Friday's Photo: Oliver Henry Giddens

Last week, I posted an obituary and biographical information for Henry J. Giddens of Bienville Parish. The obituary came from from a distant Bryan cousin in Texas. A California cousin (also a Bryan descendant) had the above photo of Henry's son, Oliver Henry Giddens.

Oliver Henry Giddens was born on September 19, 1893. He was the son of Henry J. Giddens and Mary Luella Davis.

At age 16, Oliver Henry was living with his family and working as an overseer on a farm. During WWI, he served in the army and in 1920, his occupation was listed as farmer on the census.  On December 29, 1920, he married Lillian Womack (click here to see the announcement). By 1930, Oliver Henry was working as a druggist and in 1940, his was the owner of a retail liquor store. 

Oliver Henry Giddens died on December 17, 1942 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana and is buried in Providence Cemetery in Bienville Parish. His death date is found in the Louisiana Death Index. The military marker on his grave has a date of February 17, 1942; however, O. H. Giddens completed his WWII Draft Registration Card on April 27, 1942.

Oliver Henry Giddens would be my third cousin twice removed on my mother's Gidden's side. 

Diana

© 2015

1900 U.S. census, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Ward 4, Enumeration District 006, p. 13B (penned), dwelling 231, family 241, Giddens, Henry J.: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 May 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication 1240558, roll 558.

1910 U.S. census, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Ward 3, Enumeration District 0013, p. 8A (penned), dwelling 160, family 163, Giddens, Henry J.: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 May 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication 1240558, roll T624_509.

"Giddens - Womack," The Bienville Democrat (Arcadia, Louisiana), 13 January 1921, p. 3, digital images, Newspapers.com: accessed 19 June 2015). http://www.newspapers.com/clip/2653757/giddens_womack_wedding/

"Louisiana, Deaths Index, 1850-1875, 1894-1956," Database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSYB-SD9 : accessed 19 June 2015), Oliver Henry Giddens, 17 Dec 1942; citing Alexandria, Rapides, Louisiana, certificate number 2962, State Archives, Baton Rouge; FHL microfilm 1,183,939.

Photograph from the Frye Family Collection. Accessed January 12, 2015. Used with permission.

"United States Census, 1920," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVQC-5G6 : accessed 20 June 2015), Henry J Giddens, Police Jury Ward 4, Bienville, Louisiana, United States; citing sheet 5A, family 83, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,606.

"United States Census, 1930," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XMTP-WRL : accessed 20 June 2015), Oliver H Giddens, Ringgold, Bienville, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0012, sheet 2B, family 37, line 64, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 785; FHL microfilm 2,340,520.

"United States Census, 1940," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VYRC-RL4 : accessed 20 June 2015), Oliver Giddens, Ringgold, Police Jury Ward 4, Bienville, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 7-13, sheet 2B, family 43, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1383.

"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ8C-XNB : accessed 19 June 2015), Oliver Henry Giddens, 1917-1918; citing Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,684,663.

"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XP1B-R6X : accessed 19 June 2015), Oliver Henry Giddens, 1942; citing NAID identifier 576248, NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 4,435,718.

Honoring the Fathers in My Family Tree

Happy Father's Day to my husband - pictured
with his father William Joseph Quinn 1930-2005

My father, Whit Criswell Bryan 
1920 - 2001

Happy Father's Day to my brother, Rick. 

Happy Father's Day to my nephew, Nick.

My grandfather, Claude Louis Davis
1893-1967

My Grandfather, Redic Eli Bryan
1870 - 1929

My great-grandfather, Charles Allen Giddens
1865-1958

My great-grandfather, Phillip A. Hairston
1852-1917

My great-grandfather, Terrell Bryan
1836-1920

My great-great-grandfather, Reddick Bryan
1793-1864

My great-great grandfather, William Moore Criswell
1822-1881

Diana

© 2015

From the Files of Marguerite Cook Clark: Henry J. Giddens

Henry J. Giddens
Photo courtesy of Nancy Collins

According to his cemetery marker, Henry J. Giddens was born on September 21, 1874. There is some dispute about his birth date as one record states that he was born in 1872 whiles others state that he was born in 1873 or 1874.  Henry was the son of Jacob M. Giddens and Prudence Ann Allums and the grandson of Jacob W. Giddens and Eliza Waters. 

