Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!

You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. 
Share by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section or you may also put a link to a blog post telling about what had you dancing this week.

 I LOVE attending genealogy conferences. This week the National Genealogical Society held it's annual conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Unfortunately, I was unable to go. I was able to listen to two days of livestream presentations though!

What a lineup speakers! Day one I learned about 
Researching African American ancestors who were enslaved-LaBrenda Garratt
Revolutionary War Loyalists-Terry Koch-Bostic
Y DNA Tests-Diahan Southard
Why cousins are important in DNA testing-Angie Bush
Native American DNA-Blaine Bettinger.
Each of these talks related to either my family or my clients. I came away filled with new thoughts and ideas for research!

Day 2 was just as powerful:
Researching the locations of your ancestors for context and history-Angela Packer McGhie
Figuring out  same named people-Elizabeth Shown Mills
The GPS and DNA-Judy Russell
Using analysis strategies for problem solving-Elissa Scalise Powell
Again, all of these BCG Skill building presentations were things I needed to hear and will be working to put into practice. 

My Happy Dance this week was the opportunity to sit at home and learn from each of these wonderful genealogists. Did I wish I was there in person? Oh, yes! But very grateful for the technology available to bring these lessons into our home. 


What had you dancing this week?
                                                                                 

                                                                                              Share your discovery!

https://ctt.ec/89p4x

                                                                                  
                                                                                         Let the dancing commence!

Share the fun! Click below to tweet this post! 

Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,

DearMYRTLE Genealogy Proof Standard Study Group-Chapter 3 Evaluating Records

With Google Hangouts up and running, DearMYRTLE's GPS Study Group met to discuss Chapter 3 of Christine Rhodes's book.

The discussion focused on writing. Myrt warned us about being too wordy when writing up a case study and following the proper format.

She reminded us a properly written report consists of:

Introduction
1. Research Question
2. What do we know
3.What documents are found
4. Analysis, Correlation, Resolving Conflicting info
5. Conclusion, End notes or Footnotes (citations)
    Images ( inline vs. appendices)


As we went through everyone's homework, we looked for those elements.  Our challenge for next week is to rewrite one of our previous homework assignments using this format. We were cautioned not to be too wordy.

This week my homework dealt with a problem with a census record. The 1940 U. S. Census is the only one that records who the informant for the information it contains. 
With that knowledge, you would think since my great grandmother was the informant for her family it would contain accurate information. 

Genealogy Proof Standard Study Group
Homework Chapter Three-Evaluating Records
Cheri Hudson Passey
Reference: Christine Rose, Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case 4th Edition Revised, (San Jose, California: CR Publications) 2014

A major part of the Genealogical Proof Standard is evaluating the records used in our research.
Learning how to determine what type of record you have and the type of information given in it is key to understanding if you can trust what it is telling you.
Census records that are digitized online can be considered an original document.
In the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, there is a mark beside the name of the person who gave the enumerator the information to fill out the form for the family.  Knowing who this person may help to determine if they were in a position to know the facts about the family.
The 1940 US Census of Richland County, South Carolina shows a problem with my 2nd great grandmother, Bessie Mae Price, and son Frank. Bessie is marked as the informant. Looking at the record, it appears that Bessie correctly identified her son Frank as the Head of the household and herself as Mother. From other records, Bessie’s age is correct but Frank’s?  Born in 1914, Frank would have been 26, not the 57 as written.
 Apparently, someone looking at this record felt the same way and decided the relationship “Mother” was a mistake and wrote “wife” above it.  Where Bessie indicated she was a widow, it is crossed out, and the letter M written above it.  
The image online shows this change in faint writing, but it is dark enough for indexers to see and incorrectly list them as husband and wife.  
Bessie and Frank Price - 1940 Richland County, South Carolina Census

1940 U.S. Census, Richland County, South Carolina, population schedule, Arden, Enumeration District [ED] 40-44, p.2B (penned), house number 5801, visited number, Bessie Price: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed12 January 2017); from National Archives microfilm publication 
T627, roll 3834.

Anyone not using the Genealogical Proof Standard may have come across this census and stopped there. They would have found what they thought was a couple and recorded this information in their tree and tried unsuccessfully to find them in other records.
The GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard) requires reasonably exhaustive research, which means looking for any records that may be available. In this case, the GPS  leads to additional census records for the previous years showing a consistent family unit with Bessie, her husband Campbell and children Beulah Mae, David, George, Nellie, and Frank.
Bessie became a “widow” (it is unclear what happened to her husband, Campbell, as he disappeared in 1922 according to family lore) and did not remarry. Her death certificate and obituary name Campbell Price as her husband.  Named in son Frank’s 2002 obituary is his mother, Bessie, and father, Campbell.
Following the GPS standard of Evaluating Evidence, the census entry was determined to be correct, except for the age of son Frank, when it was originally recorded. The crossing out of the terms mother and widowed was a mistake by someone who based the decision on the mistake in Frank’s age.

