Individual Details

1900 Census. Chicago Ward 6, Cook Co, IL, Hh 117
William Swaim, b. Apr 1862, age 38, married 14 years, b. IN, father b. NC, mother b. IN, Switchman
Mary, wife, b. Dec 1861, age 38, 5 children, 4 are living
Hazel, dau, b. Nov 1886, 13
Varnie, son, b. Feb 1893, age 7
Herbert, son, b. May 1896, 4
Sylvia, dau, b. Oct 1899, 7 months
Charles Swaim, brother, b. Oct 1868, age 31, Switchman

Married Ella M. Hersley, Decatur Co, IN. He was 32, she was 21, both living in Greensburg.
Charles was born 4 Oct 1875, Zionsville. (His death certificate will give his date of birth as born 4 Oct 1868, which agrees with the 1900 census - he apparently lied about his age when he married.) Ella was born 18 May 1886, Precceville, Indiana. His parents were Troggett Swaim & Philadelphia Harman; hers were Frank Hersley and Narcissa Divine. Application for marriage license dated 4 Nov 1907. FamilySearch.org; Indiana Marriages, 1811-1959.

United Methodist Church Records, Indiana, Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, Greensburg
Charles E. Swaim to Ella M. Hersley, 4 Nov 1907. He was age 43.

1910 Census. Greensburg, Decatur, IN, Hh 407
Charles E. Swaim, age 37, married 2 years, Switchman, Rail road
Ella M., wife, 23, 1 child
Gracie M. dau, age 1 year 2 months
Philadelphia, mother, 72, widow, had 7 children, 5 are living

1920 Census. Greensburg, Decatur, IN, Hh 57
Charles Swaim, 52, widow, yardmaster, Railroad
Grace, dau age 10.
Lurabell, dau, age 8
Ida Mulford, servant, age 55, Housekeeper

1930 Census. Greensburg, Decatur, IN, Hh 150
Living in a two-family home at 132 S. East St.
Charles E. Swaim, 61, widow, watchman, Steam RR
Lester Sylvia, Son-in-law, age 21, odd jobs
Grace Sylvia, dau, age 21
Charles E., grandson, age 1 year, 2 months

1940 Census. Greensburg, Decatur, IN, Hh 211
Charles E. Swaim, 72, widow. Lived in Zionsville, Boone Co in 1935

Indiana Death Certificate #17315
Charles Everett Swain died 30 Jun 1942 of tuberculosis, 514 W. North St., Greensburg, Decatur Co, IN. He was widowed - his wife was Ella May Swain. Charles was born 4 Oct 1868 in Zionsville, Boone Do, IN and was a Railroader. Father stated to be "George" Swain (he wasn't) - mother unknown Belle Deitz of the same address as the deceased was the informant (daughter). Buried South Park Cemetery, Greensburg.

The Republic, Columbus, IN, 30 June 1942, Tuesday, p.1
CHARLES SWAIN PASSES AWAY
Charles Swain, 73, died at 2 o'clock this morning at his home in Greensburg. Death was attributed to dropsy.
Funeral services and burial will be held Thursday at Greensburg.
Mr. Swain was a retired employee of the Big Four railroad company.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Lawrence Dietz, and four grandchildren, one of whom, James Dietz, lives here.

Ella May died 11 Feb 1919. She is buried South Park Cemetery, Greensburg, Decatur, IN. Her parents were Frank and Nasis (Devine) Herseley. Charles is buried in the same cemetery - he died 30 Jun 1942.


Daughter:
Gracie May Swain, Indiana Birth Certificate #7908. Gracie May Swain was born 8 Feb 1908 at 7 AM. She was the first child. Her father Charles Evert Swain was 36; her mother Ella May Hersley was 22, both born in Indiana.
Indiana Death Certificate #12116
Grace Mae Sylvia died 22 Apr 1936. She was struck by a railroad train, Greensburg, Decatur Co, IN. Born 8 Feb 1908. Her father listed as Charles Everett Swain, b. Zionsville, IN; mother was Ella Mae Hersley, b. Decatur Co. Br. Charles Swain was the informant. Buried South Park Cemetery on april 24th.
An Indiana Birth Certificate gives the name of Grace's husband and child - Charles Evert Sylvia was born 28 Feb 1929 in Greensburg, Washington Twp, Decataur County. Father was Lester Brown Sylvia; mother, Grace May Swaim, both born in Indiana. This was their first child.


