Bennie Dean MCSWAIN Living MCSWAIN Leta Louise BURDINE Living MCSWAIN Living MCSWAIN Jennie Claire DUDLEY Mary Winona ROWND Mini tree diagram
Bennie Dean MCSWAIN

Bennie Dean MCSWAIN10,1,2,3,4,5,6,11,7,12,13,14,15,8,9,16

also known as Benny D MCSWAIN2

17th Jul 19181,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 - 22nd Nov 19921,7,8,9

Life History

17th Jul 1918

Born in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

1920

Resident in Little Rock Ward 4, Pulaski, Arkansas.2

7th Oct 1938

Married Leta Louise BURDINE in Saline County, Arkansas.4,16

22nd Nov 1992

Died in Aurora, Arapahoe, Colorado.1,7,8,9

27th Nov 1992

Buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado.10,8

Other facts

 

Married Jennie Claire DUDLEY

 

Birth of daughter Living MCSWAIN

 

Birth of son Living MCSWAIN

 

Birth of daughter Living MCSWAIN

Notes

  • Bennie D McSwain, Jr went by Bennie all his life,.  His granddaughhter says this was his given name, not Benjamin, as the 1900 census reported for his father.  The name of both father and son in the Social Security Death Index is simply Bennie.

    We have the name Bennie D for the father from a gravestone that appears to match this individual in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas, where other family members are buried, even though Bennie D is reported as living in Los Angeles at the time of death.  The father's name appears as Benjamin in the Arkansas censuses of 1900 - 1910, and as Benny or Bennie later.

    "My parents were Bennie Dean McSwain Jr (not Benjamin) and Jennie Claire (Dudley) McSwain. ... My grandfather Bennie Dean McSwain (not Benjamin) - his birth certificate says he was an orphan.  My brother is Edward Dean McSwain."
    --  Jean Frances McSwain Hardey, Geneanet Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 14 February 2017

    "Nona, as she was called, was married to Ben McSwain (Benjamin) and Bennie Dean Jr was their only child. He had a daughter (Diane) by a first wife but I don't know her name. He later married Jennie Claire, whose maiden name I do not know). They had two children, Eddie and Jeannie."
    --  Sue Rogers Rownd, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, October 2007

    1920 Federal Census, Pulaski County, Arkansas, 1 January, Big Rock Township, Little Rock Ward 4, District 129, page 11A, 1424 W Jones, Hse #218, Fam #233
    McSwain, Benny Head M W 33 AR NC NC Farmer, Own Farm
    McSwain, Nona Wife F W 29 AR KS AR
    McSwain, Benny D  Son M W 1yr 6mos  AR AR AR
    Round, Awamie [Owaimee]  Sister-in-Law F W 18 AR KS AR

    1930 Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, 11 April, Civil District 4, Memphis, District 9, page 14B, 1395 Harvest St, Hse #178, Fam #199
    McSwain, Bennie D Head M W 43  Married at age 27 AR NC SC  Insurance Salesman
    McSwain, Nona Wife F W 40  Married at age 23 AR IL AR  Decorating Handkerchiefs
    McSwain, Benny D  Son M W 11  AR AR AR

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Bennie McSwain
    Age 21, Birth Year abt 1917
    Residence Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas
    Spouse's Name Louise Burdine
    Spouse's Age 18
    Spouse's Residence Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas
    Marriage 7 Oct 1938 Saline County
    Marriage License Date: 7 Oct 1938

    From the 1940 census we learn that Louise's family moved from Dallas after 1935.  So their move was between 1935 and her marriage in October 1938.

    1940 Federal Census, Pulaski County, Arkansas, 2 April, Little Rock Ward 3B, District 60-34, page 1B, 1321 State St, Hse #24, Rents $20
    McSwain, Bennie D Sr Head M W 53 Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Research Checker, Hwy Dept
    McSwain, Nona M Wife F W 50 Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935
    McSwain, Bennie D Jr Son M W 21 Single Grade HS-4 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Checking Clerk, Delivery Service
    McSwain, Louise L Dau-in-Law F W 20 Single Grade HS-4 b Arkansas Dallas, Texas, in 1935 Clerk, Stock room
    McSwain, Nancy D Granddau F W 9mos Grade 4 b Arkansas

    We have documented the middle name of the elder Benjamin McSwain from his WWII Draft Registration, where his name is Bennie Dean McSwain.

    Bennie and his wife Jennie Dudley were reported in city directories for Little Rock in 1951 and 1953.

