Tennessee Non-Population Census Manufacturing Schedules

 

Below are links to the U.S. Non-Population Manufacturing Schedules for Tennessee on FamilySearch. You will need to log in to view them, but account registration is free.

While these schedules can be spotty for certain years and locations, they are a fantastic genealogical resource as they offer a window into local business networks and reveal the craftsmen, millers, and merchants with whom your ancestors may have traded.

1850 Industry/ Manufacturing Schedule--TN: Anderson-Wilson counties
(NARA Series T1135, Roll 30)

1860 Industry/ Manufacturing Schedule--TN: Monroe - Wilson counties
(NARA Series T1135, Roll 32)

1870 Industry/ Manufacturing Schedule--TN:  Anderson - Lewis counties

(NARA Series T1135, Roll 33)

1880 Industry/ Manufacturing Schedule--TN:  Anderson - Lawrence counties; Lewis - Wilson counties

 (NARA Series T1135, Roll 35)

 (NARA Series T1135, Roll 36)

The 1850 schedule for Bedford County TN only covers Districts 20-25, but is a good example of the assortment of industries in the area. If you are lucky enough to have an area that has multiple years available, comparing them would be a great learning exercise.

1850 Bedford County Tennessee Dist 20 21 22 23 24 25 Industry/Manufacturing Schedule Images via FamilySearch.org
image 9 of 190
Name	Business name	Raw Material	Power	Product
Nicholas Anthony	Mill & Flour	Logs and grain	water &saw	Flour & Meal
R L Landris & Cummins	Tanner	Hides and Bark	Hand
Heard and Russel	B Smith	Iron	Hand power	Sundaries
George W Heard	Wool Carder	Wool	Water	Wool
George Hufman	Mills SawMiller	Logs	Water & saw	Plank
John and A Hufman	Miller Flour	Logs	Water & saw	Flour & meal
James Maupin	Tanner	Hide	Hand	Leather
image 10 of 190
B M Burow	Blacksmith	Iron & coal	Hand	Sundaries
John B Pearson	Tanner	Hides & bark	Hand	Sides Soleboot Skins
George H Castle	Tanner	Hides & bark	Hand	Sides Sole Leather
Joshua M Hix	Blacksmith	Iron & coal	Hand	Sundaries
Mathew Cuningham	Blacksmith	Iron & Coal	Hand	Sundaries
John Coleman	Blacksmith	Iron & Coal	Hand	Sundaries
J G and J Evans	Manufactor	Hemp	Hand	Balings Rope Twine
John P Henry	Cabinet Maker	Plank & ?	Hand	Furniture
Samuel Nealy	Blacksmith	Iron & Coal	Hand & Fire	Sundries
Samuel Thompson	Blacksmith	Iron & Coal	Hand & Fire	Sundries
A Smith & Co	Miller	Logs	Water Saw Stones	Plank
John Chandlier	Miller	Logs	Water Saw	Plank
James W   E??y	Wagon Wright	Iron & Coal	Hand	Wagon & Carts
Frost and Heise	Tanner	Hides & Bark	Hand	Sides Sole Leather Skins
J W Bearden	Gun Smith	G Barrells G lock	Hand	Guns
Kindred Pearsen	Tanner	Hides & Bark	Hand	Sides Sole leather skins
Charles Pearsen	Hatter	Wool	Hand	Wool Hats
A Phillip	Tanner	Hides cord & cork	Hand	Skins and Leather
C T Phillip	Sadler	harnesses	Hand	Saddle & Bridles
William Hall	Blacksmith	Iron & coal	Hand	Sundaries
Daniel Dean	Blacksmith	Iron & coal	Hand	Sundaries

A Timeline for Barsheba Fleming(1834-1898) of White Co. TN & later Polk & Newton Counties of Arkansas

Found a power of attorney for Barsheba Fleming, one of my Hitchcock  & Fleming double cousins.  It mentioned the estates of her father, her paternal grandfather, and her maternal grandmother.  This led to me finding another document(a mineral lease) filed by her maternal aunt in 1865 for the land that was part of her maternal grandmother's estate. So I thought it would be a good time to fix a timeline and sources for her and save it as a PDF on my tree at Ancestry.  I can add to it as I find more.

