1940 Census for my dad, Buddy, and Family

Well, it's been a couple of months since I've had time to sit down and work on my family history.  However, I did find time to make a trip to the Twin Falls Temple with Susan Budge (my daughter-in-law, married to David) and Shiloh Jorgensen, my daughter.  We took 3 names with us and were able to do an endowment session for them!  I can't wait until our Boise Temple is done being renovated.  I think it's due to be re-dedicated sometime in July!!

I spent some time updating earlier info on the blog that has to do with Homer Ross Robertson and Elisha Milford Robertson's grave site, so be sure to check back in the March 2012 posts for the new information.

Tonight, I'm going to go over the 1940 Census information for my father, Buddy Harms and his father, Leo Harms and mother Fern.  My previous post explains how I was able to find them on the un-indexed 1940 Census, and on this post I'll see what information that Census gives me!

My dad's family was living in Kansas City, Jackson County, MO when the 1940 Census was taken.  It looks like they might have been living in an apartment building, or more probably a home with 4 rental units.  The address above their name is 3321 Holmes Street in Kansas City, MO...and there are four different family units listed under that house number.  The next house number listed is 3319 and it is a home owned by  Augusta Sutter.  Leo and Fern rented their apartment and paid $18 a month for it.

Leo has an X by his name, indicating that he was the one giving the information on this census.  His name is listed as Leo Harms, with his wife Fern and son Buddy L.  Leo was 29 at his last birthday, Fern was 25 and Buddy was 6, so Fern had my dad when she was 19 years old.  It just occurred to me.....where's my dad's brother - my Uncle Dick?  His name is Leo Richard Harms, but we've always called him Uncle Dick.  He was born in 1936, so why isn't he on this census??  He should be 4 years old here.  I know he lived because he's alive today.  I'll have to look into that!

Schooling:  On this census they asked 'highest grade of school completed'.  Leo was H1 (1 year of High School, I think) and Fern was H2 (2 years of High School).  This was pretty normal back then.  Buddy (dad) was attending school, but it gives 0 for highest grade completed, so I think he was probably in kindergarten, if they did kindergarten...or first grade if they didn't.  This would have been his first year of school.

All 3 of them were listed as born in Missouri, which I already knew.  The 1940 Census asks where you were living on April 1, 1935.  Dad would have been 1 then, and they are listed as living in a rural area (R) - a place with a population less than 2500, in DeKalb County, Missouri.  However, they did not live on a farm.

At first I thought that they might have lived in Braymer, MO in 1935.  That's where my father was born in 1934 and it's very possible that they still lived there.  Braymer was a small town then and it's still a small town today.

But when I googled the county, Braymer is in Caldwell county, Missouri, not DeKalb County like it states on the Census.  So they must have moved away from Braymer sometime between dad's birth and his first birthday.  Uncle Dick, dad's brother (Leo Richard Harms) was born in Fairport, DeKalb, Mo in 1936, so maybe they moved there right after they left Braymer and lived there in 1935.

Work:  Both Leo and Fern worked in 1940.  The census asks if each person was employed during the week of March 24-30th and they both said YES.  Leo worked as a barber and put in 60 hours that week.  Fern worked as a saleslady at the 5-10 cent store (the five and dime) and she worked 52 hours that week.  That's a lot of hours!  I wonder who took care of my father while his mom was at work??  He went to school, but if she put in 52 hours....well, maybe she worked on the weekends, too.  The census asks the number of weeks worked in 1939 and Leo worked 49 of the 52 weeks that year.  Fern worked 0 weeks in 1939, so working was a newer thing for her.  Leo's total income in 1939 was $735.00 and he had no other income - Fern's was zero.  

I googled their address in 1940 - 3321 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo and found the house.  It looks like it could have been original to when they lived there.  It's in good shape today.  I tried to copy a picture to put here, but couldn't figure out how to do it from google maps.  But if you google the address, you'll find it.  It has a red door and if you zoom in you can see the address just above the front steps.  The house to the left is 3319.  

