Siomara Clotilde Savio Morales de Balmori

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DANVILLE, Va. - Siomara Clotilde Savio Morales de Balmori, 87 of Danville, Virginia, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 7, 2013, while a patient in Danville Regional Medical Center. She was born in Havana, Cuba on June 3, 1925, to the late Amador Savio Perez and Evangelina Morales Montiel de Savio.
In 1950 she married her high school sweetheart, Enrique Balmori Osorio, who preceded her in death in 1984. They had one daughter, Evangelina Balmori, who survives to remember and cherish her memory.

Mrs. Balmori graduated from high school in 1946 and attended the University of Havana, where she was a student in the school of law, the school of education, and the school of social work. She graduated from the University of Havana in 1953. She served as the administrator of a school for boys and worked in the family law firm. Mrs. Balmori and her family left Cuba for the United States on February 5, 1962 as a result of the Cuban Revolution of Fidel Castro, resulting in a communist government of the island.

John T. Burton 1875 Letter

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Caswell County N.C. May 12th 1875

Mr. J. M. Merritt

My Dear Nephew, I saw a letter you wrote your Aunt Shanks and she requested me to write you a few lines. Her health is tolerable though she is very much distressed. She intends staying at her home. Mr. Shanks left her all he had real and personal during her life, and at her death it is to go to your mother and myself if we should out live her, if not to our children.

Mr. Shanks had been suffering several years from disease of the bladder, and for some time before he died severely. He was not confined but ten days, he was ready. Two nights before his death he called his wife and some friends that were sitting up with him, and told them he was almost over the river and saw the walls of Jerusalem, told them to meet him in heaven. I was there when he died. I think he was conscious, but he was in a stupor all day and had nothing to say. I go down there every two weeks to attend to the hands that are working the land. They seem to be doing tolerable well so far, but I don't know how they will hold out.

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I got one of William Murray's daughters to come and live with your Aunt Shanks and she appeared very well satisfied. The last time I was there one of Miss Murray's sisters had died and she was gone to her brother Robert's and had not returned when I last heard from there.

We are all well and hope this will find you all the same. We had a cold bad _____ spring. Everything is late. Great scarcity of Tobacco plants. I don't think there can be a crop planted in this section.

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Warren Morgan's family are all well and Rainy is married he was twenty one. He is living with his father.

I should be glad to see you but it is so far. I don't expect I shall ever see you at your house, though I may. You said you thought you would come and see your relatives next summer. I hope you will. If you can't come, write and let us hear from you.

Your Affectionate Uncle

John T. Burton

Transcriber's Note: Paragraph breaks were added to enhance readability.
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John T. Burton is a son of Benjamin Burton and Rebecca Pass. A sister of John T. Burton, Nancy P. Burton, married James Shanks, and most likely is the "Aunt Shanks" referenced in the 1875 letter from John T. Burton to his nephew Capt. J. M. Merritt.

Thus, it appears that another sister of John T. Burton had married a Merritt. However, note the following from Anne Burton Washburn:

John T. Burton was Daniel T. Merritt's wife's half brother. Fannie Ellis Gann was half sister to John T. Burton and Nancy Burton, Nancy Burton married James Shanks. Daniel T. Merritt's wife's mother was twice married - Gann 1st and Burton 2nd - 3 children in all.

Thus, J. M. Merritt (addressee in the letter) is Jefferson Monroe Merritt (1820-1896). His mother is Frances Ellis (Fannie) Gann Merritt (1798-1895), half-sister of the letter's author, John T. Burton.

R. A. Cox Farm Auction: 1910

R. A. Cox Farm Auction

Note reference to Slade's School House and McIver R.F.D. 1.

The Reidsville Review (Reidsville, North Carolina), 15 July 1910, Friday, Page 2.

Thomas Day Furniture Auction: John Wilson Cunningham

Sideboard with Cabinet

Description   Caswell County, North Carolina, mid-19th century, yellow pine and poplar secondary, three-part form, shaped and applied front crest, supported by a flared cornice, above a frieze with applied valance with drop acorn pendants, above a central upper hinged cabinet door with two shaped window lights above an open interior, with marble top workspace, flanked by two hinged cabinet doors, each with two window panes and shelved interior, applied stiles with scrolled capitals and stylized fleur de lis at base of stile, lower cabinet with two side-by-side ogee drawers, above two central bowfront cabinet doors, flanked by two paneled cabinet doors with applied ribbon molding, applied scrolled stiles, paneled sides, distinctive relief carved front feet, straight rear legs.

Size   93 x 75 x 22 in.

Note   Reference: Patricia Phillips Marshall & Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color, page 111, fig. 5.62 and 5.63.

Provenance    From the Estate of the late John Wilson Cuningham, Semora, North Carolina; by family descent to current consignor. These items were received from Waverly Plantation in Person County, North Carolina, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built circa 1830, the interior of the plantation features Thomas Day millwork.
Condition   As-is condition; will need some repair and restoration; veneer chips and losses; some veneer chips present in bag.

Estimate   $2,000 - $4,000
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Center Table

Description   Caswell County, North Carolina, mid-19th century, rosewood veneer, white pine, shaped and molded turtle top, skirt with relief carved floral motif, four cabriole legs with relief carved knee, carved and shaped stretcher base with central finial, cut and shaped feet.