Barsheba Fleming(1834-1898)

• c. 1834: Birth - Born in Tennessee to Alfred Patten Fleming and Nancy Hitchcock.

• 1840: Residence - Listed in the federal census living with parents in White County, Tennessee(presumably the White Female age 5-9 yrs old)

• 1850: Residence - Listed in the federal census living with her parents in District 6, White County, Tennessee.

• 1855: First Marriage- Marries George Washington Bickle in Tennessee.

• c. 1856: Migration - Moves west with her husband to Polk County, Arkansas, where her first child, John Henry Bickle, is born.

• 1856:  Death in Family - Her widowed maternal grandmother, Millie Riddle Hitchcock, passes away in Tennessee; 

• January 4, 1859: Father's Death - Her father, Alfred Patten Fleming, passes away in Polk County, Arkansas.

• 1860: Death in Family - Her paternal grandfather, John Fleming, passes away in Van Buren County, Tennessee. Likely a dower freeze on any land owned.

• 1860: Residence - Listed in the federal census living in Center, Polk County, Arkansas.

• May 29, 1861: Grandmother's Prenup & Remarriage- Her widowed grandmother, Nancy Combs Fleming, signs a prenuptial agreement protecting her separate property before marrying William Neal in Van Buren County, Tennessee. 

• c. 1865: Divorce & Second Marriage - Divorces George W. Bickle and marries Joseph Joel Canady in Polk County, Arkansas. (Note: Local courthouse records for these events were later destroyed in an 1883 fire).

• June 22, 1865: Mineral Rights Lease - Maternal Aunt Amelia "Milly" Hitchcock Pursley signs a 30-year mining lease on the Millie Riddle Hitchcock tract in Warren County, TN, set to expire around 1895.(Note: The 100 acre tract of land which was owned by George Hitchcock(Milly Riddle Hitchcock's husband) is mentioned in this document

• 1870: Residence =Residing in Prairie, Marshall Prairie, Newton County, Arkansas, working as a housekeeper.

• December 28, 1874: Mother's Death = Her mother, Nancy Hitchcock Fleming, passes away in Polk County, Arkansas.

• January 4, 1880: Widowed = Her second husband, Joseph Joel Canady, passes away in Arkansas.

• 1880: Residence - Listed in the federal census as a widowed head of household in Prairie, Newton County, Arkansas.

• January 26, 1881: Third Marriage - Marries J. W. Gamblin in Newton County, Arkansas.

• April 26, 1881: The Catalyst Death - Her paternal grandmother, Nancy Combs Fleming Neal, passes away in Llano County, Texas. 

• February 2, 1886: The Power of Attorney- Barsheba and J. W. Gamblin execute a Power of Attorney which was recorded in Van Buren County, Tennessee records, appointing William T. Murray to collect her inherited shares from the estates of her father (Alfred P. Fleming-d. 1859), grandfather (John Fleming d. 1860), and maternal grandmother (Millie Riddle Hitchcock d. 1856).

• August 12, 1894: Widowed Again - Her third husband, J. W. Gamblin, passes away in Arkansas.

• 1898: Death -Barsheba passes away in Mena, Polk County, Arkansas, and is buried in Dallas, Polk County.

Sources:

1840 US Federal Census Population Schedule, White County, Tennessee, Dist Not Stated, p 47(written) Alfred Flemming Household; Digital Images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB7-46Q :  accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 5154905, Image 54 of 766.

1850 US Federal Census Population Schedule, White County, Tennessee, Dist 6, p. 60(stamped), Dwelling 780, Family 780, Line 10, Barsheba Fleming in Household of Alfred & Nancy Fleming; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-68KL-F7 accessed 5 July 2026) IGN 4206057, Image 123 of 252.

1860 US Federal Census Population Schedule, Polk County Arkansas, Center Twp., Dallas P.O., pg 16 (written) Dwelling 409, Family 405, Line 21, Barsheba Bickle; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB6-SYXQ : accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 5165619, Image 84 of 507.

