Life History

Other facts

Notes

• A Strange Family genealogy gives Laura's names as Laura Frances.  Probably because of the error in James' last name in the marriage record.  The 1880 census lists her as Laura J.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 16 June, Civil District 5, Enumeration District 177, page 32, Hse #263, Fam #267
  Strange, William  W M 44   Farmer TN TN TN
  Strange, Eadie  W F 34 Wife Keeping House Cannot read or write TN TN TN
  Strange, Laura J  W F 3 Dau  TN TN TN
  
  One genealogy reports the names of Laura's two husbands, but has no vital information.  We are told that there were no children of either of the Laura Strange marriages.  Death and burial information is not known.  The birth date of August 1876, reported in the genealogy below, comes from the 1900 census.  I have not found any independent report of a birth date for Laura.
  
  Laura J. STRANGE
  Sex F
  Birth AUG 1876 in Tennessee
  Census 1900 Jefferson Co., Tennessee page 191
  Reference Number WFT Vol. 14, #2932
  Father William STRANGE b 2 FEB 1842 in Jefferson Co., Tennessee
  Mother Edith Jane EDMONDS b 5 AUG 1845 in Jefferson Co., Tennessee
  Marriage 1 James FRANCE
  Marriage 2 Joseph SAMPLES
  --  http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2304714&id=I09053
  
  She is again listed as Laura J in the 1900 census.  At that time 24-year-old Laurie was still living at home with her parents and some younger siblings.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 13 June, Civil District 17, Enumeration District 55, page 8A, Hse/Fam #131
  Strange, William H  head W M Feb 1848  58 Married 38 yrs TN TN TN Farmer Owns
  Strange, Edie J  Wife W F Aug 1845  54 Married 38 yrs TN TN TN
  Strange, Laura J  Dau W F Aug 1876  23 Single TN TN TN
  
  With this consistent listing as Laura J, I am wondering how the older genealogy (with some good detail but no documentation) got the name Laura Frances.  As I searched for further documentation in September 2009, I noticed again the name of her husband, James France, and wondered if this compiler had confused the married name France with a given name Frances.  I found that his name was miswritten on their marriage record in 1908.
  
  Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
  James Francis
  Marriage 30 Sep 1908 Cocke County, Tennessee
  Spouse Laura Strange
  
  In quick order, I found Laura Jane France with her husband James France in Cocke County, just across the line from Jefferson County.  (The Strange and Gregory families had lived near the county line on the Jefferson side, but done much of their business on the Cocke County side, where the county seat of Newport was close to the Jefferson County line.)
  
  1910 Federal Census, Cocke, Tennessee, 21 April, Civil District 4, Enumeration District 12, page 3B, Hse/Fam #99
  France, James Head M W 50 Marriage 2 Married 1yr7mos TN TN TN Farmer Owns
  France, Laura Jane Wife F W 33 Marriage 1 Married 1yr7mos TN TN TN
  
  Relatives are living all around them.  Next door is Charles France age 25, who appears to be James' son.  Next door to Charles is Laura's uncle Greenberry Strange and his wife Sarah France.  Two doors away on the other side is Joseph Hance, a relative of Laura's brother-in-law Hugh Hance, who married her sister Caroline.
  
  Laura and her second husband, Joseph Siar Samples, later moved to North Carolina, where they spent the rest of their lives.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Gaston County, North Carolina, 11 April, District 16, page 12A, Gastonia, 1026 West Airline Ave, Hse #142, Fam #?
  Samples, Joseph Head Rents M W 53 First married at age 22 TN TN TN Carpenter
  Samples, Laura Wife F W 48 First married at age 20 TN TN TN
  Samples, Rubel Son M W 15 TN TN TN
  
  Living two doors away from Joseph and Laura is one of Laura's kinfolks, Cephus A Strange.  I have not found this name before finding 32-year-old Cephus here in Gastonia, North Carolina, with his with Lottie D and their children, Willie M, Clyde E and Bonnie L.  I subsequently found that apparently this is a son of Greenberry Strange.  In 1920, he and his new wife Lettie are living next door to Greenberry, and Joseph Samples is only a few doors down, recorded on the previous page of the census.  I have not been able to find Laura in the 1920 census.
  
  Joseph's death record reports his wife as Laura Strange Samples.
  
  North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975
  Joseph Siar Samples
  White Male
  Age 87, Birth 21 Aug 1877 Tennessee
  Death 26 Oct 1964 Gastonia, Gaston County
  Residence Gastonia, Gaston, North Carolina
  Spouse's Name Laura Strange Samples
  
  Laura died before Joseph.  A death announcement appeared on the day of her death.
  
  "MRS. LAURA JANE SAMPLES Mrs. Laura Jane Samples died this morning at at her horne 304 North Morehead Street.  She has been in failing health for several months and seriously ill for the past few weeks."
  --  Gastonia Gazette, Gastonia, North Carolina, Oct 27 1953, via NewspaperArchive.com
  
  Her North Carolina Death Certificate provides the following report.
  
  North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976
  Laura Jane Samples
  Residence 304 N Morehead St, Gastonia, NC
  Occupation Domestic
  Age 77, Birth 1876 Tennessee
  Spouse and informant Joseph S Samples
  Father Bill Strange, Mother Edith Edmonds
  Death 27 Oct 1953 at home Gastonia, North Carolina
  Primary cause of death <unreadable>, contributing fractured hip
  Burial 29 Oct 1953 Hollywood Cemetery, Gastonia, NC by Carothers Funeral Home, Gastonia
  Certificate #23906 filed 2 November 1953

Sources

• 1. 1880 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee
  • 16 June, Civil District 5, Enumeration District 177, page 32, Hse #263, Fam #267
• 2. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976
• 3. One World Tree (sm)
  • http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=41293044&st=1
• 4. 1910 Federal Census, Cocke, Tennessee
  • 21 April, Civil District 4, Enumeration District 12, page 3B, Hse/Fam #99
• 5. 1900 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee
  • 13 June, Civil District 17, Enumeration District 55, page 8A, Hse/Fam #131
• 6. Death Announcements
• 7. 1930 Federal Census, Gaston County, North Carolina
  • 11 April, District 16, page 12A, Gastonia, 1026 West Airline Ave, Hse #142, Fam #?
• 8. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1975
• 9. World Family Tree Vol. 2
  • Pedigree #2932
• 10. Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002