Daughter:
Lora Belle Swaim appears in the Greensburg High School Yearbook, Tree City Breeze, in 1926 as a member of the Class of 1929. She married Lawrence E. Dietz - they share a joint grave marker in Garland Brook Cemetery, Columbus, Bartholomew Co, IN. Lora Belle 1911-1993, Lawrence E. 1903-1949. They were married about 1829 - they are together in the 1930 Census, Greensburg, Decatur, IN - he was 26 and working as a machinist in a shirt factory, she was 18 and working as a seamstress in the shirt factory.
1931 City Directory, Columbus, IN: Dietz, Lawrence E. (Lora B) mach, Reliance Mfg Co.
12 May 1949 Korean War Draft Registration. James Milton Deitz of 1118 Union, Columbus, IN was born 8 May 1931 in Bartholemew Co, IN. Lora Belle Deitz of 1118 Union, Columbus, IN, named as his mother and the person who would always know his address. He was a full time student at Columbus High School. Brown eyes & Hair, 5'9", 155 lb.
1950 City Directory, Columbus, IN: Dietz, Lora B. (wid Laurence), instr Singer Sew Machines. Home: 916 1/2 16th
1950 Census. Columbus, Bartholomew Co, IN, Hh 14, 916 16th Street, Upstairs. Lora Belle Dietz, 39, widow, b. IN, Sewing teacher, Sewing store. James M., son, 19

She married (2) to Delbert A. Watson, 6 Jan 1951, Bartholomew Co, IN. License issued the same day. Lora was born 21 Feb 1911 in Greensburg, IN. She notes she was a sewing instructor - her parents were Charles E. Swain & Ella Mae Hersley, both deceased. She had been married once before but her first husband was dead. Delbert A. Watson was born 25 Jun 1903 in Litchfield, KY. He was a painter. His father was Robert L. Watson; his mother Rosella White, both living in Kentucky. This is his second marriage, he was divorced Oct 1945. (Delbert A. Watson died 18 Aug 1973 in Columbus, IN and is buried Garland Brook Cemetery there.)

The Republic, Columbus, IN, Mon, 29 Jun 1953, p.3
Lora Belle Dietz Watson, who made draperies for the Mill End shop before they went out of business, is now in the custom made drapery business at the former location of Johnson Floor Coverings, 1410 California Street. Lora Belle was one of the sewing experts employed by Singer Sewing Marchine Company before she took up drapery making as a full time work. Right now she is doing all the curtain and drapery amking for the Sears store.

Lora died 17 April 1993 in Clay Co, Florida - her last residence according to Social Security was Jacksonville. She was apparently taken back to Columbus, Bartholomew Co, IN to be buried with Lawrence Dietz.
The Republic, Columbus, IN, Tue, 20 Apr1993, p.8.
Formerly of Columbus
Lora Dietz-Watson, Jacksonville, Fla.
Word has been receivedhere of the death of Lora Belle Dietz-Watson, 82, of Jacksonville, Fla. She died Saturday morning, April 17, 1993, at an Orage Park, Fla., care facility.
A native of Greensburg, she lived in Columbus from 1944 to 1977...had lived in Jacksonville since 1977...
Survivors include a son James M. Dietz of Orange Park; a granddaughter Jamie Lee Dietz Tomlinson of Jacksonville; a grandson, James Bruce Dietz of Denver; and two great-grandsons.

Birth	4 Oct 1868	Boone County, Indiana
Death	30 Jun 1942

Father	Trougett Swaim (1829 - 1875)
Mother	Philadelphia Harmon (1837 - 1911)
Sibling	Mariah Belle Swaim (1857 - 1917)
Sibling	Jesse E. Swaim (1860 - )
Sibling	William Stanton Swaim (1862 - 1920)
Sibling	Lora A. Swaim (1865 - 1933)
Sibling	John Sherman Swaim (1866 - 1909)
Sibling	James Swaim (1870 - 1945)
Sibling	Harry Orth Swaim (1874 - 1927)