1870 US Federal Census Population Schedule, Newton County Arkansas, Prairie Twp., Marshall Prairie P.O., p. 7(written), p 187(stamped), line 11, Barsheba Canady; image, FamilySearch

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6MZQ-RDJ: accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 4259274(item 3), image 76 of 117.

1880 US Federal Census Population Schedule, Newton County, Prairie Twp., p 618(stamped), Dwelling 411, Family 420, Barshby Kennedy; image FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYN-S2N1 : accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 5157270, image 544 of 827.

"Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," Marriage Records Book B 1879–1888, p. 37, Entry for J W Gamblin and B A Canady, 26 January 1881; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTY3-JVS : 5 July 2026), IGN 4331444, Image 318 of 623.

Warren Co TN Deed Book Vol 1 Mar 1866- July 1867, p 113-116, Mineral Rights Lease by Milly Hitchcock Pursely to W H Hart? 22 June 1865; images, 

FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1X-M9K2-M : accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 8418856, Image 321-323 of 580.

Van Buren Co Tennessee,  Guardian Administrators & Executor's Settlements, Vol 3 , 24 Feb 1886–Jul 1951, p 1,  J.W. Murray Power of Attorney for W G Gamblin and wife Barsheba; image, 
FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S7WF-SVD1-P9 : accessed 2 July 2026) IGN 4776207, Image 164 of 745.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83004612/barsheba_a-gamblin: accessed July 5, 2026), memorial page for Barsheba A Fleming Gamblin (1834–1898),Memorial ID 83004612, citing Old Dallas Cemetery, Dallas, Polk County, Arkansas, USA.

Happy Birthday, America!!

The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved 250 years ago today. Happy Birthday, America!  I've listed some of my ancestors who were patriots in the American Revolution. All of my ancestors that I have identified so far who were living during that time were all already living in the colonies by 1776. I have provided a bit more on Wm Harrison as he is my most recently discovered ancestor who took part in the American Revolution. He was at the battles of Germantown and Brandywine which were losses for the patriots. That had to be rough.  Thankful for all of their sacrifices.  

I've linked those ancestors who have a descendant who has joined DAR thru a line of descent from them.[Note:  this is not a complete listing]

Paternal

William Harrison

Above link from DAR 

Transcription Below from Pension File at Fold3 and at National Archives.

West - Tennessee.
William Harrison,
Rutherford Co: W. Tenn
Lieut. in Col. Hogan's reg. N. Carolina line,
15 months.
In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War
Issued on the Roll of West-Tennessee,
at the rate of 20. Dollars per month, to commence
the 15th of May, 1820.

Certificate of Pension issued the 6. of Oct. 1820
and sent to S. R. Rucker, agt
Murfreesborough, East-Tenn.[should say WEST not East even though Murfreesboro is in present day Middle TN]

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1820.      $ 73.61
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4. March 120. 
3 mo. 17/31 1821...                   $ 193.61
& 4/30

{ Revolutionary claim. }
{ Act 18th March, 1818 }
and 1st May
1820...}

• Charles Brandon
• Leroy Upshaw
• John B Manire
• Robert Harris
• William Ogilvie
• John Webb
• Jacob Sutton
• Nathan Frizzell  (I descend from him thru 2 seperate lines.)

Maternal

• Peter Luna/Looney
• William Lewis
• John Hatfield
• Leonard Adcock

Heirs of Thomas Jones(1812-1896): White County, Tennessee Chancery Records

I found a court case at FamilySearch that involved land that Thomas Jones of White Co., Tennessee, owned at the time of his death. The land was being sold, so there was a need to confirm his heirs. This was not taking place a few months after his death, but over 25 years after he had passed. Some of his children were deceased by that time as well, which necessitated naming their children, and—in cases where a grandchild was deceased—their surviving children.

This is a lot of great information for anyone researching this family. Thomas' wife, Rebecca Hitchcock Jones, was a sister to my 3rd-great-grandfather, James P. Hitchcock. The file includes 12 children, 22 grandchildren (representing the 6 deceased children), and 10 great-grandchildren (representing the 2 deceased grandchildren).

I extracted the information on the heirs from the file and have organized it in a spreadsheet, in which I also included the source citation. I plan to save it as a PDF and attach it to Thomas Jones' profile within my family tree at Ancestry.

