Arvid Ferrell 1902

Moses Ferrell Father	Arvid Ferrell	Clearisa Hatfield Mother
	Anna Craig Spouse

Arvid Ferrell
Name	Arvid  Lemuel  Ferrell
Gender	Male
Family Search:	KD3T-4BJ
Find-a-Grave:	182276790
Validated ?	Yes - Well Sourced
Birth and Death Information
Born	16 May 1902
	Williamson, WV
	United States of America
Deceased	9 Oct 1947
	Middletown, OH
Family Relationships
Father	Moses Ferrell
Mother	Clearisa Hatfield
Spouse	Anna Craig
Marriage Date	25 May 1924
Children	Elliott Ferrell Naomi Ferrell Craig Ferrell Marilyn Faye Ferrell William Ferrell Lawrence Ferrell Garry Ferrell Jerry Ferrell Eva Gay Ferrell
Siblings	Velva Ferrell Allen Ferrell Guy Ferrell Lloyd Ferrell Mason Ferrell Moses Ferrell Charles Ferrell William Ferrell
Service and Honorary (DAR/SAR)
Revolutionary
War of 1812
Civil War
Spanish American
Korea
Vietnam
Gulf War
Sources and References
BC:     DC:     MC:     Obit:     Will:
Birth Certificate
Death Certificate	Arvid Ferrell 1947 Death Certificate
Marriage Certificate	Ferrell Craig Marriage Cert
Obituary	Arvid Ferrell 1947 Obituary
Will/Estate
1950 Census
1940 Census	1940 Census
1930 Census	1930 Census
1920 Census	1920 Census
1910 Census	1910 Census
1900 Census
1890 Census
1880 Census
1870 Census
1860 Census
1850 Census
1840 Census
Children below:	\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

Velva Ferrell
Allen Ferrell
Guy Ferrell
Lloyd Ferrell
Mason Ferrell
Moses Ferrell
Charles Ferrell
William Ferrell

Grandpa is reasonably well documented. I did reach out to my aunt Faye for some details here and there.

Arvid was born 16 May 1902, to Moses Ferrell and Clearisa Hatfield (yes, of those Hatfields) in Williamson, WV (Mingo County, or what used to be Logan County). Moses and his future wife Clearisa were born right in the middle of the feud period, and I originally thought they fled the area partly because of that to Menifee, KY, but on review they marry at 25 years old - in 1899, after the feud is 'officially' over - and are still in Logan when they start having kids, so I now think this wasn't true.

Arvid died of cerebral hemorrhage (stoke) on 9 Oct 1947, at the age of 45, and was buried in the Upper Salt Lick Cemetery. From the Census records of Moses F we know that the family moved from West Virginia between 1907 and 1910, because all the children before Moses M were born in West Virginia (the last being Mason in February 1907, and Moses M, Charles, and Madison are all born in Menifee County Kentucky, and they are in Menifee for the 1910 Census taken 29 April 1910.

Follow-Up: Why did they move to Menifee??

Family

Arvid was the second oldest of Moses' 9 kids, and the oldest son. I was not able to locate a birth record for Arvid, so there is some uncertainty about where he was born. He indicated on his marriage license simply "Mingo, WV", the county, but (presumably) Anna puts "Gilbert, VW" on his death certificate, whereas on the death certificate for his baby William in 1935 he lists his birth as "Williamston, WV" on the Tug River - and on baby Garry's death certificate they put "Williams". I assume both of these should've read "Williamson", and since Gilbert and Williamson are nearly an hour apart I believe Williamson is likely correct, and the one Arvid placed on his children's death certificates, but Gilbert was the closest "big" town, and so he likely used this as a shorthand when talking with people (like Anna) who were not from West Virginia, so this is what she entered on Arvid's death certificate (and this is what she placed on the Family Birth/Death Register for Arvid, so I'm confident this is what she believed to be accurate). In fact, I see Jerry's and Larry's birth certificates also say "Williamson", while most of the other simply say "Mingo" or "Logan".

Arvid's parents, Moses and Clearisa have index-only birth records in Logan, WV in 1874/5 (25 years old is late for marriages of the time!), and in 1901 (30! Years old!) when the start having kids they're still in Mingo, WV, but by 1912 when Charlie is born have moved to Menifee, KY (as evidenced by the 1920 and 1930 Census records showing is birth in KY). I found a copy of the permission slip that William Craig (a local retail shop owner) gave to the JP to allow them to get a marriage bond.. The marriage bond is in Sudth, KY, and lists Arvid as a farmer from Mingo, WV, and Anna as being from Menifee, KY, and shows her mother "Lou" as being deceased by now (24 May 1924 marriage), but is witnessed by her father Williams new wife "Meda" Craig. Lucinda "Lou" DeRossett, William's first wife had died at 32 years old 6 Jun 1913 according to her gravestone, she was present in the 1910 Census (May 2 1910) but died in June 1910. By 28 November 1911 William had remarried to Almediea "Meda" Smith/Trent.