The Campbell and Bessie Mae Price family in the 1920 Richland County, South Carolina Census. 

                                     1920 U.S. Census, Richland County, South Carolina, population schedule, School District 4, Enumeration District [ED]98, p.49A (penned), dwelling966, family 1003, Cam Price: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 January 2107); from National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 1707.


                                                                          Bessie Price Obituary

                                                               The State, (Columbia, South Carolina), electronic newspaper, archived, (http://www.Newsbank.com]: accessed 12 January 2017), Mrs. Bessie Price, p.9


                                                                   Death Certificate of Bessie Price

South Carolina Department of Archives and History, “South Carolina, Death Records, 1821-1961” database, Ancestry (http://ancestry.com accessed 13 January 2017), entry for Mrs. Bessie M. Price, certificate number 10072 (1943).


Frank Price: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
State, The (Columbia, SC) - June 20, 2002
Deceased Name: Frank Price
WEST COLUMBIA - Services for Frank Earle Price, 87, will be held at 11 a.m. today at Faith Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. Tommy Lineberger, with burial in Bethlehem Lutheran Church Cemetery, Bethlehem Circle, Leesville. Pallbearers will be Scott Broam, Harold Davis, Rick Gartman, Michael Coffey, Brent Ridenhour, Jonathan Smith, Jamey Ricard and Larry Sease. Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington is in charge. Memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church.
Mr. Price died Tuesday, June 18, 2002. Born in West Columbia, he was the son of the late Campbell Bertrand and Bessie Mae Eargle Price. He had been a lifelong area resident and was a member of Faith Lutheran Church. He was a lifetime member of the PTA, treasurer of Faith Lutheran Church Sunday School and had retired as secretary of ACTW Union. He had retired from M. Lowenstien-Pacific Mills.
Surviving are his wife, Drucie S. Price of West Columbia; sons and daughters-in-law, Reginald L. and Brenda Price of Lexington, Edsel B. and Sandy Price of Leesville; granddaughter and spouse, D'Etta Price and Scott Broam of Lexington; great-grandchildren, Hannah Broam and Noah Broam. He was predeceased by a son, Edwin Earle Price and a granddaughter, Merika Lynne Price.
Edition: FINAL
Page: B4
Copyright (c) 2002 The State

The State, (Columbia, South Carolina), electronic newspaper, archived, (http://www.TheState.com]: accessed 20 June 2002) Frank Price, p.B4

Click to watch the Hangout for Chapter 3

Next week, I will be at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and won't be able to participate in the study group. My plan is to rewrite on of my assignments as requested and submit it. 
Week 4's Hangout will be archived so I will watch and share.


Missed a Chapter? Here are the links to previous Study Groups.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

What can I do to help you discover your ancestors? Please contact me!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

The Arthur Baker Family in the 1940 Census-Whose Mother is Mattie?

The Arthur and Mattie Baker Home
Sumter County, SC

 This is the home of my Great Great Grandparents Arthur Wellington Baker and Martha "Mattie" Victoria Bradford Baker in Sumter, SC . This is where my Grandmother, Mary Baker Hudson, grew up and where my father, John Allen Hudson, visited regularly as a boy.  I have been told that several of Arthur and Mattie Baker's children and grandchildren lived on and off there over the years. When the 1940 Census was released I was curious to see who was living there then.

The families of Arthur Baker and his daughter Kate Baker Ryan in the  Sumter, SC  1940  census.

 What I found was nothing new but did have me wondering about the placement of a "mother" Mattie in the household of Jimmy Ryan. Was this Mattie Baker? If not where was she? Was this Jimmy's mother ?

  The Arthur Baker Household listed on line 27 with  Mattie listed                                  
 on on line 31 in the household of James and Kate Ryan.

