Tombstone Tuesday: Clifford Eugene and Alice Isabel (Hayes) Sweat

Headstone for Clifford Eugene Sweat and Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat, Mount Peace Cemetery, St. Cloud, FL

Clifford Eugene Sweat and Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat were my maternal great grandparents. They both make their first appearance in records in the 1930 census. Clifford was listed in Colquitt County, Georgia, the son of James W and Addie (Deen) Sweat. Isabel appears as Izzie B in Cook County, Georgia, the daughter of Thomas and Minnie (Rice) Hayes. They married 20 September 1936. I haven't found their marriage record yet as available online records cut off just before that point, but I assume their marriage occurred in either Cook or Berrien County.

Granny and Grandpa Sweat ca 1960-1970

I've been told they lived with my great grandfather James Thomas Hayes when they first got married. They had four children that lived beyond infancy. Two of those children, my grandfather Thomas Walter Sweat and his sister Linda Faye Sweat Cason, passed away one year ago within a week of each other.

They moved to Florida around 1950 and lived there until Clifford's death on 6 Feb 1986 in St. Cloud, Florida. Isabel stayed in Florida until 1991 when she moved to Blackshear, Georgia with her daughter Linda. She lived there until her death on 23 May 2009.

My sisters and I with Granny Sweat, ca 1995

My mom was very close to her grandparents and I grew up hearing stories about her time with them. They were the backbone of the family and things have changed since they both passed. I don't remember my great grandfather since he died when I was pretty young, but I remember my granny well. While I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked, I still have some good memories.

Tombstone Tuesday: William Lawton Sweat (1876-1947)

William Lawton Sweat

19 May 1876-26 May 1947

Copyright D Radcliff 2010

William Lawton Sweat was a brother of my maternal 2nd great grandfather James Walter Sweat. He was born 19 May 1876 to John Franklin Sweat, Jr and Ellen Johnson Sweat. On 6 Mar 1901 in Pierce County, Georgia, he married Doley Deen.

Together the couple had nine children that I'm aware of.

• William Alfred Sweat, b 19 Feb 1901
• Eva Sweat, b 1 Nov 1904, d 13 Aug 1994, m Kiler Mosley
• James Estell Sweat, b 27 Nov 1906, d 21 Feb 2001, m Emma Waters
• Purdom Howard Sweat, b 1 Dec 1901, d 1955, m Lillie Elizabeth Rowland
• Inez Sweat, b 16 Feb 1911, d 5 May 1993, m Williford Leon Bennett
• Alice Sweat, b ca 1915
• Pauline Sweat, b 12 Oct 1916, d 14 May 1993, m Charles Smith
• Archie C Sweat, b 8 Feb 1918, d 30 Sept 1985, m Pearl C --?--
• Oscar Sweat, b 1 Aug 1922, d 5 May 2002, m Ouida Grantham

On 12 Sept 1918, William Lawton Sweat registered for the draft. His residence was listed as Blackshear, Pierce County, Georgia. It appears that he spent the majority of his life in Pierce County before moving to Ware County between 1920 and 1930.

William Lawton Sweat passed away 26 May 1947 in Ware County, Georgia. He is buried at Mount Green Church of the Prophecy Cemetery in Millwood, Ware County, Georgia. His wife and several children are buried there as well. I actually visited the cemetery in October of last year. While I was there, I met one of his grandsons, a child of his daughter Inez and my second cousin twice removed.

Sources:
W.L. Sweat headstone, Mount Green Church of the Prophecy Cemetery, Ware County, Georgia. Photo taken 11 Oct 2010 and in possession of D. Radcliff.

Marriage license and certificate, Pierce County Marriage Book, 1899-1912, Marriage Records from Microfilm, Georgia's Virtual Vault, Georgia Archives [Doley Deen is listed as Zellie Deen.]

1880 US Census, population schedule, District 584, Pierce County, Georgia, ED 80, Dwelling 17, Family 17, John F Sweat household, NARA Microfilm publication T9, Roll 161, Digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 11 Jan 2011)[William L Sweat is found on the sheet without his family as they were listed on the previous sheet. He is listed as age 1, which would put his birth ca 1879.]

1900 US Census, population schedule, Blackshear, Pierce County, Georgia, ED 80, Sheet 13A, Dwelling 235, Family 235, John F Sweat household, NARA microfilm publication T623, Roll 216, digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 11 Jan 2011)[Birthdate given as May 1881.]

1910 US Census, population schedule, Blackshear, Pierce County, Georgia, ED 148, Sheet 9B, Dwelling 161, Family 161, Lawton Sweat household, NARA microfilm publication T624, Roll 207, digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 11 Jan 2011)[Transcribed as Lawton Swiart.][Listed as age 28, which would put birth ca 1882.] 

1920 US Census, population schedule, Militia District 1330 Sweats, Pierce County, Georgia, ED 143, Sheet 5A, Dwelling 72, Family 75, WL Sweat household, NARA microfilm publication T625, Roll 274, digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 11 Jan 2011)[Listed as age 41, which would put birth ca 1879.] 

1930 US Census, population schedule, Millwood, Ware County, Georgia, ED 18, Sheet 10B, Dwelling 186, Family 200, W Lawton Sweat household, NARA microfilm publication T626, Roll 391, digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 11 Jan 2011)[Listed as age 51, which would put birth ca 1879.]

World War I Draft Registration card for Lawton Sweat, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, database and digital image, Ancestry.com [Birthdate is given as May 1877.]

Tombstone Tuesday: Earnest C Hayes (1925-1945)

Earnest C Hayes

21 Sept 1925-3 Mar 1945

Copyright D. Radcliff 2010

Earnest C Hayes was a younger brother of my maternal great grandmother Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat. He was born 21 Sept 1925, the son of James Thomas Hayes and Minnie L Rice Hayes. His birthplace was most likely Cook County, Georgia as the family was living there in both the 1920 and 1930 censuses.

At present, I don't have the exact day he enlisted in the United State Marine Corp to serve in World War II. His division, the 5th, landed at Iwo Jima, Japan on 19 Feb 1945. Just a couple weeks later, on 3 Mar 1945, he stepped on a land mine, killing him instantly.

His body was shipped home to his father, who was living in Nashville, Georgia at the time. The family buried him at Brushy Creek Cemetery in Cook County, Georgia and a military marker was erected.


Sources:
1920 US Census, population schedule, Massee Dist 1664, Cook County, Georgia, ED 82, Sheet 3A, Dwelling 34, Family 34, Thomas Hays household; NARA microfilm publication T625, Roll 246; digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 4 Jan 2011)


1930 US Census, population schedule, Sparks Militia District 1487, Cook County, Georgia, ED 9, Sheet 7A, Dwelling 126, Family 130, Thomas Hayes household, NARA microfilm publication T626, Roll 349; digital image, Heritage Quest Online (accessed 4 Jan 2011)

Department of Navy, Bureau of Naval Personnel, State Summary of War Casualties Georgia, Page 7, NARA (accessed 4 Jan 2011) <http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/ww2/navy-casualties/georgia.html>

C Peter Chen, Battle of Iwo Jima, World War II Database (accessed 4 Jan 2011) <http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=12>

Interview with Thomas Walter Sweat (now deceased) by D Radcliff, 23 Dec 2009, interview notes in possession of D Radcliff


Earnest C Hayes headstone, Brushy Creek Cemetery, Cook County, Georgia. Photo taken 13 Oct 2010 and in possession of D Radcliff.