Gladys Estella SUMNER CREED

I decided to start my series of "biographies" with my great-grandmother, Gladys SUMNER CREED, for a couple of reasons. One being that I never heard much about her growing up, which is probably because she died so young. Another being that I have found more "personal" things about her than I have most other ancestors.

Me -- My Father -- My Grandmother, Cornelia -- My Great-Grandmother, Gladys

Gladys was born on 24 March 1916(a) in Fries, Grayson County, Virginia, USA(b).  During this time, World War I had begun, but the US was not yet a part of the fight.  Her father, John Vinson SUMNER, was 29 years old at the time(c) and her mother, Clara Bell LITTREAL SUMNER was 22(d). She had a brother named Clarence who was 6 years older(e), and a sister named Edith who was 4 years older(f).

A little more than a year after her birth, Gladys' father filled out a draft registration card for WWI, although I have found no evidence that he actually served in the military as a result. Two years after Gladys was born, the SUMNER family welcomed her baby brother, Elmo(g). When Gladys was 5 years old, she gained another baby brother named Howard(h), and when she was 11, her last baby brother, Duane, was born(i).

Gladys lived in either Old Town, Grayson, VA or Fries, Grayson, VA during her childhood years. In 1920, according to census records, the family lived on Third Street in Old Town. Later, according to 1930 census records, she and her family settled in Fries and lived on Main Street. Around 1930, when she was about 14 years old, John Roby CREED (who was about 18) moved from West Virginia down to Fries with his brother, Ronnie (who was 16). John Roby and Ronnie both worked in the cotton mill.

Gladys and John Roby would eventually marry. I never heard any stories about how they met, or their courtship, but as Fries was a small town, I like to imagine that they ran into each other often. Fries was a musical town, so I can imagine that they attended (perhaps they even met!) at a local jam session or concert.  It was also a cotton mill town edged by the New River, and I can picture Roby and Gladys taking walks along the river together as they got to know each other. I'm in the process of trying to find evidence of their marriage in the way of a marriage certificate or something tangible. I may just have to make a trip up to Grayson County myself and do some digging. ;-)

In 1936, when Gladys was 19 years old, she gave birth to her first child, my grandmother, Cornelia Mae CREED(j). According to the baby book that Gladys recorded for Cornelia (or "Connie" as she was commonly called), she was named for Gladys' friend by the name of Georgia Mae FUNK of Norfolk, VA. Almost exactly one year later, Gladys and Roby welcomed a baby boy named Bobby(k) to their family, and two years later, at age 22, she had another son named Curtis(l).

1943 would prove to be a difficult year, and the mark of more to come, for Gladys and her family. In January, when Gladys was still only 26 years old, she and Roby welcomed their second baby girl, Jo Anne(m). Sadly, just 6 months later, they would also bury their second baby girl(n). I have not found out what caused Jo Anne's death, but suspect it could have been from her mother's illness:

Around this same time, Gladys was admitted to the Catawba Sanatorium in Catawba, VA for tuberculosis. While I do not know when she first came to Catawba, she did receive two post cards from her friend Georgia Mae that I have seen - one mailed in February and one mailed in August of 1943 - both of which were mailed to her at Fries. She also received at least one post card while she was at the sanatorium, which was mailed in December:

One other post card from Georgia Mae that I know of was sent to her at her home in Fries again, mailed in May of 1944. I am not positive that this means she was back home at that point, as her friend may have simply mailed her correspondence to Gladys' home and trusted Roby to get them to her.

Gladys passed away on 16 November 1945 at the age of 29(o). My grandmother was only 9 years old.

Sources:

(a) 1920 and 1930 Federal Census gives an approximation. Date taken from her headstone in Fries, VA (personal photograph).

(b) 1920 and 1930 Federal Census give location of birth as Virginia, USA only. I have, however, derived that her place of birth was Fries because her father was drafted for WWI in 1917, when she was just over 1 year old. The draft card, dated 5 Jun 1917, indicates her father's residence to be Fries and therefore it is most likely that she was born here as well. There is a possibility that it could have been Old Town, Grayson County, VA, as the two censuses surrounding her date of birth show the family living in Old Town, but since the draft card may have been written and filled out by her father himself, I lean toward the information there.

(c) Date of birth listed on WWI and WWII draft cards. Identical in both sources.

(d) Date of birth listed on Social Security Death Index.

(e) Date of birth listed on 1920 and 1930 Federal Census.

(f) Approximate birth listed on 1920 and 1930 Federal Census.

(g) Approximate birth listed on 1920 and 1930 Federal Census. 1920 Federal Census records the name as "Elmo," and 1930 Federal Census records the name as "Elma." I think there is a slight possibility that his name may have been "Elmer," but have found no evidence of that.

(h) Approximate birth listed on 1930 Federal Census.

(i) Approximate birth listed on 1930 Federal Census.

(j) Date of birth listed on Social Security Death Index and North Carolina Death Collection. Also from personal knowledge.
(k) Date of birth listed on Social Security Death Index.
(l) Date of birth listed on Social Security Death Index.
(m) Date of birth as shown on headstone.
(n) Date of death as shown on headstone.
(o) Date of death as shown on headstone.