This biography is a collaborative work in progress. Sourced changes welcome
Biography
Della Emma Fore was born on September 16th[1][2] to Andrew Jackson Fore[3][4] and Ella Agnes Caldwell, who were originally from Newton County, Mississippi.[5] The year and place of her birth are more difficult to determine.
Records have been found which indicate she was born between 1897 and 1902 with the most likely year being 1898.[1] Most records indicate she was born in Florida although the 1910 Census indicates that she and her siblings were all born in Mississippi. The whole family relocated to Wildwood, Sumter County, Florida, before 1910.[3] While she may have been born before the family moved to Florida, it is more likely that she was born while they were on the way or after they reached their initial destination. She's listed in the 1920-1940 Censuses and on her Application for Delayed Birth Certificate as born in Florida.
Della married Clarence De Leslie Smith on March 19, 1924 in Sumter, Florida. On their marriage license application, Clarence was identified as 24 years old and living in Sumter County; Della was identified as 22 years old and living in Wildwood, Sumter County. Their Marriage Certificate includes their signatures as well as those of witnesses J. F. Lee and Mabel Smith (possibly Clarence's younger sister).[6]
Della was working as a cook and Clarence a baker in a bakery when they were enumerated on the 1930 Census. Their portion of the rent in the home they shared with two other families was $5. Clarence was identified as a WW veteran.[7]
Clarence died in Leesburg, Lake County, Florida, on 8 December 1936 and was buried on 9 December 1936 in Pine Level Cemetery, Oxford, Sumter County, Florida. Beyers Funeral Home of Leesburg handled the arrangements.[8][9]
The obituary of Clarence indicated he had a son, J. D. Smith;[10] the same name appeared in Della's 1994 Obituary as a survivor.[11][12] However, J. D. was born in 1921,[13] two-and-a-half years before Clarence married Della.[6] It is more likely that J.D. was the son of Clarence's first wife, Almetta (Hough) Smith.[14]
Della and her 5 year old niece, Jo Ann Chamblin, were living in Wildwood next to her sister Laura Hall when the 1940 Census enumeration took place. She owned their home, valued at $100, and was working as a waitress at a restaurant to support them. The census record indicates that she had only worked half the previous year, earning $150, and had received non-wage income of more than $50.[15] According to Jo Ann's Social Security Application and Claim Index entry at Ancestry, she is the daughter of Mary L Smith, presumed to be Clarence's sister, and Nicholas C. Chamblin. The couple was divorced in 1935 in Sumter County, Florida. Della apparently raised JoAnne as she is listed as a surviving daughter in Della's obituary.[12]
Della married a Mr Amerson after 1940 when she was enumerated as Della Fore[15] and before 17 July 1951 when she applied for a Delayed Birth Certificate as Mrs. Della F. Amerson.[5]
She lived in Sumter County, Florida, most of her life but died in Swainsboro, Georgia on 3 December 1994. One of her obituaries states that she moved to Georgia in 1991.[12] Her body was returned to Sumter County, Florida, where she is buried in the family plot at Oak Grove Cemetery, Wildwood, Sumter County, Florida,[16] beside her parents Andrew Jackson Fore and Ella A Fore, younger brother Cecil Fore, and older sister Lizzie A DeGraw.[17]
Although Della apparently never bore children of her own, she helped raise three: J. D. Smith, Joanne (Chamblin) Thayer, and Mary Ellen (Amerson) Wheaton. Her grave has a foot marker which reads "Granny"[16] and her obituary listed all three children by name as well as enumerating the number of grand and great-grandchildren she had.[11]
Witnesses: J. F. Lee and Mabel Smith (possibly Clarence's younger sister).
Dec 1936 - Clarence died of Hemorrhagic Influenza in Leesburg, Lake County, FLorida[8][10]
Amerson Marriage[23] - This evidence for this marriage is all circumstantial at this point, based on Della's use of the surname Amerson. A body of secondary sources showing this use has been found which indicate the date range is Oct 1940-July 1951. However, no substantial proof has been found due to the location of the marriage being unknown. Research continues.
