Documents from His Life

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT 

Ralph was born in Franklin County, Tennessee, on September 30, 1928, one of twin sons born to Leslie Stovall and Hester Martin Stovall. His father was recorded as a farmer, while his mother's occupation was listed as housewife.

One particularly meaningful detail is the name recorded for the child: “Ralph Stovall.” Although he was later known officially as James Ralph Stovall, Ralph was the name by which he was known throughout his early life in Tennessee. This birth record provides an early documentary connection to the name his family and community knew him by.

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT 

On April 9, 1943, fourteen-year-old Ralph Stovall completed the elementary course of study at Hickory Grove School in Franklin County, Tennessee. The certificate, awarded by the Franklin County Board of Education, entitled him to enter the first year of high school.

Preserved by the family for more than eighty years, the certificate provides a surviving record of Ralph’s education and places him at Hickory Grove School during the spring of 1943.

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT  

Ralph registered with the Selective Service on September 30, 1946, his eighteenth birthday. At the time, he was living on Route 1 in Huntland, Tennessee, and listed himself as self-employed. His mother, Hester Stovall, was named as the person who would always know his address.

The reverse of the card records additional identifying information about the eighteen-year-old Ralph, including his physical description, and shows that he registered through the Franklin County local board in Winchester, Tennessee.

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT 

On July 26, 1952, James Ralph Stovall and Betty Jane Nonnweiler were married in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The certificate was preserved in its original envelope and records an important turning point in Ralph's life as his military years gave way to marriage and family life.

Among those who witnessed the marriage was Betty's brother, John Nonnweiler, adding another personal family connection to this surviving document.

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT 

Ralph was inducted into the U.S. Army on November 24, 1950. After completing his period of active service, he was transferred to the Army Reserve on August 28, 1952.

This certificate, dated March 20, 1957, marks the completion of his remaining military obligation and his honorable discharge from the Army of the United States. It was awarded as a testimonial of his “Honest and Faithful Service.”

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT  

This employee identification badge was issued to James R. Stovall by the Interlake Steel Corporation's Riverdale Plant on February 22, 1966. The badge includes Ralph's employee photograph, physical description, signature, and employee number.

Ralph spent much of his working life at the steel mill, which had previously operated as Acme Steel. This surviving badge provides a personal glimpse of Ralph during those working years and documents an important part of his life in Illinois.

One curious detail on the badge is Ralph's eye color, which is recorded as brown. Family members remember Ralph's eyes as blue, making this a small example of how information recorded on an official record does not always match what a family knows firsthand.

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIFACT  

At some point in his life, Ralph began recording his family history on this large preprinted family tree. In his own handwriting, he traced branches of both his Stovall and Martin families, recording the names of parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, spouses, children, and other relatives.

The chart was never completely filled in, and the date Ralph worked on it is unknown. What survives is a personal record of his interest in where his family came from and the people who came before him. Preserved with the family's papers, the handwritten tree has special meaning today as the Stovall Heritage Foundation continues the work of researching, documenting, and preserving the family's history for future generations.