Vena (Martin) Spruell (1895 - 1973)

Born 2 Jul 1895 in Laurens, South Carolina, United States

Died Sep 1973 at age 78 in Columbia, Richland, South Carolina, United States

Biography

Vena was born in 1895. She was the daughter of Benjamin Martin and Zenobia Spencer. She passed away in 1973.

The 1940 census shows she is a patient in the South Carolina State Hospital, the 1950 census lists her as a patient in an institution. Wikipedia says “The South Carolina State Hospital is a publicly funded state-run psychiatric hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1821 as the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum, it was one of the first public mental hospitals established in the United States. “

The 1940 census lists her residence in 1935 as Greenville, South Carolina, at least suggesting she entered the institution after that census was taken.

Notes

Find A Grave identifies Vera Martin Spruell in their Records with Vena Martin in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses. Vena Spruell is in the 1940 and 1950 censuses, and the Social Security Death Index. Attached to Find A Grave: Memorial #211905018 for her sister, Lola, is an obituary which lists one of her sisters as “Mrs Luther Spruell of Columbia.”. It also gives a fist name for her Husband, Luther. This suggests that she is the “Annie L. Spruell”, married to Luther Spruell, found in the 1930 census^[1]. This is the only record giving the name as “Annie L.”. However, the named husband from the obituary is the same, her cited age is the same, and the birthplace of South Carolina for her and her parents agrees. The 1930 census record places her in Greenville, South Carolina; the 1940 census for her has her living in Greenville, South Carolina in 1935. Additionally, the 1940 census record for Luther shows him married and living in the household of his brother with no wife present^[2], consistent with her being institutionalized between 1935 and 1940. Thus it is possible that Annie L. In the 1930 census Is Vena.

It is noted that the 1944 obituary for her mother Zenobia refers to her as Miss Vena Martin, although the 1940 census names her Vena Spruell, as do the obituaries of her siblings Ralph (1965) and Jasper (1956). See their Find a Grave memorials for their obituaries.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPC6-QNS : accessed 30 October 2022), Annie L Spruell in household of Luther B Spruell, Fairview, Greenville, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 21, sheet 12A, line 28, family 249, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2198; FHL microfilm 2,341,932.
2. ↑ United States Census, 1940 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4DC-CFW

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3TW-1S4 : accessed 30 October 2022), Vena Martin in household of Martin, Dials Township (north part), Laurens, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 50, sheet 13A, family 234, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,533.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5DD-MD1 : accessed 30 October 2022), Vena Martin in household of B Wright Martin, Dials, Laurens, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 47, sheet 17B, family 354, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1464; FHL microfilm 1,375,477.

• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6ZS-LKN : 3 February 2021), Vena Martin in entry for Benjiman W Martin, 1920.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K46W-BKV : 11 January 2021), Vena Spruell, School District 1 Columbia, Richland, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 40-36, sheet 15A, line 19, family , 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 3832.

• United States Census, 1950 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F74-BYLY

• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSR5-2JC : 8 January 2021), Vena Spruell, Sep 1973; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

• Find A Grave: Memorial #242818892