I have been working on Swinnie/Hall genealogy for the past several days and I’m not sure that I have a complete and accurate family trees but I’m going to publish what I have and hope that there are family members or others who will comment.

Both families originated in Texas. The Swinnie Family seems to have lived in Washington County, Texas a fact verified both by census records and Maple Hill Cemetery records.

The Joe Swinnie that lived in Maple Hill, was the son of Joseph Swinnie, born in Washington County, Texas in June of 1862 and Elizabeth (Tawney) Swinnie.. The 1900 Census records the Joseph Swinnie family living in Washington County, Texas. He is a widower with three children living at home: Paul Swinnie born in Oct. 1888, Joseph Swinnie born in June 1892 and Elizabeth Swinnie born in July 1896. I did find a death certificate for Paul Sweeney in which it identifies his father as Joseph Swinnie and his mother as Elizabeth (Tawney) Swinnie. He was born October 16, 1888 and died December 11, 1959 at Rusk, Cherokee, Texas, USA.

I also found Joseph Swinnie’s World War I Draft Registration. It is dated APril 13, 1918. He is married and has two children and is a farm laborer. He and his family are living in Washington County, Texas. He was not able to read or write at that time.

Joseph/Joe Swinnie first appears in the U. S. Census of Maple Hill, Wabaunsee County, Kansas in June 1925. He is married to wife Sylvia and they have two children, Willie Swinnie age 4 and Chester L. Swinnie age 1. They are living on Fowler Avenue between 6th and 7th Street and their next door neighbors are Harry Hall (age 43) and his wife Rhoda Hall (age 45.) Harry Hall was born in Kansas and Rhoda Hall in Texas. Both Joe and Harry are listed as day laborers.

On the 1940 US Census, both families are still living on Fowler Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets. Joe Swinnie and Harry Hall are both listed as section hands working for the Rock Island Railroad. Sylvia is listed as a housewife and Rhoda Hall as a domestic for private families.

If Harry and Rhoda Hall had children, I have not been able to find them on any US Census Reports.

In 1940, Joe and Sylvia Swinnie had two children living at home: Chester L who was age 16 and Jimmy (James) who was age 14.

The Topeka City Directory from 1948 through 1957, list Joe and Sylvia Swinnie as living in Topeka, Kansas where he was at first employed by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and then retired from the C-RI-P Railroad.

Joseph Swinnie died in 1958 and his wife Sylvia Swinnie applied for a Military Headstone for his grave at the Maple Hill Cemetery. They were living at 2209 Adams in Topeka, Kansas at the time of his death. It states that he was enlisted on April 29, 1918 and honorably discharged on December 16, 1918. He was in the US Army, 12th Company, 165th Depot Brigade. His birthday is listed as February 2, 1890 and his death date as February 13, 1958.

Sylvia Swinnie was still alive in 1991 when she gave permission for her son William Swinnie to be buried in the family plot at the Old Stone Church. I have not been able to find death or burial information for Sylvia Swinnie.

Harry and Rhoda Hall are buried in the Old Stone Church Cemetery at Maple Hill, Kansas. Harry passed away April 18, 1951 and Rhoda Hall on March 20, 1962.

It is my assumption, that Sylvia Swinnie and Rhoda Hall were closely related, either sisters or cousins, but I have not found any evidence of that. When Rhoda Hall died and was buried in Maple Hill, Sylvia Swinnie was listed as the contact person for the burial but no relationship is given.

That’s about all I have been able to find for these two families. If others have memories or information, please leave comments.