Life History

Notes

• Cyrus Lewis Terry is well-documented under forms of his full name.  In the Georgia Death Index, he is listed as Cyrus L Terry, death date 22 January 1848 in Murray  county, Georgia, where he lived all his life.
  
  In his WWI draft registration, he was listed and signed his full name Cyrus Lewis Terry.  In a couple of censuses, he is listed as Louis Terry, indicating he went by the name Louis (Lewis) at times.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia, 4 June, McDonald District, Enumeration District 71, page 5B, Hse #86, Fam #89
  Terry, Cyrus L  Head W M Jan 1847  53  Married 32 years GA NC NC Farmer Owns
  Terry, Emily  Wife W F  Apr 1862  48 Married 32 years  borne 7 children, 7 living  GA GA GA
  Terry, Sirus Son W M Sept 1882  17  Single GA GA GA At School
  
  In the census of 1910 for McDonald District in Murray County, he is listed as Cyrus, while his father is listed as Louis W Terry.  This must be an error.  I have found no other indication that the elder Cyrus had another name beginning with a W.  Family genealogies also list him as Cyrus Lewis Terry.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia, 20 April, McDonald Militia District, District 110, page 2A, Hse/Fam #27
  Terry, Louis W [Cyrus ] Head M W 64  Married 42 years GA GA GA Farmer (matches birth in 1846).
  Terry, Emily J  Wife F W 58 Married 42 years GA GA GA
  Terry, Cyrus Son M W 25 Single GA GA GA
  
  U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
  Cyrus Lewis Terry
  Residence Chatsworth, Murray County, Georgia
  Birth Date: 8 Sep 1880
  Self-Employed Farmer at Chatsworth
  Nearest Relative C L Terry (father)
  Short, Slender, Brown Eyes, Black Hair
  Registered 17 Sept 1918 Murray County, GA
  
  His father is also called Cyrus Lewis in family genealogies, and one genealogy lists the younger CL as Cyrus Lewis Jr.  In the 1920 census, we find Louis Terry, age 74, with his wife Emily (Emily Jones Bates Terry) and their single son, 38-year-old Cyrus.  I have not yet (December 2007) found full details, but I expect this son was also called Cyrus Lewis.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia, 21 January, McDonald Militia District, District 137, page 2A, Hse/Fam #25
  Terry, Louis W  Head M W 74  Married 42 years GA GA GA Merchant, General Store
  Terry, Emily  Wife F W 67 Married 42 years GA GA GA
  Terry, Cyrus Son M W 38 Single GA GA GA Farmer
  
  1930 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia, 15 April, McDonald (Militia District 1013), District 11, page 5A, Hse #70, Fam #75.
  Terry, Cyrus L Head M W 49  Single GA GA GA None [b abt 1881]
  Terry, Emily J  Mother M W 77  Widow  GA GA GA None [b abt 1853]
  Terry, William O Brother M W 39  Single  GA GA GA None [b abt 1891]
  
  These ages in the three censuses give us possible years of birth 1880, 1881 and 1882.
  
  Two family genealogies, by Kaye Nicholson Richard Bates, report that Cyrus Lewis Jr was born on 8 September 1882.  I found, however, that his birth date on his WWI registration was given as 8 September 1880, as shown above.  And his age is given as a matching 38 in September 1918.  This fits with his age in the 1910 census, where his age is given as 25.  Since Cyrus gave the birth date himself for the WWI registration, you would think that was correct, but someone in the family disagreed.  His gravestone reports his birth date as 8 September 1882, which is reflected in the reported date of death in the Bates and Nicholson genealogies.  I have not seen his birth certificate.
  
  The date in the genealogies is supported by the 1920 census, in which Cyrus is reported as 38 years old!  The same age he gave two years before when he registered for the draft!  Thsi is another example of the cultural fact that in that era ages and otrher objective details we vlaue now wee not so much in focus.
  
  Here is a transcription from  Cyrus' grave, from a photo posted on Find A Grave.
  
  Cyrus L, Jr Terry
  Birth Date 8 Sep 1882
  Age at Death: 65
  Death Date 22 Jan 1948
  Burial Hassler's Mill (Earnest) Cemetery, Murray County, Georgia
  --  Find a Grave, Memorial #68044468, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Terry&GSiman=1&GScid=33840&GRid=68044468&
  
  The picture was complicated further when the 1940 census was released.  Cyrus is reported as 52 years old, meaning he would have been born in 1888.  This is only 3 years older than the reported age in 1930.  His age should have been around 60-62.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia, 4 April, McDonald District, District 105-12, page 3A, Hse #34, Rents $40
  Terry, Cyrus Head M W 52 Single Grade 10 b Murray Co GA same place in 1935 Farmer

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
  • Richard Bates, http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rbbates1302004&id=I05506
• 2. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 3. 1930 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia
  • 15 April, McDonald (Militia District 1013), District 11, page 5A, Hse #70, Fam #75
• 4. 1920 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia
  • 21 January, McDonald District, Enumeration District 137, page 2A, Hse/Fam #25
• 5. 1910 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia
  • 20 April, McDonald Militia District, District 110, page 2A, Hse/Fam #27
• 6. 1900 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia
  • 1900 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia, 4 June, McDonald District, Enumeration District 71, page 5B, Hse #86, Fam #89
• 7. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 8. Georgia Deaths, 1919-98
• 9. 1940 Federal Census, Murray County, Georgia
  • 4 April, McDonald District, District 105-12, page 3A, Hse #34, Rents $40