Loftin
LOFTIN
GENEALOGY
LINE
Curtis
Dean
Loftin
(1953 - 20??)
Sam
William
Loftin
(1918 - 1979)
Alonzo
Lester
Loftin
(1876 - 1937)
William Alexander
Loftin
(1851 - 1939)
James
Franklin
Loftin
(1827 - 1864)
Thomas
Loftin
(1798 - 1842)
James
Loftin
(1768 - 1836)
John
Loftin
(1740 - 1793)
_______
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Alonzo Lester Loftin
Born: 05 Feb 1876, Catawba County, NC
Died: 04 Feb 1937, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, NCAlonzo Lester Loftin was the first child born to William Alexander Loftin and Laura W. Cranford. He was born February 5, 1876 in Catawba County, NC. Laura was 20-years-old and Alec was 24 at the time of his birth.
Alonzo’s siblings were:
Mary Frances Loftin (born 1878)
Zettie Wilson Loftin (born 1881)
Arthur Lee Loftin (born 20 June 1884)
W. Garland Loftin (born 23 May 1887)
Hattie Pearl Loftin (born 9 Jul 1890)
Cordie Bland Loftin (born 26 Aug 1894)
(Left to Right) Garland, Alec & Pearl, Lee, Laura & Cordie, Frances, Alonzo, Zettie and Cornelia.
Alonzo with his sisters
Frances and Zettie Loftin about 1895Alonzo met and married Cornelia “Nelia” Estelle Lowrance on 23 Dec 1894 in Catawba County, NC. Cornelia was the daughter of Henry Durant Lowrance and Sarah Josephine Bost.
Alonzo & Nelia's marriage license is dated 19 Dec 1894.
They were married on 23 Dec 1894.
Alonzo and Cornelia had five children, Nannie May Loftin, Roy Henry Loftin, Lillie Stamey Loftin, Floye Hovis Loftin and Verdie Lee Loftin.
Alonzo & Cornelia around 1902 with four of their children:
(left to right) Nannie, Roy, Floye and LillieThis copy of the 1900 Catawba County Census shows Alonzo age 24 and Cornelia/Nelia age 24 had 3 children, Nannie May, Lillie Stamey and Roy Henry. Alonzo’s occupation was listed as a Dry Goods Merchant, quite possibly one of the stores he operated in the town of Catawba, NC on Main Street.
1900 Catawba County Census
Last Name First Name Relation Race Sex Birth Month Year Age Occupation Loftin Alonzo L. Head W M Feb 1876 24 Dry Goods Merchant ------ Nelia E. Wife W F July 1875 24 ------ Nannie M. Daughter W F Nov 1895 4 ------ Lillie S. Daughter W F Sept 1897 2 ------ Roy Son W M July 1899 10/12 Alonzo & Cornelia attended the Catawba Methodist Church. Cornelia joined the church on 23 Oct 1892 and was received by vows. Church records indicate that Alonzo's daughters, Nannie & Lillie, were infant baptized there on 19 Oct 1897.
(Below) Catawba Main Street, 1900
Tragedy struck the young family in February 1904 when Cornelia died of pneumonia at the age of 28. Also in the same month and year, Cornelia’s mother, Sarah, died. Cornelia is buried at First Methodist Church in Catawba, NC, next to her parents, Henry and Sarah Lowrance. Alonzo was 27 at the time.
Cornelia Lowrance Loftin's headstone
Alonzo Lester Loftin about 1900 After Cornelia’s death from pneumonia on 11 Feb 1904, Alonzo was left alone to work and raise five small children. Since he could not watch over them and work at the same time, it was suggested that he send them away to an orphanage in the township of Marion in McDowall County.
With regret, Alonzo made the decision to send his children to the orphanage temporarily.
Alonzo's parents, Alec & Laura Loftin, were not able to take in all 5 of their grandchildren, but made the decision to retrieve Alonzo's baby girl, Verdie Lee, and bring her home with them.
Alonzo quickly started looking for a new mother for his children. According to Peggy Loftin Brotherton, Alonzo first met his second wife, Ida Lillian Setzer, at the Balls Creek Campground. "She was wearing a blue-tiered shiffon dress and when he saw her he said, 'There goes the woman I’m gonna marry.'” Alonzo got up, pursued her, and eventually wed her. Alonzo and Ida were married just a few months later on 05 Nov 1904. He was 28 years old and she was 20.
Alonzo & Ida's Marriage License from November 5, 1904
Alonzo's Signature
(Below)
Alonzo with a group of men that worked around the Shuford Gold Mine in Catawba County.
Alonzo is sitting in the chair. His brother, Garland, is second from the end on the right side.
Within a year Alonzo and Ida had started a family of their own and soon started to bring the other children home from the orphanage. Alonzo & Ida attended Catawba Methodist Church.
