Submitted by: Cathy Millburn
HIRAM SULDON SWINNEA
Hiram Suldon Swinnea, b February 27, 1880 at Blue
Ridge, Falls County, Texas, d May 16, 1948 at Blue Ridge and buried there in
Blue Ridge Cemetery ‑ was a son of Suldon Wright and Mary Elizabeth (Hunnicutt)
Swinnea, natives of Tennessee, who settled in Falls County, Texas after the
Civil War and before 1870.
Hiram married Anna Pearl Elder (called "Pearl"), b
October 14, 1881, d July 17, 1970 in Marlin, Falls County, Texas and buried by
her husband in the Blue Ridge Cemetery ‑ a daughter of John David Elder, b March
10, 1851 in Tennessee, d September 23, 1926 in Falls County, Texas, and his
wife, Mary Elizabeth
(Hughey) Elder, b December 21, 1864, d August 19, 1906 ‑ and both buried in
Calvary Cemetery in Marlin, Texas.
Hiram and Pearl lived in the Blue Ridge Community of
Falls County, where they farmed and became the parents of twelve children. In
the 1940's, the family moved into the on the Cheeves place where Harold
Chamberlain Mitchell had formerly lived, on the old Bald Hill Road east of
Marlin. When Hiram died in 1948, Pearl and several adult children moved to a
on East Park Street in Marlin, where they were living when she died in
1970.
The children of Hiram Suldon and Anna Pearl (Elder)
Swinnea were:
Lena Pearl Swinnea, b ca 1906 ‑ married Nolan G.
Wilson and had a son, Milton Wilson, who died young. Lena Pearl worked in the
School Cafeteria in Marlin, and is now retired.
John
Albert Swinnea, b April 23, 1908, d February 27, 1981‑ married September 23,
1930 to Eunice Harlan, b July 20, 1908 at Blue Ridge, Falls County, Texas ‑ a
daughter of Charles and Cynthia Tallulah (Varnado) Harlan. "Albert" and Eunice
lived in the Stranger Community where they farmed, and their children attended
Stranger School. They had John Albert Swinnea, Jr.; Suldon Swinnea; and Carolyn
Sue Swinnea.
Eunice Cleo Swinnea, b April 4, 1910 ‑ taught school at Blue Ridge for about ten
years. She was married December 24, 1936 to Zill Harlan Erskine, b November 22,
1911‑ a son of Claude Gentry and Pauline Jane (Harlan) Erskine, natives of
Stranger and Blue Ridge, respectively. Zill and Eunice built a on the farm,
where they reared their son, Hugh Dwight Erskine, b April 24, 1963 who married
August 25, 1973 to Diane Flicker, b February 6, 1943. Hugh is an officer with
Gulf Oil Company, and has recently been transferred from Houston, Texas to
California. Zill and Eunice subsequently purchased the family of his
parents, where they continue to reside.
Hiram Elgin Swinnea, b June 4, 1912, d July 26, 1976
and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery ‑ married first to Rena Geraldine Shields, b
ca 1918, d ca 1940, and had a son, Don Swinnea. Hiram married second (name
unknown), and they had a son, Edward Swinnea.
Howard Swinnea, b ca 1914 ‑ married Juanita Scroggins
and had a daughter. Howard farmed, then worked for the Marlin Independent School
District as a School Bus Driver, until his retirement.
Hubert Swinnea, b June 22, 1916, d July 7, 1941 and
buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery.
Mildred Swinnea, b ca 1918 ‑ married Dan Stevens, and
they had seven children.
Gertrude Swinnea, b ca 1920 ‑ worked in the School
Cafeteria of the Marlin school, and is now retired. She was never married.
Lanona Swinnea ‑ married Carroll Hopkins ‑ a veteran
of World War II. She worked in the office of Falls County's Tax Assessor and
Collector, and now works in the office of Falls County Auditor. They have
children and grandchildren.
Evelyn Swinnea‑worked for the late Judge E. M. Dodson
for many years, and married Bill Maxey.
Dorothy Virginia Swinnea‑married James Louis
Matthews, and reside in Reagan, Falls County, Texas.
Bessie Swinnea ‑ married Roy Wright, and they moved
to Cameron, Milam County, Texas.
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of
these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 440 column 1 and 2 and page 441 column 1.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.
