Surname Saturday: Caldwell
Surname Saturday #3
The Surname 'Caldwell' comes from the paternal side of my family. My maiden name, is Caldwell. My father was Christopher Caldwell, and his father was Paul Lee Caldwell. Paul was born on April 28, 1941 in Timberville, Rockingham County, Virginia. I don't know much about his life. On February 8, 1960 he married my grandmother Dorothy Lee Musser. It's odd that they have the same middle name. Paul and Dorothy were later divorced on February 7, 1977 on the grounds of adultery. Paul died on September 20, 1996.
Paul's father was Lory Earl Caldwell. On genealogy sites Lory Earl is often confused with Lorenzo Hinton Caldwell, but they were father and son, not one in the same. Lory Earl, who is my brother's namesake, was born on October 24, 1940. Lory Earl was a Mennonite. According to Mennonite Vital Records, Lory married Daphna Fitzwater in 1932. Family stories have always referenced that the Caldwell's were Mennonite, but I don't know how active they were in the church, or many details about that. I wish I knew more.
I do also wish I knew how to read into this more. I know it appears that there isn't much information, but sometimes small things like the "3 ch" could possibly mean a lot. I'm going to share this image in the Facebook group Mennonite Genealogy and History and see if the members can determine anything else.
According to the 1940 Census, Lory was a farm laborer.
Lory Earl's father was Lorenzo Hinton Caldwell. As with most of my ancestors, very little is known to me about Lorenzo. According to his World War 1 draft card, he had brown eyes, black hair, was tall, and of medium build. It looks like he was disqualified from service for having bad eyes.
My great-great-grandfather was Franklin Caldwell. Franklin was the illegitimate child of Reverend Lorenzo Dow Caldwell, so he went by the surname Shoemaker for part of his life. Really nothing is known about him.
His father Reverend Lorenzo Dow Caldwell served in the Civil War. While there, he is said to have promised God that if he survived he would become a Minister. He survived and went on to baptize 208 people, marry 696 couples, and preached at 308 funerals. He was known for always being seen riding horseback.
Reverend Lorenzo Dow Caldwell's father was Ferguson Caldwell. It's odd for me to see I have a relative named 'Ferguson' because ever since the 1990s Nickelodeon show Clarissa Explains It All I've loved the name Ferguson. I think it's so cute! That's where the Caldwell line disappears for me.
I plan to visit Rockingham County, Virginia and Hardy County, West Virginia hopefully within the next year and a half to research these ancestors a little more.
