Life History

Notes

• Texas Certificate of Birth
  Issued on Affidavits from Essie Sarah Wylie (sister) of Taylor County, Texas and Mrs T J Middleton of Harris County, Texas.
  
  Texas Birth Certificate
  Alton Albert Mahaffey
  Birth 6 October 1892 Stubner, Harris County, Texas
  Father Albert George Mahaffey born in Houston (Harris Co), Texas
  Age at birth of Alton 30
  Mother Sally Brazil born in Lufkin (Angelina Co), Texas
  Age at birth of Alton 21
  Affidavit A:
  Essie Sarah Wylie (sister of Alton)
  18 September 1954 Taylor County, Texas
  Affidavit B:
  Mrs T J Middleton (relationship unknown)
  18 September 1954 Taylor County, Texas
  Filed/Issued 24 September 1954
  
  Texas Marriage License
  Mr A A Mahaffey
  Miss Josie Mae Allen
  License issued Abilene, Taylor County, 6 December 1921
  Ceremony performed 9 Sept 1921
  By Elder H G Schneider, Ordained Minister of the Gospel
  
  Family genealogies report that Alton's full name was Alton Albert Mahaffey.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Fresno County, California, 15 April, Township 1, District 135, page 7B, Hse #145, Rents $10, Farm
  Mahaffey, Alton Head M W 46 Grade HS-1 b TX lived in same house in 1835 WPA Road Construction
  Mahaffey, Josie M Wife F W 36  Grade 8 b TX same house in 1935
  Mahaffey, Alton Son M W 17 Single Grade H-2 b TX same house in 1935
  Mahaffey, Doris Dau F W 15 Single Grade H-1 b TX same house in 1935
  Mahaffey, Billie J Dau F W 14 Single Grade H-1 b TX same house in 1935
  Mahaffey, Robert Son M W 11 Single Grade 5 b TX same house in 1935
  Mahaffey, Charles Son M W 9 Single Grade 2 b TX  same house in 1935
  Mahaffey, Dorothy J Dau F W 5 Single Grade 0 b TX same house in 1935
  
  California Death Index, 1940-1997
  Alton A Mahaffey
  Sex: Male
  Birth 6 Oct 1891 Texas
  Death 25 Sep 1966 Fresno County
  Mother's Maiden Name: Brazil
  Social Security #567109387
  
  Alton's grave marker in the Fresno Memorial Gardens reports only the year of birth and death.  Interestingly, it reports he was born in 1892, but the California death record gives the specific date of birth as October 1891.  His obituary does not mention a birth date, but his birth certificate, issued in 1954 upon affidavits, reports his birth date as 21 October 1892.  So the California Death Index, rpeorting a date from a family member at the time of death, has a different date and year.  I would go by the birth certificate, since at least one of the affidavits is from a sister (Essie).
  
  hanks to Bev Bell for contributing a funeral bookmark obituary that has an obituary from The Fresno Bee newspaper.  The headline of the obituary has his name as Albert Alton Mahaffey, but then in the body of the obit, his name is Alton Albert Mahaffey, matching the order of his name on his death record.
  
  Obituary of Alton A Mahaffey, Funeral Marker, from The Fresno Bee, 27 September 1966.
  
  ------------------------
  Albert A Mahaffey
  
  Kerman - Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday [29 Sept 1966] in the John T Bragg and Sons Chapel Alton Albert Mahaffey, 74, who died Sunday [25 Sept 1966] in a Fresno hospital of injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
  
  He was born in Texas and lived as 2321 N Lassen Ave.  He had farmed in this district 30 years.
  
  He is survived by his widow Josie, his sons, Alton Jr of Applegate, Placer County, and Charles of Modesto; his daughters, Mrs Doris Green and Mrs Billie Girardi of Fresno and Mrs Dorothy Brown of Madera; a brother Oran of Texas; his sisters, Mrs Essie Wylie of Chicago and Mrs Ora Brand of Texas; 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
  
  Burial will be in the Fresno Memorial Garden.
  ------------------------

Sources

• 1. Obituaries from California
• 2. Texas Birth Certificate
• 3. California Death Index, 1940-1997
• 4. 1940 Federal Census, Fresno County, California
  • 15 April, Township 1, District 135, page 7B, Hse #145, Rents $10, Farm
• 5. Texas Marriage License
• 6. California Marriage Certificate
  • County of Fresno
• 7. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
• 8. California, Divorce Index, 1966-1984