Bernice M TRUSSELL Roxie A GRISHAM Mini tree diagram
George W TRUSSELL

George W TRUSSELL1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Jun 18761,2,3,4,5,6,7 - 19581,5

Life History

Jun 1876

Born in Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7

1st Aug 1901

Married Roxie A GRISHAM in Arkansas County, Arkansas.3

about 1904

Birth of daughter Bernice M TRUSSELL in Arkansas.8,5,6,2,3

28th May 1927

Death of Roxie A GRISHAM in Arkansas.5

1958

Died in DeWitt, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,5

1958

Buried in Hearns Cemetery, De Witt, Arkansas, Arkansas.1

Notes

  • 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 22 June, Point DeLuce, District 4, page 18B, Hse #349, Fam #355
    Trussell, George Boarder W M Jun 1878  24 Single AR MS AR Farm laborer

    George Trussell married Roxie Ruffin on 1 August 1901.

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    G W Trussell, Age 25 (abt 1876)
    Residence De Luce, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Roxie Ruffin, Age 18 (abt 1883)
    Deluce, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage 1 Aug 1901 Arkansas County
    Marriage License Date 1 Aug 1901

    Information in the 1910 census indicates that Ruffin was Roxie's married name.  In their household are two children named Ruffin, though the relationships reported are confusing.

    1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 5 May, Point DeLuce Township, District 11, page 12B, Hse/Fam #230
    Trussell, George Head M W 34 2nd Marriage Married 8 years AR TN GA Farmer
    Trussell, Roxie Wife F W 26 2nd Marriage [Married 8 years] 6 children/5 living AL AL AL
    Trussell, [Unreadable] Dau F W 13 AR AR AR
    Ruffin, Mimie Dau [stepdau?] F W 11 AR AR AL
    Ruffin, Eason Son [stepson?] M W 9 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Berenie [Bernice] Dau F W 6 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Earl Son M W 7 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Elsie Dau F W 1yr1mo AR AR AL

    The name of the first Ruffin child looks like Mimie, which we might take to be Mimi.  The 1900 census, however, which I found considerably later, reports her name as Minnie.  The mother of both Mimie (Minnie) and Eason Ruffin was born in Alabama, matching Roxie's birth state.  It looks like they would be her children from her first marriage.

    With Mimie (Minnie) age 11 here, Roxie would have been about 15 when Mimi was born and thus married at about 14.  Roxie Ruffin's entry in the 1900 census indeed reports her as 17 years old, and married for 3 years, with her daughter Minnie aged 2.

    It appears George and Roxie were married soon after Eason's birth, or perhaps even before.  These two Ruffin children are reported as the children of George, not his step-children.

    1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 26 March, Point DeLuce Township, District 195, page 3A, Hse/Fam #58
    Trussell, George Head Rents M W  44 AR AR AR Farmer
    Trussell, Roxie Wife F W  35 AL AL AL
    Trussell, Bernice Dau F W  15 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Earl Son M W  13 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Elsie Dau F W  10 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Gladys Dau F W  6 AR AR AL
    Trussell, Aquilla Dau F W  4yrs10mos AR AR AL
    Trussell, Howard Son M W  2yrs2mos AR AR AL

    Roxie's grave, as reported on a memorial on Find a Grave,  tells us she passed away in 1927.  In the 1930 census, George is married, but the name of his wife is messy and scribbly, and thus indecipherable.  It could be Louisa W.  The birth states of the wife and her parents matches those of Roxie, all Alabama.  But note the age difference.  George's wife is 52 years old, while from previous censuses, we would expect Roxie to be 45.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 28 April, Point DeLuce Township, District 22, page 4A, Dirt Road, Hse/Fam #79
    Trussell, George W Head Rents Has Radio M W 54 Married at age 20 AL TN GA Farmer
    Trussell, Louisa W (?) Wife F W 52 Married at age 18 AL AL AL
    Trussell, Aquilla Dau F W 14 Single AR AL AL
    Trussell, Howard W Son M W 12 Single AR AL AL

    A few doors down from George is one James H Trussell with his wife Mary.  We might think they were brothers, but George's father is reported as born in either Tennessee or Arkansas, while James H's brother is reported as born in Mississippi, the same state where James was born.  Since George's father's birth state is not consistently reported, that might more likely be in error.  George's birth state also varies in the censuses, with Arkansas and Alabama being reported.  But they may also be cousins.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 28 April, Point DeLuce Township, District 22, page 4A, Dirt Road, Hse/Fam #79
    Trussell, James H Head Owns has Radio M W 75 Married at age 19 MS MS MS Farmer
    Trussell, Mary L Wife F W 61 Married at age 16 SC SC GA
    Trussell, Hattie Dau F W 31 Widow AR MS AR
    Trussell, Vera M Granddau F W 9 Single AR AR AR
    Trussell, Charles H Son [sic] M W 7 Single AR AR AR
    Trussell, Walter L Son [sic] M W 9 Single AR AR AR

    Note that Charles and Walter are designated as sons, but their ages indicate they are the sons of James' daughter Hattie, not James and Mary.  Hattie's children have the last name Trussell, which seems odd, since Hattie is reported as a widow.  Perhaps she has taken back her maiden name since her husband's death.  But even then, it is also very odd for the children not to keep their father's surname.  This is probably an enumerator error.

    George's daughter Bernice is a few doors away in her own household as the wife of James W Jenkins.  She is recorded as Vernie.

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 28 April, Point DeLuce Township, District 22, page 4A, Dirt Road, Hse/Fam #75
    Jenkins, James W Head Owns has Radio M W 25 Married at age 18 AR AR AR Farmer
    Jenkins, Vernie W Wife F W 26 Married at age 16 AR AR AR
    Jenkins, Dorris Dau F W 4yrs7mos Single AR AR AR
    Jamison, Andrew lodger M W 3 Single AR AR AR Farm Laborer

    James and Mary's daughter Vera Mae also married another James W Jenkins in 1935.

    Before the 1940 census, George's second wife died, and he is reported as a Widower, found living in the household of his daughter Bernice Jenkins.

    1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 26 April, Point DeLuce, District 1-22, page 4A, Brown School District Rd, Hse #68, Owns $800
    Jenkins, James W Head M W 38 Grade 7 b Ark  same place in 1935 Farmer
    Jenkins, Bernice Wife F W 36 Grade 7 b Ark  same place in 1935 Housekeeping
    Jenkins, Dorris Dau F W 14 Single Grade 8 b Ark  same place in 1935
    Trussell, George Father-in-Law M W 64 Widowed Grade 6 b Ark  same place in 1935

    George Trussell
    Birth 1876
    Death  1958
    Spouse Roxie A Trussell (1883 - 1927)
    Burial Hearns Cemetery, De Witt, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
    Created by CJ Aug 13, 2011
    --  Find A Grave Memorial #74853273, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74853273

Sources

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