TRUMAN ALFORD

AAFA #0005

1911–1996

DAILY HERALD

Arlington Heights, IL—Monday, 28 October 1996

Truman Alford, 85, of Lincolnshire [Lake Co.], died Saturday, Oct. 26. Arrangements were made by Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, (847) 362-3009.

In another article:

SABINE TIMES

Many, Sabine Parish, LA—Wednesday, 6 November 1996

Military graveside services for Lt. Col. Truman Alford, 85, of Lincolnshire [Lake Co.], Illinois will be conducted by an army unit from Ft. Polk Military Base in Leesville, La., at 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 30, 1996 at Ft. Jesup Cemetery. Services will be under the direction of Warren Meadows Funeral Home.

Mr. Alford was a resident of Lincolnshire for the past nine years. He was a graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., where he participated in the Army R.O.T.C. program. Following college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and began his career of 30 years. He served during World War II and the Korean Conflict and retired as a Lt. Colonel. He also served as a tour in Military Intelligence at The Pentagon.

Lt. Col. Alford is survived by his wife, Margaret Parnell Alford of Lincolnshire and a daughter Martha (Bernard) Alford Marks of Riverwoods, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his parents, Christopher and Molly Alford, and also by two sisters and seven brothers.

From Gil Alford:

Truman Alford is another dear friend and cousin who has departed, and he will be missed. Truman worked with us almost from the beginning of our Alford program. We began to correspond in 1984 and over the years he contributed much information and introduced several people to AAFA. I believe he was my first live contact with the Alfords of West Louisiana—or the Sabine Parish Alfords.

After a very active correspondence for about a year, we had the good fortune to meet Truman and Margaret in September 1985. They stopped over on a trip to Chicago to see their daughter, Martha. We had a lovely visit and I remember some of the strangest things—they had a new Oldsmobile, Margaret gave us a jar of some of the best fig preserves I have ever eaten, and Truman liked to kick off his shoes when he sat and talked. Of course we talked a lot about our Alford ancestors. I don’t remember the details of all those discussions but we do have it all in writing from Truman.

One thing that he told me that I have always found interesting. It happened decades before any attempts to connect and “organize” Alfords. When Truman saw Landon Alford of Henderson, Rusk County, TX, come aboard with our Alford work, he informed me that during the war he was stationed at Camp Maxey, Paris, TX. While there Landon’s late uncle Jesse B. Alford and wife Lucille shared their house with Truman and Margaret. He commented about what wonderful folks they were. I doubt very seriously if anyone had the least idea that they were distant cousins.

As you look back through the old issues of our AAFA quarterly you will frequently find information that was submitted by Truman Alford. We will always remember him.

From a letter we received from Truman’s wife Margaret:

Truman was, as he wanted to be, under hospice care at home and was as comfortable as one could be—never complaining and still the host for company we had.

Truman and his family had received the news that he had terminal cancer in lung and lymph nodes after several extensive examinations at hospitals in the Chicago area.

After that several families who were our friends visited and Truman drove us all over the Great Lakes area, eating out at Truman’s favorite places and playing bridge for hours.

Most recently Truman was using extra oxygen and the other things the hospice had furnished and otherwise had fairly normal days. When he slept, I slept in a chair nearby. On the day of his death, I woke up, noticed that his breathing was weaker, and called our daughter Martha and her husband. When they arrived I went to the door to let them in, and when we got to the room Truman was gone.

The family flew from Chicago to Shreveport, LA and then drove to Truman’s home town of Many, where he was buried in Ft. Jesup cemetery with many other Alfords. Fort Polk, LA sent a military honor guard for the burial.

AAFA NOTES: SSDI records do not list his death.

We published the obituaries of his parents, Christopher Columbus Alford Sr. and Mollie Ann Smith Alford; and his siblings Arthur Alford, Christopher Columbus Alford Jr., Isabelle Alford Gandy, Willie Cecil Alford, and William Roy Alford in the Louisiana Obituaries compilation.

His lineage: Truman 1911 LA¹, Christopher Columtus 1868 LA², William Riley 1842 LA³, Julius C. 1797 GA⁴, Jacob 1761 NC⁵, Julius 1717 VA⁶, James 1687 VA⁷, John 1645 VA⁸.