The Many Names of Lin McCall

In the Grandview Cemetery of Carroll County, Arkansas stands the tombstone for Lin and Clara McCall.

Lin is a simple enough name, so it’s difficult to explain why his name is recorded as “Harolden S. McCall” in the family Bible.

The 1900 Census has his name spelled Len. The 1910 Census has Lin. His 1910 marriage is registered as Len, but he signed it as Lin. His First World War draft card shows Lindell Harelton (instead of Harolden).

The obituary for his father George Robert McCall gives his name as Lemuel. Serving as an election official for Kings River Township, he is listed as Lon McCall. For the next draft registration in 1942 he is Len A. McCall, but signed as Lin A. McCall.

In 1977, the Social Security Administration has his name as Lin Harldon McCall. I do not have the sources at hand, but I also have noted that he used the first name spelled as Lindele and the middle name of Hardler.