George D CUNNINGHAM Claude C CUNNINGHAM Omer L CUNNINGHAM Thomas R CUNNINGHAM Jessie CUNNINGHAM Nellie Ruth CUNNINGHAM Laura Irene CUNNINGHAM Laduskie J NOBLE Alice L HORTON Mini tree diagram
Joseph Chester CUNNINGHAM

Joseph Chester CUNNINGHAM1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10

17th Feb 18891,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 - Nov 19766,7

Life History

17th Feb 1889

Born in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

23rd Jun 1907

Married Laduskie J NOBLE in Arkansas County, Arkansas.19,8

4th May 1908

Birth of son Omer L CUNNINGHAM.5,6,1,13,8,12,7

2nd Jun 1912

Birth of son Thomas R CUNNINGHAM in Arkansas.6,5,14,15

about 1916

Birth of daughter Jessie CUNNINGHAM in Arkansas County, Arkansas.16,17,5,18

1st Dec 1926

Birth of daughter Nellie Ruth CUNNINGHAM in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.2,19,20,21,22

29th Feb 1932

Birth of daughter Laura Irene CUNNINGHAM in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.2,20,23,24,24

21st Feb 1955

Death of son Omer L CUNNINGHAM in Reydell, Jefferson, Arkansas.6,7,11,12

1970

Death of Laduskie J NOBLE in Arkansas.7,12

Nov 1976

Died in Arkansas County, Arkansas.6,7

Nov 1976

Buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas.7

Other facts

 

Name2: nickname for Chester/Chess.5

Notes

  • The first information I had of the Cunninghams was the gravestones of Joseph C and Ladusky J in the Mt Pleasant Cemetery in Ethel, Arkansas.  The earliest public record I have found for the Cunningham family in Prairie Township, Arkansas County, Arkansas, is the 1930 census.

    Joseph Chester was named in the censuses as Chester Cunningham.  Ladusky J is the name on his wife's grave.  The 1910 census recorded her as Aduskey, and in the 1930 census her name appears to be written Laduska, while in 1920 it is just Duskie.  Their marriage record has Dusky.  They married in 1907

    Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
    Chester Cunningham, Age 18 (b abt 1889)
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Dusky Noble, Female, Age 17 (b abt 1890)
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Marriage License issued 22 June 1907
    Bond of $100 signed by Chester Cuningham and R W Horton
    Marriage 23 June 1907 Arkansas County
    Ceremony performed by J M Henderosn, Justice of the Peace
    Recorded 11 July 1907 Arkansas County Marriage Book, p 113

    1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 28 April, Northern Prairie Township, District 12, page 5A, Hse/Fam #79
    Cunningham, Chester Head  M W 21 Married 3 years AR AR AR Farmer, Rents Farm (b abt 1889)
    Cunningham, Aduskey Wife F W 21 Married 3 years 1 child/1 living AR AR England (b abt 1889)
    Cunningham, Omer Son M W 2 Single AR AR [Unstated, but AR from father's entry] (b abt 1908)

    Jos Chester Cunningham
    Birth Feb 17 1889 Ethel [Arkansas County], Arkansas
    Age 28
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas
    Natural Born Citizen, Farmer
    Married with 3 children
    Medium Height and Build, Blue Eyes, Brown Hair
    Registration 5 June 1917 Prairie Precinct, Arkansas County, Arkansas

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 12 April, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4A, Hse #66, Fam #67
    Cunningham, Chester Head M W 41 Married at age 18 AR TN AR Cotton Farmer [born abt 1889]
    Cunningham, Laduska Wife F W 41 Married at age 18 AR AR England
    Cunningham, Omer Son M W 20 Single AR AR AR Laborer
    Cunningham, Thomas Son M W 16 Single AR AR AR
    Cunningham, Jessie Daughter W 14 Single AR AR AR
    Cunningham, Nellie Ruth Daughter W 3yrs 3mos Single AR AR AR

    I note here that the age of Omer is given as 20.  But we know from family sources that his birthday is 4 May 1908, so his age in April 1930 was actually 21 (1 month short of 22).  From the birth date we have for Omer, we can estimate that Chester and Ladusky married in 1907, up to about a year and a half before he was born in May 1908.  The 1930 census also reports that they were both married at age 18.  This also gives us a marriage year of 1907.  Both were born in 1889.

