2A-N: Martin Jones Guthrie
Guthrie Family Group 2A · Branch N · Child Page
Martin Jones Guthrie
& Oca Jim Close
Martin: 1909–1995 · Oca: 1915–2006
Robertson, Sumner & Davidson Counties, Tennessee
Martin Jones Guthrie was a son of William Washington Guthrie and Savannah Mary “Vann” Wheeler. His early records place him in Robertson County and later in his brother Bud’s Sumner County household, alongside their widowed father and younger sister Evie.
Martin married Oca Jim Close in 1933. They raised two daughters and two sons, moving from Goodlettsville to Nashville before returning to the Goodlettsville area. Their story includes changing work, reported wartime service and the loss of a young son.
The Family at a Glance
Martin Jones Guthrie
- Birth
- 26 January 1909, Tennessee, as recorded in the Social Security Death Index. Robertson County is suggested by the family’s residence; an exact birthplace remains to be established.
- Parents
- William Washington Guthrie and Savannah Mary “Vann” Wheeler.
- Marriage
- 26 February 1933, Sumner County, Tennessee, to Oca Jim Close.
- Work & Service
- Farming in the 1940 census index. The earlier account also reports warehouse work and service as a U.S. Army private first class during World War II.
- Death
- 7 August 1995, aged 86. Goodlettsville was his last residence in the Social Security index; a death record is needed to confirm the place of death.
- Burial
- Reported at White Hill Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Millersville, Sumner County, in his family profile.
Oca Jim Close
- Birth
- Reported as 8 August 1915, Tennessee, in her family profile. The exact day requires confirmation.
- Marriage
- 26 February 1933, Sumner County, Tennessee. The marriage index names her as Oca Jim Close.
- 1935 Residence
- Goodlettsville, according to the later census entry.
- 1940 Household
- Wife, aged 24, in Nashville, Davidson County, with Martin and their four children.
- Death
- Reported as 18 November 2006, Springfield, Robertson County, Tennessee, aged 91.
- Further Research
- Her original vital records and obituary are needed to verify her parents, exact birthday and burial particulars.
Their Family
The 1940 census index records two daughters and two sons in Martin and Oca’s household. Their youngest child died in childhood.
| Child | Life Dates | Family Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Taylor Guthrie | Born in 1939; died 16 August 1949, according to the family profile and funeral-record abstract. | The abstract identifies Martin J. Guthrie and his wife as the parents. The 1940 index lists an infant as Robert F. Guthrie; the middle initial needs checking against the original census. |
Source: Cole and Garrett Funeral Home Records and Obituaries, 1923–1964, Robert Taylor Guthrie entry, abstracted on the Guthrie Genealogy Tennessee resources page. The underlying funeral record remains to be reviewed.
Martin’s Sisters & Brothers
Historical Highlights
From a Rural Household to Nashville
Martin’s childhood was spent in Robertson County. By 1930, after his mother’s death, he was living with his older brother Bud in Sumner County. Their father William and younger sister Evie were also members of that household.
Martin and Oca married three years later. Their 1940 census index looks back to a Goodlettsville farm residence in 1935, then places the family in a rented Nashville home. Four young children were living with them.
Work, Service and Family Ties
The earlier family account describes Martin as a warehouse clerk and a World War II Army private first class. The 1940 index instead labels his occupation as farming. Original census, employment and service records can establish the sequence of these activities.
The family later returned to the Goodlettsville area. Lena’s 1973 obituary identifies her surviving brother Martin at Ridgetop, providing another dated reference to his life in Tennessee.
Family Timeline
-
1909–1920
A son in William and Savannah’s family
Martin’s recorded birthday is 26 January 1909.
Open the evidence & source
The Social Security Death Index supplies the exact date. His childhood census entries place him with his parents in Robertson County: Civil District 7 in 1910 and Civil District 10 in 1920, when he was recorded as ten.
The early age transcriptions vary. The 1910 entry has been described as one year and as eleven months; later records also suggest about 1910. These differences should be compared with original records rather than used to invent a second exact birthday.
Sources: 1910 U.S. census, Robertson County, ED 160, sheet 6B; 1920 census index and family profile; Social Security Death Index, M. J. Guthrie.
-
1930
Living with his brother Bud
Martin was recorded as a single brother in a Sumner County household.
