The Mystery of Zora

I have been researching the family history of one of my coworkers, who is a Claborn. I am certain that they connect to one of the main brnaches of the tree, but I have run into a strange situation surrounding the life of ONR Zara D Claborn. (Alternately spelled Zora, Zarra, and Zera).

Other people named Zara are women, but this Zara is clearly a man. There are at least 5 Zaras in the record: -Zera Claiborne (b. 1861, KS) living in KS. -Zora D Claborn (b. 1863, AR) living in KS. -Zora D Claborn (b. 1860, AR) living in MO. -Zara D Claborn (b. 1862, AR) living in AR. -Zara Claborn (b. 1862) living in NE.

Of these, Zera is a unique person, but the others all seem to be one and the same.

I have arrange the records in Chronological order to try to make sense of them.

1862

-3 Nov - Zara is born in Sugarloaf, Sebastian County, Arkansas. There are no obvious birth certificates for Zara and at this time it os not known who his father is other than he was born in Tennessee. Zara's mother was Lucy. At this time I have been unable to locate a marriage record in TN or AR for a Lucy and a Claborn man.

1870

By 1870 it assume that Zara's father is deceased. His mother, Lucy, has remarried and moved north.

Pettis County, Missouri