Birth information from Essex County Birth Records, p. 111: Elmer Durwood Davis, b. 17 May 1917, to Joseph Davis, 43, farmer, and Laura B. Croxton, 33. He is listed as their 7th child. He was born in the Rappahannock District.

He was known known as “Deward”, according to Pearl Irene Davis Kopp. His tombstone says E. Deward Davis, 1918-1935.

1920 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia
Rappahannock District, Dwelling No. 189, Family No. 199
Enumerated on 21 February 1920
Davis, Joseph, head, owned free, 46, born in Virginia, farmer, general farm, own account
Davis, Lucila A., wife, 49, born in Virginia
Davis, Allie C., son, 13, in school, born in Virginia
Davis, Warren P., son, 11, in school, born in Virginia
Davis, Ryland W., son, 10, in school, born in Virginia
Davis, Virginia H., daughter, 8, in school, born in Virginia
Davis, Lillie M., daughter, 6 or 7 [overprint], born in Virginia
Davis, Robert S., son, 5, born in Virginia
Davis, Elmer D., son, 3, born in Virginia

1930 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia
Enumeration District 29-7, Sheet 4B
Rappahannock Magisterial District, Dwelling 89, Family 90
Brizentine, Andrew J., head, owned free, lives on farm, male, white, 53, married, age at first marriage 48, not in school, can read and write, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia, speaks English, farmer on general farm
Brizentine, Ethel G., wife, female, white, 25, married age at first marriage 20, not in school, speaks English, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia, speaks English, no occupation
Davis, Deward, lodger, male, white, 12, in school, and read and write, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia, no occupation

On 31 October 1935, Deward Edward Davis died in Warsaw, Marshall District, Richmond County, Virginia. He was a resident of Center Cross, Virginia; male; white; single; born 20 May 1918 [17 and 18 overwritten]; age 17 years, 5 months, 10 days; occupation labor; father was Joe Davis who was born in Essex County, Virginia; mother was Laura Croxton who was born in Essex County, Virginia; informant was Ethel Brizentine [sic] of Center Cross, Virginia; burial at Lebanon Church on 2 November 1935; death occurred at 11:40 p.m.{?]; cause of death auto accident; near Warsaw on highway. [Commonwealth of Virginia, Certificate of Death 24637.]

According to Pearl Irene Davis Kopp, 31 August 1991: “Sam died when he was, well he was killed. He was killed in an automobile accident [down] there. The two boys was driving, and went off the road, and were killed somewhere near Tappahannock. And Sam was killed. Or Deward, which was it? Must have been, must have been Deward. Yeah, Deward was killed, and the other boy, he, he wasn’t even hurt, wasn't scratched. And they claimed that car turned over two or three times, going down that hill. Real steep hill.”

More on the same, from 29 September 1991, in conversation with Thomas Darian Moore:
PK: Sam and Deward both died [unintelligible]. Sam died when he was about 20, I guess. And Deward was about 18. He was killed in an automobile accident.
TM: You told me about that. They were both in the car, right?
PK: Mm-hmm. No, these two boys were in the car. The one that was driving wasn’t touched. Got out and walked to call up my father that Deward had been killed in a car accident. [Isn’t] that awful?
TM: Were they just speeding?
PK: No, they were blind. They were going along this country road, and they should have had a railing up there. And the lights of another car blinded them, and they got out, thought they were getting out the way of the car and then went off the [edge of the road] into the ditch. Car turned over three or four times. And the fellow that was driving wasn't even touched. He got up and went and called my father.

According to Pearl Irene Davis Kopp, he was not married at the time of his death and had no children.