  Recroft, Oswald E Son M W 2 Nebraska Canada Iowa
  
  We see from this that Robert has been naturalized.  But the date of naturalization is not given in this census.
  
  By 1920 Oswald's mother has died, and his father Robert has moved to Neligh, in Antelope County, Nebraska, where he is living with his brother John.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Antelope County, Nebraska, 5 January, Neligh, District 12, Page 6A, Hse #136, Fam #148
  Recroft, John Head Owns home M W 45 Immigration 1885 Naturalized, Date Unknown Canada Ireland Ireland  County Clerk
  Recroft, Eva M Wife F W 42 Nebraska Ohio Illinois
  Recroft, Howard Son M W 20 Nebraska Canada Nebraska  Salesman, Drug Store
  Recroft, Thelma Dau M W 17 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  Recroft, Fern Dau M W 16 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  Recroft, Ruth Dau M W 13 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  Recroft, Robert Brother M W 43 Widowed  Immigration 1885 Naturalized,Date Unknown Canada Ireland Ireland  Real Estate Salesman
  Recroft, Oswald E Nephew M W 12 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  
  Note that the date of immigration for John and Robert has changed from 1875 to 1885.  Note also that now the birth state of Oswald's mother is reported as Nebraska, instead of Iowa.  I expect this is becausethe mother of John's children's was born in Nebraska, and the enumerator probably wrote that without clarifying.
  
  I did not find a 1930 census entry for Oswald E Recroft.  We find theinformation on his marriage to Ruth Knowlton in the Arkansas MarriageIndex, recording their marriage license issuance on 12 Jan 1935.  Theactual date of the ceremony is not given in the registry.  This was Ruth A McSwain, who was the widow of Knowlton.
  
  They later moved to Florida, where we find listings in Phone Directories for Jupiter, in Palm Beach County, Florida.  The Social Security Death Index reports that his last residential address was Jupiter, PalmBeach, Florida.
  
  Oswald, also known as Ray by family, died in August 1982.  His SSN 473-50-5066 was issued in Minnesota in the period of 1961-62.  The Florida Death Index, 1877-1998, reports the exact dayu of his death, wehreas the Social security Death Index has only the month:  Oswald E Recroft. born 5 Aug 1907, died 23 aug 1982, Palm Beach County, Florida. N NNote that the Florida Death Index date of birth is a day after that reported on the Social Security records, 5 August instead of 4 August 1907.

Sources

• 1. Social Security Death Index
  • Oswald Recroft
• 2. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998
  • Oswald E Recroft
• 3. Kenneth Wirt McSwain, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, April-September 2008
  • citing information in email from Byrdie Engle McSwain
• 4. Kenneth Wirt McSwain, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, April-September 2008
• 5. Arkansas Marriage Index, 1933-1939
  • Vol 2, Certificate 00216