I knew my grandfather Leo was a barber, so this just verifies that for me.  I think he eventually had his own barber shop and I think I remember that my Uncle Dick used to work there, too, before he moved with his family to Las Vegas, but I'll have to check with him on that.  Maybe he has a picture!  I remember a picture....maybe he has it.  It's really bugging me that Uncle Dick isn't on this 1940 census with the rest of his family.  I'll have to ask him about it, and if he doesn't know or remember, I'll have to search for him in the 1940 census when it's finally indexed.  Maybe he was staying with family because Fern had to work??  And maybe they kept Buddy with them because he was in school while she worked?  I'll let you know if I find any of these answers!

Still Looking for my Dad, Buddy Harms, as a Child

I decided to see if I could find a City Directory for Leo Ervin Harms...my dad's dad.  So I went back to ancestry.com and searched.  I hit pay dirt!  I found a 1939 City Directory which lists Leo and Fern Harms.  It give their address:  3321 Holmes, Kansas City, Mo.  And it says that Leo was a Barber....which I knew.  Let's see if that info will help me find this family on the census!

I went to Ancestry.com and they had a place where you could try to find the right Enumeration District by putting in the cross streets.  I had the street name:  Holmes - - but I didn't know the cross street.  So I googled mapped the address 3321 Holmes in Kansas City, MO and it brought up a google earth map with all the streets labeled.  I found Holmes Road and Holmes Street.  I didn't know which it was, so I started with Holmes Road and put in the cross streets near it.  I didn't find Leo's family on any of them.  So I went back and  googled it as Holmes Street and it took me to a different part.  I did the same thing, put in the different cross streets I found on the map and hoped they would be the same as they were 72 years ago!

Success!!  On the second ED schedule that I looked through - 116-112 - I found Leo Harms with wife, Fern and son Buddy L. living on Holmes Street!  Finally!!  I'll go over the censuses next time and put down all the information they contain.  Right now I have tired eyes from looking at all that small print!  I am a very happy lady right now!

Looking for my Dad on the 1940 Census

Now that I found my mother in Gallatin, Clay County, Missouri on the 1940 Census....I decided to look for my father.  They were born the same year, so he would also be about 5-6 years old and living with his father, Leo Ervin Harms and his mother Fern and his brother Richard (Dick).  I know that Leo and Fern were married twice, divorced twice...but I don't know exactly when.  So it might be very interesting to see if they were living together at this time.

My father was Buddy Lee Harms and he was born on 27 Mar 1934 in Braymer, Caldwell County, Missouri.  I did a little research online about Braymer:

http://www.caldwellcountymissouri.com/history_braymer.htm

BRAYMER began it's existence in 1887 as a result of the construction of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad through southern Caldwell County. As America was growing with the railroads, Daniel Braymer and others realized what a great convenience it would be for the railroad to come through this area, giving a direct connection with the larger western cities and with the Hannibal, St. Joseph and Wabash Railroad at Chillicothe and Breckenridge, Missouri. Daniel Braymer had large holdings of land that were donated for the right-of-way for the railroads. He also worked very hard to get them here so the town was named after him.

The first passenger train went through Braymer on December 19, 1887, amid great rejoicing. It was an event of such significance that there was a typical "Braymer Crowd" present and there were speeches and the firing of anvils. The first railroad depot burned during a 4th of July celebration in the park we now know as Tait park. A replacement was built, but it also burned in 1934 in the middle of the great Depression. A third depot was constructed in 1935 and was later torn down in 1980 after the Milwaukee Road went bankrupt.



The business section of town ran east of Second and Main, but fire destroyed most of those wooden buildings and changed Main Street to run North & South. Braymer became known as the "Biggest Little Town in Missouri". Today, Braymer is still served by the Soo Railroad line, and they have worked to restore the roadbed to first class condition. Trains continue to pass through daily.

So....the replacement railroad depot burned down the year my father was born in Braymer.  I don't know what my grandfather, Leo (Buddy's dad) did for work in this town.  I'll have to try to find out!

I found a map of Braymer online:







The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
Caldwell County and Town Maps 
Bullocks Geographical PLAT Maps of CALDWELL County Missouri 
as found in the Atlas of Caldwell County 1897 St. Joseph Missouri, press of Lon Hardman

To find my father on the 1940 Census I need to figure out where to search.  I went to Caldwell County, Missouri and found ED 13-3 - Davis Township, Braymer City and ED 13-4 - Davis Township outside Braymer City.  I'll start there.   Ok....they weren't in these two census schedules.  Now where do I look?

