Luther Greene (1887 - 1973)

Born 16 Oct 1887 in Hancock, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Died Jun 1973 at age 85 in Sneedville, Hancock, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

Luther Greene was a Tennessean.

Luther was orphaned during the Greene-Jones War

Luther Green was born 16 October 1887 ^[1] in Luther, Tennessee ^[2], a small community in Hancock County. He is the son of Jim and Martha (Purkey) Green. Luther had one full brother, Clinton ^[3], and two half-brothers, Henry Clay and Charlie Judge.

Luther and Clinton were tragic victims of the Greene-Jones War, a family feud in their home county in East Tennessee. When Luther was barely two years old ^[1], his father, James, was shot and killed by his father's uncle, Hampton Greene.

Five years after their father's death, Luther and his brother were informally 'adopted' by Rev. Grant Tilman Lawson, who married their widowed mother around 1894 ^[4]. Grant and Martha had two boys together, Clay and Judge ^[5].

Luther was a man of medium height and average build with blue eyes and red hair ^[2]. He completed school up through the eighth grade and became a farmer ^[6]. He married Tennessee "Tenney" Cantwell ^[7], the daughter of Tom and Nancy (Drinnon) Cantwell ^[8]. Luther and Tenney had three children ^[9] :

1. Kermit (b. 1914)
2. Clinton Harvey (b. 1917)
3. Docie Mae (b. 1924) m. [1] Carl Ogan ^[10] and [2]

Luther owned a small farm on Duck Creek Road in hancock County. He was an ordained deaacon and the Sunday School Superintendent for the Duck Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Sneedville for over 40 years ^[11]. He died at the age of 85 in June of 1973 in Sneedville, Tennessee ^[12] and is buried in the Duck Creek Baptist Church cemetery ^[11] .

Research Notes

1. Luther's date of birth is recordeed inaccurately. The majority of official records, including his own registration for the World War I draft, indicate that Luther was born in October of 1888, His full brother, Clinton, was born in January of the following year (only three months apart). Interestingly, the 1900 census gave a birth year of 1887, and that year is recorded on his tombstone. Here is a list of documents and the birth year they reflect:

• 1887 - the 1900 Census ^[4]
• 1891 - the 1910 Census ^[5]
• 1888 - the 1920 Census ^[7]
• 1888 - the 1930 Census ^[9]
• 1888 - the 1940 Census ^[6]
• 1888 - World War I Draft Registration ^[2]
• 1888 - Social Security Death Index ^[12]
• 1887 - his tombstone ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Luther's birth date is recorded incorrectly, see the Reasearch Note.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYTF-L76?cc=1968530&wc=9FW1-2NG%3A928312101%2C928406801 : 24 August 2019), Tennessee > Hancock County; A-Z > image 659 of 1937; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C913-B9DH-K?cc=1804888 : 29 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; citing multiple county clerks, county courts, and historical societies, Kentucky.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6562-S?cc=1325221&wc=9B76-KXS%3A1030551301%2C1031126501%2C1031650001 : 5 August 2014), Tennessee > Hancock > ED 72 Civil District 10 > image 1 of 19; citing Grant Lawson married six years to Martha Lawson with two step-sons and one son.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9T85-CPJ?cc=1727033&wc=QZZH-8JH%3A133640301%2C135367201%2C133699501%2C1589088932 : 24 June 2017), Tennessee > Hancock > Civil District 10 > ED 102 > image 11 of 18; citing Luther Greene as step-son of Grant Lawson married 16 years to Martha (Purkey) Greene .
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-69RL?cc=2000219&wc=QZXB-PK4%3A792528401%2C792069901%2C792599901%2C797383002 : accessed 31 May 2022), Tennessee > Hancock > Civil District 10 > 34-10 Civil District 10 > image 19 of 27; citing Luther and Tennie Greene with three children.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJ1-GDF?cc=1488411&wc=QZJB-Q96%3A1036996801%2C1037132601%2C1037036801%2C1589332944 : 14 September 2019), Tennessee > Hancock > Civil District 10 > ED 104 > image 5 of 18; citing Luther Greene (32), farmer and wife Tenney (25) with two children, Kermit and Clinton.
8. ↑ "Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3Q-46WB-Z?cc=1417505 : 25 August 2019), > image 1 of 1; Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RCV-HXD?cc=1810731&wc=QZF7-VMT%3A648806201%2C648911401%2C648839001%2C1589282323 : 8 December 2015), Tennessee > Hancock > District 10 > ED 10 > image 7 of 18; citing Luther and Tennessee Greene with three children.
10. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C913-YBX6?cc=1804888 : 29 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; citing multiple county clerks, county courts, and historical societies, Kentucky.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Find-A-Grave Memorial page for Luther Greene (1887–1973), 6234245, citing Duck Creek Church Cemetery, Duck Creek, Hancock County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by James Cope
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JPBG-2J3 : 9 January 2021), Luther Green, Jun 1973; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).