Their first child Charlie Roosevelt Loftin was born 22 Oct 1905. Charlie was baptized at the Catawba Methodist Church on 25 Oct 1906.
Alonzo was a staunch Republican and a fan of Theodore Roosevelt, so when his second son was born, Alonzo and Ida named him Theodore Roosevelt Loftin. Both Charlie and Theodore had Roosevelt as their middle name. Theodore was born 25 Dec 1906 and was called “Speedo”.
In 1908, another infant son was born to Alonzo and Ida but he didn’t live.
Theodore Roosevelt "Speedo" Loftin Infant Son Loftin 1908 - 1908 Alonzo and Ida's first daughter, Sadie Elizabeth Loftin, was born in 1910.
Ida gave birth to a set of twins on 31 May 1911 and named them Willie Thelma Loftin and Callie Elma Loftin.
Sallie Allie Loftin was born 12 Sep 1913.
Thelma & Elma Loftin (Left to Right) Speedo, Allie, Charlie & Sadie Loftin According to the 1910 Catawba County Census, Alonzo’s brother, Garland, was living with the family and worked as a salesman at a grocery store. On 02 Aug 1912, Garland died after having been married only about 5 and 1/2 weeks. Conner Burch, a boarder, was also living with the family. Conner was a laborer and worked at a local lumber mill. Alonzo’s children according to the 1910 Census were Lillie, Roy, Floy, Charlie, Theodore and Sadie.
Nannie, age 15, was still living at the Elhanan Training Institute and Orphanage. According to Frances Loftin Cook, Nannie was sent away to the mountains to live and was “brought up” there. Frances said “Nannie was always more refined with manners and other things that she had learned there. Daddy would take vegetables and hams to pay for her stay.”
Verdie Lee, age 6, was still living with her paternal grandfather, William Alexander Loftin, whose wife Laura had just died the year before in 1909.
1910 Catawba County Census
Last Name First Name Relation Age Occupation Occupation Loftin Alonzo L. Head 34 Manufacturer ------ Ida Wife 25 Home ------ Lillie Daughter 12 None ------ Roy Son 10 Laborer Odd Jobs ------ Floy Daughter 8 None ------ Charlie Son 4 None ------ Theodore Son 3 None ------ Sadie Daughter 9/12 None ------ Garland Brother 22 Salesman Grocery Store Burch Conner Boarder 34 Laborer Lumber Mill
Ida, who was a twin herself, gave birth to a second set of twins on 06 Jun 1914 when Daisy Pearl Loftin and Daniel P. Loftin were born.
Unfortunately, Daniel didn’t live beyond 1914. Daniel is buried at Center Methodist Church in Catawba beside his other unnamed brothers.Mike Whitener Loftin was born 18 Feb 1916.
Alonzo and Ida’s twelfth child, Sam William Loftin, was born 13 May 1918.
(Left) Infant Son; June 6, 1914 - June 6, 1914
(Left) Alonzo Lester Loftin's signature from his
WWI Draft Registration Card dated September 12, 1918.According to the 1920 Catawba County Census, Alonzo owned and operated a store in the town of Catawba. Willie Goble Loftin said the store sold fertilizer and livestock feed, as well as eggs and groceries. The store was the last store on the street, located closest to current location of Redeemer Lutheran Church. Alonzo's oldest son, Roy, operated another store in Catawba. 1920 Catawba County Census
Last Name First Name Relation Age Occupation Occupation Loftin Alonzo L Head 44 Store Feed Store ------ Ida Wife 35 None ------ Charlie R. Son 14 Labor Home Farm ------ Theodore Son 13 Labor Home Farm ------ Sadie E. Daughter 10 None ------ Thelma W. Daughter 8 None ------ Callie E. Daughter 8 None ------ Sallie A. Daughter 7 None ------ Daisy P. Daughter 5 None ------ Michael W. Son 3 11/12 None ------ Sam Son 1 3/12 None Alonzo's stores were doing well and he actually amassed a small fortune and a large amount of property in the Catawba County area over the next few years. Alonzo, Ida and their family lived on Sherrills Ford Rd in Catawba County, about a mile from Lowrance Rd. Many of their children attended Waldron School which was located just off of Lowrance Rd. In 1993 a local Catawba County newspaper published a genealogy article on James Harwell as well as a photo of students at Waldron School where he taught. The school was located beside the Harwell homeplace, 3 miles out of Catawba. The photo included four of Alonzo and Ida's children, Thelma, Daisy Pearl, Elma and Allie, and also three of Alonzo's brother Lee's children, Marie, Glenn and Ray. The old Waldron School in Catawba County Oscar Sherrill Loftin was born 22 Oct 1920. Glennie Frances Loftin was born 13 July 1926. (Below) Glennie Frances Loftin
The last child born to Alonzo and Ida was an infant son in 1928, but he didn't live.