I was trying to figure out where to look next when I remembered that my dad had a brother two years younger than him...Richard Leo Harms (Uncle Dick to me).  So I went back to my ancestry.com account and looked up the birth year and place for dad's brother.  Uncle Dick was born in 1936, two years after my dad, in Fairport, DeKalb, MO.  So I went to the census schedules for DeKalb County and looked at every one of them....17 or 18 of them, I think.  Their family was not still living in Fairport or anywhere else in DeKalb County in 1940.

While I was doing this, I remembered that when I finally found my mom on the Clay County census, I just stopped right where I found her.  So, I went back to see if perhaps my dad's family had moved near my mom sooner than I thought.  They hadn't.  I didn't find them on that census either.

Now where to look?  Leo's dad, Henry August Harms, was still alive in 1940 according to the information that I have in ancestry.com.  According to the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses, he lived in Jefferson, Daviess County, Missouri.  Maybe he still lived there in 1940, and maybe Leo moved closer to his aging dad.  I think I'll look in Jefferson, Daviess County next!

I just found Leo's sister, Velma (Harms) McFee with her husband, Robert, and her oldest son, Wayne.  So I might be on the right track here!  I hope to find Leo's family and Henry August Harms nearby.

I just found Henry A. Harms and his wife Allie.  Yeah!!  They were living near Velma....their only daughter.  I'll give all the info from the census in just a minute.  First I want to see if I can find Leo and my dad.

Well...my dad's family wasn't in Jefferson, Daviess County, MO (ED 31-13).  But I found Leo's sister, Velma's family and Leo's dad, Henry and his wife Allie.  So I'm really, really glad I looked in that census!

What the 1940 Census tells me about Homer and Family

1940 Federal Census - Missouri

I found Homer and family on the 1940 Census after much searching.  They are living in Gallatin, Clay County, Missouri....so my hunch that they wouldn't be too far away from Elisha and Zona was right.  They lived in the same county.  I found them in ED 24-17A on Sheet number 12B, Winnwood Lake, Gallatin Township, Clay County, Missouri.  Homer is going by his middle name at this time and is listed as Ross H. Robertson on line 61.  That's how his name was listed on his wedding certificate also.  Eleanor is listed as his wife and Kay E. is listed as their daughter, age 5.  Homer is 37 here and eleanor is 35.  They both got married later in life.  This census gives how many years of schooling they completed and I love that!  Homer completed H-2, which I'm assuming means 2 years of high school....so he went through 10th grade.  Eleanor completed C-3, which I think must mean 3 years of College.  That agrees with what my mother told me about her mom, Eleanor.  She told me years and years ago the Grandma Eleanor was a teacher. However, she wasn't working at that time, except in home housework.   Kay didn't attend any school...she was just 5 at this time.  Homer (Ross H.) was born in Missouri as was Kay, but Eleanor was born in Nebraska.  In fact, that's where they got married.  I wonder how they met since Homer seemed to live most of his life in Missouri?  I wish my mom were still here so I could ask her.  And what college did Eleanor go to??  I'll have to try to find out.  They lived in a Rural area of Clay County, Mo in 1935...but it wasn't a farm. This means they didn't live in the same house as they were living in at the time of the Census.  Homer was at work during the last week of March 1940 and he worked 40 hours that week.  So he had full-time work.  He worked at this time as a carpenter, private work as a building constructor.  He worked 32 weeks in 1939 and made $650.00 that year.  He did own his home and it was valued at $200.00 at that time.  

Right next door to Homer's family was his sister, Faye's family.  Faye married Herbert A. Painter, who, at this time was 37 years old.  Faye was 30 and they had two children:  Herbert R. a son, and Caroline Sue a daughter.  I think they only had the two children...but I'll have to check my memory.  Faye was 30 at this time, and Herbert was 11...Caroline was 3.  Herbert and Faye rented their home for $13...a month, I'm assuming.  It looks like Herbert had 3 years of high school (H-3) and Faye had 2 years of high school (H-2), just like her brother, Homer.  All of Faye's family were born in Missouri.  They lived in a Rural area of  Clay County, Mo in 1935, but it wasn't a farm.  Herbert worked the last week of March that year - - 44 hours.  He was a truck driver and did general hauling as a private worker (PW).  He worked 51 weeks in 1939 and made $1125.00 that year.  Faye didn't work outside the home.  She was listed as doing 'home house work'. 