  Arthur Baker is listed in household 162, was 82 years old, married and a farmer. There is no one else listed in the household.  In the box for marital status there is a M with a number 7 by it. I have been told that this means that the person was married but the spouse was not living in the household.
 Below Arthur, in household 163, is James Ryan, his wife Kate ( who is Arthur and Mattie Baker's daughter ) and their daughter Ellen. Also in the Ryan  household is Mattie,78, Mother and Single. My feeling was that this was Arthur's wife who for some reason was with their daughter at the time of the census and considered to be apart of the Ryan household. . I believed that this is one house with two households enumerated in it. The age, 78, and birth place, Sumter, SC, for this Mattie were in line with what knew about Mattie Baker but I decided that I had better do some checking to make sure.

Patrick and Mary Ryan Marker
Holy Cross Cemetery, California

           Photo by SO findagrave.com 

  First of all I needed to make sure that James "Jimmy" Ryan's mother wasn't also named Mattie. The Mattie living with James and Kate Baker is actually indexed as being Mattie Ryan because of the way she was placed in the family. Taking a look on Jimmy's' death certificate, which I found on familysearch.com , I saw that it said his Mother was named  Mary Keelam with his Father being Patrick Ryan. It also said that they both had been born in Ireland.
 Hoping for an additional source for Jimmy's mother's name I went to my files for his obituary. Many years ago I was given Kate Baker Ryan's Bible. In it were many obituaries and birth announcements that she had cut out of the newspaper over the years.. One of the obituaries was for her husband James P. Ryan. Unfortunately,there was no mention of his parents. Since I knew from previous research that James Patrick Ryan was born in 1893 in Santa Cruz, California  I decided to go to ancestry.com and search the 1900 census for his family.to try get more information. I found the Ryan family living in Santa Cruz, California. Father Patrick, Mother Mary with son James.
 A search of  findagrave.com gave me a picture of Patrick and Mary Ryan's marker in Old Holy Cross Cemetery in Santa Cruz, California.  It was a great find  It tells the date of  Mary's death , 25 December 1910, and that Patrick and Mary were from County Galway, Ireland.  My thanks to the person who took and shared this picture on the site.
 Just to tie things up I went to genealogybank.com and searched for an obituary for Mary Ryan in the California Historical Newspapers. The search engine was quickly able to find it. The obituary said that Mary Ryan, wife of Patrick Ryan, mother of James P. Ryan died on 25 December 1910.
 It seems clear that James Patrick Ryan's mother was named Mary not Mattie. Mary died in 1910 so she could not have been living with her son in 1940. All of this leads me to the conclusion that the the "mother" listed as Mattie Ryan in the James Ryan household  is, as I suspected, really Mattie Baker.
  I am not sure why this happened.  I do know that Arthur Baker died in October of 1940 and that he had been ill. I know he spent some time in the hospital. The census was dated in June. Perhaps Mattie was enumerated with the Ryan family because Jimmy was supporting her while Arthur was sick. I don't know if I will ever know why, but I do know that if I had not been familiar with this family and had just "found" them in the census I may have made the mistake of taking the information at face value. I would have put in my notes that Arthur was living alone with no wife and that James and Kate Ryan had his mother Mattie living with him.  I would be searching for Arthur's wife and instead of adding a branch to my tree I would be building the foundation for a brick wall!  Always analyze sources.

Arthur Baker (28 April 1857-28 Oct. 1940)

Martha "Mattie" Victoria  Bradford (11 June  1862-19 April 1947)

Kate and Jimmie Ryan about 1940

 On a side note-Kate Baker Ryan was one of the ones to have additional information asked of her and recorded at the bottom portion of the census.  No new information but fun to see her answers.

Looking For Bessie in 1940

Bessie Mae Eargle Price (1884-1943)

 When the 1940 Census was released in April, I immediately began searching for my people. I was lucky to be able to quickly find all but one family.  Although I had an address in Richland County,SC for my Great Great Grandmother Bessie Mae Eargle Price  (3 July 1884-1 Aug. 1943) and tried all the search techniques offered on line, on blogs and in webinars I still couldn't locate her!
 I was thrilled when the census was finally searchable and I could just plug in her name and see what I could find. What I found was a great example of how census records could be misleading or have completely wrong information and how important it is,whenever possible, to look at the original record.
 At first I thought I once again was going to hit a dead end. Looking on the search results the only Bessie Price I could find was a married woman with a husband named Frank.
 Now I knew that Bessie had been widowed (actually her husband "disappeared" in the early 1920's-but that's a future blog post!) and that she was most likely living with one of her sons. Then it hit me! Bessie had a SON named Frank. Could this be the right family with the wrong relationships listed? Could it have been a indexing error?

