Thomas Ward Henderson (1891 - 1968)

Born 15 Aug 1891 in Lindale, Smith, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1968 at about age 76 in Lindale, Smith, Texas, United States

Biography

Thomas Ward Henderson was born 15 Aug 1891, near Lindale, in Smith County Texas. His parents were Will and Dora Henderson.^[1] Ward had three older half-sisters, (Dora's children from her first marriage) and was the second of five children born to Dora and Will. Will was apparently a successful but very frugal farmer. (The Henderson Connections online book contains several family anecdotes indicating that the children's upbringing was probably difficult from an emotional standpoint.^[2]) Ward had a 7th grade education.^[3]

The 1900^[4] and 1910^[5] US censuses show Ward living at home on the family farm near Lindale. By June of 1917, Ward was living in Newlin, Hall County, Texas, boarding with the Williams family while working on their farm. Although he indicated on his draft card that he was claiming an exemption on the basis of kidney trouble,^[6] it appears that he did end up serving as a soldier.^[2][7]By 1920, he was living with the Williams family again.^[8]

Ward married Nora Haseltine Hicks in January 1924.^[9] They had 3 children, all born between 1924 and 1927.^[7] The family was still living in Hall County at the time of their daughter Mary Frances' birth in 1926,^[10] but they had moved back to their home town of Lindale by 1930.^[7] Both of Ward's parents had died in the preceding decade, so perhaps he was living on his father's farm. [Needs follow-up.]

Nora died of cancer in 1936 at age 44,^[11] leaving three children, ages 7 to 11. In the 1940 Census, Ward was listed as a widower with three children living at home.^[3]

He married Mamie Howard Richards in 1944, eight years after Nora's death.^[12] Mamie's first husband, Quinn Richards, had died suddenly on Christmas Eve 1926,^[13] leaving four children between 4 and 14 years old.^[14] Mamie had supported herself and the children by running a boardinghouse,^[14] then working as a department store saleswoman.^[15] The children were all grown by the time she married Ward.^[15]

Ward and Mamie lived together on his farm for 24 years, until Ward was killed in a head-on car crash near Lindale in 1968.^[1] Mamie lived for another 15 years - she died in 1983.^[16]

