Pleasant S SIMMONS Lillie SEAMONS Ethel Oral SEAMONS Tempie SEAMONS Harold Theodore SIMMONS Wilma Loretti SIMMONS Charles R SIMMONS Glen Martin SIMMONS Alice Faye SIMMONS Elmuth L SIMMONS Pauline S COTNER Jennie MILLER Mini tree diagram
Arthur Edward SIMMONS

Arthur Edward SIMMONS10,8,1,2,3,4,5,6,9,7

21st Aug 18988 - 7th Sep 19786,9

Life History

21st Aug 1898

Born in Van, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7

(most likely)

1899

Born in Arkansas.8

(less likely)

1900

Resident in Prairie Township, Arkansas, Arkansas.1

22nd Mar 1919

Married Pauline S COTNER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.4

13th Sep 1920

Birth of son Harold Theodore SIMMONS in DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas.8,5,11,12

26th Sep 1923

Birth of daughter Wilma Loretti SIMMONS in DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas.8,13,14,15,6,7

29th Oct 1925

Birth of son Charles R SIMMONS in Arkansas.8,7,11,6

20th Mar 1927

Birth of son Glen Martin SIMMONS in Humphrey, Arkansas, Arkansas.8,7,14

1930

Residence2 in Barton, Arkansas, Arkansas.8

24th Oct 1938

Birth of daughter Alice Faye SIMMONS in Humphrey, Arkansas, Arkansas.7,16,15,11

29th Aug 1941

Birth of son Elmuth L SIMMONS.17,6

7th Sep 1978

Died in Pine Bluff, Jefferson, Arkansas.6,9

9th Sep 1978

Buried in Frazier Cemetery, Humphrey, Jefferson County, Arkansas.9

Notes

  • In the first information I got on the Seamons family from Bertie Dumond McSwain, it was not known why Arthur's last name is spelled Simmons, while ail the other children of Jennie Miller Seamons were named Seamons.

    George McSwain remembers family tradition as indicating that after the death of Thomas Seamons, Jennie Miller Seamons married another man named Simmons.  This would be Pleasant Simmons, whose wife Sallie Wakefield had died in about 1896.  In the 1900 census Jennie is his wife.  It appears that Arthur's father was Pleasant S Simmons.  He is confirmed as Pleasant's son, when as a two-year-old he is listed above the older stepchildren named Seamons.

    1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 6 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4A, Hse #55, Fam #56
    Simmons, Pleas S  Head W M  Sept 1874  55 Married 3 yrs  TN NC NC Farmer
    Simmons, Jennie Wife W F Apr 1867  33 Married 3 yrs borne 4 children, 4 living  AR MS MS  Dairy Farmer
    Simmons, Loula Daughter W F  Feb 1884  6  AR TN TN
    Simmons, Arthur Son W M  Aug 1897 2  AR TN AR
    Seemons, Lillie Daughter W F  Nov 1884  5  AR TN AR
    Seemons, Ethel Daughter W F  ? 1888  2 [?]  AR TN AR
    Seemons, Tempa Daughter W F  Dec 1882  7  AR TN AR

    In 1910 Arthur is living with his grandfather, widower J  W Miller, along with his mother and her two Seamons (Seamans) daughters, Lillie and Ethel.  Interestingly, Jennie's name is also reported as Seamans, rather than Simmons.  So it appears that she took her original married name back after her divorce from Pleasant Simmons.  Pleasant married widow Belle Thomason Horton in 1903 so Jennie's divorce was between 1900 and 1903.  I have not found a divorce record.  Pleasant also divorced his third wife Bell Horton in 1907, and I have not found a divorce record for that either, though I found Bell and Pleas' marriage record easily.

    1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 5 May, North Prairie, District 12, page 8A, Hse #144
    In household of grandfather J W Miller:
    Seamans, Jinnie Daughter F W 40  Divorced  AR MS AL
    Simmons, Arthur Grandson M W 13  AR TN AR Laborer, Home Farm

    Arthur's WWI registration gives us his middle name Edward and his birth date.