Size   28.5 x 40 x 26 in.

Provenance    From the Estate of the late John Wilson Cuningham, Semora, North Carolina; by family descent to current consignor. These items were received from Waverly Plantation in Person County, North Carolina, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built circa 1830, the interior of the plantation features Thomas Day millwork.
Reference: Patricia Phillips Marshall & Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color, page 64, fig. 4.3.
Condition   Two old but stable breaks and repairs to interior frame; five areas of wood and veneer loss including capital of one leg; break and repair at stretcher joint; top with light staining and wear.

Estimate   $600 - $900

United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946

World War II Service Records Confusion

Many conducting genealogical research use a database called:

"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946"

Access to this resource is available through various online services.

Unfortunately, the index contains categories of information that may be misleading to users.

One data category is "Enlistment Date." Also possibly shown are "Enlistment State" and "Enlistment City." Some equate "enlistment" with volunteering. For purposes of this database that is incorrect. The proper way to view "enlistment" as used in this database is "entered service."

The database will contain another data category called "Component." Most entries in this database are for those who were drafted (they did not volunteer). The "Component" for drafted non-officers will be seen as "Selectees (Enlisted Men)." A "Selectee" is one chosen pursuant to the Selective Service System (that is, drafted). The designation "Enlisted Men" is to distinguish from officers.
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The index is described as:

"Name index to Army Serial Number Enlistment Card Records, excluding officers, in the United States Army including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and the Enlisted Reserve Corps circa 1938-1946. The index is part of Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration. This index is not complete and may contain scanning errors. Database courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration. In August of 2013, the National Archives replaced the ARC – Archival Research Catalog - with the OPA – Online Public Access. ARC identifiers will still work to access the collections in OPA."
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About U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
This database contains information on about 8.3 million men and women who enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. While this database contains information on the majority of the men and women who served in the Army during this war, it is not complete and does not represent the entirety of the U.S. Army servicemen. Information found in this database comes from the WD AGO Form 317 (used from 1941-45), WD AGO Form 372 (used from 1945-46), and Enlisted Reserve Corps Statistical cards.

Information included in this database about includes:

Name of enlistee
Army serial number
Residence (county and state)
Place of enlistment
Enlistment date
Grade
Army branch
Component
Term of enlistment
Birthplace
Year of birth
Race and citizenship
Height and weight*
Education
Marital status
Box and reel number of the microfilmed records

"The Last Full Measure of Devotion"

"The Last Full Measure of Devotion"

In the May 8, 1945, edition of The Bee newspaper (Danville, Virginia), Riverside and Dan River Cotton Mills, Inc., published a full page tribute to the GOLD STAR men of Riverside and Dan River Cotton Mills who died in World War II. Victory had been won in Europe, but the Pacific war continued.

"On this page, as in the hearts of those for whom they fought, are inscribed the names of men who will not come back.

"These are the men who have given the last full measure of devotion . . . the GOLD STAR men of Riverside and Dan River Cotton Mills . . . men who left their homes, their work, their security, and their future, to fight for the cause of freedom.

"Each name is a reminder of the awful cost of Victory. Each name should also be a reminder that we owe these men more than honor and glory, more than words of praise . . . a reminder that Victory in Europe is only part of the cause for which they died.

"Read each name carefully. You knew many of these men well. They were your fellow citizens . . . your fellow workers. If their sacrifice means anything at all, it means that we must work still harder, in the days ahead . . . that we must dedicate ourselves to a renewal of effort . . . that we, too, must give the last full measure of devotion until final Victory and peace are won."

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Here is the list enlarged:

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Elizabeth Thompson's Third-Grade Reindeer

"My mother took this picture and one of each of the groups that appeared in the play. The hidden reindeer may have been Earl Smith, Jr. There was a group of reindeer, elves, snowmen. and chimney sweeps.

"Harriet Johnston was Mrs. Claus and John Webster was Santa.

"The story line also included a set of figures that Santa's elves had made. Dolls were personified by Linda Gunn as a china doll (geisha?), Linda Cook as a ballerina, Judy Buchannan as a baby doll. Sarah Sykes and Linda Durham were also dolls but I don't remember what they were.

"There were four cowboys: Carroll Aldridge, Robert Crumpton, Charles McMullin and Richard Rogers. Patsy Chistenbury played the magic fairy that introduced each group. Every group performed a little skit and/or song. My mother gave every member a photograph of his/her group. I used to have an entire set but it was lost somewhere along the way.

"I think Doris Potter England narrated the play. I remember Paul Goforth was one of the elves. Many names are lost to my memory because I don't have the set of pictures to refer to. Elizabeth. Thompson made sure that every member of the class had a part in the play and it was a big hit for the elementary classes and I think we may have performed it more than once."

Source: Carroll Aldridge 25 September 2019 Post to the Caswell County Historical Association Facebook Page.
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The mother of Carroll Lee Aldridge is Luetta Carroll Aldridge (1914-1997). The photograph was taken in 1956. At some point it was reprinted in The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, North Carolina) as part of that newspaper's "OUt of the Past" series.