Help connecting Mildred and Richard Loving (Loving v. Virginia) to the worldwide tree?

Question

From Wikipedia:

"Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967),[1] was a landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

The case was brought by Mildred Loving, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, who had been sentenced to a year in prison in Virginia for marrying each other. Their marriage violated the state's anti-miscegenation statute, the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which prohibited marriage between people classified as "white" and people classified as "colored". The Supreme Court's unanimous decision held this prohibition was unconstitutional, overturning Pace v. Alabama (1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States."

What do you all think? Can we get the Lovings connected to the worldwide tree? 

Comments

Ooo, this one is interesting!

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Just saw it also, and it is an exciting profile to work on!

I remember the case holding and what it stood for as if it were yesterday! Here in California, my friends Larry and Christina had already married and had one child, Utz Lars. Christina was Swedish and Larry was African-American, they were quite devoted to each other but were afraid to travel to other parts of the country for fear of being placed in jail and having the child taken away. We had a nice talk about why Christina was unable to accept a professor position in Australia...she wasn't sure where her Ph.D.might take them. So long ago...help join the Lovings to the family tree as they were very brave!

Answer 1

I only just saw this. Thank you, Erin, for proposing this couple be connected to the the worldwide tree. Maybe it's time to try this again as part of the Diversity subproject of the Notables project. This certainly deserves more attention than it's had up to now.

Comments

P.S. I just saw that Mildred's profile had been orphaned, so I've adopted it. I welcome all contributions.

Answer 2

I would like to help.

Comments

Perhaps this is her 1940 Census record?

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRYN-SVN : accessed 10 August 2017), Mildred O Jeter in household of Jake Jeter, Bowling Green Magisterial District, Caroline, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 17-3, sheet 2A, line 11, family 17, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4253.

Parents - Jake Jeter (age 45 - born around 1895 in Virginia) and Musel (maiden name unknown - age 30 - born around 1910 in Virginia)?

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I think this is correct - although Family Search appears to have done some research on her past:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3ZCQ-X8P : accessed 2017-08-10), entry for Mildred Delores /Jeter/.

This says her parents are "Theoliver" Jeter (Jake must be a nickname) and Musiel Byrd.

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Theoliver and Jake do appear to be the same person:

"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6CB-ZBW : 12 December 2014), Theoliver Jeter, 1917-1918; citing Caroline County, Virginia, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,984,612.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRYN-SVH : accessed 10 August 2017), Jake Jeter, Bowling Green Magisterial District, Caroline, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 17-3, sheet 2A, line 3, family 17, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4253.

"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V1KT-X9P : 7 April 2016), Theoliver Jeter, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK15-YZJN : 15 December 2015), Theoliver Jeter, ; Burial, Central Point, Caroline, Virginia, United States of America, Saint Stephens Baptist Church Cemetery; citing record ID 144830036, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

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His parents - Samuel Jeter and Mary Ellen Upshaw.

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Thank you, Jourdi and Scott. Please feel free to add any information you've got to the profile.

Answer 3

New here and not sure this will help, but Richard's great grandfather, Tucker Parham Farmer (~1842-1921) was my great granduncle and a Confederate, to boot. I haven't poked around the Farmer branches on WikiTree but perhaps that is a connection we can work with.  Here's a reference to Uncle Tucker: https://time.com/4552130/loving-movie-racial-passing-history/

Comments

Whatever you can do would be good. It looks like Richard Loving isn't connected to the global tree yet, which I find a bit surprising.

Answer 4

Finally connected, seven years later. Not a moment too soon.

Comments

Please be aware that this family is extremely private and does not want attention drawn to itself. It refused to have Lee Highway renamed to Loving Avenue in Arlington, VA, earlier this year - see news story

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That's great Mark. It also offers a connection to the global tree for a good number of Black families. That's still a rare thing.