Sources

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Death Certificate for Thomas Ward Henderson. "Texas, Death Certificates, 1903–1982." www.ancestry.com. Digital image of State File #06474 Accessed 3 Feb 2016 : Data: Thomas Ward Henderson; Birth: 15 Aug 1891, Lindale, Texas; Father: William Daniel Henderson; Mother: Dora Mitchell; Death: 11 Jan 1968, Precinct 5, Smith, Texas; Age at death: 76; Cause of death: Automobile accident; Residence: Precinct 5, Smith, Texas; Informant: Mamie Henderson (spouse).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Castleberry, Vivian. Henderson Connections. Online book. Accessed 5 Feb 2016
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} 1940 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image : Smith County, Texas; Enumeration District: 212-48. Roll: T627_4138; Page: 13B. Household #279 : J W Henderson; Age 48. Widowed, head of house. Home in 1940: Smith, Texas. Residence in 1935: Same House. Farmer, owned home worth $1000 and farm. Worked 60 hours in week prior to census. Employer, worked 52 weeks in 1939. No income. Highest grade completed: 7th.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} 1900 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image. Accessed 3 Feb 2016 : Lindale, Smith, Texas; Enumeration District: 0109; Roll: 1670; Page: 17A; FHL microfilm: 1241670: Data: Thomas L Henderson, age 8, birth Aug 1891, in Texas. Race: caucasian. Residence: Lindale, Smith, Texas; Relation to head of house: son; Father's name: William Henderson; Father's birthplace: Alabama; Mother's name: Dora Henderson; Mother's birthplace: Alabama.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} 1910 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image. Accessed 3 Feb 2016 : Justice Precinct 6, Smith, Texas; Enumeration District: 0084; Roll: T624_1589; Page: 12B; FHL microfilm: 1375602 : Data: Ward Henderson, age 18, birthplace: Texas. Residence: Justice Precinct 6, Smith, Texas. Relation to head of house: son. Marital status: single. Father's birthplace: North Carolina; Mother's name: Dora Henderson; Mother's birthplace: Alabama. Occupation: wage-earning farm laborer. Number of weeks out of work: none. Able to read and write; attended school at some time in the previous year.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} WW I Draft Registration Card for Thomas Ward Henderson. "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918". www.ancestry.com. Digital image Accessed 3 Feb 2016 : Registration: Hall County, Texas; Roll: 1953521 : Data: Thomas Ward Henderson; Birth: 15 Aug 1891, Texas, United States of America; Race: Caucasian.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} 1930 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image Accessed 3 Feb 2016 : Precinct 6, Smith, Texas; Enumeration District: 0041; Dwelling #80, family #84; Roll: 2391; Page: 4B; Image: 507.0; FHL microfilm: 2342125 : Data: Thomas W Henderson; Age 38; Birthplace: Texas; Married, head of house. Age at first marriage: 32. Residence: Brick Plant road, Precinct 6, Smith, Texas. Owned home valued at $1200 and farm. Occupation: self-employed farmer. Able to read, write, and speak English; no radio. Veteran of World War. Father's birthplace: Alabama; Mother's birthplace: Alabama.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} 1920 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image. Accessed 3 Feb 2016 : Enumeration District: 107; Plainview, Hall, Texas; Roll: T625_1808; Page: 7A; Image: 336 : Data: Thomas Henderson; Age: 28; Marital Status: Single. Residence: Plainview, Hall, Texas. Relation to head of house: boarder. Father's birthplace: Alabama. Mother's birthplace: Alabama. Occupation: wage-earning farm laborer. Able to read and write.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Marriage Certificate for Ward Henderson and Nora Hicks. www.ancestry.com. Digital image. Accessed 5 Feb 2016. Data: TW Henderson and Nora Hicks were married 6 Jan 1924 in Smith County, Texas.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Birth Record for Mary Frances Henderson. "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997." www.ancestry.com. Online database. Accessed 4 Feb 2016 : Data: Mary Frances Henderson. Birth: 11 Mar 1926, in Hall County, Texas. Father's Name: Thomas Ward Henderson. Mother's Name: Nora Hicks. Roll number 1926_0003.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Death Certificate for Nora Henderson. "Texas, Death Certificates, 1903–1982." www.ancestry.com. Digital image of State File #51785. Accessed 4 Feb 2016 : Data: Mrs. Nora Henderson. Birth: 8 Nov 1891, at Lindale, Texas; Father: Jeff Hicks; Mother: Burley Lyons. Spouse: Ward Henderson. Death: 3 Oct 1936, in Smith County, Texas; Age: 44.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Ward Henderson-Mamie Richards Marriage Certificate. www.ancestry.com. Digital image. Accessed 5 Feb 2016. Data: TW Henderson and Miss Mamie Richards were married 10 Apr 1944 in Smith County, Texas.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Death Certificate for T Quinn Richards. "Texas, Death Certificates, 1903–1982." www.ancestry.com. Digital image of State File #43788 Accessed 4 Feb 2016 : Data: TQ Richards; Birth: 6 Jan 1879, in Alabama. Death: 24 Dec 1926, at Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas; Age: 47.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} 1930 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image Accessed 5 Feb 2016 : Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas; Enumeration District: 0002; Roll: 2410; Page: 19A; Image: 618.0; FHL microfilm: 2342144; Dwelling Number: 337; Family Number: 366 : Data: Mamie Richards. Age: 35. Birthplace: Texas. Widowed, head of house, employed as housekeeper in boarding house where she lived. Residence: 1426 Deaf Smith Street, Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas. Rented for $45 per month. No radio. Age at first marriage: 18. Able to read and write. Father's birthplace: Alabama. Mother's birthplace: Texas. Other residents of house were her 4 children, 2 sisters-in-law, and 4 more lodgers.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} 1940 United States Federal Census. www.ancestry.com. Digital image : Gregg, Texas; Roll: T627_4046; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 92-35; Household #37: Data: Mamie Richards (respondent). Age: 46. Birthplace: Texas. Widowed, head of house, living in own home valued at $175 on Sun Camp A Tooke Lease Street in Gregg, Texas. Residence in 1935: Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas. Occupation: Saleswoman, had worked continuously since about May or June 1939, earning about $250. Highest Grade Completed: High School, 2nd year. Other resident of home was 18-year-old son.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Death Record for Mamie Henderson "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000." www.ancestry.com. Online database. Accessed 4 Feb 2016 : Data: Mamie Henderson; Death: 4 Sep 1983, Smith County, Texas.

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