 I clicked on the link and took another look.  The head of household was Frank Price 57, with a wife Bessie Price, 56.  Hmmm.   Bessie, it said, was the informant so how could this be the wrong information?  On closer inspection I discovered that the original record actually had "Mother" written for Bessie's relationship to the head of household. Someone had crossed it out and written "Wife" instead. Then I noticed that "Wd" for widowed had also been marked out and replaced with the M for married.  What on earth had happened?  I believe that the cause of the problem most likely came from two mistakes. The first being Frank should have been about 27 at the time and his age is written as 57 and the second was he was marked as married. Frank Price did not get married until 1942.  I think when who ever looked over this page after the census was taken saw the ages written-57 and 56- and decided that they must have been married instead of Mother and Son and changed the record.
  Could this newly written in information be the correct information and not my family? I don't believe so. I have the address where Bessie would have been living from a couple of different sources. This address on Wilson Blvd where Bessie and Frank are living is the correct one. The crossed out information fits the family in 1940.  Even the occupation for Frank Price as a Textile Worker for a Cotton Mill is in line with what is known about the family..
  Finding Bessie in the 1940 Census reinforced two important principles.
 1 The census is not always right or recorded correctly.
 2 .Always check the original source. In this case I was able to view the original in digital format on the web.

Frank Price (on right) with brother George and sister Beulah

Finally I had found Bessie Mae Eargle Price in the 1940 Census! Now to figure out what really happened to her husband Campbell Bertrand Price ( 27 July 1876-1922?).  Did he run away with the family fortune, die in a storm and his body never found, or, as another family story goes, did he get beaten and robbed for the money he was carrying with him and never seen again? Only time and research will tell!

Sharing What We Know-A 1940 Census Story

  Since I knew the exact address of where my Grandmother Azile was living in April 1940,  I was able to find her quickly on the 1940 Census. She was living with her two older sisters, Mildred Daughrity Jolley and Loretta Daughtrity on Church Street. in Sumter, SC.
 Mildred, 25, was already a widow with a one year old son Lee. Loretta was single, 20, and working as a stenographer.
  My grandmother, Azile Daughrity was listed as single and was 18. She had completed 4 years of High School.  It wouldn't be long before she met and married my grandfather Gilbert Roberts.
  A mark by Grandmom's name let me know that she was the person that the Census Worker got the family information from. Still, there was wrong information. Lee Jolley ,age 1,was marked as a male yet "daughter" is written in the relationship column.  Surely Grandmom knew her nephew was a son!
 There wasn't much new for me to learn from the census information but it was fun seeing the names of those I knew, loved and had heard so much about. A day in their lives recorded for all to see.  I recently visited the lot where the house on Church Street used to be. The house burned many years ago and the land is now part of a city park.  I imagined the census worker coming to their home and getting the important information form my grandmother. It really brought the census to life.

Former Daughrity Property on Church St. Sumter, SC

 I decided it would be fun to send an email with the census record attached to some of the descendants of Mildred and Loretta to share the information I had found. I was hoping that they would enjoy seeing their family members and the information given about them.
   One of those I sent  the census to was to Dianne Dennis. Her mother, Loretta Daughrity Dennis, died when Dianne was just a little girl. She knows very little about her mom.  Soon after I sent Dianne the 1940 Census with her mom listed on it I received a reply. She said that she had not known the address of the home her mother was raised in and that she had no idea that her mother had ever been a stenographer! She was so grateful for the information.

Azile and Loretta Daughrity(sitting)

 Isn't that what this is all about? Finding and sharing the information with others?  I am so glad that I didn't just enter the information in my genealogy program and move on.  I am hoping to hear back from others as well.  I'd like to find out what may have been new information to them and what else they can add to the family story.
 From time to time I have come across those who were not willing to share information that they have found in their genealogy research, but  most have been willing and eager to share what they have.  I would not be where I am today in my research if it was not for the generosity of the genealogical community. Thanks so much for those who have shared and who continue to share either their research and research skills.

Azile and Mildred

 Let's find our people by sharing what we know!

Finding the Williams/Sullivan family in the 1940 Census

   My Grandmother Azile Daughrity Roberts Sullivan ( 1921-2009) was widowed in 1944 and in 1952 married Francis Emerson Sullivan, Jr. ( 1923-2004). Frank was a wonderful, kind, loving man. He didn't know much about his family as both of his parents died when he was a young boy. He was raised by his Grandfather James "Jim" Williams (1873-1937)  and  Step Grandmother Sallie Griggs Williams (1885-1942)  in Camden, SC. I have always had a strong desire to discover Frank's people and have recently been in contact with some of his Williams family members.

