Nora Laverna Capps was born on 28 August 1882, reportedly in Union County, Tennessee. Nora was the youngest child of Valentine Willis Capps (1833–1914) and Minerva Jane Atkins (1836–1910), who were already in middle age when she was born. Nora had at least nine siblings, the oldest of which (William Scott Capps) was 26 years older than Nora.
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| Valentine, Minerva, and Nora Capps, undated (likely early 1890s) |
Nora’s older sisters Becky (Rebecca) and Ollie (Frances) lived in Washburn, which was probably the nearest town to the Capps family farm. On visits to her sisters, Nora apparently met Dan Acuff, a merchant in town, whom she married in the fall of 1902. Nora was 20 years old and Dan 34 at the time of their marriage in Knoxville.
