1950 Census, Knox County, Tennessee

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-2, sheet 013

Mary Katherine (Kay) Wade age 20 married Marion Clyde (Clyde) Letsinger on 4 Oct 1952 in Knox County. Clyde was the son of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger and Elza Cordelia (Elzie) Peters, and the grandson of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  As such, Aunt Elzie was the sister of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. and Clyde Letsinger was my mother's first cousin.

Kay was the daughter of Clarence Edward Wade and Katherine Agnes Millet age 49. Mary J. Millet age 63 was Katherine's sister who never married.

Clarence Wade died on 19 Nov 1948, leaving Katherine Millet as a widow. It is a little unusual that Kay was enumerated as head of household rather than her mother.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-6, sheet 072

Samuel Arthur (Arthur) Peters age 39 was the son of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  As such, Uncle Arthur was the brother of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr.

Edna Pearl Holloway age 36 was the daughter of Joseph Elmer (Elmer) Holloway and Minnie Elizabeth Moneymaker.  Uncle Arthur and Aunt Edna were married on 3 Feb 1933 in Anderson County. They moved to Knox County from Anderson County in late 1942 or early 1943 as a result of the removal of thousands of people from Anderson County to make room for building the city of Oak Ridge as a part of the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. They were the last family to move because they had a new baby at the time.

Their children were Jane Elizabeth Peters age 11 and Glenna Delores (Lois) Peters age 7. The census enumerator in 1950 had trouble spelling their names correctly.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-17, sheet 049

Robert Earl (Bob) Peters age 49 was the son of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole. As such, Uncle Bob was the brother of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr..

Mary Hudson age 35 was the daughter of John Richard (Dick) Hudson and Martha Wilson. Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary were married 1 Oct 1932 in Oliver Springs, Anderson County. They moved to Knox County from Anderson County in late 1942 or early 1943 as a result of the removal of thousands of people from Anderson County to make room for building the city of Oak Ridge as a part of the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb.

This particular census entry is not entirely accurate. It was originally filled in as "No One At Home" and later "No One At Home" was struck through and the information for the family was written on top of it. It is therefore hard to read Uncle Bob's age. He should have been enumerated as about age 42, but it looks much more like age 49 than anything else. Also, Uncle Bob's occupation was omitted as if the enumerator were in a hurry.

There was no address other than Emory Road for Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary, but the top of the census page stated that everyone on the page was on Emory Road east of the intersection with Highway 33. The highway is better known as Maynardville Highway at that point. The intersection is known as Halls Crossroads and the community around the intersection is also known as Halls Crossroads or just as Halls. So they lived on Emory Road just east of Halls Crossroads.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-21, sheet 049

Elza Cordelia (Elzie) Peters age 51 was the daughter of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole. As such, Aunt Elzie was the sister of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr.

Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger age 56 was the son of William Johnson Letsinger and Elizabeth Frances (Fannie) Meade. Aunt Elzie and Uncle Sam were married 30 May 1915 in Anderson County. They moved to Knox County from Anderson County in late 1942 or early 1943 as a result of the removal of thousands of people from Anderson County to make room for building the city of Oak Ridge as a part of the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-24, sheet 013a

William Birchell (Birchell) Peters age 45 was the son of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole. As such, Uncle Birchell was the brother of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. I do not know why Uncle Birchell's middle initial was listed as R, other than it must have been a typographical error. His middle name was definitely Birchell, and he was known as Birchell.

Anna Jo (Jo) Hackworth age 42 was the daughter of James Lewis Hackworth and Sallie D. Pyatt. Uncle Birchell and Aunt Jo were married 2 Jun 1934 in Blount County. They were among thousands of people removed from Anderson County in late 1942 to make room for creating the secret city of Oak Ridge as a part of Manhattan Project. I do not know if they moved immediately at that time to their farm on Blacks Ferry Road in Knox County, or if they may have lived somewhere else first.

Their only child was Lena Mae Peters age 6 who was born 14 Dec 1943. The census enumerator's handwriting was so sloppy that it is difficult to determine if he meant to write her name as Lenna or as Lena, but in any case the correct spelling is Lena.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-40, sheet 075

Samuel Dexter (Dexter) Letsinger age 32 was the son of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger and Elza Cordelia (Elzie) Peters. Aunt Elzie was the daughter of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sally Jane Cole. As such Aunt Elzie was the sister of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. and Dexter was my mother's first cousin.

Dexter married Mildred Alene (Midge) Faulkner age 31 on 1 Jun 1938 in Knox County. Midge was the daughter of Walter Faulkner Sr. and Clara May Faulkner.

