Key Documentation and Descendant DNA matches

Compiled and analyzed by Kimberli Faulkner Hull. © Chasing Light Media
Granddaughter of Lora E. Swafford Faulkner
The contents of this website, including images and photos, may neither be copied nor otherwise used or posted elsewhere without explicit permission.

Lineage documents

Name

Her name, according to her son, Ernest, was Lora. Her birth record reads Lorra E. and her death record states Lora. Her given name was misspelled as Laura (William Melvin and France May’s birth records), and Nora (marriage record). No document has been found with a full middle name. Swafford was misspelled as Swofford (Carl’s death record) and Swaffort (Ernest’s birth record).

Birth

Lora E. Swafford was born on 20 July 1888 in Bainbridge, Williamson County, Illinois.
Parents listed in birth record: William R. Swafford and Nancy M. Brack.

Note: Name is spelled as Lorra in record; she used Lora throughout her life. Also, most of the children born to William R. and Nancy Swafford, including Lora, used a variety of birth dates/years throughout their life; dates vary on documents..

Transcript/abstract

Williamson County, Illinois Birth register. No:(blank). Date of return:(blank). Name of child: Lorra E Swafford. Sex: Female. No. of Child of this Mother: 7. Race or Color: White. Date of Birth: July 20 88 Place of Birth: Bainbridge, Ill. Nationality of Father: USA. Place of Birth: Tenn. Age: 36. Nationality of Mother: USA. Place of Birth: Ill. Age: 30. Full Name of Mother: Nancy M Swafford. Maiden Name of Mother: Brack. Residence of Mother: Bainbridge Prec. Full Name of Father: William R Swafford. Occupation: Farmer. Name and Address of Medical Attendant/Name and Address of Person making certificate/Returned by: Do [W H Benlty MD, Marion]

Marriage

Charles Fountain Faulkner and Lora E. Swafford were married on 7 Mar 1908 in Shelby County, Tennessee.

1. Shelby County, Tennessee, Marriage Licenses 1 Jan-30 Apr 1908, marriage license with return, Faulkner–Swafford, 7 Mar 1908.
2. Shelby County, Tennessee, Marriage Licenses and Bonds, B1:530, marriage bond, Faulkner–Swafford, 7 Mar 1908.

Transcript/abstract

Shelby County, Tennessee, Marriage license: Chas. F. Faulkner and Mrs Nora Swafford, 7 Mar 1908; return same day. Marriage by Justice of Peace. Marriage Book B 1, p. 530.

Note: Lora’s name was spelled as Nora instead of Lora and it states her title was “Mrs.” No other previous marriages have been found for Lora Swafford.

Death

Lora E. Swafford Faulkner died on 31 Jan 1964 in Calumet City, Cook County, Illinois.
Note: Birth date and location are incorrect.

Transcript/abstract

Lora Swafford Faulkner Illinois Medical Certificate of Death. Registered number: 0554. District 16.0. 1) Place of Death: a: Illinois, b: Cook County, c: Burnham, e: Length of stay: 1 mo 27 dys, f: Hospital or Institution: Homestead Nursing Home 2) Usual Residence: a: Illinois, b: Cook County, c: Calumet City, e: 8 1/2 years, f: Residence Address: 284 Paxton Ave. g: Did decedent reside on a farm: No 3) Name of Deceased: Lora Faulkner. 4) Date of Death: Jan 31, 1964. 5) Sex: Female 6) Race: White 7) Widowed 8) Date of Birth: July 15, 1883 [Note: Birth date is incorrect. S/B 1888 according to birth record] 9) Age 80 years 10) Usual Occupation: Nurse. 10b) Kind of Business: Practical nursing. 11) Birthplace: Missouri [Note: Birthplace was Bainbridge, Williamson, Illinois according to birth record] 12) USA Citizen. 13) Father’s full name: Reynolds Swafford 14) Mother’s maiden name: Unknown 15) Was deceased in Armed Forces? No 16) Social Security Number: Unknown 17)Informant: Clarence C Faulkner. 17b) Address: 284 Paxton Ave., Calumet City 17C) Relationship: Son. 18) Cause of Death: Carcinoma of Colon, 6 months. Metastasis to liver and glands, 6 months. Hypostatic pneumonia, 2 days. 21) Attended deceased: 12/4/1963 to 1/31/1964. Death occurred at 10AM. 22) Disposition: Mt Hope, Worth, Illinois. Cremation 2-3-64.

