Jennie RING of Sharp County, Arkansas

I was recently asked to look into the ancestry and family of Jennie RING of Arkansas. She was born 27 JUN 1910 (source: SSDI) and died 08 JUN 1991 in Arizona. Her spouse was Jewell SPURLOCK. Her father was Bud RING, a Cherokee Indian. That's what I knew when I started. I went into the 1910 census index hoping that I could identify the family. It was easy because Jennie, supposedly born in 1910, was already 10 months old at the time of the 1910 census.

1910 census ED 129, sheet 2A Washington Twp., Sharp County, Arkansas
Evening Shade and Calamine Road
RING, Bud 32, md1, 4 yrs, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Dollie 20, md1, 4 yrs, 2/2, AR AR AR
RING, Cera (?) son, 3, AR
RING, Jennie dau, 10m, AR
[next door]
RING, Baxter 23, single, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Cass mother, 61, widow, AR AR AR

Looking forward, we find:
1920 census ED 132, sheet 7A Big Creek Twp., Sharp County, Arkansas
Evening Shade and Calamine Road
13 JAN 1920
RING, Bud head, 42, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Dolly wife, 30, AR AR AR
RING, Coy son, 11, AR
RING, Jinnie dau, 9, AR
RING, Jasper son, 8, AR
RING, Jesse son, 5, AR
RING, Woodrow son, 3y5m, AR
RING, May dau, 3m

So the confusion over her year of birth was already fixed by 1920.

The 1930 census is a thing of beauty, tying people together as few sources can.

ED 23, Sheets 1B and onward Washington Twp, Sharp County, Arkansas
23 APR 1930
Sheet 1B
RING, Fred head, 19, md at 19, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Iona wife, 16, md at 16, AR AR AR Sheet 2A
RING, Frank P. head, 35, md at 20, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Ader A. wife, 29, md at 14, MO AR AR
RING, Thomas C. son, 12, AR
RING, Ruby M. dau, 10, AR
RING, Johnie C. son, 6, AR
RING, Kathlene L. dau, 1, AR
[next door]
SPURLOCK, Jewel A. head, 28, md at 22, AR AR AR, farmer
SPURLOCK, Jennie P. wife, 20, md at 18, AR AR AR
SPURLOCK, J.C. son, 5 months, AR
RING, Jasper N. bro-in-law, 18, AR AR AR, farmer
[NOTE: The marriage ages indicate that Jennie was Jewel's 2nd wife.]
[Next door]
RING, Christopher C. head, 76, md at 18, AR TN NC, farmer
RING, Casander wife, 76, md at 17, AR TN TN
[Next door]
RING, William T. head, 52, md at 25, AR AR AR , farmer
RING, Easter D. wife, 40, md at 15, AR AR AR
RING, Jeff son, 16, AR
RING, Woodrow son, 13, AR
RING, May dau, 10, AR
RING, Kennard B. son, 7, AR
RING, Jewel P. dau, 4, AR
RING, Beatrice dau, 11 months, AR
[5 doors away]
RING, Dave N. head, 46, widowed, md at 19, AR AR AR , farmer
RING, Monnie E. dau, 18, AR AR AR
RING, Zetta M. dau, 13, AR
RING, Hazel I. dau, 12, AR

Sheet 2B
RING, James C. head, 44, md at 18, AR NC AR, farmer
RING, Alice E. wife, 43, md at 17, AR AR AR
RING, Edd son, 27, single, AR AR AR, farmer
[Next door]
RING, George C. head, 20, md at 20, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Maurine wife, 16, md at 16, AR AR AR
[Next door]
RING, Sanford C. head, 37, md at 22, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Lou wife, 32, md at 16, AR AR AR
RING, Alan C. son, 15, AR
RING, Olan O. son, 13, AR
RING, Opal O. dau, 12, AR
RING, A.C. son, 3, AR
[2 doors away]
RING, Coy head, 21, md at 21, AR AR AR, farmer
RING, Janie wife, 15, md at 15, AR AR AR

What have we learned so far? Jennie was the daughter of William T. "Bud" RING and Easter D. "Dolly". Bud was very likely the son of Cassandra. Cassandra was a widow in 1910 and 1920 bud married to another Mr. RING in 1930. We've also learned that the family was in Sharp County, Arkansas for a long time.

The Arkansas State Death Index (http://www.ancestry.com/) shows the death of Cassander RING on 04 JUL 1939 in Sharp County.

I can't complete this post without also seeing the 1900 census.

