Life History

Notes

• Her birth certificatre, delayed issue in 1956, reports her name as Dora Belvea, and the woman that cared for her and her siblings calls her Dora.  Her first census record in 1910 reported here as Belvia, and the 1920 census named her Belva D.
  
  ---------------------------------------
  Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
  File Number D-478020
  Dora Belva Strange
  White Female
  Date of Birth June 1, 1902
  Birthplace Cocke County Rural, Tennessee
  Father William Grant Strange, Birthplace Jefferson County, Tenn
  Mother Margaret Dell Ledford, Birthplace Madison Co NC
  Signature of Registrant Dora Strange Lunsford, Newport, Tennessee
  
  Subscribed and sworn to me on Sept 22, 1956
  Viola Clark, Notary Public
  My Commission Expires Oct 17, 1957
  
  Abstract of supporting evidence
  1 Rec is orig made at birth, kept in Bible, sister Ida keeps record  June 1, 1902
  2 Affdvt made by G B Strange, 1st cousin, signed before N[otary] Sept 22, 1956
  3 Affdvt made by Mrs Joe Woody, lifelong friend, signed, Sept 22, 1956
  
  Information Concerning Registrant As Stated in Document of Corresponding Number Above
  1 Date of Birth June 1, 1902  Birthplace Cocke County Name of Father Wm Grant Strange  Full name of Mother Margaret D Ledford
  2 Date of Birth June 1, 1902  Birthplace Cocke County Name of Father Wm Grant Strange  Full name of Mother Margaret D Ledford
  3 Date of Birth June 1, 1902  Birthplace Cocke County Name of Father Wm Grant Strange  Full name of Mother Margaret D Ledford
  
  I hereby certify I have examined the three documents abstracted above, find them valid, and that the information contained therein is as Noted Above, and Recommend that this delayed certificate of birth be accepted for filing by the Division of Vital Statistics, Tennessee Department of Health.
  
  Signed Viola Clark, C&M, Chancery Court Clerk, Newport, Tennessee Date Sept 22, 1956
  
  This delayed birth certificate is not valid until approved by the Tennessee State Registrar of Vital Statistics or His Authorized agent.
  
  Approved M R Baird Date Sept 28 1956 By C S
  ---------------
  [Back side]
  
  State of Tenn
  County of Cocke
  
  I hereby certify, on oath, that I am at present 89 years of age; that I am related to the person represented by this certificate as a cousin, and that I had actual knowledge of the facts as stated in this certificate at the time the birth occurred, and know them to be true because I have known & family ever since they been borned.
  
  Signature:  G B HIS X MARK Strange Present Address Newport, Tennessee
  
  I hereby certify that this affiant personally apeared before me, that I read the above statements to him and he made oath that said statements are true to the best of his knowledge and belief.
  This the 22 day of Sept 1956
  C B McMahon, Notary Public
  My Commission Expires 8-26-56 [sic]
  
  ====================
  Second Supporting Affidavit
  
  State of Tenn
  County of Cocke
  
  I hereby certify, on oath, that I am at present 76 years of age; that I am related to the person represented by this certificate as a cousin, and that I had actual knowledge of the facts as stated in this certificate at the time the birth occurred, and know them to be true because I lived near this family and I helped care for these babies of this family.  I remember Dora all her life.
  
  Signature:  Mrs Joe Woody (Waverly?), Present Address Newport, Tennessee
  
  I hereby certify that this affiant personally apeared before me, that I read the above statements to her and she made oath that said statements are true to the best of her knowledge and belief.
  This the 22 day of Sept 1956
  Viola Clark, Notary Public
  My Commission Expires Oct 17, 1957
  
  Handwritten information on top of back side:
  10-1-56
  White Oak Newport T
  Witness to Mark Sallie Strange
  ----------------------------------------------
  
  1910 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee, 6 May, Civil District 1, Enumeraton District 36, page 13A,  Hse #243, Fam #244
  Strange, William G  Head  M W  39  Widowed TN TN TN Proprietor, Retail Store Owns
  Strange, Belvia  Dau F W 7  TN TN NC
  
  1920 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee, 6 January, Civil District 1, Enumeration District 39, page 2B, Hse #32, Fam #34
  Strange, William G  Head Owns M W 50 TN TN TN Farmer [b abt 1869]
  Strange, Bessie T Wife F W 28 TN Germany TN [b abt 1891]
  Strange, Belva D Dau F W 17 Single TN TN NC Farmer [b abt 1902]
  
  Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
  Oscar Lunsford
  Belvie Strange
  Bond of $1250 signed by Oscar Lunsford
  Marriage 1 Apr 1926 Cocke County
  Ceremony performed by L D Carlisle, Minister of the Gospel
  Registered Cocke County Marriage Record Book p 428
  
  U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  Dora S Lunsford
  Born 1 Jun 1902
  Died 25 Apr 1999
  Last Residence Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee 37932
  SSN 410-62-3060 issued Tennessee (1955)
  
  The memorial on Find a Grave had a different month of birth and no date of death, and a query and update were sent.  The manager of the memorial then corrected the birth date and updated the information to include the SS record I referred her to.
  
  Belva Strange Lunsford
  Birth June 1, 1902
  Death Apr 25, 1999
  Name Dora S Lunsford
  SSN410-62-3060
  Last Residence 37932 Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee, USA
  Born 1 Jun 1902
  Died 25 Apr 1999
  SSN issued Tennessee (1955)
  Spouse Oscar C Lunsford (1901 - 1980)
  Children Kenneth L Lunsford (1927 - 1980)
  Son Kenneth L Lunsford (1927 - 1980)
  Burial Crowder Family Cemetery, Del Rio, Cocke County, Tennessee
  Created by historyseeker May 15, 2015
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #146489973, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=146489973

Sources

• 1. 1920 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee
  • 6 January, Civil District 1, Enumeration District 39, page 2B, Hse #32, Fam #34
• 2. 1910 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee
  • 6 May, Civil District 1, Enumeraton District 36, page 13A,  Hse #243, Fam #244
• 3. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 4. Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
• 5. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 6. Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002