Wade & Webb Family History

Reuben Walden Webb1903–1976

Kellyton · Birmingham · Tampa · Royal Oak

Born at Kellyton, Alabama, in 1903 and raised in Birmingham, Reuben Walden Webb went by his middle name, Walden, as a boy. He married Mary Katherine Cranford in 1923, but by 1930 each was living again in a parent's household. He later moved to Glynn County, Georgia, and then to Michigan, where he died in 1976.

On this page
  1. Family Record
  2. Life
  3. Documents (1)
  4. Places
  5. Timeline
  6. Open questions
  7. Searches made
  8. Notes

Birth

  1. 3 Jan 1903 Kellyton, Coosa, Alabama 1

Marriages

  1. Date unknown Eleanor Evans
  2. 13 Jul 1923 Mary Katherine Cranford, at Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama 6

Death and burial

  1. Jan 1976 Death: Clawson, Oakland, Michigan

Family

Parents
James Pleasant Webb 1869–1965
Lila Walden 1877–1937
Marriage 1
Eleanor Evans 1913–1989
Children
1 living child, not shown
Marriage 2, 13 Jul 1923
Mary Katherine Cranford 1904–1976
Children
Jean Katherine Webb 1925–?

Line of descent Webb line

  1. Reuben Walden Webb
  2. Brother of Hilda Webb
  3. William Albert Webb Wade, son

Uncle of Webb Wade, from whom this history is traced. Why Webb Wade?

Life

Reuben Walden Webb was born on 3 January 1903 at Kellyton, Coosa County, Alabama, a son of James Pleasant Webb and his wife Lila Walden; the FamilySearch tree gives the date and place without an attached source.1 His parents had married in Coosa County on 24 February 1901, and his younger brother Harris Palmer Webb and sister Hilda were born in 1905 and 1908.2 His father also had four children by his first wife, Elba Lively, who died in 1899.3

Birmingham

In his early records he is called by his middle name.4 The federal census of 1910 listed "Walden Webb" in the household of James P. Webb in the twelfth ward of Birmingham, Jefferson County, and in August 1912 he was one of the three children, "Walden, Palmer and Hilda," who came with their parents from Birmingham to a reunion of the Webb family at the old homestead of his grandparents, Charles David Webb and his wife, near Kellyton.4 The census of 1920 again found him in his father's household in Birmingham, indexed as "Walden R Webb."5

A first marriage

On 13 July 1923 Reuben Walden Webb married Mary Katherine Cranford in Jefferson County; the marriage is indexed several times in the Alabama county marriage records, in some entries with her name spelled Mary Kathryn, and the tree places it at Birmingham.6 The tree names a daughter of the marriage, Jean Katherine Webb, born in 1925.7 The tree also records a divorce "before 1930," without a source.8 The census of 1930 supports a separation: it listed him as "Waldon Webb" in his father's household in Birmingham, and his wife as Katherine C. Webb in the household of her father, Houston C. Cranford.9 Inference The two households in 1930 make it likely that the couple had separated by then, but the divorce itself has not been documented.9

Georgia and Michigan

The tree places him at Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, in 1935.10 By the federal census of 1940 he was living in District 26 of Glynn County, Georgia, enumerated as R. W. Webb, with Eleanor Webb in his household.11 In 1941 he registered for the draft of the Second World War at Brunswick, Glynn County, under his full name, Reuben Walden Webb.12 Eleanor, born Eleanor Evans on 23 September 1913, is recorded in the tree as his second wife, though no record of their marriage is attached.13

The census of 11 April 1950 found Reuben W. Webb and Eleanor L. Webb at Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan.14 He died on 23 January 1976, according to the Michigan death index; the tree places his death at Clawson, Oakland County.15 Eleanor survived him and died at St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1989.16

Documents

  1. 16 August 1912 Webb Family Reunion: Together at Old Homestead Near Kellyton—Four Generations Represented The Alexander City Outlook (Alexander City, Alabama) · clipping

Places

  1. 1903Kellyton
  2. 1910–1930Jefferson
  3. 1935Tampa
  4. 1940Glynn
  5. 1941Brunswick
  6. 1950Royal Oak
  7. 1976Clawson

Timeline

  1. 3 Jan 1903BirthKellyton, Coosa, Alabama
  2. 1910ResidenceBirmingham Ward 12, Jefferson, Alabama
  3. 1920ResidenceBirmingham, Jefferson, Alabama
  4. 13 Jul 1923Marriage, Mary Katherine CranfordBirmingham, Jefferson, Alabama
  5. 1930ResidenceBirmingham, Jefferson, Alabama
  6. before 1930Divorce, Mary Katherine Cranford
  7. 1935ResidenceTampa, Hillsborough, Florida
  8. 1940ResidenceDistrict 26, Glynn, Georgia
  9. 1941Military Draft RegistrationBrunswick, Glynn, Georgia
  10. 11 Apr 1950ResidenceRoyal Oak, Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan
  11. Jan 1976DeathClawson, Oakland, Michigan

Open questions

None recorded yet.