    U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
    Arthur Edward Simmons
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Birth Date 21 Aug 1898
    Farmer Employed by Gene Miller
    Nearest Relative (Wife) Jennie Miller, Ethel
    Medium Height and Build, Blue Eyes, Brown Hair
    Registered 12 September 1918 Stuttgart, Arkansas County, Arkansas

    In 1919 Arthur married Pauline Cotner.

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Arthur Simmons
    Age 22, Birth Year abt 1897
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name Pauline Cotner
    Spouse's Age 18
    Spouse's Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage 22 Mar 1919 Arkansas County
    Marriage License Date 20 Mar 1919

    In 1930, it appears to be our Arthur Simmons that I have found in Barton Township of Arkansas County, Arkansas.  Later, several other genealogies also added him, and confirmed this family configuration with other details.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 April, Barton Township, District 2, Public Road, page 2A, Hse/Fam #22
    Simmons, Arthur Head  Rents M W 31  Married at age 19  AR AR AR Laborer, Odd Jobs
    Simmons, Pauline  Wife F W 26  Married at age 15  AR AR AR
    Simmons, Harold T  Son  M W 9 AR AR AR  AR AR AR (b abt 1921)
    Simmons, Wilma (?) L  Daughter F W 6  AR AR AR (b abt 1924)
    Simmons, Charles R  Son  M W 4yrs 1mo  AR AR AR (b abt Feb 1926)
    Simmons, Glen M Son  M W 2yrs 7mos  AR AR AR (b abt Aug 1927)

    By 1940, one new child has joined the family, Alice Fay, born about 1938.

    1940 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Arkansas, 4 April, Humphrey, District 35-33 Page 4A, Main St, Hse #66, Owns $1000
    Simmons, A E Head F W 41 Grade 8 b Ark Same house in 1935 [b abt 1899]
    Simmons, Pauline Wife F W 35 Grade H2 b Ark same house [b abt 1905]
    Simmons, Harold Son M W 19 Single Grade 8 b Ark same house in 1935 New Worker [b abt 1921]
    Simmons, Wilma Dau F W 16 Single Grade H1 b Ark same house in 1935 [b abt 1924]
    Simmons, Charles Son M W 14 Single Grade H1 b Ark same house in 1935 [b abt 1926]
    Simmons, Glenn Son M W 12 Single Grade 4 b Ark same house in 1935 [b abt 1928]
    Simmons, Alice Fay Dau F W 2 Single Grade 0 b Ark [b abt 1938]
    Dobbs, William L Lodger M W 17 Single Grade H3 b Mississippi Rural Jefferson County in 1935 [b abt 1923]

    U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
    Arthur Edward Simmons
    Birth Date 23 Aug 1897 Van, Arkansas
    Self-Emplyed, Residence Humphrey, Jefferson, Arkansas
    Contact Pauline Simmons
    5'11" 190 lbs, Blue Eyes, Blonde Hair, Light Complexion
    Buisted Knee Cap and short left leg
    Registration 16 February 1942 Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas

    His birth date was reported differently in the two draf registratoins.  His Social Security record has the same date as his 1942 birth date of 23 August 1897.  In WWI, he reported his birth date as 21 August 1898.

    U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
    Arthur Simmons
    Born 23 Aug 1897
    Died Sep 1978
    SSN 431-24-8500 issued Arkansas - Before 1951

    Obituary of Arthur Edward Simmons
    Death 7 September 1978 at Jefferson Hospital, Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas
    Funeral 9 September 1978 at Turpen Funeral Home, Stuttgart, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Burial in Frazier Cemetery, Humphrey, Jefferson County, Arkansas
    --  Pine Bluff Commercial; 8 September 1978;  Obituary courtesy of the Bradmore-Larmore Family Genealogy on Ancestry.com

Sources

Page created using GEDmill 1.11.0