Cline Vancleve Cunningham was born either in or near Crab Orchard village on December 27, 1873 to James T. Cunningham and Laura Hendrickson. His father, James T., was born in Mississippi and after the death of his father was brought to Williamson County by his mother settling in the Attila area of the county. James T. would go on later to serve as Captain of the 60th Regiment of Company E in the Union Army during the Civil War. The family also claimed to be related to Mary Cunningham Logan, wife of General John A. Logan.
When the 1880 federal census was taken, the Cunningham family was living in the village of Crab Orchard. James T., a 45-year-old grocer and his wife Laura 33 had six children living in the home. They were Cora A. 11, Lina B. 9, Edwin 8, Cline V. 6, Ross H. 2 and Lula aged 9 months.
A brief article appeared in March of 1895 in the Egyptian Press newspaper that stated Cline Cunningham had married Zurie Aikman on March 28th, 1895. No marriage record reflecting this nor any mention of divorce was found but it’s hard to imagine that there could be two Cline Cunningham’s from Marion. If it did happen, perhaps it was quickly annulled.
In June of 1896 Cline definitely married Cora B. Walker at the residence of Henry Hunter where Cora had been staying. Cora was the daughter of Sam W. and Matilda Ray Walker and had taught two terms at the Marion High School as well as worked as a saleslady at the F.M. Westbrook & Co. store in the 900 block of the Public Square downtown. It was noted that at this time, Cline was currently an attaché to the Egyptian Press office on the square and also was a clerk at H.C. Purdy.
When the 1900 census was taken, Cline and Cora, both 26, were living in a rental home in Marion. They had one daughter named Lillian aged 3, born on September 25, 1896. Cline was working as a bartender.
On September 30th of the following year, 1901, their daughter Lillian died at the age of 5 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Shortly after the Elks club in Marion was organized in 1902 Cline became an active member. It was noted that in 1904 he was a member of the board and continued working with the club for years as a member and employee. At that time, the Elks home occupied the old Dunaway Opera House on the square in the 600 block until 1908 when they built their lodge home on S. Market Street.
By the time the 1910 census was taken, Cline and Cora both 36 were living in a rental at 307 S. Buchanan St. and Cline was working as a custodian at the Elks Home. Cora indicated that they had birthed one child and none were living.
An article in the Herrin News in June of 1914 revealed that the Creal Springs Hotel Resort was to reopen under the general management of Cline Cunningham of Marion. Another article in the June 1916 Marion Daily Republican indicated that Cline’s mother, Laura, had passed away while living in Arizona. The funeral was to be held at Cline’s residence at 406 S. Madison St. and burial was to be alongside that of his father, James T. Cunningham at Union Grove Cemetery in the Pittsburg area.
For some unknown reason, when Cline registered for the WWI draft in 1917 he was living and working in Downey, California in Los Angeles County as a self-employed druggist on Crawford St. in that same city with his wife Cora. He was physically described as medium height, medium build, with blue eyes and black hair.
The move to California must have been short lived because an article in the Marion Daily Republican from 1919 indicated that Cline had arranged another fine meal at the Elks home in Marion. This was confirmed when the 1920 census came out. In the census, Cline and Cora, now 46 years old, were renting a room in the home of Frank and Etta Morrison at 503 S. Market Street and Cline was working as a custodian at the Elks home.
An odd thing happened in the aftermath of the 1921 city council elections. Apparently one of the commissioners elected under Mayor Elijah Lewis was H.C. Jones, but Jones resigned in March on account of absence from the city. The city council voted unanimously to post Cline V. Cunningham to the commissioner’s position. Only three months later on July 8, 1921, Cline resigned his position and was replaced with O.L. Glass. Mr. Glass then died in June 1922.
A 1922 Marion street directory put Cline and Cora still living in the Morrison home at 503 S. Market St. renting a room and Cline as a custodian at the Elk’s home. An article in the Marion Daily Republican dated from the same year stated that Cline and Cora were moving into the old F.E. Parks home located at the corner of E. Thorn and S. Askew streets after Parks had purchased the historic Morgan home at 601 E. Thorn St.
An article in 1926 stated that three juveniles were caught who had robbed the Cunningham Drug Store on W. Main Street. The three young men were from Cambria and sentenced to a juvenile detention center. Marion directories form 1927 and 1928 confirm that Cline and Cora were living then at 412 S. Calumet and operating a drug store called Cunningham Drug Company at 705 W. Main Street. This was reconfirmed in the 1930 census when Cline and Cora, now 56 years old, were living at that address and employed as a drug store manager. They valued the home they were in at $6,000 and owned it mortgage free. They also indicated that they owned a radio set.
When the 1940 census was taken the couple, now 66 years old, were living at 412 S. Calumet which they still owned and valued at $3,000. Cline was now back to working as a barkeeper and the week previous to the census had put in 48 hours that week. He stated that he worked 52 weeks out of the previous year, 1939. The couple reported their education level as completing 8th grade for Cline and four years of high school for Cora.
Not long before his death in 1947, Cline had joined with two other Marion men in opening a new business, the State Hotel Cocktail Lounge. In that same year he started experiencing light strokes that required hospitalization. After having been ill since Christmas of 1947 he died at the age of 74 at his home at 412 S. Calumet.
According to his obituary, Cline had been closely connected with the active management of the Marion Elks Lodge. He was a life member of that order and also custodian there for several years during which time he was widely acclaimed for his hospitality and the manner in which he supervised the club’s recreational activities.
He was associated in the drug business for about 10 years with Earl and Ernest Parks at 703 W. Main Street and had always taken an active interest in community affairs. His only child, Lillian died 47 years ago at the age of five.
The only immediate survivor in addition to his wife is one sister, Mrs. Henry (Nora) Simpson of Van Nuys, California. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery
Cline’s wife, Cora, began living with her sister, Mrs. John Bogard, in 1953 in Shreveport, Louisiana and died there on August 2, 1970. Cora was a member of the First Methodist Church of Marion and left sisters, Mrs. Bogard and Mrs. A.B. Huss of Vernon, Texas. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery next to Cline.
Notes on Children:
Lillian Cunningham, born in Marion September 25, 1896 and died in Marion September 30, 1901 at the age of five.
(Sources: Federal census records, Southern Illinoisan, Egyptian Press, The Leader, Marion Daily Republican, Herrin News, Marion Semi-Weekly Leader, Marion Evening Post, 1905 Williamson County Souvenir book, WWI Draft records, W.C. Marriage records, Illinois Death records, FindaGrave.com. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 5/30/2024)