 So when the 1940 Census came out in April the first family I searched for was the Sallie Williams family of Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina. Because I had an address, not only from the 1930 census but also from personal knowledge, I used the tools on http://1940census.archives.gov to find the crossroads and then the ED and started my search. Of course as we all know our ancestors seem to always end up on or near the last page of the Enumeration District! Mine were on page 24 A about halfway down the page. I was so excited to see the familiar names. Here's what I found:

1940 Census

    Just as I had thought, Sallie Williams was living in her home at 712 Mill Street. Sallie was a widow and is listed as owner of the home and was living with her step-grandchildren James Williams and Frank Sullivan. I was surprised to find that also living in the home as renters were Maud Williams and several of her children. Maude had been married to Ed Williams, Sallie's Stepson.

Williams Family with Frank Sullivan in 1940 Census

 An interesting note is that James Williams, 21, is recorded as living with Sallie even though he was Maud's son. He is also living with Sallie and Grandfather Jim in the 1930 census. I asked James' daughter about why her father lived with his grandparents and not his parents. She told me that at one point her grandparents Ed and Maud Williams and their children moved to their own home just around the corner after several years of living in the home on Mill St.with the Jim and Sallie Williams . Her father James did not like the move and kept running away back to his grandparents! Eventually they gave up and just let him live with them. Could it have had something to do with the fact that his cousin Frank Sullivan, who was only 3 years younger than James, was living with Sallie and Jim?. Family stories say that Frank and James were great friends and that they even looked alike, often being mistaken for each other.
  In 1930 Maud's family lived in a home of their own but by 1940 they were living with Sallie .The information about Maud in the 1940 Census is a great example of census records not always being correct. Maud's marital status says widowed ,however her grandchildren report that Ed actually left the family and remarried. Maud probably had no choice but to move in with Sallie in order to care for her children. Who gave this information? Unfortunately the Census Taker did not mark who the informant for this family was.
 Is Ed Williams found with his new family in the 1940 Census? Time will tell as the indexing continues and the census of South Carolina becomes searchable.
   I loved seeing Frank Sullivan's name listed in the census. It's always a wonderful moment when you find who you are looking for in a record but even more special when you find someone you knew personally. The story that he told of living with his Step Grandmother Sallie Griggs Williams and his cousin James was confirmed. What I didn't know was that his Aunt Maud and her children had lived with them at one time as well. 
 Frank was 17 when the census was taken and had completed 3 years of  High School at Camden High.  It was fun to get a snapshot of his life as a Jr. in High School.  In a little over a year tragedy would strike Frank's family again as Sallie would die suddenly from a cerebral hemorrhage. After Sallie's death Frank would become a fireman for the city of Camden and then along with his cousins serve the United States during World War II.

Frank Sullivan -High School 1941

   

Camden High School, Camden, SC  1941

1941 Camden High School Yearbook

   I am grateful to have been able to find the Williams family and Frank Sullivan in the 1940 Census so quickly and easily. I hope that I can continue to find more information on this family and be able to see where Frank's Williams family comes from and how and when they came to Camden, SC.

Happy1940 Census searching and indexing!

Lost in the 1940 Census

  Hello!
 Since the release of the 1940 Census on April 2 I have been busy! Busy looking for my people and busy indexing other people's people!
 As the release time approached I was logged in and ready to start my search.  I tweeted my excitement, clicked on my first ED page to search and waited for it to load......all day I waited for it to load!!!
 It turns out that there were many others, who like me, wanted to see who and what they could find out about their people.  Frustrating yet wonderful at the same time. Who would have thought that so many people were so interested in the 1940 census?
 So what did I do in the meantime? I listened to Genealogy Webinars from Dear Myrtle, Legacy Family Tree and Thomas MacEntee on searching the 1940 Census. I got wonderful ideas and tips on how to find all those who I would be looking for.  And in upcoming blog posts I will show who and what I have found so far and how I found them.
 By far the most important thing I did and have been doing since the release is indexing. Why would I feel that this was even more important than finding my ancestors? Because an index of the names of each person from each household in every state will make finding our people so much easier. As soon as it is completed anyone will be able to type in a name on a search engine and there they will be. Sure beats hunting through pages and pages of an Enumeration Districts hoping that you will stumble across a familiar address and family!
  Another reason that I want to help in the indexing program is to preform a service for others. I am grateful for those who have indexed other records that I have needed. When I log onto a Genealogy site and fill in the search box for any number of record types I am so glad that someone somewhere took the time to index my people's name and information so that I could come along and find them.
 Indexing is easy and fun to do. You don't have to be an expert or know a lot about genealogy. You just have to be able to read and type in what you have read! You can also choose which states you would like to index. I have heard of stories where people have downloaded a batch from their state and found that the page they received actually had their family members on it! Wow! Now that would be something!

