Marion Swords Coles (1907 - 1971)

Born 26 Dec 1907 in Leonville, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Linnie Mae (White) Coles — married 5 Jun 1933 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States

Died 15 Sep 1971 at age 63 in Metairie, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

Marion Swords Coles, son of Edmond DeJean Coles and Ione Drusilla Holden, was born on 26 December 1907 in Leonville, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, USA.^[1] He was enumerated with his parents and siblings on the 1910-1920 censuses, living in St. Landry Parish.^[2][3] He went by the nick-name of "Shug."

Marion's middle name of "Swords" came from a prominent person whom Edmond knew at the time of Marion's birth. Marion never liked the name and didn't use it, and changed it at his first opportunity. When he had his birth registered in 1942 as an adult, he talked his mother into being the witness to his name, thereby changing it to Marion Lee.^[4]

Marion left the farm as soon as he could, and moved to New Orleans. He got a job as a street car conductor through his brother, Earl, working for New Orleans Public Service Inc. ("NOPSI").^[5] During the 1930 census, he was boarding with the Mary Vreeland family, living on 8420 Panola Street, walking distance to the street car lines on Claiborne and Carrollton Avenues.^[6] After the conductor's position was eliminated, Marion became a full-time street car driver. When the new electric buses were added to the system, he started driving a bus, then progressed from that to the gas-powered buses.^[5]

He married Linnie Mae White in June 1933 at New Orleans.^[7] Marion and Linnie Mae lived in New Orleans after their marriage.^[8] They had no children.

By about 1940, they bought a home at 431 Helois Street in Metairie, Jefferson Parish,^[9][10] where they lived for the rest of their lives. The house was (of course) on the bus line, so Marion was able to take the bus to work every day.^[5]

Marion registered for the draft in October of 1940. He was described as 5' 8" tall and 150 pounds, with blue eyes, red hair, and ruddy complexion.^[10] He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II on 20 July 1943. After completing his training, he shipped out with the Pacific Fleet on the USS Hornet in February 1944, with a rating of Yeoman Third Class. He saw duty at Guam Island in 1945, and also served on the USS Borie, Essex, and Ticonderoga.^[11]

Marion died at age 63 on 15 September 1971 in Metairie.^[12] He was buried at the Garden of Memories Cemetery.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Edmond Coles Family Bible; held by Charles Denis Rivette, Houston, TX.
2. ↑ 1910 U.S. Census, St. Landry Parish, LA, population schedule (digital image), accessed 20 Feb 2012; Police Jury Ward 3, ED 106, Sheet 27B, dw.#418, fam.#421, household of Edmond Cole.
3. ↑ 1920 U.S. Census, St. Landry Parish, LA, population schedule (digital image), accessed 24 Jul 2009; Police Jury Ward 3, ED 94, Sheet 14B, dw.#99, fam.#105, household of Ed Coles.
4. ↑ Interviews with Myrtle C. Rivette, by Joyce Rivette, various dates 1973-1993; personal recollections of Coles and Rivette families, as remembered by Charles and Joyce Rivette.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Personal recollections of Charles D. Rivette, including stories told to him by his Uncle Shug.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : accessed 17 October 2019), Marion Coles in household of Mary Vreeland, New Orleans (Districts 251-277), Orleans, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 273, sheet 3A, line 20, family 28, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 813; FHL microfilm 2,340,548.
7. ↑ Orleans Parish Marriage Records Database; accessed 17 Oct 2019, Marion Lee Coles and Linnie Mae White, Jun 1933, Orleans, vol. 33, p. 1120.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 27 July 2019), household of Marion L Coles, Police Jury Ward 8, Jefferson, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 26-27, sheet 3A, line 7, family 41, 37 [sic?] Helois Street, 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 1407; stated they lived in New Orleans in 1935
9. ↑ 1940 New Orleans Directory, (New Orleans, LA: R. L. Polk & Co., 1940), page 301; Ancestry.com, "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," image viewed 31 Oct 2019;

   -- Coles M S h431 Helios (M), Ancestry Record 2469 #1235532684

   -- Coles Marion L cond NOPSInc r4327 Holly Grove, Ancestry Record 2469 #1235532758

10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} "Louisiana First Registration Draft Cards, compiled 1940-1945", database with images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 13 March 2018), card for Marion Lee Coles, dated 16 Oct 1940.
11. ↑ Ancestry.com, "U.S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949" (online database with images), viewed 17 Oct 2019; Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group 24, National Archives at College Park, MD, USA; Marion Lee Coles, various records for the ships Hornet, Borie, and Essex, dated 29 Feb 1944 to 28 Jul 1945.
12. ↑ Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index, 1837-1972, Card Index, referenced ca 1995; New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, Orleans, LA, USA; Coles, Mr. Marion L.; age 63; died 9-15-1971. Newspaper references: T.Pic. 9-16-1971, p.20 c.6; S.Item 9-16-1971, p.4 c.2; T.Pic. 9-17-1971, p.20 c.2; S.Item 9-17-1971, p.4 c.2.
13. ↑ Garden of Memories Cemetery, Metairie, Jefferson, LA, USA, headstone, Marion Coles, Section D, plot D-13-11-3.