Oscar Thomas Jones( 27 Nov 1865-14 Dec 1952)--Sparta, Tennessee, USA

Oscar Thomas Jones(my 2nd Cousin 3 times removed) is a Hitchcock & Riddle descendant(through his Mom) and doubly kin to Hitchcocks as his Dad's paternal grandmother was a Hitchcock.

He also descends from Thomas Jones and Rebecca Hitchcock.  Oscar was the son of Francis Jones. Francis was the older brother of Almedia, Omelia, and Catherine Jones—the three deaf Jones sisters I have written about previously on this blog in 2017, and most recently on Substack (see: Reconstructing a Nineteenth-Century Network: The Jones-Bronson-Fuller-Bassett Family and the Special Censuses).

Rev. O.T. Jones Killed in Wreck Sunday Morning

A car driven by J. T. Gracey, in which Mrs. Gracey and Rev. O. T. Jones were passengers, and a car driven by Mrs. Robert Poore, whose 5-year-old daughter, Betty Ruth Poore, was a passenger, collided at an intersection on the Smithville road Sunday, resulting in the death of Rev. Jones before his arrival at the hospital.

All the others were taken to the White County Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Gracey suffered cuts and bruises and Mrs. Gracey's collarbone was broken.

Mrs. Poore suffered a shoulder fracture, and she and her daughter suffered cuts and bruises. Mrs. Poore is still in the Hospital.

Rev O T Jones

Oscar Thomas Jones was born November 27, 1865 and died December 14, 1952; having been blessed by Our Heavenly Father with a long life of 87 years and 17 days.

When brother Jones was about 50 years of age, he was married to Miss Nola Jones, who survives him. Though he never had children of his own, he raised four children, all of whom survive. They are Mrs. L. H. Lafever, of Honolulu; Odella Anderson of Sparta; J. T. Gracey of Sparta; and Miss Nell Jones who was living in his home at the time of his death. The fact that he was unselfishly concerned to help, and to raise the children; who love him like a father, is indicative the kind of man brother Jones was.

He was concerned to help, not only these children, but all other people about him. This he did: never failing his friends and neighbors in times of sorrow such as has now come to those who loved him; and family, and other neighbors. Brother Jones was a member of the Baptist Church; and a faithful, active christian.

Source:
"Rev. O.T. Jones Killed in Wreck Sunday Morning," The Sparta Expositor (Sparta, Tennessee), 18 December 1952, vol. 77, no. 35, p. 1, col. 8; digital image, FamilySearch (
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13RR-YYQC : accessed 29 June 2026), IGN 008984674, image 375 of 1142.

So Grateful for the Many Resources at our Fingertips

I attended an excellent presentation by Tami Osmer Mize today--one of four free GRIP Virtual Sessions offered this week. Her lecture on

ConferenceKeeper.org was a fantastic reminder of how many high-quality(and sometimes free) opportunities there are out there to learn about history, ancestors, and research methodologies.

You'll find the LegacyFamilyTree Webinars listed on ConferenceKeeper. While they are a subscription service, a massive number of their presentations are actually completely free to view for a full week after the live broadcast. (Though as a subscriber myself, I love having total on-demand access to the whole archive whenever I need it!)

This got me thinking about genealogical societies and their journals—which naturally led me to the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), which was recently updated. PERSI now includes direct links to some of the specific journal articles you can find online. While not every journal is indexed yet, I noticed a wealth of linked records from the Bedford County Historical Society. In fact, they recently made their quarterlies that are over three years old available for free via the FamilySearch Library.

With so much of my family rooted in Bedford County and its neighboring areas, I checked around and found excellent free historical publications available online for Rutherford and Williamson counties as well.

Journals, webinars, books, and historical records—there is an incredible wealth of information out there to help us piece together our family trees if we just take the time to look.

