|
|
Rolen E. Branham was born June 16, 1853, in Blount County, Alabama. He was the son of William Branham and Arenna R. (last name unknown). He was listed as "Robert" on some census records.
The 1860 Blount County census shows Wm. Branham, 49, a farmer; Arrena, 47; Frances, 24; Uriah, 20; James, 17; Lucinda, 16; Jeremiah, 14; Rolen, 7; and the twins Arenna M. and Samantha E., 2 years old. Rolen's two married sisters, Susanna Hill and Jane Farley were living next door. The census was dated July 17, 1860.
The William Branham family moved to Searcy County, Arkansas between in late 1860 or early 1861. In November 1861, Rolen's brother James Lacey Branham enlisted as a Confederate soldier at Wiley's Cove, in Searcy County. Rolen's father, William Branham paid a poll tax in 1862 in Searcy County. Sometime prior to 1865 William moved his family to Illinois.
The family was in Macon County, Illinois when Rolen's sister, Lucinda Branham, married on September 6, 1865. Prior to May 1868, William and Arenna traveled back to Alabama with at least two of their children. They appear on the 1870 Blount County census with children Rolen, 18, and Samantha Elizabeth, 12 years old.
Rolen married Lucretia King on May 26, 1872, in Blount County.
Lucretia King was born about June 1840, in Alabama. (Various census records show her date of birth from 1833 to 1844.) She was one of at least twelve children born to William King and Sarah (last name unknown).
The King and Branham families had lived near each other at times in Blount County and that is probably how Rolen and Lucretia met.
Lucretia had a son out of wedlock before she married Rolen. Her son, Newton King, was born about 1861, in Alabama according to the 1880 census. We did not locate Newton on the 1870 census with his mother.
Rolen and Lucretia moved to Mississippi for a short time after their marriage. Their only child together was born in Mississippi in 1873, according to various census records.
Rolen and Lucretia moved to Arkansas prior to 1880. Rolen appears on the 1880 Searcy County census, living in Wiley's Cove Township. The census shows Robert Branham, 26, a farm laborer; Lucretia, 36; Newton, son, 19; and Sally, daughter, 7 years old.
Rolen and Lucretia were in Searcy County in 1888 when their daughter Sarah married. Sarah was only 15 at the time she married and Rolen wrote a letter of consent for her to marry.
Rolen appears on the 1890 Searcy County tax list.
The 1900 Perry County, Arkansas, census showed the family in Houston Township. The census shows Robert Branum, b. June 1853, 46, m 28 yrs, tie layer (for railroad), rented house; Louise, wife, b. June 1840, 59, m 28 yrs, had given birth to 2 children, 1 child was still living; John L. Lane, son-in-law, b. Spet 1865, 24, m 11 yrs, tie layer (for railroad); Sallie R., daughter, b. May 1863, 27, m 11 yrs, had given birth to 5 children, 4 children were still living; July, gr-daughter, b. Aug 1889, 10; Lulie, gr-daughter, b. Oct 1891, 8; Ethel, gr-daughter, b. Aug 1895, 4; and July, gr-daughter, b. Apr 1897, 3 years old. We know from this census that Lucretia's son, Newton King, died prior to 1900.
Lucretia died between 1900 and about 1906. We believe she is buried in an unmarked grave in the Woolverton Mountain Cemetery in Conway County, Arkansas.
Rolen married Margaret M. McCochran in 1906, in Van Buren County, Arkansas. Margaret McCochran was born about 1860, in Arkansas according to census.
Rolen and Margaret appear on the 1910 Van Buren County census in Choctaw Township. The census shows Rolen E. Branum, 56, married twice, married 3 years, a farmer who rented his farm; and Margaret, 50, married twice, had given birth to no children.
The 1920 Van Buren County census, Bradley Township, shows R. E. Brannon, 67, a wage farm worker and Margaret M., wife, 59 years old.
We have been told that Rolen was a preacher, like his father.
Rolen died about 1922 and is buried in an unmarked grave beside his daughter in the Blackwell Cemetery west of Bee Branch, in Van Buren County.
Child of Rolen Branham and Lucretia King
1. Sarah Renay Branham was born May 23, 1873, in MS.