Life History

Notes

• 1900 Federal Census, Lonoke County, Arkansas, 18 June, Carlisle Township, District 76, Page 8A, House/Family #162
  Kummell, Lewis  Head W M Jan 1873  27 Married 5 years Illinois Belgium England Laborer Rents
  Kummell, Helen  Wife W F Sept 1877  22 Married 5 years  2 children/2 living Ark Tenn Tenn
  Kummell, Millie L  Dau W F Jan 1888  [misentry for 1898, note she is only 2 yrs old] 2 Single AR IL TN
  
  1910 Federal Census, Craighead County, Arkansas, 9 May, Nettleton Township, District 27, page 7A, Hse/Fam #118
  Bisswanger, Lenord (Leonard) Head M W 37  2nd marriage, Married 6yrs  Germany Germany Germany  immigrated 1898 Resident Alien  Farmer
  Bisswanger, Helen Wife  F W 32  2nd marriage, Married 6yrs  AR MS MS
  Kummel, Miltret Dau [step-daughter] F W 11 AR IL MS
  
  Mildred got married in 1915 to Samuel T Branch, but this marriage did not last long.  They were divorced in 1924.
  
  Arkansas Marriages, 1837-1944
  Groom Samuel T Branch
  No Entry for Groom's Birth Date, Birthplace or Age
  Bride Mildred Kummell
  Bride's Age 18
  Bride's Estimated Birth 1897 No Birthplace Entered
  Marriage 06 Mar 1915 Phillips County, Arkansas
  
  In 1920, Mildred and her husband Samuel T Branch are living in DesArc, Prairie County, Arkansas.  The relationships in the household are not clear.  The head of the household is Ed Monroe, a black man who is renting.  Sam was first also designated as head, then this was Xed out, but no substitute status was entered.  Then Mildred is entered as Wife, obviously meaning Sam's wife.
  
  Ed is a fireman at what appears to be Stationary Backer, the designation of two others on this page also.  I checked several pages of the census and find other designations of this place of work, but still cannot tell what the enumerator was trying to spell.  The smeary writing makes it hard to read these occupational designations.  Sam is a Grader at the Veneer Mill.  There is also a stone mill in DesArc where others on this page work.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Prairie County, Arkansas, 9 January, DesArc Town, District 112, page 10A, Hse #157, Fam #202
  Monroe, Ed Head Rents M B 45 Divorced Ark US US Fireman Stationary Backer (?)
  Branch, Samuel T No Relationship Designated M W 33 Married MS MS MS Grader, Veneer Mill
  Branch, Mildred Wife F W 22 Married AR US AR
  
  The location of the next events is puzzling.  In 1922 Mildred Branch is recorded in the Memphis City Directory along with other members of her family.  Then in 1924, she divorced Sam in White County, Arkansas, over in the center of the state.  In Memphis, she is listed twice, once under her step-father's name, and once under her married name.  Her first listing, as Mildred Branch, reports her job a candy wrapper.  The second, under her maiden name, reports her as a candymaker.  Thanks to her granddaughter Ann Burkley for finding these directory entries and informing me.
  
  Mildred Branch wrapper Lehmann Candy Co. resides 265 S. Front
  Helen Biswanger wrapper Lehmann Candy Co. resides 265 S. Front
  Margt Biswanger clk 265 S. Front
  Mildred Biswanger candymkr resides 265 S. Front
  --  Memphis City Directory, 1922, courtesy of Ann Burkley, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 4 November 2011
  
  Arkansas Divorce Index, 1923-1939
  Docket 3571, Volume #44
  Plaintiff Mildred Branch
  Defendant S T Branch
  Divorce 18 Jan 1924 White County
  
  Mildred's granddaughter also gave me the information on her marriage to Robert Harrison Presley, from the marriage certificate, of which she has a copy.  Note that by August 1924, she is back in Mississippi.
  
  "Robert H. Presley and Miss Mildred Branch married 11 August 1924 in Leake County, Mississippi."
  --  Ann Burkley, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 4 September 2010
  
  By 1930, we find Mildred and her second husband Robert H Presley, in Leake County, Mississippi.  Note that this census reports the "age at first marriage."  The ages reported here are Robert 24 and Mildred 25.  We know this is the age of Mildred at THIS marriage, not her first marriage, when she was 18.  Their ages here indicate they have been married about 5 years or more.
  
  The two young children in the household would be her children with Robert.  The oldest is reported as 4 years and 6 months, making her born in about August or September 1925.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Leake County, Mississippi, 11 April, District 1, page 7B, Hse #132, Fam #134
  Presley, Robert H  Head Rents  M W 29 Married at age 24 MS MS MS Farmer
  Presley, Mildred Wife F W 30 Married at age 25 AR AR AR Farm Laborer
  Presley, Virginia M  Dau F W 4yrs6mos TN MS AR
  Presley, Helen K  Dau F W 1yrs5mos MS MS AR
  Presley, Rausel C  Father M W 83 Married at age 29 MS MS MS No Occupation
  Presley, Katherine E  Mother F W 74 Married at age 20 MS MS NC No Occupation
  
  Mildred Kummell
  Birth About Jan 1899, in Arkansas
  Death About 1945, at Age 46 in Lexington, Holmes, Mississippi
  Parents Louis Kummell, b 1873, Helen Hackleton 1877-1926
  --  Burkley-Kummell, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20251517/person/919924652
  
  Mildred's granddaughter Ann Burkley reports that she is buriied in a Cemetery on private property in Coxburg, Holmes, Mississippi.

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
  • Burkley-Kummell, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20251517/person/919924652
• 2. 1930 Federal Census, Leake County, Mississippi
  • 11 April, District 1, page 7B, Hse #132, Fam #134
• 3. 1910 Federal Census, Craighead County, Arkansas
  • 9 May, Nettleton Township, District 27, page 7A, Hse/Fam #118
• 4. 1900 Federal Census, Lonoke County, Arkansas
  • 18 June, Carlisle Township, District 76, Page 8A, House/Family #162
• 5. 1920 Federal Census, Prairie County, Arkansas
  • 9 January, DesArc Town, District 112, page 10A, Hse #157, Fam #202
• 6. Arkansas Divorce Index, 1923-1939
  • Docket #3571, Volume #44
• 7. Email Sources
• 8. Arkansas Marriages, 1837-1944