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!

Surnames Saturday-Williams of Kershaw County,SC

 On the 18th of May, 1952, my widowed Grandmother Azile Daughrity Roberts married Francis Emerson Sullivan Jr. in Camden, SC.  

Frank and Azile  Sullivan on their honeymoon in New York

 "Frank" as we all affectionately called him was a wonderful man. He knew very little about his family as his  father, Frances Emerson Sullivan (1880-1925), died when he was 3, and his mother, Christine Williams Sullivan (5 Dec. 1856-25 June 1930), died when he was 7.

  At the time of Christine Williams Sullivan's death, she and her son Frank were living with her father James L. "Jim"  Williams ( 3 Jan. 1873), Step-mother Sallie Griggs Williams (1885-25 Jan. 1942). They can be found in the 1930 US Federal Census for Camden, Kershaw, SC. Christine was widowed in 1925 when her husband was killed in Miami, Fla. by a tornado. She would die from TB just a few months after the 1930 census was taken.

  Frank continued to live with his grandparents after his mother's death and also spent time with his mother's brother John Edward  "Ed" Williams and his family.  

 Death struck the family again in 1937 when  Frank's grandfather Jim died. Frank continued to live with his Step-grandmother Sallie during his school years and then became a Fireman for the city of Camden until his service in WWII.

  Before Frank's death in 2004, I had asked him many times about his Williams family. The only thing he knew was his mother's and grandparent's names.  He knew that his parents were buried in the Quaker Cemetery in Camden, SC, and had showed me his father's headstone and the unmarked grave of his mother. He had heard that his grandmother, Jim's first wife, was Lizzie Pettigrew but wasn't sure. 

So who were Frank's people?  So far I have found Christine Williams Sullivan's death certificate and it does show that her mother was Lizzie Pettigrew. Further research uncovered a delayed birth certificate for her brother John Edward Williams that has his mother listed as Elizabeth Pettigrew. Since she is not found in the 1900 census, Lizzy must have died between her son's birth in 1893 and 1900.

 I have looked for Jim Williams in the Census to try to find his family. Jas. L. Williams is found in the 1900 US Federal Census of Camden, Kershaw, SC. He was 27 and a widow living with his children Christine and Ed. The head of the household is W. Swygert  and wife Ann. Jim's relationship is listed as Step-son. Another interesting person living in the household is Nancy Williams, widowed, age 67 and listed as Mother-in-Law. It looks as if Ann may be James' mother and Nancy his grandmother.

  In the 1880 Census for the same area there is Jas. Williams, aged 7, living with head of household Nancy Williams. James is listed as grandson. There is a granddaughter, aged 5, named G.W.,  son Thomas aged 19 and single and daughter Ann , 26, listed as single. Looks like the same family. Is Ann James' and G.W.'s mother? Is the check for single a mistake and is she really widowed? Is she the same Ann married to W. Swygert in the 1900 census?   

    A discovery at the Quaker Cemetery in Camden helped me to feel that I am on the right track with this family. I was taking a picture of the grave site of Francis Sullivan, Sr. and Christine Williams Sullivan and decided to take a look around. It's always a good idea to see if there are any family members who are buried close by. To my surprise I found the headstone for Thomas J. Williams (26 Dec.1858-16 Jan. 1938). I was thrilled! He was buried right in front of the grave of Frances Sullivan, Sr. and next to wife Ella Taylor Williams. I quickly turned back to the census records to see that his birth date fit that of the Thomas listed as the son of Joseph and Nancy Williams. Further investigation lead me to Kornagay Funeral Home Records, Camden, SC, and the following:

Williams, Thomas Jasper DOB-12/26/1857 DOD-1/16/1938 Parents-Joe & Nancy Young Williams Widowed POB-Camden, SC Interment-Quaker Cemetery.

 Now I had further information to support a family tie, father's name AND a maiden name for Nancy!  

   A look farther back shows Nancy Williams married to Joseph  N. Williams in the 1860 US Federal Census of  Kershaw District. Unfortunately all the children's names are listed as initials and not full names. There is a female of the right age with the first initial A for a possible Ann. There is also a corresponding  male T. that fits her brother Thomas.

    Joseph N. Williams died before the 1870 census, so I looked in the Civil War Muster Rolls on Fold3.com. In it I found a J.N. Williams who served from Kershaw County, SC.  He fought in the battle of Cold Harbor in June of 1864 and died in July 1864 of wounds suffered there. He was in the hospital in Va. and then was furloughed.  I have looked, but so far not found any pension information for Nancy to help connect this J.N. Williams. So far it is just circumstantial evidence.

    

Recently I found out that my Aunt, who grew up and still lives in Camden, went to school with a member of the Williams family!  I got the phone number and made that call. I spoke to the daughter of James P. Williams who was the cousin of Frank. James and Frank were good friends and spent a lot of time together. As a matter of fact they were listed living together with their grandparents in the 1930 census.  Jimmie had great memories of her "Uncle" Frank as she called him. She was excited to help me and gave me more contact information. She also has some pictures to share. Family history was not something she had thought of doing but got excited about the search while talking to me.

So on this Surname Saturday I present the Williams Family of Camden, Kershaw County, SC in hopes that  someone out there may know answers to who Frank Sullivan's people were.  Was Ann Williams the mother of  Frank's grandfather James? Maybe there were two Ann's. A daughter and daughter-in-law?

 Was the J.N Williams who served in the Civil War from Kershaw County the same Joseph N. Williams who was the husband of Nancy?  I can't wait to discover the answers and more!

And remember-

 In just 9 days the 1940 Census will be released! Where was Frank Sullivan and the rest of his Williams family living? Please consider joining the 1940 US Census Project and becoming an indexer. For more information just click on this link and help us all find our people!

 https://the1940census.com/