Life History

Other facts

Notes

• 1930 Federal Census, Cherokee County, South Carolina, 2 April, Gaffney Ward 1, District 11-19, page 1A, 305 E Robinson St, Hse/Fam #3
  McSwain, Mandy Head Rents $15 No Radio F W 49 Widow First married at age 18 SC SC SC Cotton Mill Weaver [b abt 1881]
  McSwain, William B Son M W 29 Widowed Married at age 20 SC SC SC Cotton Mill Spinning [b abt 1901]
  McSwain, William B Son [of Wm B above, grandson of Mandy] M W 7 Single SC SC SC [b abt 1923]
  McSwain, Robert O Son M W 5 Single SC SC SC [b abt 1925]
  McSwain, Jack O Son M W 3yrs6mos Single SC SC SC [b abt Sept 1926]
  
  Robert's nephew Larry McSwain says his name was Robert O'Neal.  This matches his name Robert O in the 1930 census above.  Larry's comment that Robert was probably born in Cherokee County matches the other indicators we have behind our report of the same.  Cherokee County is next door to Spartanburg County, and members of this McSwain clan lived in both counties, as well as York County, and across the border in North Carolina.
  
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  The county was formed in 1897 from parts of York, Union, and Spartanburg Counties. It was named for the Cherokee people who historically occupied this area prior to European encounter. ...
  Adjacent counties:
  Cleveland County, North Carolina - north
  York County - east
  Union County - south
  Spartanburg County - west
  Rutherford County, North Carolina - northwest
  --  "Cherokee County, South Carolina," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_County,_South_Carolina
  -------------------
  
  In 1940, Robert was enumerated under his nickname Bobby.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Cherokee County, South Carolina, 16 April, Hamrick Mill, District 11-19 Page 15A, Hse #267 rents $4
  McSwain, Boyd Head M W 39 Married Grade C4 b SC same place in 1935 Cotton Mill Spinner [b abt 1901]
  McSwain, Mary F W 26 Wife Married Grade H4 b SC same place in 1935 Cotton Mill Battery Filler [b abt 1914]
  McSwain, Boyd Son M W 18 Single Grade 7 b SC same place in 1935 Cotton Mill Doffer [b abt 1922]
  McSwain, Bobby Son M W 16 Single Grade H1 b SC same place in 1935 [b abt 1924]
  McSwain, Jack Son M W 13 Single Grade 6 b SC same place in 1935 [b abt 1927]
  McSwain, Betty F W 6 Dau Grade 0 b SC same place in 1935 [b abt 1934]
  - page 15B -
  McSwain, Carolyn F W 2 Dau Grade 0 b SC [b abt 1938]
  McSwain, Amanda F W 61 Mother Widow Grade 3 b SC same place in 1935 [b abt 1879]
  
  Larry McSwain comments that though they did not know this family well, he recalls that they called Uncle Robert's wife Aunt Grace.
  
  "I noticed you had my uncle down as Robert W. McSwain (Bobby).  He like my dad ran off and left his children and a great wife to do whatever.  I have no idea of his life except I did find where he lived in Richland County and I believe he was also buried there (Jan.1, 1997).  I don't know if he remarried, but we always called the wife he left Aunt Grace.  I don't remember any record of my grandfather ever living in Spartanburg, so I'm quite sure he (Robert) was born in Cherokee Co."
  --  Larry McSwain, personal Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 24 August 2015
  
  We also report Cherokee County as the birth place in this genealogy.  With this name O'Neal for Robert's middle name and Richland County, whose county seat is Columbia, some other records began showing up in our searches.
  
  U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
  Robert Oneal McSwain [Robert O McSwain]
  Birth 20 Nov 1924 Gaffney Cher[okee County], South Carolina, South Carolina
  Father William B McSwain
  Mother Bonnie Mitchell
  1 Jan 1997
  SSN 249227909, Original SSN Claim
  Dec 1940 Name listed as ROBERT ONEAL MCSWAIN; 28 Dec 1982 Name listed
  
  U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  Robert O McSwain
  Born 20 Nov 1924
  Died 1 Jan 1997
  Last Residence Columbia, Richland, South Carolina 29223
  SSN 249-22-7909 issued South Carolina (Before 1951)
  
  This Social Security record confirms the death date Larry reports.  But it has no place of death or burial.  A search on Find a Grave for McSwain burials in Richland County turned up no memorial for Robert McSwain.  No other record of burial has been in searches on other Internet sources.
  
  Public records report the residence of Robert in Columbia, South Carolina.
  
  U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
  R O McSwain
  Birth 20 Nov 1924
  602 Meeting St, West Columbia, SC, 29169-7590
  
  He was reported in the Columbia City Directory in 1957.  But an odd thing is that it reports his residence as Gaffney, which was up near the border in Cherokee County, about 4 counties away.
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989
  Columbia, South Carolina, City Directory, 1957, p 517
  McSwain Robert O plant supvr Olympia Cleaners r Gaffney SC
  
  Florence, South Carolina, Florence National Cemetery, 1865-2010
  Private Robert O McSwain
  Birth 20 Nov 1924
  Death 1 Jan 1997
  Burial Florence National Cemetery, Florence, Florence County, South Carolina
  Section 6
  
  U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006
  Robert O McSwain
  PVT US ARMY WORLD WAR II
  Birth Date 20 Nov 1924
  Death Date 1 Jan 1997
  Service Start Date 27 Mar 1943
  Interment 10 Jan 1997 Florence National Cemetery, 803 East National Cemetery Road Florence, SC 29501
  Buried At Section 6 Site 256
  
  Robert O Mcswain
  Birth Nov. 20, 1924
  Death Jan. 1, 1997
  PVT, US ARMY
  Burial Florence National Cemetery, Florence, Florence County, South Carolina, Plot 6, 0, 256
  Imported from US Veteran's Affairs Feb 25, 2000
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #983721, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=983721&ref=acom&ftm=1

Sources

• 1. 1930 Federal Census, Cherokee County, South Carolina
  • 2 April, Gaffney Ward 1, District 11-19, page 1A, 305 E Robinson St, Hse/Fam #3
• 2. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 3. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
• 4. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 5. Cemeteries of South Carolina
• 6. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 7. U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006
• 8. 1940 Federal Census, Cherokee County, South Carolina
  • 16 April, Hamrick Mill, District 11-19 Page 15A, Hse #267 rents $4
• 9. Ancestry Comments
• 10. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Columbia, South Carolina, City Directory, 1957, p 517