Thursday, April 5, 2012

1940 US Federal Census - A First Look

Well today I finally decided I should check out the 1940 federal census. Of course first on my list are both my father and mother. I really didn't think I'd have a problem using Steve Morse's utilities and I didn't. I had two possible addresses for my father, and one for my mother.

The first address for my father I obtained from his draft registration card dated 16 Oct 1940: 349 W. Hubbard Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. The second address I obtained from both the just-mentioned draft registration card and Columbus city directory for 1940: 1348 Summit Street, Columbus, Ohio. The draft registration card had the Hubbard Avenue address which was crossed out and on the top the second address had been written. I browsed and found the 349 W. Hubbard Avenue address, but another person lived there. I then browsed the ED where 1348 Summit Street is located and found that the address was empty - no one lived there. I was disappointed to say the least! So I think my next step is to see if I can locate the 1939 Columbus city directory for another possible address for my father. I might also locate his siblings to see if he might have been living with one of them. He was married at the time to his first wife, but he still might have been rooming with relatives.

My mother lived in a very small village so it wasn't hard to find her. But what a surprise I had! She and her twin sister, Mary, were living with their father. Where was their mother??? I had never heard that they separated. I know that they did not divorce, or did they? Grandpa's marital status is listed as M, but it has a line through it and what looks like a 7 is lightly written next to it.

As anticipated the 1940 federal census has already given me food for thought, just not what I had been expecting!