It was very interesting to find that Homer and Faye lived next door to each other.  That tells me they had a good relationship and that my mom, Kay, lived near and played with her cousins Herbert and Caroline.  It feels like a happy memory.  

Trying to find My Mom on the 1940 Census

My mother, Kay Elizabeth Robertson, was the only child of Homer Ross Robertson and Eleanor Myrtle Pierce.  She was born in 1934...right during the Great Depression!  She was born on August 22, 1934 in Canton, Lewis, MO.  63 years later, my son, Matthew Carl Budge, was born on Grandma Kay's birthday.

I really want to find my mother on the 1940 Census.  The next Census...1950....won't be released for another 10 years, so this is probably the only one I'm going to see her on until I'm nearly ancient!

I checked for Homer's family on the same Census as Elisha, but he wasn't there.  I checked the other North Kansas City, Clay County, MO census...but Homer wasn't there either.  So now the challenge is to figure out where they were living so I can find them on the census.  I know that they were living in Canton, Lewis County in 1934 when my mother was born.  So let's search there and see if they were still there 6 years later.

I looked through all 3 Canton, Lewis County, MO Census records....and Homer and his family are not there.  So...where to look next??   Elisha and Zona were living in North Kansas City, Clay County at the time.  I didn't find Homer's family on those 2 censuses....but maybe they were still in Clay County.  So, I'm going to see what Censuses we have for Clay County.  It looks like there are 8:  Excelsior Springs, Fishing River, Gallatin, Kearney, Liberty, North Kansas City, Platte, Washington.  Of those, Fishing River, Gallatin, Kearney and Liberty sound familiar.  I already searched North Kansas City...so I'll start searching in the others.

Here's what I searched and what I found:

Washington County:  there was only one census for this county, so I searched it first.  18 Sheets....they were not there.

Next I began to search for them in Gallatin.  I searched ED 24-10, 24-11, 24-12, 24-15, 24-16A, 24-16B, 24-16C.....no luck!  I had 2 more to search in Gallatin, and I had some hope for this one because it mentioned in the boundaries....Winnwood.  I remembered (a little too late) that my mother and father were married in Winnwood Methodist Church.  So I began to search 24-17A....and I FOUND THEM!  Ross H. Robertson and Eleanor his wife and Kay E. Robertson, their daughter and my mom.  And...living right next door to my mom's family was Homer's sister, Faye!  She married Herbert A. Painter, and their family was living next door to Homer's family.  Herbert, Faye, their son Herbert R. and their daughter Caroline Sue.  So I hit gold twice!  It's been a good morning - - Easter morning!

1940 Census....It's Finally Here!

After 72 years, the 1940 Census has finally been released!  I've been having fun looking through the images...but I also realized how much harder it is to search a census when it hasn't been indexed.  I can't just type a name into a search box and have the name come up to the right census page.  I need to know where to look and do it the older fashioned way....one page at a time.  That is kind of fun.  Almost like a quest!  But it also takes a lot of time.  I decided to help with the indexing, so I signed up as an indexer with Family Search and I just completed my first batch from the Illinois 1940 Census.  It feels good to give back a little bit!

Finding Elisha

The first family I tried to find on the 1940 Census was Elisha Milford Robertson and his wife Zona.  Find A Grave had Elisha's burial in East Slope Memorial Gardens in Riverside, MO and his death date as 1946 in North Kansas City, Clay, MO.  He died 6 years after the 1940 Census, so this is the last Census he will be on.  I decided to start looking for him in North Kansas City, Clay, MO...hoping he still lived where he later died.  There were only 2 choices for that area to search, and I found him pretty easily!  He and Zona were in ED (Enumeration District) 24-14 on sheet 12A.  It was just the two of them living together.  It looks like they were renting a home and the amount of rent stated was '8'.  Does that mean $8.00 a month?  It looks like they were living on East 16th or 18th Avenue in Gallatin Township, North Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.  Elisha's name was listed as E.M. Robertson and his wife...Zona.  They got the Robertson spelling right this time!  Elisha's age was given as 60 and Zona's age was given as 45.  This Census gives us the highest grade they completed in school! Elisha completed 8th grade and Zona completed 7th grade.  They were both born in Missouri.  The 1940 Census asks them to name the place they lived on April 1, 1935...5 years before the census (and right during the Great Depression).  Elisha stated they lived in a Rural area of Clay County, Missouri - - but it was not a farm.  I say Elisha said that, because on this census - as opposed to other census' - the enumerator marked an x with a circle around it by the name of the person who gave the information.  That person was Elisha.  They asked if the person worked the last week of March 1940, and Elisha said Yes...he worked 10 hours that week.  Zona didn't work outside the home.  It states the she did Home Housework (H).  Elisha gives his occupation as 'Pick up jobs' for the 'Public'.  He worked 35 weeks in 1939 and made $175 for the whole year.  That doesn't seem like a lot of money even for then.