Alonzo and Ida had fourteen children. Counting the five children from his marriage to Cornelia, Alonzo fathered nineteen. Alonzo's Children from his marriages to Cornelia Estelle Lowrance and Ida Lillian Setzer
Elma Loftin Huffman recounted to her daughter Loretta how the family would load the horse-drawn wagon with corn & grain and would go to Murray's Mill to have it ground into meal. She said it would usually take all day. Murray's Mill, Catawba County, North Carolina
Many of Alonzo and Ida's children liven in the small two-room house on East Bandys Rd, behind the Loftin homeplace on Sherrills Ford Rd, when they were first married, including Charlie, Speedo, Sam and Os. According to the 1930 Catawba County Census, Alonzo is listed as a farmer. Living with Alonzo and Ida were their children Thelma, Elma, Allie, Daisy Pearl, Make, Sam, Os and Frances. Daughters Thelma, Elma and Allie were working at Elliott Knitting is Catawba. 1930 Catawba County Census
Last Name First Name Relation Age Occupation Industry Loftin Alonzo L. Head 54 Farmer ------ Ida Wife 45 None ------ Thelma Daughter 18 Knitter Elliott Knitting ------ Elma Daughter 18 Knitter Elliott Knitting ------ Allie Daughter 17 Knitter Elliott Knitting ------ Daisy Pearl Daughter 15 None ------ Mike Son 14 None ------ Samuel Son 11 None ------ Oscar Son 9 None ------ Frances Daughter 3 None Alonzo and Ida loved campmeeting and went to the Balls Creek Campground each year. Willie Goble Loftin said, “When the family all gathered, they needed two tents to house the crowd”. The original Loftin family tents were located at 69 & 70, the same tent used later by their daughter, Frances Cook and her husband Alvin. Most of their children had tents of their own. Sam’s tent was 298, Os’ was 297, Daisy Pearl 300, Sadie 106, Nannie 54, Charlie 183, and Allie 185.
(Left) Tents 296 (Daisy Pearl), 297, 298 (Sam), 299 (Os), 300, 301 (Right) Tents 70 & 69; Alonzo & Ida's original tent space With the Great Depression of 1929, that lasted most of the 1930s, Alonzo and his family went through many hardships. When the Depression came, many people in the community couldn't pay Alonzo the money they owed him at the feed and fertilizer store. He refused to declare bankruptcy as many others had done, saying "he still owed his creditors, and he would pay them." He lost most of his wealth as a result.
Alonzo at the store in Charlotte, 1935Alonzo owned much property in the area of the family home on Sherrills Foard Rd. and E. Bandys Rd. and down close to Center Methodist Church. Alonzo owned and operated Loftin’s Fish Lakes and the family would have big “get-togethers” there, but during the depression Alonzo lost the property.
Alonzo’s son, Charlie, worked the fields near the ponds and eventually was able to purchase the lakes and surrounding property on E. Bandy’s Rd. for himself.
Ida sold property she had inherited from her father Patrick Sylvanus Setzer (just off of Hwy 10 before Witherspoons X-Rds coming from Catawba) in order to keep the family home on Sherrills Ford Rd. All the kids and their spouses had to "sign" the deed in order for her to do this, since Patrick had willed the Claremont property to Ida and her children.
Ashamed at having lost his money, business and most of his property in Catawba County, Alonzo opened a new store in the Charlotte area, on 4th or 5th St., parallel to Trade Street and just a block or two from Tryon St. Because of the distance from Charlotte to Catawba County, he rarely came home. Frances said either Charlie or Speedo would drive Ida and her to Charlotte in an old T-Model on weekends to visit him.
Alonzo died the day before his 61st birthday on 04 Feb 1937 from locked bowels & hemorrhaging. At the time of his death, Ida was 52, Charlie 31, Speedo 30, Sadie 27, Thelma & Elma 25, Allie 23, Daisy Pearl 22, Mike 20, Sam 18, Os 16 and Frances 10.
Alonzo's Death Certificate Alonzo is buried at Center Methodist Church, the family home church. His parent Alex & Laura Loftin are also buried there. 
Center Methodist Church in Catawba and Alonzo's grave marker Alonzo's Children - December 1964
(Back Row) Os, Theodore/Speedo, Sam, Charlie, Roy
(Middle Row) Daisy Pearl, Sadie, Allie, Verdie Lee, Frances
(Front Row - Seated) Lillie, Nannie, Elma
If you have additional photos or information on Alonzo Lester Loftin, please contact me.
A special thanks to Frances Loftin Cook, Peggy Loftin Brotherton, John Smith, Boyd & Becky Goble, Martha Ann Loftin Bumgarner, Louise Loftin Potter and Elaine Lee Martin for the various photos of Alonzo and his family.