Key Resources Mentioned:

• Calendar of Events: ConferenceKeeper.org

• On-Demand & Live Classes: LegacyFamilyTree Webinars

• Periodical Source Index: PERSI

• Bedford County Historical Quarterlies: FamilySearch Library

• Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society: MTSU Digital Collections

• Williamson County Historical Journals: Williamson County History

Bedford Co. TN: Searching for the Graves of Two Revolutionary Patriots

My fourth great-grandparents are William Harrison (abt.1750–1833) and his wife, Elvira Cooper Harrison. Their son, Edward C. Harrison, married Eliza Jane McClain, drawing a fascinating parallel in our tree. Eliza’s father, George McLain, was also a Revolutionary War soldier. Like William, George served out of North Carolina, though they hailed from different areas and served in separate regiments. Decades after the war, their paths converged closely in Middle Tennessee. The 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Bedford County shows George and William’s households enumerated just a few lines apart, surrounded by a close-knit cluster of other Harrison and McLain families.

From 1830 Bedford Co TN Dist. 9

The timing of their deaths is remarkably close: William died in 1833, and George followed shortly after in 1834. Both men were actively drawing pensions for their service at the time of their deaths. While I have their complete pension files in my possession, the exact resting place for both George and William remains unknown. It is my strong belief that each man was laid to rest in a family cemetery on their respective properties.

Wm. Harrison & widow Elvira Pension

Initially, I missed William's entry in Helen and Timothy Marsh’s Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County, Tennessee. When I finally located it, the brief mention offered little beyond data sourced from an old DAR file. Fortunately, his actual pension file contains a wealth of detailed information that I have explored in several previous posts on this blog. Clues regarding the location of his land do exist. I discovered a local land entry referencing where "old man Harrison" (or "old Wm Harrison") lived and died. Because he was the only elder William Harrison residing in that specific area, this undoubtedly points to him. The record also notes his daughter, Elizabeth Cook(my 3rd Great Grandmother), whom the 1830 census confirms was living in the immediate neighborhood. By 1851, Elvira and several of their children had passed away, and other family members migrated out of the region following the Civil War. This rapid displacement of immediate kin is likely why William's grave was never permanently marked and has eluded researchers for generations. If we are ever able to pinpoint his burial site, it is highly probable that Elizabeth and perhaps her husband are resting nearby. 

Uncovering more details on George McLain required sorting through some digital noise. I found a reference from a descendant mentioning a family history book published by his aunt. When I tried to use an AI tool to help me track down the volume, it completely hallucinated the source. Undeterred, I combed through Ancestry tree sources until I found a valid citation that led me straight to the digital copy on FamilySearch.

The McLains, by George! The Family History and Genealogy of George McLain, Revolutionary War Veteran through Two Sons, John Alexander McLain of Bond County, Illinois, Jediah Alexander McLain of Bedford County, Tennessee compiled by Carrie McLain West (1981) 

This history helped clarify why George’s grave was also lost. Following his death, his widow and children migrated northwest to  Bond Co. Illinois. With few family member left in Bedford County to maintain the homestead or care for the site, George's final resting place was left behind to be reclaimed by time. 

The three most likely factors that contributed to these graves becoming lost to living memory:

• The Era of Death: Both soldiers passed away in the early 1830s, a period where early land markers were often ephemeral.
• Gaps in Local Records: While land records for this era exist, the subsequent deed transfers from the 1850s—though partially reconstructed following Bedford County's courthouse losses—are far from all-encompassing.
• Family Migration: Harrison and McLain descendants moved west leaving few local caretakers to preserve the locations. 

To break through this brick wall and locate these homestead plots, it will take  neighborhood reconstruction using platting, watercourses, and adjacent land deeds to piece back together where these two patriots lived out their final days. Thankfully, I can narrow it down to the 9th District of Bedford Co TN.  That is more info than some folks who are researching lost graves have.  For that I am grateful.

The Danger of Specific Location Searches

Please be aware that if you are narrowing your FamilySearch Full-Text Search by location, you might want to make sure that you haven't gotten too specific. I've often found towns or cities listed incorrectly within the Catalog's description. The most common one I see in my research is Rutherford County, TN, being mistaken for Rutherford (city), TN. Rutherford the city is in Gibson County, TN.

