Joseph Chester CUNNINGHAM Omer L CUNNINGHAM Thomas R CUNNINGHAM John Kiner MCSWAIN Nellie Ruth CUNNINGHAM Laura Irene CUNNINGHAM Laduskie J NOBLE Mini tree diagram
Jessie CUNNINGHAM

Jessie CUNNINGHAM5,1,2,3,4

about 19161,2,3,4 - UNKNOWN

Life History

about 1916

Born in Arkansas County, Arkansas.1,2,3,4

11th Apr 1934

Married John Kiner MCSWAIN in Arkansas County, Arkansas.5

4th Mar 1951

Death of John Kiner MCSWAIN in Arkansas County, Arkansas.6,7

UNKNOWN

Died

Notes

  • Jessie Cunningham was listed twice in the same 1930 census for Arkansas County, Arkansas.  She was in the home of Charles Noble, her uncle, in DeWitt, a few miles west of Ethel, Prairie Township.  This enumeration took place on 3 April 1930.

    When her father's household was enumerated on 12 April in Prairie Township, she was there and was listed again with exactly the same information.  Jessie's mother Laduskey was Charles Noble's older sister, making Jessie the niece of Charles Noble.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 3 April, DeWitt, District 16, page 2B, Hse #45, Fam #51
    Noble, Charles E Head Renting house M W 35 First married at age 27 AR AR England Carpenter, housing industry
    Noble, Owaime A Wife F W 28 First married at age 20 AR KS AR
    Noble, Charles E Jr Son M W 7 AR AR AR
    Cunningham, Jessie Niece F W 14 AR AR AR

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 12 April, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4A, Hse #66, Fam #67
    Cunningham, Chester Head M W 41 Married at age 18 AR TN AR Cotton Farmer [born abt 1889]
    Cunningham, Laduska Wife F W 41 Married at age 18 AR AR England
    Cunningham, Jessie Daughter W 14 Single AR AR AR

    I found Jessie's marriage record in the online Arkansas Marriage Index on Ancestry.com.  Jessie Cunningham married John McSwain, license issued 31 March 1934, marriage recorded December (no date given); married in Arkansas County.

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Certificate 00211, Volume 0023, page 0835
    Jessie Cunningham
    Age 19, Est Birth Year 1915
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name John McSwain
    Spouse's Age 24
    Spouse's Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage 11 Apr 1934 Arkansas County
    Marriage License Date 31 Mar 1934

    When I found the record of the marriage, it was not clear which John McSwain she had married.  There were two possibilities in Arkansas County.  John Kiner McSwain, son of Joseph Edward McSwain, born 6 June 1909, and John W McSwain, son of George B McSwain, born about 1918.  Both were born  in Arkansas County, Arkansas, where all three families lived in the Ethel area.

    Nicci Rich in her genealogy identifies only one husband of Jessie Cunningham, daughter of Chess and Duskie Cunningham.  Niccie reports only one husband and attaches a marriage record for Jessie Cunningham and William Graddy in Van Buren, Arkansas, which reports their marriage in 1938.  If this identificaton is correct, it would mean Jessie and John divorced some time before that date.  No divorce record has been found.

    --------------------------------
    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Jessie Cunningham
    Age 20
    Birth Year abt 1918
    Residence Higden, Van Buren, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name Ralph Graddy
    Spouse's Age 21
    Spouse's Residence Bee Branch, Van Buren, Arkansas
    Marriage 30 Aug 1938  Van Buren County
    Marriage License Date 30 Aug 1938

    Social Security Death Index
    Jessie O. Graddy
    Born 8 Jun 1916
    Died 15 Jan 2002
    Last Residence Bryant, 72089, Saline, Arkansas, USA
    SSN 429-50-7912 issued Arkansas - Before 1951

    This identification seemed questionalble, since Van Buren County is in north central Arkansas.  Another genealogy with this hsuband and death information identifies a different set of parents for the Jessie Cunningham who married William Ralph Graddy.  A Social Security record on that Jessie Cunningham confirms the alternate identification with a full name of Ovie Jessie Cunningham.  This name matches and paretns as Joner Cunningham and Nancy B Thomason.

    U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
    Ovie Jessie Graddy
    Birth 8 Jun 1916 Bee Branch, Van Buren, Arkansas
    Death 15 Jan 2002
    Father Joner T Cunningham
    Mother Nancy B Thomason
    Signature on SSN Card Jessie Graddy
    SSN 429507912
    Jan 1947 Name listed as OVIE JESSIE GRADDY; 24 Jan 2002 Name listed as JESSIE O GRADDY
    --------------------------------

Sources

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