Follow-Up: Look up will, Fay says Velva had him disinherited -

Arvid didn’t get anything from his side of the family because Velva and her siblings (Arvid’s) had him to sign papers after his stroke and cut him out of the Will for him to receive any inheritance!

Education

I have yet to find anything about Arvid's education.

Occupation

It appears Arvid was farming to start, this is what he listed on his marriage license, but I also found this interesting newspaper blurb about him being defrauded by a counterfeit $20 bill. Since the note that William Craig sent to allow Anna to marry him says he's a shopkeeper, it seems reasonable to assume Arvid was working for his future father-in-law when this happened as well.

I can only assume they came to Middletown, OH, to find their fortunes, and after they relocate he finds work with Gardner-Richardson paper and box company. He works here for just over 20 years until his death, but does briefly try his hand at farming again just as or before World War II, when they move to Camden/Gratis. My aunt Faye talked to me about this, where they had about 7 acres, and it was apparently a decent farm, but they could not make it work once the war rationing of tires, gas, and other commodities started, so they sold it and moved back into town.

Burial

Arvid and Anna are buried in the Upper Salt Lick Cemetery, Bath County, Kentucky.

Coordinates: 38.04993, -83.61892
Upper Salt Lick Church, Salt Lick, KY 40371

-Upper Salt Lick Cemetery Map-

-Upper Salt Lick Cemetery-

Other

Timeline

Previous Addresses

I see no evidence of Arvid and Anna's Family in Middletown before 1928 (I have not found a 1927 Directory). We know that Elliott was born in Menifee County, KY, in 1925, so this makes sense (and his birth certificate says they lived in Sudith, but no City Directory exists for Menifee). Interestingly we see they live in 3 different addresses on Fleming street (2 before Jerry is born), as well as Ellwood and Elmsere in Middletown. Anna moves to Elmsmere with Arvid by 1944 and stays there until her death in 1964. Jerry shows up as working at Reedy's by 1958 (19 years old, and Larry has been there sine 1953), but has moved to the Marsh Foodliner by 1960, the last year a City Directory is available online.

As you can see from the below, the family lived at three addresses on Fleming Road. That portion of Fleming no longer exists, having been consumed by the construction of Reinartz Boulevard, a major thoroughfare today, that runs along much of the same ground. These houses in the 1,900 block were near the Gardner paper box company where Arivd worked. The other addresses, on Ellwood and Elsmere, are a couple miles east of the plant. The 1900 Block started at about Grimes to Charles Street right at the plant (ED 9-63 in 1950, but 1930 EDs 9-35, 9-36, 9-37).

The 1930 Census entry for Arvid and Anna has been elusive, it appears the odd 1900 block houses (north side) should be in district 36, but I can't seem to find them or their neighbors (and neither did Family Search).

701 Elsmere St
Middletown, OH 45042
~1944-1947
One of Anna and Arvid's homes. The Middletown City Directory for '43 is missing, but by 1944 it puts them at Elsmere, where they stay until Anna's death in 1964.

Farm... address in doubt

Camden/Gratis, OH 45042
~1941-1943
One of Anna and Arvid's homes, Fay says that about the time of the war (World War II, so 1939-1941, she wasn't sure exactly, but Middletown City Directory says they were here in 1942) the family moved to a farm outside of Middletown in Gratis for about 2.5 years. She says it was about 7 acres of farmland, but wasn't enough to make s living off so Arvid still worked "in town". She also said that Elliott had just graduated, so that would make it about 1941 or '42. The 1940 Middletown City Directory puts them at Fleming, but by '42 they're here.

UPDATE: I reached out to Bulter (for Flemming, Ellwood, and Elsmere) and Preble County (for the Gratis) farm deeds. It appears that the only property that Arvid and Anna actually owned was the Elmsere address. That surprised my aunt Fay, but that is what the data shows. Here is what her research showed. The parcel size is about right, my aunt said it was "about 7 acres".

