William Henry HOLDEN Bobbie HOLDEN Catherine E HOLDEN Catherine UNKNOWN Maude Caldonia HOLDEN Mattie HOLDEN Jane C MCSWAIN Mini tree diagram

John A HOLDEN2,3,4,5,6,7,8

27th Sep 18961,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 - 1st Oct 19785,7,8

Life History

27th Sep 1896

Born in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

about Jul 1920

Birth of daughter Bobbie HOLDEN in Arkansas County, Arkansas.4

about Jul 1921

Birth of daughter Catherine E HOLDEN in Texas.4

1st Oct 1978

Died in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.5,7,8

after 1st Oct 1978

Buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.8

Other facts

 

Married Catherine UNKNOWN

Notes

  • The first child of William and Janie Holden is reported as John Holden, Birth: APR 1895 in Prairie, Arkansas Co., Arkansas
    --  http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.aspx?tid=7336277&pid=-1114688023

    If John was born in April 1895, then we should estimate the marriage as 1894.  Nine months prior to April 1895 would be about July 1894.  The 1900 census reports his birth sate as April 1896, and his parents married 5 years, which matches.  It is a question where the April 1895 date came from.  Perhaps someone misread the year reported in the 1900 census.  However, the census reports April but the California Death Index and John's WWI registration, transcribed below, report he was born in September 1896.  They are consistent, and the WWI Draft information would have come form him, so I will use these as the source for his birth date.

    1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 18 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 18A, Hse #21, Fam #212
    Holden, William H  Head  W M Nov 1859 40 Married 5 years MS MS MS Farmer Rents
    Holden, Jane R Wife W F Mar 1878 22 Married 5 years 2 children/1 living AR SC SC
    Holden, John H Son W M Apr 1896 4 Single AR MS AR

    This census has his middle initial as H, but the name in the California Death Index is John A Holden.  Family information has either John Holden or follows the 1900 census for John H Holden.

    In the 1910 census, we find John living in his sister's household.  John and Ethel's grandmother is in the household also, although she is reproted as Russel's grandmother, instead of Ethel's.

    1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 15 April, Prairie Township, District 18, page 1A, Hse/Fam #5
    McSwain, Russel A Head M W 28 Married 8 yrs AR NC NC Farmer Rents
    McSwain, Ethel E Wife F W 24 Married 8 yrs 3 children/2 living MS MS MS
    McSwain, Wylton F Son M W 4 Single AR AR MS
    McSwain, Russel Son M W 11mos Single AR AR MS
    Wigley, Margaret Grandmother F W 17 Single SC SC SC
    Holden, John Nephew M W 13 Single AR MS MS

    It is not clear why John Holden is reported as Russel's nephew, since he is Ethel's brother, and thus Russel's brother-in-law.  I do not John's mother's maiden name, but cannot find a Jane McSwain to match.

    John's WWI Draft Registration reports the following information:
    John Holden, Birth 27 Sep 1896 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    father's birthplace Mississippi
    Employer Ben McSwain, Ethel, Arkansas
    Closest relative Maud Jones, Ethel
    Blue Eyes, Light Hair; registration 5 June 1918 [place not given]

    Note that the report of his birth date in this draft registration and in his Social Security records as in September 1896 differs from the 1900 census which has April 1896.

    In the 1930 census, John's age of 33 would indicate he was born in 1896 or 1897, matching the 1900 census report.

    1930 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California, 22 April, Los Angeles, Block 267, District 369, page 7A, 1041 w 17th St, Hse #947 Fam #153
    Holden, John  Head  Rents M W 33  First married at age 23 AR AR AR Truck Driver
    Holden, Catherine Wife F W 33  First married at age 23 AR AR AR Waitress
    Holden Bobbie Dau F W 9 AR AR AR
    Holden Catherine E Dau F W 8 TX AR AR

    The one-year difference in age of the two daughters enables us to say that John and Catherine moved from Arkansas to Texas in late 1920 to early 1921.  Since Bobbie is 9 years old before the April census, her birth would have been no later than July 1920.  We don't have similar clues to tell us when they moved on to California, but it would have been no earlier than mid-1922, after the birth of Catherine E in Texas.

    I learned John's actual birth date from the California Death Index:
    John A Holden
    Birth 27 Sep 1896 Arkansas
    Death 1 Oct 1978 Los Angeles
    Social Security # 552-36-9295
    Note that this also provides John's middle initial as A, but the 1900 census had John H..

    The Social Security Death Index gives us the birth date and month of death, and also gives Los Angeles City as his residence at the time of death.

    U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
    John Holden
    Birth Date 27 Sep 1896
    Death Date Oct 1978
    Last Residence Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90034
    SSN 552-36-9295 Issued Before 1951 in California

    John's memoiral on Find a Grave uses his name off the Social Security records.  There is no grave photo for confirmation.

    John A Holden
    BIRTH 27 Sep 1896
    DEATH 1 Oct 1978 (aged 82)
    BURIAL Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, Eternal Love, Map E25, Lot 5282, Space 1
    Maintained by Carolyn (Schmidt) Alves, Originally Created by Chris Mills 28 Feb 2012
    --  Find a Grave Memorial 85891917, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85891917

Sources

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