Luther Alexander Alston was born March 10, 1914, at Norfolk, Virginia, the son of John (aka Kelly) Alston and Henrietta (Chambers) Alston. The family lived at 2424 Barry Street in Norfolk. Prior to her marriage, Henrietta worked in a tobacco factory.
Luther's mother Henrietta died September 16, 1914 at the age of 19, from acute nephritis. Luther was six months old at the time.
In 1920 Luther, at the age of seven, was living with his grandparents, Charles and Annie Chambers, at 1446 Chapel Street in Norfolk.
At the beginning of World War II, Luther was living at 2209 Hanson Avenue in Norfolk with his mother's sister Rebecca (Chambers) Bolden. He was described as being 5 feet tall, weighed 139 pounds, with black eyes, black hair and black complexion. He had a "stiff leg and cross-eye."
Luther lived in Virginia at least until 1951 when he acquired his Social Security number. Sometime after that he lived at 728 E New York Avenue, Apt. 16g in Brooklyn, New York. His last residence according to the Social Security Administration was in Brooklyn.
Luther Alexander Alston died on May 7, 2003 at NY Health and Hospitals/ Kings County. He was buried June 4, 2003 on Hart Island.
Sources: Ancestry.com; US, Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014; US, Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007; US, Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Vol. 2; VA, US, Death Records, 1912-2014; US, WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947; 1910 and 1920 US Federal Censuses.