Burial

Cremation. Find A Grave memorial 189702490.

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Additional documentation

Children

1. William Melvin Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: 24 Feb 1908, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee.
Education: Unknown
Marriage 1: 6 July 1928, Morrison, Whiteside County, Illinois, Announcement
Spouse 1: Lucile Whitley, abt. 1912-unknown
Marriage 2: 1 Feb 1939, Shelby County, Tennessee
Spouse 2: Bonnie Virginia Harned, 20 Mar 1913–25 Oct 1982
Clippings: 24 Aug 1928, 19 Jun 1930, 6 Feb 1953, 6 Sep 1954
Death: 8 June 1979, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, Obituary
Cremation: Find A Grave memorial 195155162.
Children:

A. Betty Lou Faulkner

Birth: abt Dec 1929, mother Lucile Whitley
Education: Methodist Deaconess Orphanage/The Lake Bluff Children’s Home (1940)
Marriage: abt 1950
Spouse: George Henry “Joe” Love Jr., 14 May 1927–29 Jun 1986, 26 Jun 1986 article, Death notice
Spouse Burial: Coloma Township Cemetery, Rock Falls, Whiteside County, Illinois, Section 1, Lot 18.
Find A Grave 126376775 with headstone photo 
Clippings: 6 Sep 1954, 9 Nov 1965,
Death: Unknown
Children: 2 living

B. Gary Earl Faulkner

Birth: 11 Mar 1950, Shelby County, Tennessee, mother Bonnie Virginia Harned
Marriage 1: Spouse living
Marriage 2: Spouse living
Death: 26 Jul 2013, Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, Obituary

2. Frances M. Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: 10 Oct 1909, St. Louis, St Louis County, Missouri.
Education: Unknown
Marriage: Abt 1930.
Spouse: Leonard Everett Fancher, 16 Apr 1904–3 Dec 1972.
Spouse cremated.
Clippings: 19 May 1932, 1 Mar 1935, 3 July 1936, 24 Jul 1936, 28 Aug 1936, 30 Oct 1936
Death: 1 Oct 1951, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, Obituary 1, Obituary 2, Obituary 3
Cremation: Find A Grave memorial 195007241.
Children:

A. Susanne A. Fancher

Profile page
Birth: 21 Jul 1941, Evergreen Park, Cook, Illinois
Marriage 1: 26 Feb 1965, Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Spouse 1: Gerald Lee Woodard, 9 Jun 1939–26 Mar 2012, Obituary
Spouse 1 Burial: Bath National Cemetery, Bath, Steuben County, New York, Section V, Site 566.
Find A Grave 97519814 with headstone photo.
Marriage 2: Spouse living
Spouse 2: Living
Death: 28 Feb 1998, Elmira, Chemung, New York, Obituary, News article
Burial: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Elmira, Chemung County, New York.
Find A Grave 195007573; no headstone photo

B. Living, daughter

3. Philip Lawrence Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: 29 Dec 1985, Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois.
Education: TildenTechnical High School, June 1934 graduation announcement
Military: WWII, Draft registration
Marriage 1: 19 Feb 1949, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.
Spouse 1: Hazel Eleanor Bradshaw, 19 Feb 1949–6 Mar 1976, Obituary
Profile page
Find A Grave 95008150; no headstone photo.
Marriage 2: 29 Jan 1977, Orange County, Florida.
Spouse 2: Dorothy Elizabeth Thompson Degarmo 20 Oct 1916–29 Jan 2009, Obituary.
Find A Grave 107531348 with memorial plaque photo.
No children.
Clippings: 20 Oct 1957, 17 Nov 1957
Death: 29 Dec 1985, Orange County, Florida, Obituary, Funeral notice
Burial: Glen Haven Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Winter Park, Orange County, Florida.
Find A Grave 195007906; no headstone photo.