One of my favorite ways to search is by using key community or family surnames. Today, I searched on some common surnames within my paternal grandmother's family and found a listing for Garrison Fork Baptist Church, Beech Grove, TN. So glad I found them! I never would have found this by looking within the correct location because it is listed as Weakley County, TN, instead of under Coffee County. No idea why anyone thought it was in Weakley County. The records from Beech Grove are the only ones on the reel, and there is nothing on the first few pages that would lead me to believe it was located there. This can happen within other sites as well and is not just specific to FamilySearch.  So, now to try and figure out how to ask for a correction so others don't miss out. Anyone interested in the Garrison Fork Baptist Church records on this reel can find it in the catalog here.  You will need to log in to access it.  If you don't have an account, no worries, registration is free.

Records Aren't Always Where They're Supposed to Be

Viola W Cooke Agee & her big sister Magnus Cooke Snoddy
Daughters of Thomas DeWitt Cooke Sr. & Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke

When searching for early 20th-century ancestors, we often lock ourselves into a strict birth year and a specific county. However, historical record-keeping quirks and shifting geographic definitions can easily throw us off the trail. While searching the name of a paternal aunt, I found a birth certificate which was issued for her in January of 1916. It shows her correct birthdate (June 12, 1915) and is not a Delayed Birth Certificate. The six-month delay in registering the birth caused it to fall into the next year's group of birth certificates. Why would a mid-1915 birth seamlessly slide into 1916 without being labeled delayed? Let's look at the timeline of mandatory record-keeping in Tennessee:

1908–1912: Tennessee first began requiring statewide birth registrations in 1908. This requirement lapsed and expired at the end of 1912.

1913: Because the law expired and no agency was actively charged with keeping records, 1913 is known as a "dead year" for Tennessee vital records.

1914: A new, and stricter vital statistics law was enacted, and permanent registration officially resumed.

Because the system was still relatively new and finding its footing in 1915, local doctors, midwives, or district registrars frequently hoarded certificates and submitted them in large batches months late. These batches were part of the standard, active registration system, so the state treated them as a regular filing rather than a Delayed Birth Certificate (a designation that later became common after Social Security was introduced in 1935).Not only was her 1915 birth grouped with the 1916 records, but her place of birth also contains an error. She was born in Chapel Hill, which is listed correctly, but the recording county is listed as Bedford County—even though Chapel Hill is located in Marshall County (just west of Bedford).Even though Chapel Hill is firmly in northeastern Marshall County today, families living near county lines often went to the closest major trading town, medical professional, or courthouse—regardless of lines on a map. If the attending physician or the family identified more closely with Bedford County (or if the doctor's primary practice crossed the county line), the birth was routinely filed in the neighboring county.

If you can't find a birth(or other vital record) expand your search parameters. 

• Look Ahead-Check the subsequent months or even the following year
• Check Bordering Counties-it could have been recorded in a neighboring county.
• Search by Parents' Names

A birth record isn't always where we think it should be. 

Remembering Pvt. J.D. Luna: A Memorial Day Tribute

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum
(soldier pictured is not J.D. Luna)

On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave all in service of their country. My mother's paternal first cousin, J.D. Luna, was one of those brave souls.

J.D. Luna was born on March 15, 1924, in White County, Tennessee, to Samuel Douglas Luna and Tennie England Luna. The family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, before the 1940 census, and that is where they were living when J.D. registered for the draft in June 1942. At the time of his registration, he was working as a sales clerk at McClure & Walker.

He was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 10, 1943, at Fort McClellan, Alabama. After completing basic training at Camp McCain, Mississippi, he volunteered for the paratroopers and completed Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Private Luna was assigned to Company D of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, a unit within the 101st Airborne Division. The regiment deployed to England in September 1943, spending nine months in intensive training for the Allied invasion of Europe. He was killed in action during D-Day operations on June 6, 1944 and is noted as the first resident of Madison County, Alabama, to die in the Normandy invasion.

Initially buried in France, J.D.'s remains were returned to Tennessee in 1948 and he was reinterred in Taylors Providence Cemetery, where many of his family members rest. He is also memorialized on the Huntsville-Madison County Veterans Memorial in Alabama.

Sources: 

"J D Luna First Invasion Death," The Huntsville Times, June 26, 1944, Vol 35, No 91, p 1, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-j-d-luna-first-inva/198083660/ : accessed May 23, 2026), clip page for J D Luna First Invasion Death by user rmbeckman.

