Life History

Notes

• Oswald Eugene Recroft was born on 4 August 1907, according to the Social Security Death Index.  I find Oswald E Recroft first in the 1910 census for Newport, Rock County, Nebraska.  He is the 2-year-old son of an Irish Canadian immigrant and a woman born in Iowa.  Oswald was born in Nebraska.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Rock County, Nebraska, 16 April, Newport Village, District 199, Page 1B, Main Street, Hse/Fam #17
  Recroft, Robert A Head M W 34 Married 13 yrs Canada Ireland Ireland  Immigration 1875 Naturalized  Post Master
  Recroft, Mary A Wife F W 32 Married 13 yrs Iowa Indiana Missouri
  Recroft, Oswald E Son M W 2 Nebraska Canada Iowa
  
  We see from this that Robert has been naturalized.  But the date of naturalization is not given in this census.
  
  By 1920 Oswald's mother has died, and his father Robert has moved to Neligh, in Antelope County, Nebraska, where he is living with his brother John.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Antelope County, Nebraska, 5 January, Neligh, District 12, Page 6A, Hse #136, Fam #148
  Recroft, John Head Owns home M W 45 Immigration 1885 Naturalized, Date Unknown Canada Ireland Ireland  County Clerk
  Recroft, Eva M Wife F W 42 Nebraska Ohio Illinois
  Recroft, Howard Son M W 20 Nebraska Canada Nebraska  Salesman, Drug Store
  Recroft, Thelma Dau M W 17 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  Recroft, Fern Dau M W 16 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  Recroft, Ruth Dau M W 13 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  Recroft, Robert Brother M W 43 Widowed  Immigration 1885 Naturalized, Date Unknown Canada Ireland Ireland  Real Estate Salesman
  Recroft, Oswald E Nephew M W 12 Nebraska Canada Nebraska
  
  Note that the date of immigration for John and Robert has changed from 1875 to 1885.  Note also that now the birth state of Oswald's mother is reported as Nebraska, instead of Iowa.  I expect this is because the mother of John's children's was born in Nebraska, and the enumerator probably wrote that without clarifying.
  
  I did not find a 1930 census entry for Oswald E Recroft.  We find the information on his marriage to Ruth Knowlton in the Arkansas Marriage Index, recording their marriage license issuance on 12 Jan 1935.  The actual date of the ceremony is not given in the registry.  This was Ruth A (Alma Ruth) McSwain, who was divorced from Oregon Knowlton before 1934.
  
  They later moved to Florida, where we find listings in Phone Directories for Jupiter, in Palm Beach County, Florida.  Records also exist for an address in Tequesta in the same county.
  
  U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 2
  Oswald E Recroft
  Birth Date 5 Aug 1907
  39 Cedar Hill Ln, Tequesta (Palm Beach County), FL 33469-2109
  
  Official Register of the United States, 1959
  1959
  Department of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service
  Oswald E. Recroft, Regional Supervisor, Minneapolis, Minn
  Legal Resident Minnesota
  Salary $9,890
  
  The Social Security Death Index reports that his last residential address was Jupiter, Palm Beach, Florida.  Oswald, also known as Ray by family, died in August 1982.  His SSN 473-50-5066 was issued in Minnesota in the period of 1961-62.  The Florida Death Index, 1877-1998, reports the exact day of his death, whereas the Social Security Death Index has only the month.
  
  Florida Death Index
  Oswald E Recroft
  Born 5 Aug 1907
  Died 23 Aug 1982, Palm Beach County, Florida
  
  Note that the Florida Death Index date of birth is a day after that reported on the Social Security records, 5 August instead of 4 August 1907.  Additional information I submitted to Oswald's memorial on Find a Grave wa added in February 2015.
  
  Oswald Eugene "Ray" Recroft
  Birth Aug. 5, 1907 Nebraska
  Death Aug. 23, 1982 Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Florida
  Parents:
  Robert Alexander Recroft (1875 - 1954)
  Mary Alice Recroft (1877 - 1918)
  Spouses:
  Ruth M Tackett (1909 - 1989)
  Ruth Alma Recroft (1910 - 2005)
  Burial Riverside Memorial Park, Tequesta, Martin County, Florida, Pioneer Section Block 26
  Created by Paula J Jul 03, 2009
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #39026755, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39026755

Sources

• 1. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
• 2. Social Security Death Index
  • Oswald Recroft
• 3. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998
  • Oswald E Recroft
• 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 5. Kenneth Wirt McSwain
• 6. Kenneth Wirt McSwain
  • citing information in email from Byrdie Engle McSwain
• 7. Official Register of the United States, 1959
• 8. Arkansas Marriage Index, 1933-1939
  • Vol 2, Certificate 00216