William Sidney Amerson registered for the WWII Draft in Georgia in October 1940.[24]
A Mr. W. S. Amerson was living in Wildwood, Sumter County, Florida, in 1948 and 1950 according to obituary transcriptions posted on the FindAGrave Memorials of Find A Grave: Memorial #94133145 for John A Amerson and Find A Grave: Memorial #94133178 for William Amerson. William S Amerson (1909-1974) is buried in the same cemetery as these men.[25][19]
1950 W. S. Amerson signed as guardian on the 1950 Marriage License Application allowing Joanne Chamblin, Della's niece, to marry.[26]
Della applied for a Delayed Birth Certificate in 1951. She signed the application Mrs. Della F Amerson.[5]
Della's 1994 obituary indicates she had a daughter named Mary Ellen Wheaton. According to correspondence with Mary Ellen's step-daughter, Della was Mary Ellen's step-mother. Mary Ellen's father was William Sidney Amerson and she married Sidney Gene Wheaton.[27]
No reference to a Marriage document has been found to date. The following reviews have been done: McGee-1611 12:19, 10 September 2016 (EDT)
The Andrew Jackson and Ella Agnes Fore family has yet to be found. Searches of the indexes at Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org for previously found variations of the surname (Fore, Ford, and Fone) have yielded no results which are consistent with known data.
A visual examination of each page for Sumter County, Florida, is in progress. McGee-1611 08:02, 4 September 2016 (EDT)
Not Found - Florida > Sumter > ED 153 Precincts 2-4, Oxford, Wildwood, Rutland Wildwood town > image 1-47 beginning at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QX3-2G3 ; citing NARA microfilm publication T623
Other locales to check would be Marion County, Florida, where a concentration of Fore families lived and Newton County, Mississippi, where her siblings were born.
(Not Named) Street, Wildwood, Sumter County, Florida
Della Smith was the informant
Della Smith Head F 41 Florida owned home value $100 widow H2 Lived in the same place in 1935 waitress restaurant (26 wks $150 in 1939) received > $50 non-wages
↑ 2.02.12.22.3 Della Fore and Clarence Smith, Marriage License Application, 19 Mar 1924, Sumter County, Florida, United States of America; "Florida Marriages, 1830-1993", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23CC-9TX : 25 June 2015), Clarence Smith and Della Fore, 1924.
↑ 3.03.13.23.33.4 "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVKL-8H8 : 29 October 2015, accessed 2 Sep 2016), Della Ford[sic] in household of A J Ford[sic], Wildwood, Sumter, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 149, sheet 5B, household 110, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T624, roll 167 (Washington, D.C.: NARA, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,180.
↑ 4.04.14.24.3 "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNB8-6XF : 14 December 2015, accessed 11 Sep 2016), Delta Fone in household of A J Fone, Wildwood, Sumter, Florida, United States; citing sheet 7B, household 170, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: NARA, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,231.
↑ 6.06.16.26.36.4 Della Fore (Miss) and Clarence Smith, Marriage License and Certification, 19 Mar 1924, Sumter County, Florida, United States of America; "Florida Marriages, 1830-1993", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23CC-9TN : 25 June 2015, accessed 11 Sep 2016), Clarence Smith and Della Fore, 1924. [Has original signatures.]
↑ 7.07.17.27.3 1930 US Census, Florida, Sumter County, population schedule, Precinct 3, WIldwood City, ED 60-4, sheet 14B, Rutland St, dwelling 377, family 335, Clarence and "Ella" Smith; "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:S17W-K3Z : 8 December 2015, accessed 30 Aug 2016); citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T626, roll 333 (Washington D.C.: NARA, 2002).
↑ 8.08.18.2 Leesburg, Lake County, Florida, Certificate of Death No. 21344, Clarence DeLeslie Smith, 8 Dec 1936; image 1443 of 2569, "Florida death certificates, 1877-1939, FHL microfilm number 2135944, Death certificates, v. 735-739, (cert. no. 20001-22348) 1936," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DH6W-6G5?i=1442 : accessed 24 Aug 2016); citing Florida Department of Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics.
↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 November 2020), memorial page for Clarence D Smith (3 Sep 1900–7 Dec 1936), Find A Grave: Memorial #71558947, citing Pine Level Cemetery, Oxford, Sumter County, Florida, USA ; Maintained by kinglsat (contributor 47492995) .
↑ 10.010.11936 Obituary abstract of Clarence DeLeslie Smith. "Project Collect", Leesburg Public Library, Leesburg, Florida. Citing Leesburg Commercial, 11 December 1936. Copy of card made 31 July 1999. Fore Family Files. Privately held by Debi McGee Hoag, Leesburg, Florida.
↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 November 2020), memorial page for J D Smith (19 Oct 1921–3 Dec 2000), Find A Grave: Memorial #71559170, citing Pine Level Cemetery, Oxford, Sumter County, Florida, USA; Maintained by kinglsat (contributor 47492995).