I checked my Deed Indexes from 1930-1949 and the only entry that I found for Arvid Ferrell was an electric easement to Dayton Power and Light Company dated 03/06/1941. It also lists the names of Hobart and Bertha Ratliff on that easement and states that Avvid (that’s how it’s spelled) Ferrel and Anna Ferrell are “buying on contract.”   I followed the chain in the Abstract Book (Gratis Township, Sec. 11) and do not find where the Ratliff’s ever deeded/sold the property to the Ferrell’s.  The Ratliff’s sold that 6.65 acres to  William Armitage in 1943.
 
It appears that the Ferrell’s never owned property here in Preble County but were trying to buy via a contract.  Possibly a Land Contract.  Today, Land Contracts are recorded in my office but I do not find one recorded between the Ratliff’s and Ferrell’s back in the 40’s.  Also, today, when someone pays off a Land Contract, they are issued a Deed from the seller.  I do not find a Deed from the Ratliff’s to the Ferrell’s either.  So, that tells me, for some reason, the contract was never fulfilled. Perhaps it was a hand shake agreement but, nonetheless, the Ferrell’s did not ever take title to that property.

1914 Fleming Road
Middletown, Oh, 45044
1935-1940
The City Directory shows them in 1914 Fleming in 1935, the third house on this street, and they are still here in the 1940 directory. Then they're in Camden/Gratis on the farm by 1942, but back in town on Elsmere by 1944.

808 Elwood Road
Middletown, Oh, 45044
1933-1935
The City Directory shows them in 808 Elwood in 1933 and are still here in the '35 directory.

1919 Fleming Road
Middletown, Oh, 45044
1930-1933
The City Directory shows them in 1914 Fleming in 1930. In 1935 they're on Ellwood, but I don't have the '31 or '32 directories.

1920 Fleming Road
Middletown, Oh, 45044
1928-1930
Anna and Arvid's original homestead in Middletown. They moved here shortly after Elliott was born and lived in the neighborhood for a few years before moving to Camden/Gratis. From talking to Fay, she says there were only 2 bedrooms and 7 kids. It was a "shotgun" style house, with living room then the dining room right in front of the front door, with bedrooms off to the right, and the kitchen was built into what had been a back porch. The 1940 Middletown City Directory puts them at Fleming, 1941 is unavailable.

Pictures

• Pictures of 'Arvid Ferrell 1902
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  Family Register

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  Family Register

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  1947 Arvid Obituary

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  Arvid and Anna Craig family

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  Arvid defrauded

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  Gardner-Richardson Paper Box

Documents and Sources

For Documents and sources for Arvid (my grandfather), I have his marriage bond and death certificates which show his name and birth date, his obituary, and the many of his Censuses, though he is missing inexplicably in 1930. But, in the 1910 census he shows up in his parents (Moses and Clearisa's) house, and I have my grandmother's notes on their children's birth and death dates, as well as my aunt (Marilyn) Faye's first hand knowledge (as well as some recorded interviews), and I knew all of my aunts and uncles reasonably well, so although I don't have his birth certificate this one is very solid. I will loop back later and flesh out Arvid's kids (my aunts and uncles), but since I have first and second hand knowledge of them, that's less important to me to capture right now.

		Middletown-Funeral services for Arvid Ferrell, 45, of 701 Elsmere street, will be held at 9 a.m. Monday in Sudith, KY, Church of Christ, with burial in that city. Mr. Ferrell died in his residence Thursday, after an illness of six months.
1950 Ferrell Census link to original	1940 Census Record Link to Origial	1930 Census was missed
1920 Census Record Link to Original	1910 Census Record Link to Orginal	1924 Marriage Bond
William Craig's permission for Anna to marry Arvid	Billy Ferrell OH Death Certificate Link to Original	Garry Ferrell OH Death Certificate Link to Original
1947 Arvid Ferrell OH Death Certificate Link to Original	1911 Marriage Record William Craig & Armedia Smith Link to Original	Anna's Family Birth/Death Records
Larry Ferrell OH Birth Certificate	Jerry Ferrell OH Birth Certificate	Lucinda DeRossett Gravestone
Gravestone Arvid and Anna Ferrell	1960 Middletown City Directory Arvid Jerry Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1959 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere
1958 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1957 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1956 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere
1955 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1953 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1951 Middletown City Directory Anna Ferrell 701 Elsmere
1949 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1947 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1945 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 701 Elsmere
1944 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 701 Elsmere	1942 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell Camden Farm	1940 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 1914 Fleming
1939 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 1914 Fleming	1937 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 1914 Fleming	1935 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 808 Ellwood
1933 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 808 Ellwood	1930 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 1919 Fleming	1928 Middletown City Directory Arvid Ferrell 1920 Fleming