A Lifelong Farmer and Rock of the Family

David Wolford was born 22 Sept 1872 in Gallia county, Ohio, the last child of Calvin and Eliza. He moved with the family to Mason county, likely working his father’s farm until at the age of nineteen he married Eary Ashworth. She was a native of Mason county, West Virginia.

Like his brother, John, David and his wife moved to a Springfield, Ohio, five doors down from his brother. There, he worked as a farm hand. I don’t think they stayed very long in Springfield; married in 1899 in Mason County, WV, 1900 census in Springfield, OH, and by December 1902, their first daughter, Ollie, was born in Mason county.

Another daughter, Anna Zelma, arrived in 1905. David’s parents have also moved to Mason county, and by 1910, David owns his own farm there. His last daughter, Blemma, was born in 1911. World War I starts in 1917, and two years later his oldest brother, William, died in Kincaid, WV. A few months after that, his father, Calvin died, and David arranges to have him buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Ashton, WV, the same place David and his wife Eary will later be buried.

A Good life is Not an Easy Life

David and Eary raise their daughters and work the farm for their entire lives. I’d like to tell you it was happy, carefree, and without worry, but this is a history of a real family at the turn of the twentieth century in West Virginia. Working a farm is hard, physical, year-round work. You bet your credit on crops that may or may not come in;!when they do you break even, when they don’t, you hope you have enough credit to buy you another couple of years.

Ollie married in 1922, at her father’s house, a man named Delbert Drummond Holmes. Soon afterwards, they have a son, Milton D. Holmes. That’s where the records become fuzzy; no birth certificate for Milton yet, no death nor divorce record for Ollie, but by 1930, Milton is listed as grandson living with David and Eary and no others in the house. What turn of events brought them to that point? I hope to eventually find out.

Milton stays with them until World War II starts, and he enlists. Finally, they have an empty nest after forty years of having kids and grandkids in the house! They have another eleven years together before Eary succumbs to an infection of the heart (acute bacterial endocarditis) at the age of 75.

David outlives his life long mate by another eleven years! In 1963, at the end of his 91 years, he has become frail and weak; he can’t eat (manition), and fades away in bed for a year before dying of hypostatic pneumonia (lungs filled with fluid resulting from long term immobility). I’m not sure who cared for him in his last years? I’m grateful for them; as a nurse, I’ve seen how much that care means to the families I serve. I can’t help but feel thankful for the people who cared for Uncle David.

He buried his father and his wife in Mt. Zion Cemetery in Ashton, Mason, West Virginia. David is buried next to his wife. Sadly, there was no one left to pay for his death date to be inscribed. They are the only Wolfords in the entire cemetery.
Notes:

22 Sep 1872-

1880- US Federal Census, page 41, Supervisor district 2, Enumeration district 95, Hannan District, Mason, West Virginia, 22 June 1880. Dwelling 362, family 364.

Line 29, Calvin Wolford, White, Male, 52, married, Farming, born Ohio, father Ohio, mother Ohio.
30, Eliza, W, F, 40, Wife, married, keeping house, B Ohio, F Ohio, M Ohio.
31, William, W, M, 19, son, single, farming, can’t read, can’t write, B Ohio, F Ohio, M Ohio.
32, Florence, W, F, 17, daughter, single, at home, can’t read, can’t write, B Ohio, F Ohio, M Ohio.
33, James, W, M, 14, son, single, farming, attended school, can’t read, can’t write, B Ohio, F Ohio, M Ohio.
34, John, W, M, 11, son, single, farming, attended school, B Ohio, F Ohio, M Ohio.
35, David, W, M, 8, son, single, attended school, B Ohio, F Ohio, M Ohio.
36, Benjamin, W, M, 1, grandson, single, B WV, F Ohio, M WV.

1890

5 Nov 1899- Marriage, Mason County, West Virginia

Marriage License; Mason County, West Virginia
- David Wolford
- Earie Ashworth
- 4 Nov 1899
- P.B.R.Smith, Clerk
Clerk Certificate
- David Wolford of Mason county, WV
- Miss Earie Ashworth of Mason county, WV
- He is 27, born in Gallia, Ohio
- She is 21, born in Mason, WV
- Informant; D. Wolford
- 4 Nov 1899
Minister’s return or endorsement
- Harless, Minister if the Gospel
- Performed at my residence
- 5 Nov 1899

West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785-1971, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.Publisher, 2011, Provo, UT, USA
West Virginia, Compiled Marriage Records, 1863-1900, Ancestry.com, Dodd, Jordan, comp.. West Virginia Marriage Records, 1863-1900. , Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000, Provo, UT, USA