↑ The similar headstone of Almetta A Smith referenced in Clarence's FindAGrave memorial is for his first wife, Almetta Hough.
↑ 15.015.115.215.315.415.5 "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VTCY-67Y : accessed 3 September 2016), Della Smith, Wildwood, Election Precinct 3, Sumter, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60-4, sheet 5A, family 90, 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 618.
↑ 16.016.116.2Gravestone of Della S Amerson. Oak Grove Cemetery, Wildwood, Sumter County, Florida. Picture take 7 November 1995 by Debi McGee Hoag. A foot stone reading "Granny" is on the grave. I'll get a picture next time I'm at Oak Grove. ~~~~
↑ Grave stone photos for family members can be found on the individual profiles
↑ 19.019.1 "Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V49J-CDT : 24 December 2014), William S Amerson, 29 Jan 1974; from "Georgia Deaths, 1919-98," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Emanuel, Georgia, certificate number 011317, Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, Atlanta.
↑ 20.020.1 "Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V43C-FS1 : 24 December 2014), Della Amerson, 03 Dec 1994; from "Georgia Deaths, 1919-98," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Emanuel, Georgia, certificate number 052789, Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, Atlanta.
↑ "Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QC-M6J5 : accessed 10 September 2016), William Sidney Amerson, 1940-1942; citing Scott, Johnson, Georgia, United States, Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975, RG 147, National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.
↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 November 2020), memorial page for William Amerson (30 Jul 1872–18 Sep 1950), Find A Grave: Memorial #94133178, citing Carter's Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery, East Dublin, Laurens County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Loree & Billy Beacham (contributor 47243131).
↑ "Florida Marriages, 1830-1993", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23Z9-HPG : 25 June 2015), W S Amerson in entry for Heck M Dudley and Joanne Chamblin, 1950.
↑ Pat Harrison, FamilySearch message, "Mary Ellen Amerson," 8 Dec 2015, response to Debi Hoag's query. [Mary Ellen (Amerson) Wheaton was the daughter of William Sidney Amerson and Virginia Christine Jeffers, step-daughter of Della (Fore) Amerson].
↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J2N7-Q5Q : 20 May 2014), Della F Amerson, Dec 1994; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
See Also:
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 November 2020), memorial page for Della S. Fore Amerson (16 Sep 1900–3 Dec 1994), Find A Grave: Memorial #35753096, citing Oak Grove Cemetery, Wildwood, Sumter County, Florida, USA; Maintained by Sincerely Yours (contributor 46631715).
"Florida Marriages, 1830-1993", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/23CD-8PH : accessed 27 November 2015), Clarence Smith and Della Fore, 1924. Sumter County, Florida, Marriage Record 6, page 57, bottom
"Florida Deaths, 1877-1939," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPSY-Z9M : 24 December 2014), Clarence De Leslie Smith, 08 Dec 1936; citing Leesburg, Lake, Florida, reference rn21344; FHL microfilm 2,135,944.
JoAnn Chamblin's Social Security Applications and Claims entry. Ancestry.com. (subscription required) "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007" [database on-line viewed 28 November 2015] (http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60901&h=35840292). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Citing original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
N. C. and Mary L. Chamblin Divorce Ancestry.com. Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 [database on-line viewed 28 November 2015] (http://interactive.ancestry.com/8837/FLDIV_0028-0023/496391). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Citing original data: Florida Department of Health. Florida Divorce Index, 1927-2001. Jacksonville, FL, USA: Florida Department of Health.
SWAINSBORO, Ga. -- Della Fore Amerson, 94, a homemaker, died Dec. 3, 1994.
A native of Marion County, she moved to Georgia in 1991 from Florida. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Wildwood.
Survivors include her son, J.D. Smith, Oxford; daughters, Joanne Thayer, Tampa, and Mary Ellen Wheaton, Salt Springs; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Banks-Page-Theus Funeral Home, Wildwood, is handling arrangements.
Ocala Star-Banner (FL) - December 5, 1994
Is Della your ancestor? Please don't go away! Login to collaborate or comment, or contact
the profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com
DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Della by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Della:
A native of Marion County, she moved to Georgia in 1991 from Florida. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Wildwood.
Survivors include her son, J.D. Smith, Oxford; daughters, Joanne Thayer, Tampa, and Mary Ellen Wheaton, Salt Springs; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Banks-Page-Theus Funeral Home, Wildwood, is handling arrangements. Ocala Star-Banner (FL) - December 5, 1994