Henry spent most of his life living in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. I did find him in Bossier Parish in 1910 and Red River Parish in 1940.  His obituary states that he was a farmer and merchant. However, from looking through newspapers at Newspapers.com, I learned more. Henry had a good singing voice, once spent 10 days in jail (along with other farmers) for refusing to dip his cattle, was a proponent of local schools, and was involved with oil leases. 

Henry J. Giddens died on January 8, 1959. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Luella Davis, and a son, Oliver Henry Giddens. He was survived by his son, Oswald, and daughters, Lois and Ruby. 

Henry is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery across from Spring Hill Baptist Church in Ringgold, Bienville Parish. 

Although this obituary was saved by Marguerite Cook Clark, my third cousin on my father's side, Henry Giddens would be my second cousin three times removed on my mother's side. 

My mother (a Giddens descendant) and my father (a Bryan) met while in the Navy. They grew up thousands of miles apart (Texas and New York) and had no idea that their families could be connected until I started my research and found a fellow researcher looking for both families in Bienville Parish. 

When I find Giddens entwined with my Bryans, I am no longer surprised. I had fun adding Henry J. Giddens and his family to my tree as I found other connections. His wife's family was connected to the Wimberlys and her sister married one of my Regans. 

Diana

© 2015

Sources


1880 U.S. census, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Ward 4, Enumeration District 008, p. 607D (penned), dwelling 217, family 257, Giddens, Henry J.: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 May 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication 1254448, roll 448, image 0559.

1900 U.S. census, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Ward 4, Enumeration District 006, p. 13B (penned), dwelling 231, family 241, Giddens, Henry J.: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 May 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication 1240558, roll 558.

1910 U.S. census, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Ward 3, Enumeration District 0013, p. 8A (penned), dwelling 160, family 163, Giddens, Henry J.: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 May 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication 1240558, roll T624_509.

1940 U.S. census, Red River Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Ward 1, Enumeration District 41-7, p. 2B (penned), family 32, Giddens, Henry J.: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 May 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication, roll T627_1443.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Marguerite Cook Clark. Accessed April 28, 2014 and September 14, 2014. Used with permission.

"Citizens Accept Ten Days Instead of $25.00 Fine," The Bienville Democrat (Arcadia, Louisiana), 27 October 1921, p. 1, digital images, Newspapers.com: accessed 25 May 2015).

"Minutes of District No. 1 Singing Convention," The Bienville Democrat (Arcadia, Louisiana), 9 November 1922, p. 3, digital images, Newspapers.com: accessed 25 May 2015).

"Oil Leases," The Bienville Democrat (Arcadia, Louisiana), 25 September 1919, p. 5, digital images, Newspapers.com: accessed 25 May 2015).

"School Board Proceedings," The Bienville Democrat (Arcadia, Louisiana), 13 April 1922, p. 5, digital images, Newspapers.com: accessed 25 May 2015).

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed May 30, 2015), Henry J. Giddens, serial no. 1383, order no. 2172, Local Board, Bienville Parish, Louisiana; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, NARA microfilm publication M1509; Family History Library Roll No. 1684663.

Friday's Photo: Happy Birthday to Two Special People

Taken last week in Iceland. 

Happy Birthday to Mom (left) and her sister (right). Mom's birthday will be next week and my aunt's was yesterday. This is a photo of the two of them with their mother, Edith Giddens Davis, taken in 1937. 

UPDATE: 
Mom told me that this photo was taken in Connecticut. Her parents had just purchased their first car - the pictured 1937 Buick. They took a road trip from from NY to Connecticut and Rhode Island. Mom remembered staying in the cottage camp where this photo was taken. 

Diana

© 2015

Looking Forward to the Genealogy Jamboree!

I will be leaving my family (and my blog) behind this week while I attend the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, California. 

More next week!

Diana

© 2015