Reuben Deaton
April 28th 1891 – September 1931
Rueben Deaton was the eldest son of Leutica Carver and John Starlin Deaton. He was born in April of 1892 in Graham County, NC. He married Lillie McDonald on March 25, 1913 in Graham County, NC. With her came Rube's new step-child. They later had a child of their own, Johnnie Starlin Deaton (February 7th 1915 - May 15th 1988).
Rueben Deaton later married Calcina "Callie" Swayney, 1/8th Cherokee Indian. They had four children; however, only two survived to adulthood: Woodroe Deaton (February 20th 1928 - February 27th 2010) and Nellie Deaton (February 21st 1926 - July 31st 2020). Their first child was named "Lutitia Deaton", named after Rube's mother. She was born June 8th, 1923 and died December 24th 1923 at 6 months old of pneumonia in Swain County. Rube buried her on Christmas Day. They had another child, Charles Deaton, on May 4th 1925, he passed away May 12th 1925.
Father: John Starlin Deaton
Mother: Leuticia Carver
Brothers: David Deaton, Isaac Deaton, Robert Lee Deaton
Half Brothers: John Henry Deaton, Jacob Leander Deaton, Harve Wesley Deaton
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Wife: Lydia McDonald
Children: Johnnie Deaton
Wife: Callie Swayney
Children: Woodroe Deaton, Nellie Deaton
Rube and wife Lydia McDonald pregnant with Johnnie, also with her son in 1915
L to R: Isaac Deaton and brother Rube Deaton
When Callie Swayney Deaton died about 1924, Rueben took the children to Georgia. He left Nellie and Woodroe in the care of Margie and Bob Deaton, his brother and sister-in-law. They stayed there, with Rube visiting them, while remaining in Cherokee to work. When they were old enough, Woodroe and Nellie went to live at the school on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. In either 1932 or 1933, a large black car drove into the yard of Robert Deaton and several Indians got out. They informed him that Rueben had been killed. They took Robert Deaton back to Cherokee, NC to bury his brother. Brothers Harve and Isaac Deaton always said a member of the Swayney family killed Rueben. Jurlon Deaton quotes his father, Ike Deaton, as telling the following story. Rube was bad to drink and he went to sleep wherever he was at the time. He always slept with his head hanging off the bed. This particular night he was sleeping in another woman's house and someone came in and hit him in the head with a crowbar.
In a newspaper article, Rube was accused by step-son for killing Callie Swayney. The body was exhumed and found that Callie had a crack in her skull. Rube's consequences for this are unknown.
Callie Swayney's death certificate.
Lutitia Deaton's death certificate.
Charles Deaton's death certificate.
Rube Deaton's WW1 Draft Registration Card
Death
Reuben died in 1932 after getting hit in the head. It was speculated that the son of Cherokee Indian, Molly Runningwolf, was the one who did it; however, Molly Runningwolf took the blame and served 21 months in prison.
In 1947, Harve Deaton came to get answers to find out who really killed his half brother. Molly Runningwolf had thought he had come to kill her. In reality, he just wanted the truth. Molly begged him to believe her that it was not her or her son, but that it was a member of the Swayney family who did it.
The meeting ended cordially. Harve brought along his wife Bertie Mae, children Fred, Martha Ann, Wayne, and his wife's half brother Boyd Jackson.
In the interview below, there is a audio recording mentioning Molly Runningwolf's time in prison.
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