1900 United States Federal Census- Year: 1900; Census Place: Springfield, Ross, Ohio; Roll: 1318; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0100; FHL microfilm: 1241318

L 35, Walferd, David, Head, White, Male, Sep 1873, 26, Married, 1, 1899, Ohio, Ohio, Ohio, , L 36, Springfield, Ross, Ohio
Walferd, Easil, Wife, White, Female, Jun 1878, 22, Married, 1, 1899, West Virginia, Virginia, West Virginia, , Springfield, Ross, Ohio

1910 United States Federal Census- Year: 1910; Census Place: Harman, Mason, West Virginia; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image:

L 15, 146, Wolford, David, Head, Male, White, 37, 1873, Married, Ohio, Ohio, Ohio,
L 16, 146, Wolford, Eary, Wife, Female, White, 32, 1878, Married, West Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia,
L 17, 146, Wolford, O M, Daughter, Female, White, 7, 1903, Single, West Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia,
L 18, 146, Wolford, A S, Daughter, Female, White, 5, 1905, Single, West Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia,

12 Sep 1918- U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

Registration Location: Mason County, West Virginia; Roll: 1992733; Draft Board: 0.
David Wolford
RFD Ashton, Mason, WV
45 yrs old.
Birth 22 Sep 1872
White, Native Born, Farmer
Nearest Relation- Eary Wolford, Ashton, Mason, WV
Medium Wt., Medium Build, Brown Eyes, Black Hair

1920- US Federal Census- Year: 1920; Census Place: Hannan, Mason, West Virginia; Roll: T625_1962; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 86; Image: .

L 95, road from ashton to upland, Farm, 58, Wolford, David, Head, Free, Male, White, 47, 1873, Married, , , No, Ohio, , Ohio, Ohio, Yes, Farming, Farm, Own Account
L 96, road from ashton to upland, , 58, Wolford, Eary, Wife, , Female, White, 40, 1880, Married, , , No, West Virginia, , Virginia, West Virginia, Yes, , ,
L 97, road from ashton to upland, , 58, Wolford, Ollie M, Daughter, , Female, White, 17, 1903, Single, , , Yes, West Virginia, , Ohio, West Virginia, Yes, , ,
L 98, road from ashton to upland, , 58, Wolford, Annie Z, Daughter, , Female, White, 15, 1905, Single, , , Yes, West Virginia, , Ohio, West Virginia, Yes, , ,
L 99, road from ashton to upland, , 58, Wolford, , Daughter, , Female, White, 7, 1913, Single, , , Yes, West Virginia, , Ohio, West Virginia, Yes, , ,

1930 United States Federal Census- Year: 1930; Census Place: Hannan, Mason, West Virginia; Roll: 2541; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0011; Image: 513.0; FHL microfilm: 2342275

70, Eighteen and Upland Road, 7, 183, 198, Walford, David, Head, Owned, 600, No, Yes, Male, White, 58, 1872, Married, 27, No, Yes, Ohio, Ohio, Ohio, , , , Yes, Farmer, Farm, Working on own account, Yes, ,
71, Eighteen and Upland Road, 7, 183, 198, Walford, Erie, Wife, , , , , Female, White, 51, 1879, Married, 21, No, No, West Virginia, Virginia, West Virginia, , , , Yes, , , , , ,
72, Eighteen and Upland Road, 7, 183, 198, Holmes, Milton, Grandson, , , , , Male, White, 7, 1923, Single, , Yes, Yes, West Virginia, United States, West Virginia, , , , Yes, , , , , ,

Jan 1938- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Name, David Wolford
SSN, 233220066
Gender, Male
Race, White
Birth Date, 22 Sep 1872
Birth Place, Gallia Count, Ohio
Type of Claim, Original SSN.
Notes, Jan 1938: Name listed as DAVID WOLFORD
Household Members, Name, Age
- Eliza Pritchard,
- Calvin Wolford,
- David Wolford

1940 United States Federal Census- Year: 1940; Census Place: Hannan, Mason, West Virginia; Roll: T627_4427; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 27-13

61, , , Owned, 1000, , Wolford, David, Head, Male, White, 67, 1873, Married, No, Elementary school, 5th grade, Ohio, , Same House, , Yes, Yes, No, No, No, No, 60, , Farmer, , , 000 VV 4, 1, 52, 0, Yes, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
62, , , , , , Wolford, Eary, Wife, Female, White, 60, 1880, Married, No, , West Virginia, , Same House, , , No, No, No, No, Home Housework, , , , , , , 5, , 0, No, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
63, , , , , Yes, Holmes, Milton, Grandson, Male, White, 17, 1923, Single, Yes, High School, 1st year, West Virginia, , Same House, , , No, No, No, No, School, , , , , , , 6, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,