4. Carl Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: 19 Jul 1918, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Death: 21 Jul 1918, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Note: Birth index record has error in mother’s name; should be Lora Swafford. Death record is correct.
Burial: Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.
Find A Grave 195009497; no headstone photo.

5. Clarence Charles Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: 10 Jan 1920, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Education: Parker High School, Chicago (Not found in 1936-1939 yearbooks)
Military: WWII, Draft registration, 24 Feb 1943
Marriage: 2 Feb 1945, Cook County, Illinois, Announcement
Spouse: Lillian Lodema Albert, 10 Jan 1920–18 Jan 1999, Obituary
Clippings: 18 Oct 1956, 29 May 1987, 2 Jun 1987
Death: 18 Jan 1999, Kissimmee, Osceola, Florida, Obituary 1, Obituary 2
Children: All living

6. Dorthy Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: 21 Mar 1922, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Death: 1 Apr 1922, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Burial: Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.
Find A Grave 195009667; no headstone photo.

7. Ernest L. Faulkner

8. Abe Faulkner

Profile page
Birth: Unknown
Marriage: Unknown
Death: Unknown
Note: According to Lora Swafford Faulkner’s handwriting on the back of a photo previously owned by Ernest L. Faulkner, Abe is the little boy sitting on Charles’ lap; no other documentation has been found. Abe wasn’t on the family census in 1930. Lora would have been 42 in 1930, so she could have given birth to him right after or he could have been missed on the census. In 1940, the entire family was not enumerated. The daughter of Clarence Charles stated some people called her father Uncle Abe” when she was young. However, my father would speak of “his brother Abe” and also “his brother, Clarence,” so it is believed they were two different people.

Census records and directories

The name in the bracket is the full name of the person; the name following is name as it was enumerated.

1900 U. S Census

In 1900, Lora was living in her parents’ household in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

• [William R.] Ranyall Swafford, age 47, married 22 years born Aug 1852 in Tennessee, both parents born in Tennessee, occupation: farmer
• [Nancy Mariah] Nancy Swafford, age 42, born Nov 1857 in Illinois, both parents born in Illinois, 10 children born, 7 living
  Children, all single
• [Dora Elizabeth] Dora, age 20, born Feb 1880 in Illinois
• [Joshua] Joshua, age 16, born Dec 1883 in Illinois
• [Thomas] Thomas, age 14, born June 1885 in Illinois
• [Lora E.] Lora, age 12, born July 1887 in Illinois
• [Jessie] Jessie, age 9, born Nov 1890 in Illinois

1910 U.S. Census

Charles married to Lora Swafford in 1908 and his mother, Fanny, died in 1909. Lora and their first two children were living with Charles’ stepfather, Philip J. Taylor, in 1910, but Charles was not enumerated with the family. He was not been found in another entry.

In 1910, Philip Taylor, his children, and Lora Swafford and her children were living at 3303 Park Avenue in Cairo, Illinois.

• [Philip Jackson] Phillip J. Taylor, age 48, widowed, born Ohio, both parents born in Ohio, occupation: blacksmith, owns shop
  Children, all single
• [Phenaty May] May Taylor, age 19, born in Illinois, both parents born in Ohio
• [Margaret Ellen] Margaret Taylor, age 19, born in Illinois, both parents born in Ohio
• [William Miller] William Taylor, age 12, born in Illinois, both parents born in Ohio
  Boarders
• [Lora E.] Lora Faulkner, age 22, widowed, born in Tennessee, both parents born in Tennessee, occupation: sales woman, dry goods
• [William Melvin] Milton, age 3, born in Illinois, both parents born in Tennessee
• [Frances May] Francis, age 1, born in Illinois, both parents born in Tennessee

Notes: All of the birth locations and parent’s birth location are incorrect. Lora was listed as widowed; she would have been married in 1910.

1920 U. S. Census

In 1920, Charles and Lora were living on 70th Street in Chicago, Illinois with their children.