ED 116, sheet 8B Washington Twp., Sharp County, Arkansas
20 JUN 1900
RING, David head, FEB 1864, 36, md 10 yrs, AR TN TN, farmer
RING, Wanda wife, MAY 1875, 25, mother of 4, 3 living, AR AR AR
RING, Hariet dau, NOV 1892, 7, AR
RING, Maud dau, JAN 1894, 6, AR
RING, Earl son, MAR 1899, 1, AR
[Three doors down]
RING, Hea (?) head, JUN 1850, 50, md 31 yrs, NC NC NC, farmer
RING, Julie An wife, APR 1851, 49, mother of 13, 11 living, AR TN TN
RING, John H. son, JAN 1883, 17, AR
RING, Margaret dau, SEP 1885, 14, AR
RING, Johnie son, JUL 1888, 11, AR
RING, Jessie son, JUL 1888, 11, AR
RING, Iddo son, NOV 1893, 6, AR
RING, Effie O. dau, FEB 1898, 2, AR
[Two doors down]
RING, Clay C. head, SEP 1853, 46, md 27 yrs, AR TN, NC, farmer
RING, Casanda wife, JAN 1852, 48, mother of 13, 10 living, AR TN TN
RING, Elizabeth dau, FEB 1882, 18, AR
RING, David N. son, JUL 1883, 16, AR
RING, Joseph B. son, APR 1886, 14, AR
RING, Sanford son, MAY 1893, 7, AR
RING, Samiel son, MAY 1894, 6, AR
RING, Frank son, MAY 1896, 4, AR

Salt Lake City (http://www.familysearch.org/) has vital records for Sharp County, Arkansas on microfilm as follows: Marriage records, 1880-1968

O.K., so I should stop here, but the 1880 census is just too interesting.

Washington Twp., Sharp County, Arkansas ED 190, sheet 109A
RING, Clay head, 26, AR TN NC, farmer
RING, Casander wife, 26, AR TN TN
RING, Jennetta P. dau, 4, AR
RING, William T. son, 3, AR
RING, Cora L. B. dau, 11 months (JUN 1879)

1870 census
Page 19/343
Piney Fork Twp, Evening Shade P.O., Sharp County, Arkansas (created in 1868 from Lawrence County)
25 JUL 1870
RING, James T. 41, farmer, TN
RING, Mary E. 39, keeping house, NC
RING, Clay 16, AR
RING, Lizy A. 14, AR
RING, Arminty 12, AR
RING, Martan 8, AR
RING, Jasper 6, AR
RING, Virginia 3, AR
RING, Almeda 7 months (DEC), AR
[next door]
RING, James 58, farmer, NC
RING, Purneler 54, keeping house, NC
RING, Taylor 22, farm laborer, NC
[next door]
RING, D.C. 19, farmer, NC
RING, Julia A. 18, keeping house, AR
[next door]
RING, Hariett 32, keeping house, TN
RING, Casander 16, AR
RING, Franklin P. 10, AR
RING, Malissa J. 8, AR
RING, John D. 6, AR
RING, Missouri (f) 1, AR

1860 census
Piney Fork Twp, Evening Shade P.O., Lawrence County, Arkansas
04 AUG 1860
RING, William 28, farmer, 400 in real estate/350 in personal estate, TN
RING, Elizabeth 24, TN
RING, Cathanda 6, AR
RING, Franklin P. 7 months, AR
[3 doors down, continuing onto the next page]
RING, James T. 33, farmer, 550/515, TN
RING, Mary E. 28, NC
RING, Christopher C. 6, AR
RING, Eliza A. 4, AR
RING, Arminta O. 2, AR
RING, James C. 24, laborer, NC
[2 doors down]
RING, Martin 42, farmer, 1500/1180, NC
RING, Mary 40, NC

And for good measure, because they lived among the others later in 1870:

Gainsboro Twp, Independence County, Arkansas
Page 129
P.O. Rust
15 JUL 1860
RING, James 48, farmer, 800/500, NC
RING, Perneller 46, NC
RING, Wm. H. H. 20, farmer, NC
RING, Zachariah T. 13, NC
RING, Dewit C. 9, NC

1850 census
Forsyth County, North Carolina
Pages 211-212
16 NOV 1850
RING, Martin 32, farmer, NC
RING, Mary 30, NC
RING, Sarah A. 6, NC
[Next door]
RING, James 38, farmer, NC
RING, Purnella 35, NC
RING, Mary E. 18, NC
RING, James C. 13, NC
RING, William H. H. 9, NC
RING, Augustin H. S. 5, NC
RING, Zacary T. 2, NC

Piney Fork, Twp, Lawrence County, Arkansas
Page 191
04 OCT 1850
RING, Joseph P. 55, farmer, NC
RING, Carmila 40, NC
RING, James T. 22, farmer, TN
RING, Nancy L. 21, TN
RING, William R. 19, farmer, TN
RING, Morgin M. 11, TN (male)
RING, Carmila 9, AR
RING, Margaret 7, AR

Let’s review:
Jennie RING, born 1909, was the daughter of
William T. "Bud" RING, born abt 1887 in Arkansas, who was the son of
Christopher Clay RING, born SEP 1853 in Arkansas, who was the son of
James T. RING, born about 1827 in Tennessee, who was the son of
Joseph P. RING, born about 1795 in North Carolina.

Yep, that'll do it for now.