 Watch this short video to see how easy it really is!

 

Interested in helping out? Then sign up and get started! Just go to:
https://the1940census.com/getting-started/  to sign up and then download the software at:
https://indexing.familysearch.org/newuser/nugetstarted.jsf 

  As I said I will be posting about my experiences as I have searched and found my people throughout the NC/SC 1940 Census Records. At times it has felt like I was being directed as to where to find them. I shouted for joy as I saw familiar names living in places where I had visited or in places I never knew they had been.  I cried with the knowledge of what was coming in their lives-marriage, children, war and death.  It has been an exciting journey so far. I am not finished yet as I have one person who is still somewhere in, I believe, the Columbia, Richland,South Carolina area. Hopefully I will be able to find her in the next few days. If not then I will be forever thankful to the indexer who will volunteer their time and energy to help me find my Great Great Grandmother Bessie Ergle Price. 
 I would love to hear from you about your indexing and searching the 1940 Census. Please leave a comment about who and what you have found!
   Happy Indexing and Searching!!

It's Almost Here! Who Will You Find?

 What a fun way to explain what you can find out about your people and how to search for them!

Can't wait to get started searching and indexing!

1940 US Census-Where Were My People?

 



Thanks so much for all the positive comments and followers!
I am humbled that anyone took the time not only to read my blog but to actually take the time to give me encouragement and to sign up to follow it.
  I am proud to say that I am an Official 1940 Blog Ambassador !  For anyone who doesn't know the 1940 US Census will be released on April 2,2012. It will be able to be viewed online for free. Volunteers are needed to index so that the records can be easily searched.
  The indexing initiative being sponsored, in part, by FamilySearch is called the 1940 US
Census Community Project.  Anyone can sign up to be an indexer. Never indexed before? That's OK! There will be webinars and practice batches to teach you how. I encourage anyone interested to go to the web page and learn all about this wonderful project. http://the1940census.com/
 Where will I find my people in the 1940 Census? I should be able to find my paternal grandparents Benjamin Allen Hudson and Mary Baker Hudson who were married in 1938 in Turbeville,SC. I am interested in finding out exactly where they were living and what life was like for them during the year before their first child, my father, was born. What information will be provided that I did not already know?

Ben, Mary and John Hudson abt. 1944

    My maternal grandmother Azile Daughrity should be living in Sumter,SC.  She married my grandfather Gilbert Ernest Roberts on 6 Oct. 1940. Gilbert was from Camden,SC where his family should be found working and living in the mill village. I hope be able to get an idea of their lives right before they were married and war changed them forever.

Gilbert Roberts and Azile Daughrity abt. 1940

  Azile's parents had died before 1940 but I should be able to look into the lives of her four sisters. Her oldest sister Mildred had been left a widow with a baby boy to raise. How was she coping and making a living for her and her child?
  John M. Hudson and his second wife Annie Thames Hudson should be found in the Alcolu, SC area. John had first married Annie's sister Blanche who died a few days after giving birth to my grandfather Ben. Life had been hard for them as John worked in the lumber industry. My father remembers visiting his grandparents as a child and being afraid to use their out house! I am looking forward to getting a "snapshot" view of their lives in 1940.
  Jubal Early and Ruth Baker were the parents of my maternal grandmother Mary Baker. They were living in Columbia, SC in the 1930 census but will they be found together in the 1940 US Census? I have been told that they divorced at some point but I do not know when. Maybe I can get a clue from the census.
 I am excited to see what I can find out about my great great grandparents Arthur Wellington Baker and Martha Victoria Bradford Baker from Sumter County,SC. Although Arthur died in Oct. of 1940 I should be able to find him and see what his life was like in the months right before his death. I have been told that several of their children and grandchildren lived with them from time to time. Who was living there in 1940?

Martha Victoria Bradford Baker bef.April 1947

 Will I find that they ran an Alms House as family lore suggests?

Arthur Wellington Baker bef. Oct.1940

So many questions and possibilities to explore in April. I am grateful for all those who will volunteer their time and energy to index this important record of our families. It will make discovering who are people are easier for us all.
 Where will you find your people in 1940?