My research about the military service of William Monford (sic. Montford) highlighted challenges of genealogy research. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of eighteen.
He has two known birth dates listed on his military death record report and his family headstone.
William's family lived in Onslow County, North Carolina. For unknown reasons he took his military enlistment oath in Wilson County, North Carolina.
Military Death record
William Munford
Induction into service location: Wilson County North Carolina
Date
of induction: July 19, 1918
Date
of death: September 26, 1918
Location
of death: France
I uncovered other family
information relating to William's father, Handy Montford. He
was married twice. The first marriage was to Dilcy—there are two spelling
variations. Three months after her death in 1925, Handy, at the age of
sixty-five, remarried. His new bride was Rena (Levins). Handy passed away three months later in August 1925. Cause of death was Apoplexy.
William died while in the military. The death of his mother Dilcy occurred seven years later. That same year, William's father remarried but passed away ninety days into his second marriage. Normally, this could be the end of this family's genealogy research.
Now, a final question:
Is the first question--the name of William Montford parents—answered?
Is this part of the genealogy research for the Montford family
tree completed?
I note completed, however, the homemade hand-etched
headstone of Handy Montford revealed a new mystery of the Montford
family.
Handy was married to Rena when he died. Why was he buried
with his first wife--Dilcy?
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Handy and Dilcy {Diley} Montford Joint Headstone
Death year: 1925
An added aspect of William Munford's life was the discovery of his
grandparents. If, the official documents are correct. Handy Montford's Onslow
County (N.C.) death certificate lists his parents as Ceasar and Dilcy
Montford.
Note: "Mother" on the death certificate is also name of Handy's first wife--Dilcy.
Handy Montford Death Certificate
Dated:
August 25, 1925
The parents
of Handy Montford were also Wright and Mary
Montford.
Their names appear on Handy’s North Carolina July 1925, marriage certificate.
Handy and Rena (Levine) North Carolina Marriage License
Date of marriage: July 12, 1925
Groom: Handy Montford
Bride: Rena (Lavine) Montford
Father of Groom: Wright
Montford Father
of bride: Ned Dove
Mother of Groom: Mary Montford Mother of Bride: Mariah Dove
Did Handy have two sets of parents?
Different surnames of Rena (Levine) and her parents suggest Rena was in an earlier marriage, or her mother Mariah.
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These are only few examples where family histories can conflict with
official documents.
Handy Monford gave firsthand accounts for his second marriage
certificate. A family member, friend or neighbor supplied secondhand information, for his death certificate.
Which document is correct; both are official.
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One final thought:
Based on provided dates of birth, a new "piece of the puzzle" has been realized:
Handy, Dilcy, Wright, Mary, Ned and Mariah had one thing in common--they were born into slavery. Rena, however, was born in 1872.
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A genealogist must gather firsthand and secondhand material,
decipher them, and come to a realistic conclusion. There will be times
that you will have more questions than answers.
The search is ever expanding . . .
My next article will be a possible Ancestor of William Munford/Montford.
I may have found his Paternal Great Grandmother--Charity Cunningham? She was ninety years old in 1925, the year of her death.
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