    Daughter Jessie was listed twice in this census, one of the rare instances I have discovered of double enumeration.  On 3 April she was in the household of her uncle Charles Noble in DeWitt, Arkansas, the county seat, in LaGrue Township a few miles west of Jessie's home.  She is reported as the niece of Charles.  On 12 April, the enumerator for Prairie Township got to her parents' home near Ethel and listed her again with them, with the exact same information.  I have not discovered how she is the niece of Charles Noble,  I have not discovered her mother Ladusky's maiden name.  This may hoed the clue to the family connections that explain her relationship to the Nobles.

    I later found them in the 1920 census.  Here I find them listed under their nicknames.  Edith McSwain Jenkins had told me that Ladusky was known as Duskie.  That is how she is listed in the 1920 census.  Her husband Joseph Chester normally went by Chester.  In 1920 the census lists him as Chess, as Edith says he was called by the community.

    1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 26 January, Prairie Township, northern half, District 15, page 4B, Country Rd, Hse/Fam #78
    Cunningham, Chess Head  Owns farm  M W 30 Married at age 18 AR AR AR General Farmer
    Cunningham, Duskie Wife F W 30 Married at age 18 AR AR AR
    Cunningham, Oma Son M W 11 Single AR AR AR
    Cunningham, Thomas Son M W 7 Single AR AR AR
    Cunningham, Jessie Daughter W 3 Single AR AR AR

    In 1920 Chester (Chess) is reported as running a General Farm, but in 1930 he has switched to raising cotton.  Also in 1920 his father's birthplace was reported as Arkansas, but it changes to Tennessee in 1930.  More notable, Ladusky's mother was born in England, but in 1920 she is reported as born in Arkansas.

    Omer's name in 1920 was written as Oma, normally a woman's name.  This spelling may indicate the way the family pronounced the name, with the southern aristocratic dropping of the final R.

    Only in April 2008 did I find an earlier record of Chester.  I found him with his mother and siblings in the 1900 census.  His mother is named Steward, and is a widow.  This indicates that Chester's father died and his mother Allice had remarried, and was again widowed before 1900.  We do learn from this census that the Cunningham children's father was born in Tennessee.  That is all that is known about him.

    1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 12A, Hse #201, Fam #204
    Steward, Allice Head   W F Nov 1870  29 Widow 6 children, 6 living MS GA MS Farmer, Owns farm
    Cunningham, Claud B Son W M Feb 1887  13 AR TN MS
    Cunningham, Chester Son W M Feb 1889 11 AR TN MS
    Cunningham, Belle Daughter W F July 1890 9 AR TN MS
    Cunningham, Richard H Son W M May 1894  6 AR TN MS
    Cunningham, William B Son W M May 1896  4 AR TN MS
    Cunningham, Nora (?)  Daughter W F Nov 1899 6mos AR TN MS

    1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 April, Prairie Township, District 24, page 7A, Ethel Rd, Hse #99, Owns Farm, Value $500
    Cunningham, Chester Head M W 51 Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Stock Farmer
    Cunningham, Laduskie Wife F W 50 Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935
    Cunningham, Nellie R Dau F W 13 Single Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935
    Cunningham, Laura J Dau F W 8 Single Grade 3 b Arkansas same house in 1935
    Duncan, Andrew Boarder M W 22 Single Grade 6 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Farm Laborer

    U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
    Joseph Chester Cunningham
    Age 53
    Birth 17 Feb 1889 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Contact (Wife) Laduskie Cunningham
    5'8" 135 lbs, Blue Eyes, Gray Hair, Ruddy Skin
    Registered 27 April 1942 DeWitt, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Signed J C Cunningham

    Social Security Death Index
    Joseph Cunningham
    Born 17 Feb 1889
    Died Nov 1976
    Last Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas 72048
    Last Benefit Address Ulm, Prairie, Arkansas 72172
    SSN 432-74-5034 issued Arkansas (1957)

    Gravestones of Mt Pleasant Cemetery
    Cunningham
    Joseph C 1889-1976
    Ladusky J 1889-1970
    Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    year dates only
    Photos 27 June 2003 and 13 May 2017 by Edith McSwain Jenkins

Sources

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