Radio Road appears to have been renamed as Greencrest Road sometime after 1950. There is no road in Fountain City named Radio Road on modern maps, and there is a road on modern maps named Greencrest Road that matches exactly the description of Radio Road in the 1950 Knoxville City Directory.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-43, sheets 022 and 023

Robert Elmer (Bob) Bryan age 24 and Beatrice Ruth (Ruth) Peters age 27 were my parents. They were married 28 Dec 1946 at the Corinth Methodist Church in Knox County. At the time of the 1950 census, the house in which they were living was the caretaker's house at Lynnhurst Cemetery. There was no house number associated with the house. Bob's employer in 1950 was Chandler Printing Company.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-60, sheet 018

Ernest Lester (Bud) Peters Jr. age 22 was the son of my grandparents Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. and Lola Ethel Williamson. As such, Uncle Bud was my mother's brother.

Uncle Bud married Helen Lamar Warwick age 26 on 30 Jun 1948 in Knox County. Aunt Helen was the daughter of Trece Conley Warwick and Reva Jane Grubb.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-63, sheets 027 and 28

Carolyn Louise Nall age 4 was the daughter of Orval Andrew Nall and Thelma Joyce (Joyce) Yadon age 22. Orval and Joyce were married 5 Aug 1944 and were divorced 24 Oct 1946. Joyce was the daughter of Ella Mae Peters age 47 and Ella's first husband Bayard Earl Yadon. Ella and Bayard were married on 8 Oct 1923 and Bayard died on 25 Sep 1933. Thomas Edward (Edward) Cole age 11 was the son of Ella and her second husband Thomas Clyde (Clyde) Cole age 47. Ella and Clyde were married 21 Sep 1936.

Ella was the daughter of my great grandparents Alva Edward Peters and Sallie Jane Cole. As such, Ella was the sister of my grandfather Ernest Lester Peters Sr., Joyce was the first cousin of my mother Beatrice Ruth (Ruth) Peters, and Carolyn is my second cousin. Carolyn's name was misspelled by the census enumerator. It really is Carolyn and she has a younger sister named Carol Jean.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-63, sheet 034

Bobby Lynn (Bob) Tadlock age 17 married Helen Lorieta (Lorieta) Peters on 16 Aug 1957 in Knox County. Lorieta was the daughter of my grandparents Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters and Lola Ethel Williamson. As such, Lorieta was my mother's sister.

Bob was the son of Taylor Black Tadlock age 68 and Rhoda Hill Koontz age 53.

Paul Marshal Tarver age 17 married Virginia Irene (Irene) Peters on 28 Jun 1957 in Knox County. Irene was the daughter of my grandparents Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters and Lola Ethel Williamson. As such, Irene was my mother's sister.

Paul was the son of Fred Russell Tarver Sr. age 49 and Anna Elizabeth Russell age 49. Fred Russell Tarver Jr. age 25 was the best man at my parents' wedding.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-63, sheet 048

Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. age 55 and Lola Ethel Williamson age 49 were my maternal grandparents. They were among thousands of people removed from Anderson County in late 1942 to make room for creating the secret city of Oak Ridge as a part of Manhattan Project. They moved to their new farm on Tazewell Pike in northeast Knox County where they lived for the rest of their lives. They moved in January 1943, but apparently they first rented the farm because the purchase of the farm was not completed until a few months later.

The only two children still living at home in 1950 were Virginia Irene (Irene) Peters age 15 and Helen Lorieta (Lorieta) Peters age 12. The census enumerator misspelled Lorieta's name.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 47-65, sheet 043

Albert Edgar (A. E.) Harrell Jr. age 21 married Thelma Joyce (Joyce) Yadon on 4 July 1950 in Knox County, shortly after the 1950 census was enumerated. Joyce was the daughter of Bayard Earl Yadon and Ella Mae Peters, and Aunt Ella was the daughter of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  As such, Aunt Ella was the brother of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. and Joyce was my mother's first cousin.

A. E. married first Ivory Jean (Ivy) Bryant on 10 May 1947 in Walker County, Georgia and they were divorced on 2 July 1947 in Knox County, Tennessee. As a result A. E. was back living with his parents at the time of the 1950 census.

A. E. was the son of Albert Edgar Harrell Sr. age 41 and Reba Pauline Hamilton age 42.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 96-158, sheets 077 and 078

David Eugene Stemeye age 3 married my first cousin Kelly Michele Peters on 25 May 1991 in Sevier County, Tennessee. David was the son of Charles Estel Stemeye age 28 and Margaret Marie Williams age 25.

1950, Knox County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 97-194, sheet 007

Sandra June Flynn who was born in May 1949 married Glen Curtis Letsinger on 30 May 1967. Sandra was the daughter of Clarence Jackson (Jack) Flynn age 22 and Betty Jean Nichols age 18.

Glenn was the son of Samuel Dexter (Dexter) Letsinger and Mildred Aline (Midge) Faulkner, the grandson of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger and Elza Cordelia (Elzie) Peters, and the great grandson of my great grandparents Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  As such, Aunt Elzie was the sister of my grandfather Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr., Dexter Letsinger was my mother's first cousin, and Glen was my second cousin.