Loyd W. Nobles was born to Charles Wesley(1875-1926) and Bettie Nobles(1877-1940) in 1919 in Lamar county, MS.
Census records indicate that his family was a large one, including him and eleven siblings (three of which were half siblings on his father's side). His parents were married in 1911, and Loyd became their fifth child in 1919. In 1926, Charles died, leaving his children and wife behind, still in Lamar county. By 1930, Loyd (age 10) was attending grammar school and his family was likely feeling great economic constraint. Depressed crop prices and the Depression in general did not help. Census records do not indicate what happened to many of Loyd's siblings, but it can be reasonably concluded that many left home to look for work. In 1940, it appears the Nobles' were partaking in government aid. Four of the Nobles children (Rease, Elmer, Loyd, and Avis) still lived with Bettie, now at a Baxterville address. Loyd himself was unemployed but seeking work, Avis was attending high school, and Rease and Elmer both were working for the Public Works Administration. The same year, before September, Bettie died. Loyd, likely in response to this, went to Jackson to enlist in the Army. On September 10, 1940, Loyd entered the Army Infantry at the age of 21. |