1940 Federal Census - Missouri

This Census did something unusual.  Supplementary questions were asked of every 14th and 29th person on the sheet....only those two names.  I was excited to see that Zona was on line 14!  So I went to the bottom of the sheet where they recorded the supplementary questions and answers....and there she was!  Her name was listed by the number 14...but there was no name listed by number 29, although there was a woman listed on line 29 above.  Maybe she wasn't at home at the time.

Here is the supplementary information for Zona:

Name: Zona Robertson.  

Place of Birth of Father and Mother:  father - North Carolina    mother - Missouri

Mother Tongue spoken in the home: English

They asked if she was a US military Veteran or the wife, widow or child of a Veteran:  NO

Did she have a Social Security Number:  No

Were deductions for Social Security taken out of her wage in 1939?   NO

Usual Occupation:  None

Has this woman been married more than once?   NO  (No previous marriages, then)

Number of children ever born:  2 (do not include stillbirths)  So Zona only had the two children.

That's all the supplementary questions they asked.  I did find out that Zona had only been married to Elisha and she had only given birth to the two children, Homer and Faye.  

I'm glad I found my first 1940 Census family so easily!  Now I need to find Homer Robertson, my grandfather, and Eleanor, his wife and MY MOM!  This is the first census that will have my mother, Kay Elizabeth Robertson, on it!  

Don't forget the State Census!

After I signed off, I had a thought.  Since I couldn't find Milas' family on the 1900 census - - not sure why and I haven't give up...but it occurred to me to check and see if there was a Missouri State Census for the time period that I lost with the loss of the 1890 Census.  I googled Missouri State Census dates and found a few, so I went back to Ancestry.com and began to check.  I found an 1876 Missouri State Census for Union Township, Daviess County, Mo.  I had a feeling they were living there because that's where they were on the 1880 Census.  I found them!!  It's after 1am and I have to go to bed.  I'll put up the info and census picture next time!

Where Oh Where Has Milas Milford Robertson Gone?

I spent yesterday (Saturday) cleaning house and then going to my grandson, Joshua's, baptism.  After heading over to dinner at Amber's (my oldest and mother of Joshua), we finally made it home and I could get back to trying to find Milas Milford Robertson.  Milas was the father of Elisha Milford Robertson....hence the same middle name.  I thought I had his birth and death dates, but when I went into my ancestry tree to look closer at them, I realized that I had gotten them from various sources - roostweb, etc. - and had not verified them myself.  So I began to try to do that last night.  It's been a bit frustrating!

Let's see what information I have on Milas.

Milas Milford Robertson is my 2nd great grandfather, the father of Elisha Milford Robertson, who is the father of Homer Ross Robertson who was the father of my mother, Kay Elizabeth Robertson Harms.  Milas seems to hail from Kentucky - although I have seen a couple of possible records of his that show he may have been originally from North Carolina, but maybe grew up in Kentucky?  Pretty much the census' show Kentucky as his birth place.  There are several possible birth dates floating around: 21 Aug 1833, about 1830, 27 Aug 1833 in North Carolina.  For place of death, I'm pretty sure he died in Missouri...but was it Daviess County, MO or Gallatin, Clay, MO?  The death dates that I find online vary also: 2 Mar 1901, before 1902, 27 Mar 1901.  You can see why it's a bit confusing.  It appears that Milas was married to Mary Ellen Sexton and that they got married in 1868.  All this info needs to be verified.  They seem to have had a huge family - even bigger than mine!  So far the names I've seen include:

Viola Hasting Robertson, James Perhaten Robertson, Maone Robertson, David Francis Robertson, Samuel Tilden Robertson, Elisha Milford Robertson (my great grandfather),William Gibben Robertson, Lucretia Robertson, Amybelle Robertson, Homer Cleveland Robertson, Clinton Richard Robertson.  I would like to find all the children and get this family put together.

