H0108
The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.Cora Laverne Ward
Born at Mineral in 1923.
born about 7 Mar 1923 at Mineral, Lewis
Life story
Cora Laverne Ward was born, according to the family tree, on 7 March 1923 at Mineral, a small town in Lewis County, Washington (see Research Notes).1
On 24 February 1939, in Lewis County, a bride named "Verna Ward" married Floyd Wilson, twenty-nine, a son of James Wilson and Lucy Harris, of Grays Harbor; the licence was issued and the marriage made on the same day.2 The family tree identifies the bride as Cora Laverne, and Verna is very probably the name she went by, a short form of Laverne. If the tree's birth date is right, she was a month short of sixteen and Floyd was thirteen years older. Floyd had been married once before.
In April 1940 Floyd was living in Aberdeen in his brother Woodrow's household, with a baby girl of eight months who was probably his and Verna's daughter; Verna herself was not in the household.3 By 1951 she and Floyd were living on Rural Route 1 at Tieton, west of Yakima. There their son Allen Dale was born on 1 October 1951 (at Yakima) and died at home on 6 November, only five weeks old; Cora, as "Mrs. Cora Laverne Wilson", gave the details for his death certificate, and he was buried in Tahoma Cemetery, Yakima.4 It says she died in January 1989 at Centralia, Lewis County, but no record of her later life has yet been seen.
What we know
Proven
- Birth at Mineral, 1923
- Marriage to Floyd Perry Wilson at Lewis County, 1939
- one home, from the census and other records
What's still open
- Sources. The marriage is known from index entries only; the images have not been viewed.
- Parents. Not yet identified.
Sources
Source 1
1 Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1923
"Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854–2013," database, Ancestry.com, marriage of Floyd Wilson at Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington, to the bride whom the Ancestry tree identifies as Cora Laverne Ward (the groom's line record 4652146, the bride's line record 904652146); attached to both in the Ancestry tree and cited there for her name and her birth (7 March 1923, Mineral, Lewis County); citing the Washington State Archives; not re-read in this study.
Source 2
2 Washington, U.S., County Marriages, 1910
"Washington, U.S., County Marriages, 1855–2008," database, Ancestry.com, Floyd Wilson, 29, born about 1910, and Verna Ward, licence and marriage 24 February 1939, Lewis County, Washington; his father James Wilson and mother Lucy Harris; FHL film 4136896 (image 004136896_00803, not viewed).
Source 3
3 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Aberdeen, 1935
1940 U.S. Federal Census, Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, Washington, E.D. 14-18, sheet 5A, household 115, 318 South Michigan [Street], rented at $15 a month: Woodrow Wilson (head, 22, married, born Oklahoma; residence in 1935 Aberdeen; eighth grade; laborer, street construction, WPA; 16 weeks unemployed; 28 weeks worked and $264 earned in 1939), with his wife Lorraine (18), his brother Floyd (30) and a niece (8 months per the image; indexed as 30); roll m-t0627-04340; database with images, Ancestry.com.
Source 4
4 Washington State Department of Health, Certificate of Death, 1951
Washington State Department of Health, Certificate of Death, state file no. 21157 (registration district 87, registrar's no. 23), Allen Dale Wilson: died 6 November 1951 at about 1:00 p.m., Rt. #1, Tieton, Yakima County, his usual residence (six weeks there); male, white, single; born 1 October 1951, Yakima, Washington; father Floyd Perry Wilson; mother's maiden name Cora Laverne Ward; informant Mrs. Cora Laverne Wilson; certified by the Yakima County coroner as an accidental death; burial 8 November 1951, Tahoma Cemetery, Yakima; funeral directors Keith & Keith, Yakima; filed 13 November 1951; "Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907–2001," image, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives (digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/CB1CB83A9D1FEDC8EB83BD8333237D1E), accessed 27 September 2026.
More sources are in the evidence below.
