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!!