Mary Ellen Sexton is the name of Milas' wife, according to ancestry.com.  I'll check.  It gives her birth date/death date as about 1853-1857 in Missouri - possibly Boone County.  Her death is listed as 9 Feb 1918 from the RootsWeb Archives - in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

OK....time to see what I can find to validate any of this information.  Let's start with Census information.   When I have nothing on an ancestor, I look for a Census.  I went to ancestry.com and searched for Milas Milford Robertson.  The first census that came up is the one I already posted for his son,  Elisha.   The 1880 Census.  Here it is again:

1880 United States Federal Census

It's very light, but pretty easily read in Ancestry.com.  I'm looking at a close-up of it on Ancestry.com while I type.  Milas M. Robertson is listed as head of household on this Census which is from Union Township, Daviess County, Missouri...page 23 of ED 236.  Here is the family information as of 1880:

Milas M. Robertson - white male age 34 - married to Ellen (wife).  Milas was a farmer.  It gives his birthplace as Ohio and the birthplaces of both parents was unknown.  Ohio??  I'll have to check on that.

Next was listed Ellen Robertson - white female age 23 and wife to Milas M. Robertson.  Her occupation was keeping house and it gives her birthplace as MO and both her parents' birthplaces as Ohio.  Ellen would work for the name I had - Mary Ellen Sexton.  Ellen was her middle name.  This happened a lot and still happens today!  The baptism I attended yesterday, my grandson Josh, his name is Stephen Joshua Sheber, but he goes by Josh.  So I always look for middle names, too.   And they often change at different times in their lives.  So she may be going by Ellen in 1880, but by Mary or Mary Ellen later in life.

Next come the children:

Viola Robertson seems to be the oldest.  She's a white female age 11 - single daughter of Milas.  She was stated as born in MO and her father was born in Ohio (Milas's stated birthplace) and her mother was born in MO (Ellen's stated birthplace).  Everything seems fine here....except if  you take a closer look.  Viola's age was 11 and her mother, Ellen's, age was 23.  That would mean that Ellen was 12 when she had Viola.  Really??  12??  Milas' age was listed as 34, Ellen's as 23.  That's 11 years apart..not an unreasonable age gap.  But Ellen having a child at 12 is unreasonable - if she could even conceive that young!  It's more likely that the census worker wrote the age down wrong....maybe flipped the numbers?  Maybe she was 32 instead of 23, which would make her having Viola at 20 and only two years younger than her husband.  Or she lied about her age.  Or the person giving the information just got it wrong.  So many possibilities!  I'll have to look at other census' and see if that age changes!

James Robertson is the next child listed - a white male son age 8.  He was listed as born in MO, same as Viola, with father born in Ohio and mother born in MO.

Maone - although it looks more like Marne to me - Robertson comes next.  She was a white female daughter age 7 and born in MO also.  Same birthplaces for the parents as listed above.

Then we have Frank Robertson, white male age 5 - son of Milas.  He as also born in Missouri.

Frank was followed by Samuel - white male son age 2, born in Missouri.

And finally, my great grandfather Elisha Robertson - white male son age 1, born in Missouri.

So our family consists of:
Milas M. and Ellen Robertson with their 6 children: Viola, James, Maone (or Marne) Frank, Samuel and Elisha.

Let's compare these names to the names I had gotten from ancestry.com:

Viola Hasting Robertson - - that would be Viola on the 1880 Census with birth about 1869 in Missouri
James Perhaten Robertson - that would be James on the 1880 Census with birth about 1872 in Missouri
Maone Robertson - that would be Maone or Marne on the 1880 Census with birth about1873 in Missouri
David Francis Robertson - that would be Frank on the 1880 Census with birth about 1875 in Missouri
Samuel Tilden Robertson - that would be Samuel on the 1880 Census with birth about 1878 in Missouri
Elisha Milford Robertson - that would be Elisha on the 1880 Census with birth about 1879 in Missouri

I have 5 more children listed, so let's see if we can find them on another census.  I'm going to search the Census & Voter Lists for Milas Milford Robertson in the 1900 Census for Missouri first since there really isn't a surviving 1890 census....darn it all!