Life in time
about 7 Mar 1923
Birth , Mineral, Lewis, Washington, United States
How we know
As the family tree gives it. The tree cites her two 1939 marriage indexes for it; what those records say of her age and birthplace has not been read (see Research Notes).
The family tree gives 7 Mar 1923 at Mineral, Lewis County, and cites for it the Washington marriage records of her marriage to Floyd Wilson in 1939. Those records have not been re-read in this study, and the Lewis County index entry seen gives the groom's age but not, in the survey's notes, the bride's. The date is therefore recorded as uncertain. If it is right she was not quite sixteen at her marriage.
24 Feb 1939
Marriage, with Floyd Perry Wilson , Lewis County, Washington, United States
How we know
Licence and marriage the same day. The bride as Verna Ward; the family tree gives the place as Chehalis, the county seat. The groom, Floyd Wilson, was 29, and his parents are given as James Wilson and Lucy Harris.
The index of Washington county marriages gives Floyd Wilson, 29, son of James Wilson and Lucy Harris, and Verna Ward, licence and marriage 24 Feb 1939 in Lewis County. That the bride was the Cora Laverne Ward of the family tree is probable, not proven: Verna fits Laverne, and the tree places her birth at Mineral, in the same county; the bride's age and parents on the record have not been read. Index only; the image has not been viewed.
Nov 1951
Residence , Tieton, Yakima, Washington, United States
How we know
Rural Route 1, Tieton, Yakima County, where their infant son Allen Dale was born on 1 Oct 1951 (at Yakima) and died on 6 Nov 1951.
The death certificate of their son gives the family's usual residence as Rt. #1, Tieton, for the six weeks of his life; his father is named Floyd Perry Wilson and his mother, the informant, Mrs. Cora Laverne Wilson, maiden name Ward.
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1923 Birth
As the family tree gives it. The tree cites her two 1939 marriage indexes for it; what those records say of her age and birthplace has not been read (see Research Notes).
The family tree gives 7 Mar 1923 at Mineral, Lewis County, and cites for it the Washington marriage records of her marriage to Floyd Wilson in 1939. Those records have not been re-read in this study, and the Lewis County index entry seen gives the groom's age but not, in the survey's notes, the bride's. The date is therefore recorded as uncertain. If it is right she was not quite sixteen at her marriage.
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1939 Marriage, with Floyd Perry Wilson
Licence and marriage the same day. The bride as Verna Ward; the family tree gives the place as Chehalis, the county seat. The groom, Floyd Wilson, was 29, and his parents are given as James Wilson and Lucy Harris.
The index of Washington county marriages gives Floyd Wilson, 29, son of James Wilson and Lucy Harris, and Verna Ward, licence and marriage 24 Feb 1939 in Lewis County. That the bride was the Cora Laverne Ward of the family tree is probable, not proven: Verna fits Laverne, and the tree places her birth at Mineral, in the same county; the bride's age and parents on the record have not been read. Index only; the image has not been viewed.
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1951 Residence
Rural Route 1, Tieton, Yakima County, where their infant son Allen Dale was born on 1 Oct 1951 (at Yakima) and died on 6 Nov 1951.
The death certificate of their son gives the family's usual residence as Rt. #1, Tieton, for the six weeks of his life; his father is named Floyd Perry Wilson and his mother, the informant, Mrs. Cora Laverne Wilson, maiden name Ward.
Source 4
-
1951 Son born: Allen Dale Wilson
- proven
- family event
Hover or drag along the line, or select a point and use the arrow keys.
Places in this life
3 places, in order- 1 Mineral, Lewis County Birth about 7 Mar 1923
- 2 Lewis County, Washington Marriage 24 Feb 1939
- 3 Tieton, Yakima County Residence Nov 1951
Hollow markers are placed approximately, at the town, county or region.
