From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (African American Women Veterans in and from Kentucky)
Military Branch
Women's Army Corps
Active Duty Entered
July 11, 1944
Active Duty Exit
December 18, 1945
Notes
Alma Eloise Caldwell was born in Louisville, KY, the daughter of Jessie Pitts and Collis Caldwell. The family is enumerated in the 1920 U.S. Census. Her mother was from Missouri. In 1940, Alma Caldwell was living with her aunt, Elizabeth Pitts, in St. Louis, MO, according to the 1940 U.S. Census.
At some point after 1940, Alma Kairson had been living in Los Angeles, CA; she separated from her husband, then moved back to St. Louis, where she enlisted in the Army, according to her enlistment record in Ancestry. She completed her basic training at Fort Des Moines, IA and was assigned to duty in Fresno, CA.
After her military service, Alma Kairson returned to St. Louis, where in 1946 she was the reporter for the Parkview Riding Club. In 1948 she married Cornelius Thomas Turner in Washington, D.C.; the couple later divorced. In 1959, Alma married Robert C. Barrett, and they later divorced. Alma Barrett continued living in California, where she died in Riverside in 2002.
Sources: Washington, D.C. Marriage Records in Ancestry; U.S. Social Security Death Index in Ancestry; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File in Ancestry; California Divorce Index in Ancestry; "The St. Louis Wacs ...," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 3/26/1945, p. 13; and "Riding club hosts gala 'Slouch' Party," The Pittsburgh Courier, 8/31/1946, p. 3.
At some point after 1940, Alma Kairson had been living in Los Angeles, CA; she separated from her husband, then moved back to St. Louis, where she enlisted in the Army, according to her enlistment record in Ancestry. She completed her basic training at Fort Des Moines, IA and was assigned to duty in Fresno, CA.
After her military service, Alma Kairson returned to St. Louis, where in 1946 she was the reporter for the Parkview Riding Club. In 1948 she married Cornelius Thomas Turner in Washington, D.C.; the couple later divorced. In 1959, Alma married Robert C. Barrett, and they later divorced. Alma Barrett continued living in California, where she died in Riverside in 2002.
Sources: Washington, D.C. Marriage Records in Ancestry; U.S. Social Security Death Index in Ancestry; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File in Ancestry; California Divorce Index in Ancestry; "The St. Louis Wacs ...," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 3/26/1945, p. 13; and "Riding club hosts gala 'Slouch' Party," The Pittsburgh Courier, 8/31/1946, p. 3.
Kentucky County & Region
Read about Jefferson County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Kentucky Place (Town or City)
Read about Louisville, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Outside Kentucky Place Name
Item Relations
Cited in this Entry
| NKAA Source: Ancestry (online) |
| NKAA Source: St. Louis globe-Democrat (newspapers) |
| NKAA Source: The Pittsburgh courier (newspaper) |
| NKAA Source: National Archives, Access to Archival Databases (online) |
Related Entries Citing this Entry
| none |
Cite This NKAA Entry:
“Barrett, Alma Eloise Caldwell Kairson Turner,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed July 26, 2024, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/index.php/items/show/300004378.
Last modified: 2023-05-15 15:29:44