Robert Benjamin Majors (1896 - 1970)

Born 19 Mar 1896 in Alabama, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mattie Virginia (Golden) Majors — married 25 Dec 1923 in Prattville, Autauga, Alabama, United States

Died 4 Feb 1970 at age 73 in Florida, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nelda Spires [send private message]

Biography

Ships Cook 4th Class Robert Majors served in the United States Navy in World War I
Service started: 12 Dec 1917
Unit(s):
Service ended: 28 Jun 1919

Robert Majors was a Freemason.

Robert Benjamin Majors was born on 19 March 1896 in Alabama, United States.^[1] On his World War I Draft Registration Card, it was recorded he was born in Avant. Avant was and is a hamlet south of Bolling in Butler County, the area in which he was living when the 1900 United States Census was enumerated.^[2] His parents were Shadric Benjamin Majors (1862-1938) and Lena Anna (Hildreth) Majors (1870-1898).

1900 United States Census Enumeration District 23, Mt. Olive, Bolling, Butler County, Alabama: Robert's mother died in 1898, when Robert was just two years old. On this census, Robert was living with two of his siblings in the household of his uncle, Andrew Till, who was his father's sister's husband.^[3]

1910 United States Census, Enumeration District 32, Beat 18 Bolling, Butler County, Alabama: Robert's father had remarried.^[4]

At the age of 21 years, 8 months, Robert entered military service by enlisting in the United States Navy on 12 December 1917 in the midst of the Great War. While in service, he had duties as first an Apprentice Seaman, then as Seaman 2nd Class, then as Ships Cook 4th Class, which was his rating at discharge on 28 June 1919.^[5][6][7][8]

1920 United States Census, Enumeration District 33, Bolling, Butler County, Alabama:^[9]

Robert B. Majors and Mattie V. Golden were married on 25 December 1923 in Prattville, Autauga County, Alabama.^[10] They were the parents of at least 4 children, 3 of whom are known to be deceased.^[8]

1930 United States Census, Enumeration District 4, Marcumville, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama:^[11]

1940 United States Census, Enumeration District 7-28, Bolling, Butler County, Alabama:^[12]

1950 United States Census, Butler County, Alabama:^[13]

On most census records, Robert B. Majors was recorded as being a farmer. In 1950 he was working as a brakeman for the railroad. He worked long enough for the railroad to qualify for a retirement pension. The years of his service were not included in the record indexed on Ancestry.^[14]

Robert Benjamin Majors was a member of the Masons.^[8]

Robert Benjamin Majors died on 04 February 1970 in Florida. He was 73 years old.^[1] He was buried in Milton Cemetery, Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida.^[8][15]

Known Children:

