Much of my information on Sanford's family is from a letter that his daughter Deeda wrote in 1980. In that letter she says Sanford was not given a middle name, only the letter A. His daughter Edna adds that the A is not to be followed by a period, to indicate that it is the whole middle name, rather than an abbreviation for something else.

Jesse Petitt bible1 has entry "Sanford A Petitt B. Feb. 10, 1916, Married Loretta Templeman Jan 5, 1935 Loretta Died April 27, 1973 Sanford died Oct. 8, 1983".

Kentucky birth index lists Sanford A Petitt, born 10 Feb 1916 in Rowan Co., mother's maiden name Emma Clark.

The Social Security death index lists Sanford Petitt, born 10 Feb 1916, died Oct 1983, SSN issued in KY, last residence zip 61101.

Loretta always went by her middle name. She never used Eleanor.

The family group sheet filled out for me by Sanford’s children gave Loretta’s birth date as 17 Mar 1920, but her foster parents reported it as 18 March 1919 on her marriage license application.

Rowan Co., Ky marriage book 41, p. 26, records the marriage on 5 Jan 1925 of Sanford Petitt (spelling on minister’s return, spelled as Pettitt on license application), age 18, residence Crix, born in Rowan Co., son of Jesse and Emma Pettitt, and Loretta Templeman, age 15, residence Crix, born in Long Lake, Wisconsin, daughter of Asa and Anna Templeman, at Crix by Shade Dickison, witnesses Wesley Walters and Curt Lewis.

There is a long dual consent note attached which reads:

“Loretta Templeman
Born in Long Lake, Wisconsin
March 18, 1919 to the parents of Mr. & Mrs. Asa Templeman
Raisded by Mr. & Mrs. Leslie Tolliver of Greencastle, Indiana

Both have agreed for this couple to be united.

This is to certify that I have had conversation with Leslie Tolliver in regard to the above Loretta Templeman and it is perfectly OK for same to marry my boy Sanford Pettitt. Jessie Petitt Subscribed and sworn to before me by Jesse Pettitt This 5th day of January 1935.”

The different spellings of Pettit/Petitt are apparently because the county clerk, C. V. Alfrey, spelled it one way and Jessie spelled it another.