Smith, Gresta Arlene

Birth Name Smith, Gresta Arlene
Also Known As Ballman, Gresta
Gramps ID I5759
Gender female
Age at Death 63 years, 11 months, 4 days

Events

Event Date Place Description
Sources Notes
Birth 1917-01-28 Indiana, USA  
1a 1b 2a
Census 1920 Jackson Twp, Huntington Cty, Indiana, USA  
3a
Census 1930 Roanoke, Jackson Twp, Huntington Cty, Indiana, USA  
4a
Census 1940 Fort Wayne, Allen Cty, Indiana, USA  
5a
Death 1981    
 

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father Smith, Clyde M. [I5751]1888-07-181958
Mother Rinehart, Maude Faye [I5757]1886-01-091981-01-08
    Sister     Smith, Geraldine Olive [I5758] 1909-03-12 1961
         Smith, Gresta Arlene [I5759] 1917-01-28 1981
    Sister     Smith, Wanda Ione [I5760]

Families

    Family of Burdoine, Keal Clayborn and Smith, Gresta Arlene [F1867]
Married Husband Burdoine, Keal Clayborn [I5763] ( * 1911-07-06 + 1991-06-06 )
   
Event Date Place Description
Sources Notes
Marriage 1934-07-15 Wabash Cty, Indiana, USA  
1a
Divorce      
 
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Burdoine, Marsha A. [I5764]
    Family of Allen, Frank Carlyle and Smith, Gresta Arlene [F1868]
Married Husband Allen, Frank Carlyle [I5765] ( * 1914-09-27 + 1987-03-01 )
   
Event Date Place Description
Sources Notes
Marriage 1939-12-22 Allen Cty, Indiana, USA  
1b
Divorce      
 
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Allen, Lonnie Keith [I5772]
Allen, Arlene Kay [I5774]
    Family of Ballman, Joseph and Smith, Gresta Arlene [F1872]
Married Husband Ballman, Joseph [I5773] ( * + ... )

Narrative

Note: The marriages and children of Gresta Arlene Smith

At the time of her Gresta's first marriage (to Keal Burdoine in 1934), she reported her birthdate as 28 Jan 1915, while at her marriage to Frank Carlyle Allen in 1939, she reported it as 28 Jan 1917. Since the US Census listings for her parents' household always reported her age as ending in "2," I think it most likely that the 1917 date is correct, and that Gresta lied about her age at her first marriage. Both marriages seem to have been precipitated by pregnancy - daughter Marsha Burdoine was born seven months after the first wedding, and daughter Arlene Allen was born less than four months after the second - and neither marriage seems to have lasted terribly long. (Both of Gresta's ex-husbands would go on to remarry, and are buried with wives they married after their divorce from Gresta.)

I've not yet found a record for Gresta's marriage to Joseph Ballman, nor have I found any indication that there were any other marriages for her.

Like her sister Geraldine, she also has some inconsistency in her reported birthplace in these records - at her first marriage she reported it as Roanoke, Huntington Cty, Indiana, while at her marriage in 1939 she reported it as Allen Cty, Indiana. Her father's family moved from Lafayette Twp, Allen Cty to Jackson Twp (surrounding Roanoke), Huntington Cty, Indiana between 1910 and 1920, so either location could be correct. At this point, I don't have enough information to know for certain where she was born, although the locations in question are quite close, so it's not a large difference.

Gresta's children seem to have been reliant on others for the bulk of their parenting; Marsha can be found living with her maternal grandparents (Clyde and Maude Smith) in the 1940 US Census, and Gresta's youngest child Lonnie Keith Allen names his guardians separately from his biological parents, suggesting that he was raised by others than Gresta or Frank Allen. I haven't found information to support this assumption, but I would expect that daughter Arlene was also raised by family, friends, or foster parents.

Pedigree

  1. Smith, Clyde M. [I5751]
    1. Rinehart, Maude Faye [I5757]
      1. Smith, Wanda Ione [I5760]
      2. Smith, Geraldine Olive [I5758]
      3. Smith, Gresta Arlene
        1. Burdoine, Keal Clayborn [I5763]
          1. Burdoine, Marsha A. [I5764]
        2. Allen, Frank Carlyle [I5765]
          1. Allen, Arlene Kay [I5774]
          2. Allen, Lonnie Keith [I5772]
        3. Ballman, Joseph [I5773]

Ancestors

Source References

  1. Indiana, Marriages, 1811-2007 [S0302]
      • Confidence: High
      • Citation:

        "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27K4-XCV : accessed 3 April 2016), Clyde Smith in entry for Keal Burdoine and Gresta Smith, 15 Jul 1934; citing Wabash, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,409,196.

      • Confidence: High
      • Citation:

        "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXVX-X9X : accessed 3 April 2016), Clyde M Smith in entry for Frank Carlyle Allen and Gresta Arlene Burdaine, 22 Dec 1939; citing Allen, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,130,290.

  2. US Social Security Death Index [S0098]
      • Confidence: High
      • Citation:

        "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V39M-CY9 : accessed 5 April 2016), Gresta Ballman, Feb 1981; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

  3. US Census of 1920 [S0041]
      • Date: 1920
      • Citation:

        "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF7V-Q2B : accessed 3 April 2016), Clyde M Smith, Jackson, Huntington, Indiana, United States; citing sheet 14A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,437.

        Event Date 1920
        Event Place Jackson, Huntington, Indiana, United States
        Clyde M Smith Head M 31 Indiana
        Maud F Smith Wife F 34 Indiana
        Geraldine O Smith Daughter F 10 Indiana
        Gresta Smith Daughter F 2 Indiana
        Wanda Smith Daughter F 0 Indiana

  4. US Census of 1930 [S0042]
      • Date: 1930
      • Citation:

        "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHMY-VH6 : accessed 3 April 2016), Clyde M Smith, 1930.

        Event Date 1930
        Event Place Roanoke, Huntington, Indiana, United States
        Clyde M Smith Head M 41 Indiana
        Maude F Smith Wife F 44 Indiana
        Geraldine O Smith Daughter F 21 Indiana
        Gresta A Smith Daughter F 13 Indiana
        Wanda I Smith Daughter F 10 Indiana

  5. US Census of 1940 [S0043]
      • Date: 1940
      • Citation:

        "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V1BY-PGY : accessed 5 April 2016), Frank Allen, Ward 1, Fort Wayne, Wayne Township, Allen, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 94-15, sheet 10A, family 253, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1115.

        Event Date 1940
        Event Place Ward 1, Fort Wayne, Wayne Township, Allen, Indiana, United States
        Frank Allen Head M 25 Indiana
        Gresta Allen Wife F 23 Indiana