Searches made

  1. 2026-11-08Bulk review of Matt's OneDrive genealogy folder (Phase 3): all documents transcribed and compared with the tree1 document(s) name this person; see Documents above. Conflicts and new facts are in each document record and in research/sources/document-review-2026-11-08.md

Notes

  1. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: birth 3 Jan 1903, Kellyton, Coosa, Alabama, no source attached, parents James Pleasant Webb and Lila Walden back to the text
  2. "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992", FamilySearch, J. P. Webb and Lila Walden, 24 Feb 1901. Record: J. P. Webb and Lila Walden, 24 Feb 1901 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-SVD (their page): born 5 Nov 1905 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-QPY (their page): born 29 Oct 1908 back to the text
  3. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-7ZS (their page): children of James Pleasant Webb and Elba Lively FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-SMX (their page): Elba Lively, 1878–1899 back to the text
  4. "United States, Census, 1910", FamilySearch, Walden Webb in entry for James P Webb, 1910. Record: Walden Webb in the household of James P Webb, 1910 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: residence 1910, Birmingham Ward 12 Webb Family Reunion: Together at Old Homestead Near Kellyton—Four Generations Represented, The Alexander City Outlook (Alexander City, Alabama): James Pleasant Webb and wife and their three children, Walden, Palmer and Hilda, Birmingham, Ala. back to the text
  5. "United States, Census, 1920", FamilySearch, Walden R Webb in entry for Jas P Webb, 1920. Record: Walden R Webb in the household of Jas P Webb, 1920 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: residence 1920, Birmingham back to the text
  6. "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992", FamilySearch, Reuben Walden Webb and Mary Katherine Cranford, 13 Jul 1923. Record: Reuben Walden Webb, 13 July 1923 "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992", FamilySearch, Reuben Walden Webb and Mary Katherine Cranford, 13 Jul 1923. Record: Reuben Walden Webb and Mary Katherine Cranford, 13 Jul 1923 "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992", FamilySearch, Reuben Walden Webb and Mary Kathryn Cranford, 13 Jul 1923. Record: Reuben Walden Webb and Mary Kathryn Cranford, 13 Jul 1923 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: marriage 13 Jul 1923, Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama back to the text
  7. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: child Jean Katherine Webb, 1925 back to the text
  8. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: divorce: before 1930, no place, no source attached back to the text
  9. "United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch, Waldon Webb in entry for James P Webb, 1930. Record: Waldon Webb in entry for James P Webb, 1930 "United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch, Katherine C Webb in entry for Houston C Cranford, 1930. Record: Katherine C Webb in entry for Houston C Cranford, 1930 back to the text
  10. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: residence 1935, Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida back to the text
  11. "United States, Census, 1940", FamilySearch, R W Webb, 1940. Record: R W Webb, 1940 "United States, Census, 1940", FamilySearch, Eleanor Webb in entry for R W Webb, 1940. Record: Eleanor Webb in entry for R W Webb, 1940 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: residence 1940, District 26, Glynn, Georgia back to the text
  12. "Georgia, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", FamilySearch, Reuben Walden Webb, 1941. Record: Reuben Walden Webb, Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1941 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: draft registration 1941, Brunswick, Glynn, Georgia back to the text
  13. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile PWHC-GMX (their page): Eleanor Evans, born 23 Sep 1913, spouse Reuben Walden Webb, no marriage event "Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998", FamilySearch, Eleanor Evans Webb, 19 Mar 1989. Record: Eleanor Evans Webb, Florida Death Index back to the text
  14. "United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch, Reuben W Webb, April 11, 1950. Record: Reuben W Webb, April 11, 1950 "United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch, Eleanor L Webb in entry for Reuben W Webb, April 11, 1950. Record: Eleanor L Webb in entry for Reuben W Webb, April 11, 1950 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: residence 11 Apr 1950, Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan back to the text
  15. "Michigan, Death Index, 1971-1996", FamilySearch, Reuben W Webb, 23 Jan 1976. Record: Reuben W Webb, Michigan Death Index, 23 Jan 1976 "United States, Social Security Death Index," , FamilySearch, Reuben Webb, Jan 1976; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). Record: Reuben Webb, Social Security Death Index, Jan 1976 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile LY3H-4MS: death Jan 1976, Clawson, Oakland, Michigan back to the text
  16. "Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998", FamilySearch, Eleanor Evans Webb, 19 Mar 1989. Record: Eleanor Evans Webb, 19 Mar 1989 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile PWHC-GMX (their page): death 19 Mar 1989, Saint Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida back to the text
Every FamilySearch record attached to Reuben Walden Webb (15)
  1. 1910Walden Webb in household of James P Webb, "United States Census, 1910"
  2. 1920Walden R Webb in household of Jas P Webb, "United States Census, 1920"
  3. 13 Jul 1923Reuben Walden Webb, "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992"
  4. 13 Jul 1923Reuben Walden Webb, "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992"
  5. 13 Jul 1923Reuben Walden Webb, "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950"
  6. 13 July 1923Reuben Walden Webb, "Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957"
  7. 1930Waldon Webb, "United States, Census, 1930"
  8. 1940R W Webb, "United States, Census, 1940"
  9. 1941Reuben Walden Webb, "Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945"
  10. 1950<Unknown>, "United States, Census, 1950"
  11. 23 Jan 1976Reuben W Webb, "Michigan, Death Index, 1971-1996"
  12. Jan 1976Reuben Webb, "United States, Social Security Death Index"
  13. 13 Jul 1923Entry for Reuben Walden Webb and Mary Katherine Cranford, "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950"
  14. 13 Jul 1923Mary Katherine Cranford, "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950"
  15. 13 Jul 1923Mary Kathryn Cranford, "Alabama County Marriages, 1711-1992"