Life History

Notes

• 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 3 February, District 16, Sheet 6B, South Prairie Township, Ethel & Chute Rd, Hse #117, Family #121
  Robert McSwain Head Owns M W 37 Ark NCar NCar Farmer
  Annie M McSwain Wife  F W 33  Ark  NC/SC?  USA
  Nina M McSwain Dau  F W ?  Ark  Ark  Ark
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Nina Mae McSwain
  Age 17, Est Birth Year 1916
  Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Thomas Earl Jones
  Spouse's Age 18
  Spouse's Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Marriage 22 Apr 1933 Arkansas County
  
  Note that her middle name is spelled here Mae.  Another copy of this record has the name spelled May.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Nina May McSwain
  Age 17, Est Birth Year 1916
  Spouse's Name Thomas Earl Jones
  Spouse's Age 18
  Marriage 22 Apr 1933 Arkansas County
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Harmon Ragain
  Spouse Nina May Jones
  Marriage (no date or location)
  
  Arkansas, Marriage Index, 1933-1939
  Harmon Ragain
  Nina M Jones
  License Date 29 Oct 1938 Arkansas County
  Marriage date not reported
  Certificate #00273
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Harmon Ragain, Age 26 (b abt abt 1912)
  Residence DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Nina May Jones, Age 22 (b abt 1916)
  Residence DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Marriage 29 Oct 1938 Arkansas County
  Marriage License Date 29 Oct 1938
  
  At the time of the death of her step-brother Thad McSwain in March 2007, Nina Mae McSwain Ragan was reported as living in DeWitt, Arkansas County, Arkansas.  This was still her residence at the time of her death in 2010.
  
  ------------------------------
  Nina Mae McSwain Ragan
  
  Birth Mar 11, 1916 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  Death May 26, 2010 De Witt, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  
  Ms. Nina Mae Ragan of DeWitt, Arkansas, died Wednesday, May 26, 2010.  Ms. Ragan was 94 years, 2 months, and 15 days old.  She was the daughter of the late Robert and Annie (Padgett) McSwain.
  
  Ms. Ragan was the manager of the DeWitt Middle School Cafeteria and was of the Baptist faith.
  
  Ms. Ragan was preceded in death by her parents;  her first husband:  Thomas Earl "Doodle" Jones;  her 2nd husband:  Harmon Ragan; a daughter:  Martha Merrit;  two infant sons:  Harmon Ray and Homer David;  three sisters:  Elsie Wright, Louie Criswell and Hazel Porter; two step-sisters:  Bernetta Norsworthy and Ruth Recroft;  four step-brothers:  Marvin McSwain, Wirt McSwain, Bruce McSwain, Thad McSwain and a great-grandson, Seth Clark.
  
  She is survived by 4 daughters:  Winona Weathers and her husband, Wilbur, and Flora Sisemore and her husband, Sonny, of DeWitt and Mary Alice Snook of Decatur;  a son-in-law, Mike Merritt of DeWitt;  a sister, Eunice Butler of Ethel;  grandchildren, Kayleen Cunningham, Rexie Bolton, Angelia Dupuy, Rai Lynn Watkins, Denese Merritt Canedo and Wheatley Merritt;  nine great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
  
  Funeral service was held Friday, May 28, 2010, at the Essex Funeral Home Chapel in DeWitt. She was laid to rest at Cedarcrest Memorial Gardens.
  
  Source: Obituaries, DeWitt Era-Enterprise, DeWitt, Arkansas. 2 Jun 2010
  
  Parents:
  Robert Perry McSwain 1882-1920
  Martha Annie Padgett McSwain 1886-1971
  
  Spouse Harmon P Ragan 1912-1988
  
  Siblings:
  Elsie Elizabeth McSwain Wycough 1910-1984
  Hazel Bob McSwain Porter 1918-2008
  
  Children:
  Harmon Ray Ragan 1939-1939
  Homer David Ragan 1940-1941
  
  Burial Cedarcrest Memorial Gardens, De Witt, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  
  Created by DEBB Jun 10, 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #5349666, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53496661/mcswain
  ------------------------------
  

Sources

• 1. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
• 2. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 3. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 3 February, South Prairie Township, District 16, page 6B, Ethel & Chute Rd, Hse #117, Family #121
• 4. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 5. Bobby Butler, McSwain family notes on census, compiled 1995
• 6. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  • Certificate 28340, Volume 0001
• 7. Obituary of Thad Mathew McSwain, DeWitt (Ark) Era-Enterprise 28 March 2007
• 8. U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
• 9. Arkansas, Marriage Index, 1933-1939
• 10. Social Security Death Index
• 11. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 12. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
  • Page Number 1908
• 13. Newspaper (unidentified, appears to be in Arkansas County) article, January 1938
• 14. Email Sources