I have looked and looked and looked and I cannot find this family on the 1900 Census.  How I wish I had the 1890 Census!  Maybe there is a State Census for Missouri for around that time.  I'll look next time.  Goodnight.

Who Am I?

When I started this blog, I forgot to mention who I am.  I'm just doing this for myself, but in case someone else stumbles upon it, it might be a good idea to identify myself.  My name is Debra Kay Harms Budge.....Debbie for short.  I was born Debra Kay Harms to my parents, Buddy Lee Harms and Kay Elizabeth Robertson....both of whom passed away a couple of years ago in November.  I have been interested in my family history since I was 17 and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I've been working on it off and on since then.  I joined the church May 27, 1972, so I've been working on my genealogy for a long time - - in between having and raising 8 kids.  I'm not quite done with the raising part.  I still have a 14 year old teenage boy at home - Matthew - and 1 unmarried daughter left - Rachel.  All together I have 4 girls and 4 boys in this order:  Amber Rochelle Budge Sheber, Aaron Michael Budge, David William Budge, Shiloh Kristen Budge Jorgensen, Adam Spencer Budge, Sarah Elisabeth Budge Shirley, Rachel Noelle Budge, and Matthew Carl Budge.  I have accumulated a lot of information on my family  since 1972 and, since I haven't been able to always be consistent with my research, I tend to forget what I did and why I did it in between research sessions.  Then, every time I sit down to start researching again, I have to try to 'remember' or catch up on where I was and what I was doing.  I end up bouncing around a lot...jotting notes here and there....and it's been frustrating.  I feel like I'm covering the same ground over and over.  It's like starting to read the Book of Mormon over and over.  I've read 1st Nephi a lot!  lol  I always seem to start over  at the beginning so I never get as far a I want to.  So this time I thought I'd start a research blog and write down everything I do and all the questions I have along the way.  Then, when I have to take a break for awhile, I can come back and just read the blog to catch myself up.  So.....I'm starting at the beginning again so that I can have a complete record.  I'll begin with my mother's father, Homer. Later I'll come back to my parents and here and there a little bit about my own family.

Census Records for Elisha Milford Robertson

After finding Elisha on the 1880 Census, aged 1- - even though his headstone gave his birth year as 1881, I wanted to see what age he was on the 1890 census.  But the 1890 Census isn't to be found.  I googled and found out why:

What Happened to the 1890 Federal Census?

Many genealogy researchers have become frustrated once they began searching for the 1890 US Federal Census. Soon, the researchers learn the 1890 Schedules was destroyed by a fire in the National Archives in 1921.
January 10, 1921, in the afternoon, the building fireman reported seeing smoke in the basement of the Commerce Building where the schedules were located and the fire department was called. They contained the fire to the basement level but flooded most of the area. These records were allowed to remain soaking in the water overnight and the next day the damage was assessed. The schedules were located in a basement vault that was considered to be fireproof and waterproof. Upon assessment they found a small broken pane of glass which had allowed the water to seep in and damaged some of the schedules that were located in the low shelves. Those schedules were opened and dried and recopied. However, the 1890 schedule was located outside the vault and it was determined that the 1890 records were ruined and that no method of restoration would restore them.
A cause of that 1921 fire was never determined, although there was some speculation that a worker was smoking and that started the blaze or the stacks of paper spontaneously combusted.
In 1932 a list of papers to be destroyed was sent to the Librarian of Congress which included the original 1890 schedules that still remained. Congress authorized the destruction of the papers listed and in 1934 those remaining schedules were destroyed by the Department of Commerce.
However, some of the original schedules still exist. In 1942 a bundle of the 1890 Illinois schedules was discovered during a move. In 1953 more fragments from a few states were discovered. These few 1890 censuses have all been filmed and are available through your local library, state archive, and Family History Centers.

So, since I couldn't search the 1890 census, I looked again at the 1900 Census that I had previously found for Elisha and his age was put down as 21.  That would agree with the 1880 Census which had his age as 1.  It pretty much proves, I think, that the birth year of 1881 is wrong.  Elisha was born in 1879 and was 1 year old on the 1880 Census...21 on the 1900 Census, which gives his birth month and year as May 1879.  Let's take a look at the 1910 Census and see if that trend holds true.

