Shenandoah County Library Archives

Shenandoah County Library Digital Archives

Irving "Swifty" Fravel

Files

http://10.10.10.10/zach/Morrison03000jpg/03332.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Irving "Swifty" Fravel

Subject

Fravel, Irving Kern "Swifty" (1913-2004)

Description

Portrait of Irving “Swifty” Fravel as a young man wearing a suit and tie.

Swifty Fravel was born in St. Luke near Woodstock to Clarence Cleveland (1886-1947) and Beulah Catherine (Kern) (1885-1973) Fravel, a farming couple.

When he registered for the WWII draft, Swifty worked for Howard J. Benchoff in Woodstock. The exact nature of the work was not noted. He was described as being 5’10” tall and 145 pounds.

He married Phyllis Mae Long, in Mt. Jackson in March 1942. She was the daughter of Homer Allen and Margaret Grace (Barton) Long. At that time, Swifty worked as a hotel manager. The marriage did not last. They were divorced in October 1945. Swifty was still working as a hotel manager.

More than 10 years later, in 1957, Swifty married Frances Marie Tice (1926-2022). By then, he worked for the American Viscose Corporation (later became Avtex Fibers) in the engineering department. His bride also worked there as a clerk typist.

Frances Marie (Tice) Olinger Fravel was born in Elkton, Maryland, to Linton W. and Eulalie A. (St. Clair) Tice in Cecil County, Maryland. Her family moved to Front Royal in the 1930s. She graduated from Warren County High School in 1944. Swifty Fravel was her second husband. A member of Woodstock Christian Church, she served for many years as Sunday School teacher, deaconess and was active with the Christian Women's Fellowship (CWF).

Swifty and Frances enjoyed many years together in Woodstock. The couple had three children: Barbara Elaine, Donna, and James K. Fravel.

Creator

Morrison Studio

Source

Morrison Studio Collection - Shenandoah County Historical Society

Publisher

Shenandoah County Library

Date

Undated

Contributor

Identified by Virginia Rutz who was a classmate of the subject. Also identified by Reba Dellinger who only knew him as "Swifty" and never knew his real first name.
Additional biographical information was compiled from public records.

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED

Identifier

003332

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Glass Negatives

Citation

Morrison Studio, “Irving "Swifty" Fravel,” Shenandoah County Library Archives, accessed November 21, 2024, https://archives.countylib.org/items/show/29915.

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