Life History

Other facts

Notes

• It appears from records that Polly was her full given name, rather than just a nickname for Polly which it normally is.  Some records spell her name Pollye.  Of three city directories, one spells it that way, but the other two have Polly.  Her grave and obituary have Polly.  Censuses have Polly.
  
  Edith McSwain Jenkins, who knew Polly and grew up in the same community, says Polly spelled it without the E.  But we also note that both her marriage and her divorce record notices in the newspaper had it spelled Pollye, which would seem to indicate the spelling used in the official legal proceedings for those events.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 24 April, Prairie Township, Ethel and Chute Rd, District 25, p 8A, Hse #140, Fam #141
  Butler, Oregon B Head Owns M W 38 First married at age 25 AR AR AR [born Feb 1892]
  Butler, Elsie Wife F W 33  First married at age 20 AR US US
  Butler, Polly A Dau F W 6  AR AR AR
  
  1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 13 April, Ethel, District 1-26, page 7A, Oak Flat Rd, Hse #104, Owns $1000
  Butler, Orgon Head M W 48 Grade 7 b Ark same house in 1935 Farmer
  Butler, Elsie Wife F W 43 Grade 10 b Ark same house in 1935
  Butler, Polly Ann Dau F W 16 5ingle Grade H-1 b Ark same house in 1935
  
  Polly married James Tinsley, and they had two daughters.  It is thought they divorced but later remarried.
  
  "Polly was Junior's [Oregon Butler b1891] sister.  They lived in St Charles when I knew them.  They may have met in the service.  They divorced, I think.  They had two girls.  The oldest was Anna Ruth, but I don't remember the other one's name,"
  --  Edith McSwain Jenkins, personal communication to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 2 November 2018
  
  A later marriage record in 1952 supports their divorce and indicates a remarriage.  The record reports both having the last name of Tinsley when they married.
  
  Marriage License Notices
  James F Tinsley, 30, North Little Rock, and Pollye Ann tinsley, 28, Ethel.
  --  Arkansas Democrat, 6 May 1952 p 11A
  
  But there is one anomaly.  Polly and James appear in three North Little Rock city directories, but the first one is in 1951, then again in 1954 and 1957.  So it appears they were still married in 1951, but divorced then remarried before the 1954 directory came out.
  
  Otherwise, why would both their surnames be announced as Tinsley?  A later divorce in 1957 is found, however, posted on Ancestry by the same genealogist who posted the 1952 marriage record, "gilmonts."  I have other couples in my genealogy who were divorced and remarried more than once.
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1951, p 200
  Tinsley Jas F (Polly) hlpr Vets Admn (FtR) h 130 Silver City cts
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1953, p 165
  Tinsley Jas F (Polly) atndt Fort Roots VA Hosp h 900 W 20th
  
  U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1957, p 203
  Tinsley Jas F (Pollye) nurses aide Maumelle ordnance Wks h 209 W 51st
  
  Divorce Notice 107024
  Pollye Tinsley v James Tinsley
  The Arkansas Democrat legal notices announced that the divorce was filed on March 5, and announced on 5 April 1957 that it had been granted.
  --  Arkansas Democrat, 5 Apr 1957 p 34
  
  U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
  Polly B Tinsley
  Birth Date 4 Mar 1924
  5205 Westminister Dr, Little Rock, AR, 72209-2864 (1984)
  3 Ironwood Dr, Conway, AR, 72034-3628 (1986)
  
  The B in the directory listing would be for her maiden name Butler.
  
  Her obituary (summary index record) reported that her residence at the time of death was Conway, Illinois, but no such location can be found.  She had lived in Conway, Arkansas, as reported in the record above.  The obituary was published in Evanston, Illinois.  It is not known what her connection with Illinois was.  See the obit below in her Find a Grave profile, which reports her death in Conway, Arkansas, and her memorial service there.
  
  U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-2018
  Polly Butler Tinsley
  Death Age 90
  Birth 3 Mar 1924 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
  Residence Conway, Illinois [Arkansas]
  Death Date 12 Nov 2014
  Obituary 18 Nov 2014 Evanston, Illinois, USA (newspaper not stated)
  Father Oregon Benjamin
  Children Ana Stoops, and Rebecca (David) Lee
  Siblings Jimmy Butler; O.B. (Lavelle) Butler, Jr, George (Dorothy) Butler and Robert Butler; Ruth Johnson, and Bernice (Manuel) Chavez
  
  She is buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas.
  
  Gravestones of Mt Pleasant
  Polly Butler Tinsley  Mar 4, 1924   Nov 12, 2014
  Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas;
  Photo by Edith McSwain Jenkins, 13 May 2017
  
  Her memorial on Find a Grave includes her obituary, published by Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway, Arkansas.  That obituary reports she was a resident of Conway, Arkansas, but does not specifically state the place of death, nor place of burial.  Her gravestone is in Ethel, Arkansas, her home town.  It is presumed she is buried there.  Her onituaty was included in her memorial on Find a Grave, but the specific source was not stated.  It does not appear on the Roller-McNutt website.
  
  ------------------
  Polly Butler Tinsley
  BIRTH 3 Mar 1924 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
  DEATH 12 Nov 2014 (aged 90)
  BURIAL Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  
  Polly Butler Tinsley, 90 of Conway, passed from this life on Wednesday, November 12, 2014.  She was born March 3, 1924 in Ethel, Arkansas to the late Oregon Benjamin and Elsie Ruth Kline Butler.  She is also preceded in death by her grandson, Jason Lee and brother, Jimmy Butler.
  
  Survivors include her daughters: Ana Stoops, Rebecca (David) Lee; grandsons: Kenneth (Jessica) Lee, Michael (Angela) Lee; great grandchildren: Josephine Lee, Kaitlyn Lee, Ethan Lee; sisters: Ruth Johnson, Bernice (Manuel) Chavez; brothers: O.B. (Lavelle) Butler, Jr., George (Dorothy) Butler and Robert Butler.
  
  A memorial service will be held 1:00 P.M., Saturday, November 22, 2014 at Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway, Arkansas.
  
  Maintained by Orville Jenkins, originally created by Marson 24 Nov 2014
  --  Find A Grave Memorial 139183162, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139183162
  ------------------
  

Sources

• 1. Gravestones of Mt Pleasant Cemetery
• 2. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 24 April, Prairie Township, Ethel and Chute Rd, District 25, p 8A, Hse #140, Fam #141
• 3. 1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 13 April, Ethel, District 1-26, page 7A, Oak Flat Rd, Hse #104, Owns $1000
• 4. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
• 5. U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-2018
• 6. U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948
• 7. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
• 8. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 9. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1957, p 203
• 10. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1951, p 200
• 11. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
  • Little Rock, Arkansas, City Directory, 1953, p 165
• 12. Edith Marie McSwain Jenkins, Personal Knowledge
• 13. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
• 14. Social Security Death Index