1. Virginia M. (Majors) Hendrix (1925-2020)
2. Juanita Jean (Majors) Tucker (1929-2017)
3. Robert Benjamin Majors (1932-2003)
4. Mattie Patricia (Majors) Walters (1945-2016)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VVFF-5LB : 25 December 2014), Robert Benjamin Majors, 04 Feb 1970; from "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing vol. , certificate number 14655, Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Jacksonville.
2. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3P8-FCJ : 22 February 2021), Robert Benjamin Majors, 1917-1918.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1900"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T623; Line: 58; Digital film/folder number: 004119969; Image number: 227; Sheet number: 1; Sheet letter: B
   FamilySearch Record: M9ZY-D27 (accessed 25 December 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-XXF9-FTZ
   Robert R Majors (4), single nephew, in household of Andrew A Till (43) in Mount Olive, Butler, Alabama, United States. Born in Alabama.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1910"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T624; Digital film/folder number: 004970177; FHL microfilm: 1374017; Image number: 281; Sheet number: 15; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03321-1
   FamilySearch Record: MK35-DKC (accessed 25 December 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9RVH-6GZ
   Robert Majors (14), single son, in household of Ben Majors (47) in Bolling, Butler, Alabama, United States. Born in Alabama.
5. ↑ "Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPZF-L2YZ : 11 September 2019), Robert Benjamin Majors, 12 Dec 1917; citing Military Service, Montgomeryshire, Wales, United Kingdom, Alabama Department of History and Archives, Montgomery.
6. ↑ "U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970"
   National Archives at St. Louis, MO; St. Louis, MO, USA; Applications for Headstones, 1/1/1925 - 6/30/1970; NAID: NAID 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2375 #2453944 (accessed 19 March 2022)
   Name: Robert Benjamin Majors Sr.; Rank: Sc 4Cl; Birth Date: 19 Mar 1896; Service Number: 1414622; Service Branch: Navy; Enlistment Date: 12 Dec 1917; Discharge Date: 19 Jun 1919; Death Date: 4 Feb 1970; Cemetery: Miltow Cemetery; Cemetery Location: USA.
7. ↑ "U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940"
   Ancestry Record 61861 #4360447 (accessed 19 March 2022)
   Name: Robert Benjamin Majors; Record Type: Military Service; Birth Date: 19 Mar 1896; Military Date: 28 Jun 1919; Residence Place: Montgomery, Ala; Death Date: 5 Feb 1970.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} "R. B. Majors (Obituary)," The Prattville Progress (Prattville, Alabama), 12 Feb 1970, p. 6, col. 1; image copy, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 19 Mar 2022).
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1920"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T625; Line: 9; Digital film/folder number: 004964187; FHL microfilm: 1820005; Image number: 22; Sheet number: 7; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01874-6
   FamilySearch Record: MXCB-9FY (accessed 25 December 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9RN8-7DV
   Robbert B Majors (23), single son, in household of Shadric B Majors (57) in Bolling, Butler, Alabama, United States. Born in Alabama.
10. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKZS-KVQW : 19 February 2021), Robert B. Majors and Mattie V. Golden, 25 Dec 1923; citing Prattville, Autauga, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,289,193.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1930"
    citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T626; Line: 46; Digital film/folder number: 004949587; FHL microfilm: 2339786; Image number: 64; Sheet number: 5; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03724-6
    FamilySearch Record: 3GMF-8ZM (accessed 25 December 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GR78-GMG
    Robert B Mayors (34), married head of household in Election Precinct 4 Marcumville, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Born in Alabama.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1940"
    citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 31; Digital film/folder number: 005454699; Image number: 870; Sheet number: 12; Sheet letter: A
    FamilySearch Record: V1LZ-ZMD (accessed 25 December 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89MR-B9XZ
    Robert B Majors (43), married head of household in Bolling, Butler, Alabama, United States. Born in Alabama.
13. ↑ "United States 1950 Census"
    citing Page: 71; Line: 1; Digital film/folder number: 108812454; Image number: 29
    FamilySearch Record: 6F7P-BBJ9 (accessed 25 December 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 3QHN-PQH7-Y9CC-N
    Robert B Majors (54), married, Brakeman, head of household in Butler, Alabama, United States. Born in Ala.
14. ↑ "U.S., Railroad Retirement Pension Index, 1934-1987"
    The National Archives at Atlanta; Morrow, Georgia; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934 - 1987; Record Group Number: 184
    Ancestry Record 61597 #597817 (accessed 19 March 2022)
    Name: R Majors [R B Majors]; Birth Date: Mar 1896; Death Date: 1970; Claim ID: A917527; Industry: Railroad.
15. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 31 August 2019), memorial page for Robert Benjamin Majors, Sr (19 Mar 1896-4 Feb 1970), Find A Grave: Memorial #26610762, citing Milton Cemetery, Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida, USA ; Maintained by Doug Lindsey (contributor 46871440).

See also:

• Newman, James Wilson, and Newman, William Alton. The Hildreth Family. United States, Gateway Press, 1989, pp. 32-33. (Copy in the Personal Library of Nelda Gilchrist Spires.)