• [Charles Fountain] Charles Faulkner, age 38, married, born in Kentucky, father born in U.S., mother born in Kentucky, occupation: distribution of circulars
• [Lora E.] Lora Faulkner, age 37, married, born in Illinois, both parents born in Illinois
  Children all single
• [William Melvin] William Faulkner, age 13, born in Tennessee
• [Frances May] Francis, age 10, born in Missouri
• [Philip Lawrence] Phillip Faulkner, age 3, born in Illinois

1930 U.S. Census

In 1930, Charles and Lora Faulkner were living at 7222 Evans, Chicago, Illinois with their children and a granddaughter:

• [Charles Fountain] Charles Faulkner, age 49, married, born in Kentucky, both parents born in Kentucky, occupation: circular disp in the advertising industry
• [Lora E.] Lora Faulkner, age 52, married, born in Illinois, both parents born in Illinois
  Children:
• [William Melvin] William Faulkner, age 24, married, born in Tennessee, occupation: automobile mechanic
• [Philip Lawrence] Phillip Faulkner, age 14, single, born in Illinois, attended school
• [Clarence Charles] Clarence Faulkner, age 10, single, born in Illinois, attended school
• [Ernest L.] Ernest Faulkner, age 7, single, born in Illinois, attended school
  Granddaughter:
• [Betty Lou] Betty Faulkner, age 4 months, single, born in Illinois, both parents born in Illinois

Notes: Betty Faulkner is the daughter of William Melvin, who was born in Tennessee.

1940 U.S. Census

No census enumerating the Charles and Lora Faulkner family has been located for 1940.

Charles and Lora moved to 7217 S. Stewart Ave before 1937, as it was the address listed on Charles’ social security application. They were living at the same address in 1942 when he registered for the WWII draft, so it is probable they were living at the same address in 1940. 7217 S. Stewart Ave is near the corner of w. 72nd Street and S. Stewart Avenue, near Hamilton Park.

In 1940, address 7217 S. Stewart was enumerated in enumeration district (ED) 103-1128, sheet 12 A. The Faulkner household was not listed.

1940 U.S. census, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 103-1128, sheet 12 A, 7217 Stewart Ave.
Family 285, Stuart, Mildred and Charley Caskek.
Family 286, John, Alice, and Mary Sleezer

Lora E. Swafford descendant DNA matches: 4

• Direct line: Charles Fountain Faulkner and Lora E. Swafford > Ernest L. Faulkner > Kimberli Faulkner Hull.
• Children of Charles and Lora Faulkner with possible descendant DNA matches:
  William Melvin, Frances May, Clarence Charles, and potentially, Abe (unknown if Abe had children), Ernest L. Faulkner (direct line).
• Bettinger Shared cM Project 4.0, v.4 used to validate DNA match cM with relationship (example: the cM for a 1st cousin 2 X removed should fall in the range of 33-471, with an average of 221).

William Melvin Faulkner descendant DNA matches: 1

Charles Fountain Faulkner and Lora E. Swafford > William Melvin Faulkner > Betty Lou Faulkner > Descendant > MyHeritage match. 1st cousin 2x removed. (Bettinger Shared cM Project 4.0, v.4 beta range 33-471, avg. 221). 210 cM across 7 segments.

Clarence Charles Faulkner descendant DNA matches: 2

Charles Fountain Faulkner and Lora E. Swafford > Clarence Charles Faulkner > Ancestry match.
1st cousin. (Bettinger Shared cM Project 4.0, v.4 beta range 396-1397, avg. 866). 1051 cM across 40 segments.

Charles Fountain Faulkner and Lora E. Swafford > Clarence Charles Faulkner > Ancestry match > Ancestry match. 1st cousin 1x removed. (Bettinger Shared cM Project 4.0, v.4 beta range 102-980, avg. 433). 473 cM across 20 segments.

Ernest L. Faulkner descendant DNA matches (direct line): 1

Charles Fountain Faulkner and Lora E. Swafford > Ernest L. Faulkner > Karen Sue Faulkner > Ancestry & LivingDNA match. Nephew. (Bettinger Shared cM Project 4.0 v.4 beta range 1201-2282, avg.1740). 1,704 cM across 41 segments.

Citing this page: Kimberli Faulkner Hull, “Lora E. Swafford Faulkner Documentation,” Cool Adventures ( https://cooladventures.com/genealogy/lora-e-swafford-faulkner-documentation/ : published 2021).

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