    U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
    Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1951, p 451
    McSwain Benj D (Jennie C) spl agt Int Rev h 2305 S Ringo
    McSwain Bennie D (Mary W) Slsmn slsmn Warehouse Package r 2305 S Ringo
    McSwain Betty J Mrs opr Tel Co r 1005 S Commerce
    McSwain Cecil E (Frances; McSwain Cecil E Co) 106 Commercial Warehouse h 804 Palm
    McSwain Cecil E Co (Cecil E McSwain) 106 Commercial Warehouse
    McSwain Chas M USAF r 804 Palm
    McSwain J B tchr PS r RD 4 Box 368 North Little Rock
    McSwain Oren E (Betty J) sta atndt Hal Spradley r 1114 W 20th North Little Rock

    Bennie's mother, reported as Mary McSwain, is reported in 1953 as the widow of Bennie McSwain.  However, we know Bennie D Sr moved to California at some piont after the 1951 census, and died in Los Angeles in 1969.   They must have divorced, though I have heard or seen no comment on this in family information.

    U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
    Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1953, p 338
    McSwain Bennie D (Jennie C) spl agt Dir Int Rev h 6909 W Markham
    McSwain Betty J Mrs clk TelCo r 1405 W 47th North Little Rock
    McSwain Brokerage Co C E McSwain mgr 300 Rector av R 107
    McSwain Cecil E (Frances) mgr McSwain Brokerage Co r Poland, Ark
    McSwain Cecil E Jr (Ann M) slsmn McSwain Brokerage Co r 804 Palm
    McSwain John B (Bernice) farmer h 2023 Howard
    McSwain Mary (wid Bennie) h 6909 W Markham
    McSwain Oren E (Betty J) clk AP&LCo h 2013 Park la

    Then they moved to Enid, Oklahoma at some time before 1960, when they were reproted in that city's directory, along with Bennie's mother.

    U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
    Enid, Oklahoma, City Directory, 1960, p 307
    Bennie D McSwain (Jennie C) acct VAFB h r 1710 N Monroe
    Bennie Jean C recpt Geo R Webber r 1710 N Monroe
    Bennie Mary W Mrs r 1710 N Monroe
    Bennie Myrtle B Mrs h 419 E State av

    Listings in Public Records show Bennie D McSwain Jr at an address in Aurora, Colorado, where we know both he and Jennie lived to their death, as well as Bennie's mother.  This would seem to confirm that his middle was also the same as his father's.

    One anomaly with this source, however, is that the years of the report of an address and phone name under this name are 1993-1999.  Bennie died in 1992.  I expect his wife kept the phone in his name, as we find for many widows.  However, the date of death I have for Jennie, as from Social Security, is in 1997.  But this phone listing continued for the years 1998 and 1999.  This is a common problem in these compilations from disparate sources.

    Bennie D, Bennie, and the two women Mary and Jennie all received their Social Security numbers in Arkansas, so it appears they remained in residence in Arkansas until at least after 1837, the first year of the Social Security Death Index.

    Social Security Death Index
    Bennie D. McSwain
    Born 17 Jul 1918
    Died 22 Nov 1992
    Last Residence Aurora, Arapahoe, Colorado 80012
    SSN 430-05-7727 issued Arkansas (Before 1951)

    U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
    Bennie Dean McSwain [Bennie D McSwain]
    Birth 17 Jul 1918 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Death Date 22 Nov 1992
    Father Bennie D McSwain
    Mother Mary W Round
    SSN 430057727
    Feb 1937 Name listed as BENNIE DEAN MCSWAIN; 01 Dec 1992 Name listed as BENNIE D MCSWAIN

    U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006
    Bennie D McSwain
    Service LT COL US ARMY AIR CORPS WORLD WAR II
    Birth Date 17 Jul 1918
    Death Date 22 Nov 1992
    Service Start Date 3 Aug 1942
    Interment 27 Nov 1992
    Ft. Logan National Cemetery, 4400 West Kenyon Avenue Denver, CO 80236
    Buried At Section 3 Site 548

    U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
    Bennie McSwain
    Birth Date 17 Jul 1918
    Death Date 22 Nov 1992
    SSN 430057727
    Enlistment Date 6 Feb 1943

    Bennie D McSwain
    BIRTH 17 Jul 1918 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
    DEATH 22 Nov 1992 (aged 74) Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, USA
    BURIAL Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Denver County, Colorado, Section 3, Site 548
    Parents:
    Bennie Dean McSwain 1886-1969
    Mary Winona Rownd McSwain 1890-1979
    Spouses:
    Jennie C McSwain 1921-1997
    Leta Louise Burdine Cockley 1919-2004
    Inscription LT COL, US ARMY AIR CORPS WORLD WAR II
    Imported from US Veteran's Affairs 25 Feb 2000
    --  Find A Grave Memorial 983711, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/983711/bennie-d-mcswain

Sources

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