Family
The evidence 3 facts with their grades, 4 sources, and the research notes
Facts
Research notes
- Identity (probable): The only record of her seen is the index of her marriage to Floyd Wilson, where she is "Verna Ward".2 The Ancestry tree names her Cora Laverne Ward and cites that marriage, in two indexes, for her name and her birth.1 Verna fits Laverne and Lewis County fits Mineral, so the identification is probable; it would be proven by the marriage record's details of the bride (age, birthplace, parents). A later record now shows Cora Laverne Ward as Floyd's wife: their son's death certificate of 1951 names his father Floyd Perry Wilson and his mother Cora Laverne Ward, "Mrs. Cora Laverne Wilson".4 That she was also the Verna Ward of 1939, rather than a later wife, remains probable.
- Birth: The tree's 7 Mar 1923 at Mineral rests on those marriage records, which have not been re-read here; it is recorded as uncertain. She was born before 1926 on any reading, since she married in February 1939, so she is treated as deceased by age.
- Age at marriage: Born in March 1923, she would have been fifteen in February 1939. The marriage record, which should give her age and show whether a parent consented, would test the tree's date.
- The 1940 household: Floyd, 30, was in his brother Woodrow's household at 318 South Michigan Street, Aberdeen, with an infant "niece" of eight months, born in Washington about August 1939, very probably Floyd's daughter. Verna is not listed there. The child may be living and is not named.3
- A son: Allen Dale Wilson (1 Oct 1951 – 6 Nov 1951), proven by his Washington death certificate, on which she was the informant.4
- Death (unconfirmed): The family tree gives January 1989 at Centralia, Lewis County, with no citation; the month-and-year form suggests the Social Security Death Index, which should be checked, under Wilson or a later married name.
- Sources: The marriage is known from index entries only; the images have not been viewed. The 1940 census image was read in the survey of Woodrow Wilson's records. No FamilySearch profile for her has been identified, and the WikiTree duplicate check of 26 Sep 2026 found no profile for her.
Working notes
- Tree-only death (unsourced lead): Jan 1989 Centralia, Lewis, Washington, USA
- Old tree 165462681: parents Isiah Ward (b. W. Va.) and Vergie Stanaford (unsourced)
Sources
- 1
"Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854–2013," database, Ancestry.com, marriage of Floyd Wilson at Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington, to the bride whom the Ancestry tree identifies as Cora Laverne Ward (the groom's line record 4652146, the bride's line record 904652146); attached to both in the Ancestry tree and cited there for her name and her birth (7 March 1923, Mineral, Lewis County); citing the Washington State Archives; not re-read in this study.
- 2
"Washington, U.S., County Marriages, 1855–2008," database, Ancestry.com, Floyd Wilson, 29, born about 1910, and Verna Ward, licence and marriage 24 February 1939, Lewis County, Washington; his father James Wilson and mother Lucy Harris; FHL film 4136896 (image 004136896_00803, not viewed).
- 3
1940 U.S. Federal Census, Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, Washington, E.D. 14-18, sheet 5A, household 115, 318 South Michigan [Street], rented at $15 a month: Woodrow Wilson (head, 22, married, born Oklahoma; residence in 1935 Aberdeen; eighth grade; laborer, street construction, WPA; 16 weeks unemployed; 28 weeks worked and $264 earned in 1939), with his wife Lorraine (18), his brother Floyd (30) and a niece (8 months per the image; indexed as 30); roll m-t0627-04340; database with images, Ancestry.com.
- 4
Washington State Department of Health, Certificate of Death, state file no. 21157 (registration district 87, registrar's no. 23), Allen Dale Wilson: died 6 November 1951 at about 1:00 p.m., Rt. #1, Tieton, Yakima County, his usual residence (six weeks there); male, white, single; born 1 October 1951, Yakima, Washington; father Floyd Perry Wilson; mother's maiden name Cora Laverne Ward; informant Mrs. Cora Laverne Wilson; certified by the Yakima County coroner as an accidental death; burial 8 November 1951, Tahoma Cemetery, Yakima; funeral directors Keith & Keith, Yakima; filed 13 November 1951; "Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907–2001," image, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives (digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/CB1CB83A9D1FEDC8EB83BD8333237D1E), accessed 27 September 2026.