James Magnus MCSWAIN Benjamin Franklin NOBLE Lorene MCSWAIN Herbert Spencer NORSWORTHY Living NORSWORTHY Stella D MCSWAIN Ruth Alma MCSWAIN James Marvin MCSWAIN Thad Mathew MCSWAIN Wirt Barnard MCSWAIN Katherine L MCSWAIN Bruce B MCSWAIN Ruth L LOWREY Mini tree diagram
Bernetta Octavia MCSWAIN

Bernetta Octavia MCSWAIN8,1,9,2,3,4,5,5,6,9,7

13th Sep 19051,2,3,4,5,5,6,7 - 13th Dec 19948,1,3,7

Life History

13th Sep 1905

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

21st Sep 1924

Married Benjamin Franklin NOBLE in Arkansas County, Arkansas.5

about Apr 1925

Birth of daughter Lorene MCSWAIN in DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas.6,11

6th Oct 1940

Married Herbert Spencer NORSWORTHY in Arkansas County, Arkansas.5

16th Jun 1967

Death of Benjamin Franklin NOBLE in Arkansas County, Arkansas.12,7

4th Feb 1981

Death of Herbert Spencer NORSWORTHY in Decatur, DeKalb, Georgia.10,1,7

13th Dec 1994

Died in Gwinnett County, Georgia.8,1,3,7

after 13th Dec 1994

Buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas.7

Other facts

 

Birth of daughter Living NORSWORTHY

Notes

  • In 1999, at the time of Wirt Barnard McSwain's death, Bernetta was living in Atlanta, Georgia.
    --  Obituary of WB McSwain

    "Bernetta pioneered the concept of thrift stores like Goodwill Stores and at one time was worth more than $1 Million while running her private branded thrift store in Atlanta.  Goodwill Stores still gives Rita Kay all kinds of perks and gifts as a result of her being Bernetta's daughter.  Apparently Bernetta helped Goodwill Stores get their business started nationwide."
    --  George Oliver McSwain, email correspondence, January 2007

    1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 20 April, Prairie Township, District 13, Page 3A, House #121
    Fam #125, McSwain, James Head M W 25  Married 5 years AR NC NC Farmer
    McSwain, Ruth L  Wife F W 33  Married 5 years AR IN AR
    McSwain, Bernetta Dau F W 4 AR AR AR

    1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 4 February, District 16, Page 7A, Ethel & Chute Rd, House #121
    Fam #125, McSwain, James M  Head M W 35 AR NC NC Farmer
    McSwain, Ruth L  Wife F W 33 OK IN AR
    McSwain, Bernetta O  Dau F W 14 AR AR OK Farm Laborer

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Bernetta McSwain
    Gender: Female
    Age 19, Birth Year abt 1905
    Residence: Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name: Ben Noble
    Spouse's Gender: Male
    Spouse's Age: 24
    Spouse's Residence: Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage 21 Sep 1924 Arkansas County
    Marriage License Date: 20 Sep 1924

    I have not found Bernetta in the 1930 census, but her husband Benny Noble is reported as Divorced and is living with his parents in Ethel, Arkansas.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 11 April, Prairie Township, District 24, page 3A, Hse #49, Fam #50
    Noble, William E Head Owns No Radio M W 74 Married at 29 AR NC England Farmer
    Noble, Elizabeth Wife F W 64 Married at 19 England England England
    Noble, Benjamin Rents Son M W 26 Divorced AR AR England Farmer

    In 1940 Benjamin is again reported in his now widowed mother's home as Divorced.  But his former wife Bernetta, now going by her maiden name, and having renamed her daughter as a McSwain, is reproted as married, though there is no husband in the home.  She and her daughter Lorene have moved to Stuttgart, where Bernetta is working as a waitress in the local hotel.

    1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 April, Stuttgart Ward 1, District 1-8, page 26A, Hse #642, Rents $20
    McSwain, Bernetta Head F W 34 Married Grade 8 b Arkansas DeWitt AR in 1935 Waitress, hotel coffee shop
    McSwain, Lorene Dau F W 15 Single Grade HS-1 b Arkansas DeWitt AR in 1935

    Later that year Bernetta married Herbert Norsworthy in DeWitt.

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Bernetta Octavia McSwain
    Gender: Female
    Age 35, Birth Year abt 1905
    Residence: Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name: Herbert Spencer Norsworthy
    Spouse's Gender: Male
    Spouse's Age: 34
    Spouse's Residence DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage 6 Oct 1940 Arkansas County
    Marriage License Date: 6 Oct 1940

    U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 2
    Bernetta Norsworthy
    Birth Date: 13 Sep 1905
    Address: 2749 Amelia Ave, Decatur, GA, 30032-4302

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1944, p 739
    Norsworthy Herbert S (Bernetto O) emp US Eng h 2644 Knox

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
    Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1950
    Norsworthy Herbert S (Bernetta M) Agt Independent Life & Accdnt Ins  h 750 Bonner SE

    Georgia Deaths, 1919-98
    Certificate #053673
    Bernetta O Norsworthy
    Death 13 Dec 1994 Gwinnett County
    White Female
    Age: 89 Years
    Residence DeKalb County
    Filed 28 Dec 1994

    Social Security Death Index
    Bernetta O. Norsworthy
    Born 13 Sep 1905
    Died 13 Dec 1994
    Last Residence Decatur, Dekalb, Georgia 30032
    SSN 430-18-5153 issued Arkansas (Before 1951)

    Gravestone of Herbert S and Bernetta McSwain Norsworthy, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
    Herbert S
    Sept 12, 1906
    Feb 4, 1981
    Bernetta McSwain
    Sept 13, 1905
    Dec 13, 1994

    Dale Houghton, who had created a number of memorials of McSwain and Dumond individuals, offered to transfer those to me.  Bernetta's was noe of those.

    Bernetta McSwain Norsworthy
    Birth Sep. 13, 1905
    Death Dec. 13, 1994
    Spouse Herbert S. Norsworthy (1906 - 1981)
    Burial Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Maintained by Orville Jenkins, Originally Created by Dale HoughtonJun 05, 2012
    --  Find A Grave Memorial #91377595,

Sources

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