I didn’t want to butt into your conversation, but I have said that so many times. My dad was only Willie not William Adkins as was my husband’s dad was William Metcalf aka Willie or Red. Over used given name. But Roland is not, so that makes me wonder if Roland was short for something else or maybe a nickname maybe – instead of his given name & that’s why you’re having difficulty finding anything more on him. I only say this because my husband Anthony, has a long time friend that named his youngest son after himself. Not one of the first few sons. Which is odd for a family. His name is Guy Beau Webb as is his namesake. They ended up calling their son Humphrey. Don’t ask. No one under the age of 50, besides school teachers, tax prepares, or maybe some court records could tell you Humfrey’s real name. My husband also worked for a guy named Pinkie for many years. Everyone swears that’s his given name, but I’ve always wondered. So you may need to think outside of the box here. Look around for his spouse’s records or children’s to see if they hold the key to whom he really was. Its worth a try.
As always,
Sheila Jean Adkins Metcalf
PS: Thanks again to you Stan Adkins for helping with the family tree, our DNA research, our heritage and in preserving our culture and lineage. God Bless! Happy Groundhog’s Day!
Sheila