Open the evidence & source
The index places the family on the Louisville and Nashville Pike, District 7, dwelling 172, family 187. Martin was twenty. His widowed father and younger sister were also present.
The head is indexed W. J. Guthrie, identified in the family reconstruction as William Taylor “Bud” Guthrie. Preserve the indexed initials when locating the record.
Source: 1930 U.S. census index, Martin Guthrie in the W. J. Guthrie household, District 7, Sumner County, Tennessee.
-
1933
Marriage to Oca Jim Close
The indexed marriage date is 26 February 1933.
Open the evidence & source
The Tennessee marriage index names Martin Jones Guthrie and Oca Jim Close, married in Sumner County. It records Martin as twenty-three, differing from the twenty-four years implied by his reported January 1909 birthday.
The complete license and officiant’s return are needed for the original age statement, residences, witnesses and any additional family information.
Source: Tennessee State Marriages, 1780–2002, Martin Jones Guthrie and Oca Jim Close, Sumner County, 26 February 1933.
-
1935–1940
Goodlettsville to Nashville
The later census records a move from a farm residence to a city household.
Open the evidence & source
The 1940 index places Martin and Oca on 14th Avenue North in Nashville, sheet 2B, household 32. The home was rented and classified as nonfarm. Their reported 1935 residence was a farm in Goodlettsville.
Martin was thirty, Oca twenty-four, and the four children ranged from infancy to six years. Martin’s education is indexed as fourth grade and his occupation as farming. The original sheet is needed to compare the occupational and employment columns with the earlier warehouse-clerk account.
Source: 1940 U.S. census index, Martin J. Guthrie household, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, sheet 2B.
-
World War II
Reported Army service
The earlier account identifies Martin as a private first class in the U.S. Army.
Open the evidence & source
This service description is retained as a research lead. An original discharge, service file or veterans’ record has not been established here. No unit, enlistment or discharge dates, overseas posting, combat service or decoration should be inferred from the rank alone.
Source: Earlier Branch N family account; original military documentation still needed.
-
1949
The loss of a young son
Robert Taylor Guthrie died during childhood.
Open the evidence & source
His family profile gives 1939–1949. The Cole and Garrett funeral-record abstract provides a fuller date and identifies his parents and surviving siblings. The original record could add his exact birthday, burial information and other contemporary details.
Sources: Robert Taylor Guthrie family entry; Cole and Garrett Funeral Home Records and Obituaries, 1923–1964, abstract on the Tennessee resources page.
-
1973–2006
Later Tennessee records
Martin died in 1995; Oca’s profile records her death in 2006.
Open the evidence & source
Lena Stewart’s 1 December 1973 newspaper obituary places her brother Martin at Ridgetop. The Social Security Death Index records his death on 7 August 1995, with Goodlettsville as his last residence. Last residence does not establish the location of death.
Oca’s family profile reports 18 November 2006 in Springfield, Robertson County. Her obituary and death record remain important sources for confirming the details.
Sources: The Tennessean, 1 December 1973, “Mrs. Lena Stewart”; Social Security Death Index, M. J. Guthrie; Oca Jim Close family profile.
Explore the Research
Guthrie Family Group 2A · Branch N
Branch N’s Y-DNA connection to GFG2A is represented through Martin’s brother Chester’s paternal line. Martin’s own line offers an independent comparison if a documented father-to-son descendant participates.
Big Y testing is a priority for Branch N. Comparing shared downstream SNPs could identify closer connections with other GFG2A branches and help refine the family’s paternal origins.
DNA Participation
| Family / Child Line | Y-DNA Participation | Big Y Participation | Autosomal Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Jones Guthrie’s line | — | — | — |
Y-DNA, Big Y and autosomal opportunities
A documented direct paternal descendant of Martin could provide an independent Y-DNA comparison with Chester’s line. Big Y testing could also reveal shared downstream SNPs and place Branch N more precisely among tested GFG2A families. The existing branch Y-111 result is not evidence of Big Y participation.
Descendants through either sons or daughters may contribute to autosomal research when their family connections are documented. Comparisons with relatives from other children of William and Savannah may supply useful clues, while documentary records remain essential to interpreting those connections.