"First Madison County Soldier to died at Normandy," The Huntsville Times, Online News at AL.com,  May 30, 2021, Page  A6; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-jd-luna-1924-1944/198083127/ : accessed May 23, 2026), clip page for J.D. Luna 1924-1944 by user rmbeckman.

"U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2026), draft registration card for J D Luna, serial no. N333, order no. 11247, Local Draft Board, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama; citing WWII Draft Registration Cards for Alabama, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947, Record Group 147, Box 169, National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.

"1940 United States Federal Census," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2026), J D Luna, West Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, population schedule, ED 45-52, sheet 6B, household 117, 28 Ninth Avenue, line 67; citing US Federal Census, 1940, National Archives microfilm publication T627, roll 57.

Find a Grave, digital images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 May 2026), memorial page for Pvt J D Luna (1924–1944), Memorial ID 8070284, citing Taylors Providence Cemetery, Smithville, DeKalb County, Tennessee; maintained by Rhonda C Poynter & Friends (contributor 46849444), headstone photographs by Rhonda Sue.

Triple Cousin, Lifelong Teacher: The Legacy of Oscar Roy Ashley

Discovering a cousin who connects to your tree thru multiple lines is not that rare on my paternal grandmother's side of the family.  I always like to map out the lines.  This one was a really great find even though he didn't leave any descendants, he left much more.

Oscar Roy Ashley (1906–2001) is my cousin thru 3 ancestor couples: James Morrow & Margaret Sutton, James Jakes & Nancy Harger, and James Knox & Elizabeth Craig. Born in Bedford County and raised in Murfreesboro, Oscar never married or had any known children. Instead, the record trail shows a life completely dedicated to literature and education. Oscar pursued his love for words at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, graduating in 1927 with a BA in English. The census records map out his decades in the classroom:

1930: Back in Bedford County, working as a local schoolteacher in Shelbyville.

1940: Relocated to Chattanooga, where he joined the faculty of the prestigious Baylor School.

1950: A brief stint in New York City working as an instructor before returning home to Tennessee.

He also served in the US Army Air Forces  during World War II

He spent decades mentoring young minds, eventually retiring in Chattanooga where he lived to be 94.

While Oscar left no known descendants to carry on his name, his final act ensured his passion for education would live on. In his will, he left his estate to his alma mater to establish the Oscar Roy Ashley Graduate School Fellowship at UT Knoxville. Today, this permanent endowment funds a $4,000 annual fellowship for talented, returning graduate students who show exceptional academic performance.

From the UT Knoxville Website  https://gradschool.utk.edu/ 

Also see the Oscar Roy Ashley Papers

The census records simply list him as "never married, but Oscar’s legacy is clearly written in the fellowship that still bears his name.

Sources Consulted:

Oscar Roy Ashley Graveside services for Oscar Roy Ashley, 94, formerly of Murfreesboro, who died Monday, July 16, at his home in Chattanooga, will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Chattanooga National Cemetery. The Rev. E. Lane Alderman Jr. will officiate. He was the son of the late Edgar Leander and Mary Elvira Stephenson Ashley.

The Daily News-Journal, July 18, 2001, Page  11. image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-oscar-roy-ashley/197716870/ : accessed May 17, 2026).

1910 United States Federal Census: Civil District 1, Bedford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Son.

1920 United States Federal Census: Murfreesboro Ward 1, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Son.

1930 United States Federal Census: Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Boarder; Occupation: Teacher.

1940 United States Federal Census: Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Occupation: Secondary School Teacher.

1950 United States Federal Census: New York, New York, New York. Status: Never Married; Occupation: Instructor. 

Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869–1909: Confirming birth on September 26, 1906, in Bedford County.

U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880–2012: Documenting his education, including his 1927 graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007

U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014

The Daily News-Journal (Murfreesboro, TN): Obituary published on July 18, 2001, page 11.

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946

U.S., WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947: Showing his employment at the Baylor School in Hamilton County, Tennessee, dated October 16, 1940.

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s–Current: Documenting his burial at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Memorial ID 64920975).