Robert Huston Anthony (1922 - 2005)

Born 8 Oct 1922 in Pleasant Grove, Jefferson, Alabama, United States

Husband of Theda Colleen (Kelley) Anthony — married 13 Nov 1945 in Alabama City, Etowah, Alabama, United States

Died 13 Dec 2005 at age 83 in Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States

Biography

The son of William Ellston Anthony (1891-1922) and Courtney Belle Samples (1895-1973), Robert Anthony was born in Birmingham, Alabama^{[citation needed]} in 1922. His father was killed in a mine accident six weeks later: he had been working as a mechanic at the Dolomite coal mine #3 in Dolomite, Alabama, owned by Woodward Mine Company, when a "trip"of cars broke loose, three of the coal cars plunging back down the mine shaft, triggering an explosion sparked by the 3,300-volt cable that powered the trip, with flames surging up the 1,000-foot mine shaft and shooting out another 900 feet.^[1] William Anthony went into to the mines, with other rescuers, and was killed in a secondary explosion.^[2] Robert's mother remarried a year later, marrying William Railford Shearer, and In 1925, Robert and his brother,William, were placed into the care of the Odd Fellows Home, known as the "Cullman Home", in Cullman, Alabama.^[3][4] By 1940, at the age of 17, Robert lived with his aunt, Nora Busby, his father's sister, and her family, residing in Pleasant Grove, Alabama.^[5] His aunt's husband worked at the mines as a mine foreman; the 1940 federal census recorded that Robert had completed school through the 8th grade.

Robert married Theda (Kelley) Anthony, marrying in Alabama City, Alabama on November 13, 1945.^[6] He had enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II, serving in the Atlantic and South Pacific, and remained in the Navy for 21 years.^[7] In 1950, he and his family lived in Alameda, California, stationed there.^[8] After leaving the Navy, Robert served in civil service at Cecil Field, retiring from civil service after 22 years.^[7]

Retiring to Jacksonville, Florida, Robert Anthony passed away there^[9][10][11] at the age of 83.

Sources

1. ↑ Woodward Iron Company, Dolomite No. 3 Mine Explosion [1]
2. ↑ Bureau of Mines accident report, anecdotal details on Ancestry.
3. ↑ anecdote from family member, story attached to Ancestry family tree, with image of orphanage at grand opening in 1910.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3GBG-7W2 : Thu Oct 05 23:10:48 UTC 2023), Entry for Ruffa H Anthony, 1930.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V1G2-BCF : Tue Nov 28 14:50:11 UTC 2023), Robert Anthony in Entry for John H Busby and Nora V Busby, 1940.
6. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21D-5SKW : Fri Oct 20 05:18:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Robert H Anthony and Theda Colleen Kelly, 13 Nov 1945.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} transcript of obituary, found on Ancestry
8. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XG6-FKTX : Thu Oct 05 15:30:47 UTC 2023), Entry for Robert H Anthony and Theda C Anthony, April 5, 1950.
9. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSMW-QQQ : 11 January 2021), Robert H Anthony, 13 Dec 2005; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
10. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K7M-YFDX : 10 February 2023), Robert Hustor Anthony.
11. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK2F-HL9X : accessed 26 December 2023), Robert H Anthony, Jacksonville, Florida, United States, 17 Dec 2005; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Florida Times-Union, The, born-digital text.