The unresolved identity of John Guthrie and Amanda Walker, and the proposed connection with Branch A, are discussed in the Branch N Family Hub.
Background: FamilyTreeDNA on shared variants and branch refinement.
Questions in the Records
Reconciling birthdays and census ages
Martin’s Social Security entry gives 26 January 1909. The 1930 and 1940 ages and his indexed marriage age suggest a birth closer to 1910. An original birth record, early family record and military papers may help explain the discrepancy. A rounded or incorrectly transcribed age should not silently replace the exact date in another source.
Oca’s profile reports 8 August 1915. An online entry for Oca J. Guthrie of Springfield gives 15 August 1915 with the same reported death date. That entry is a lead to verify, not grounds for silently changing her birthday. An original birth or Social Security application record is needed to resolve the difference.
Martin’s work and military service
The earlier family account places Martin in warehouse work, while the displayed 1940 index says farming. A city address does not settle his occupation. Reviewing the original census columns and nearby city-directory entries could establish whether these describe different dates or a transcription problem.
The reported U.S. Army PFC service during World War II calls for original documentation. A discharge record, veterans’ application, military grave marker or service file could establish dates, rank and unit without speculation.
Burial identification and the family’s records
Martin’s family profile names White Hill Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery and places it in Millersville, Sumner County. The displayed cemetery index supplies the locality but not the cemetery name; the earlier narrative uses the broader label Millersville Cemetery.
A cemetery register and a clear grave-marker photograph would help reconcile these descriptions. Oca’s burial particulars and Robert’s original funeral record should be sought separately rather than assuming a shared plot.
Reading & Sources
Sources for this family
- Childhood census records: 1910, Robertson County, Civil District 7, ED 160, sheet 6B, William Guthrie household; 1920 index and family profile, Civil District 10, Robertson County.
- 1930 census index: Martin Guthrie, brother, in the W. J. Guthrie household, Louisville and Nashville Pike, District 7, Sumner County, dwelling 172, family 187.
- Marriage index: Tennessee State Marriages, 1780–2002, Martin Jones Guthrie and Oca Jim Close, Sumner County, 26 February 1933.
- 1940 census index: Martin J. and Oca J. Guthrie household, Nashville, Davidson County, 14th Avenue North, sheet 2B, household 32; includes the retrospective 1935 residence.
- Funeral-record abstract: Cole and Garrett Funeral Home Records and Obituaries, 1923–1964, Robert Taylor Guthrie entry, reproduced on the Tennessee resources page. An abstract, not the original register.
- Family connection: “Mrs. Lena Stewart,” The Tennessean, Nashville, 1 December 1973; original obituary names her brother Martin at Ridgetop.
- Social Security Death Index: M. J. Guthrie, birth 26 January 1909, death 7 August 1995, last residence Goodlettsville. The locality describes residence, not necessarily place of death.
- Cemetery index and profiles: Web: Tennessee, Find a Grave Index, 1777–2012, Martin Jones Guthrie; Martin and Oca’s Guthrie Research Tree profiles. Profile statements remain distinguishable from original vital and burial records.
- Earlier research: Martin’s entry on the Branch N family page. The Research Tree button opens William and Savannah’s family profile.
Most Wanted Documents
Priority records for Martin and Oca
- Original military documentation: locate Martin’s discharge, service record or veterans’ papers to verify the reported Army rank and World War II service.
- Original 1940 census and city directories: check the occupation and employment columns and trace the timing of farm and warehouse work.
- Birth and marriage records: compare Martin’s early records with his 1909 Social Security birthday; verify Oca’s exact birthday and parents; obtain the complete 26 February 1933 license and return.
- Death, obituary and cemetery records: verify Martin’s place of death, Oca’s 2006 death particulars, and their cemetery and grave-marker information.
- Robert’s original funeral and death records: expand the surviving abstract with exact birth and burial details and resolve the census middle initial.
Remembering Martin and Oca
Martin and Oca’s records connect the Guthrie family’s Robertson County beginnings with homes in Sumner County, Goodlettsville and Nashville. Their census households preserve a family taking shape, while later notices mark enduring ties between Martin and his siblings.
Family photographs, letters and service papers could add personal detail to that record. A dated caption, an employer’s name or a preserved marriage document may help clarify the remaining questions.
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