I know it's hard to see on this, but if you save it to your computer and then click on it, you can enlarge it. This census has Elisha listed as Lish Robinson instead of Robertson.  I talked about this same census on an earlier post when I was looking for Homer as a child.  Like I said before, I know it's my Elisha because his wife is listed as Zona, his son Ross, and his daughter Nita F.  This census gives Lish's age as 29.  It should have been 31, so this is the first time I've found that 1881 birth year popping up.  I wonder why the change? This seems to be the birth year he stuck with for the rest of his life, but why the change?  I know he was born in 1879 because he was 1 on the 1880 census.  Did people forget their ages back then??  Or was there a reason for the change?  Maybe further research will uncover the answer.  On to the 1920 Census!

Here's the 1920 Census for Elisha M. Robson.  Again, his name was spelled wrong, but it's the same family...wife Zona E., son Ross M., daughter Nita F.  The first thing I notice about this census is that the family moved.  All their other census' since Elisha was on his first census (1880) were in Union Township, Daviess County, Missouri.  However, on the 1920 Census we find Elisha's family in Maysville, DeKalb County, Missouri and they are renting their home.  The second thing I noticed was that Elisha's age was listed as 46!  He went from 29 on the 1910 census to 46 ten years later!  It gets curiouser and curiouser!

It occurred to me to see if Elisha's wife's age had changed like his had.  On the 1900 Census...when Zona was still single and living at home with her family, her age was listed as 20 and her birth date as Dec 1879.  That's the same year Elisha was born!   Next I checked the 1910 Census.  Zona's age on that census was listed as 27 (should have been 30).  On the 1920 Census her age was listed as 35 (should have been 40).  And on the 1930 Census, Zona's age was listed as 42 (should have been 50).

I made a list for Elisha, too.
On the 1880 Census, Elisha was listed as 1 year old, born May 1879.  On the 1900 Census, his age was listed as 21.  That would be correct according to the 1880 Census.  After that, things got a little crazy.  The 1910 Census showed Elisha's age as 29 (should have been 31).  The 1920 Census gave his age as 46 (too old...should have been 41).  The 1930 Census, ten years later, put his age 3 years younger than the 1920 census...43 (should have been 51).  Here's the 1930 Census for Elisha's family.

On the 1930 Census, we find Lisha Robertson with wife Zona, son Herbert Painter, his wife Fay Painter and their son Bobby Painter.  Fay is actually Lisha and Zona's daughter Faye....who went by Nita F. as a young girl. Herbert Painter is her husband, their son-in-law.  They have moved since the 1920 Census.  They were living in Maysville, DeKalb County, MO in 1920, but now, in 1930, they are living in Gallatin, Clay County, MO and Homer is gone from the home by now.  I found Homer living in Springfield City, Green County, MO as a lodger, single and 30 years old, working as an independent laborer.

It's just 10 days until the 1940 Census is released, and Elisha should be on it since his headstone gave a death year of 1946.  Homer will be on it, also, and this will be the first Census where my mother, Kay, will be listed as Homer and Eleanor's daughter.  My mother was born in 1934.  I'm excited!

I just realized that I didn't check the 1880 census for Zona, so I took a look.  Oh my goodness!  Arizona Rogers is listed on that census as a 6 year old child attending school!  That means Zona was born about 1874, not 1879, and was 5 years older than Elisha!  Wow....what a web of lies! I wonder if they lied or if they just didn't remember.  Maybe it wasn't as important back then as it is to us today.  I had another thought.  I wonder if Elisha knew that Zona was 5 years older than he was??  Maybe she told him she was younger than he was when they met.  Maybe that mattered??  5 years is a big gap.   Here's the census:

Zona is listed as Arizona E. Rogers and this is the first time I've seen her name...not her nickname Zona.

It's late and I need to go to bed. Next time I want to look into Elisha's father, Milas Milford Robertson.  Elisha had a lot of brothers and sisters, and I want to try to put this family together.

Looking for Homer's Grave - Found Elisha's Grave

I spent the last couple of days trying to find Homer's grave.  His death certificate says that he was going to be buried at East Slope Memorial Gardens in Riverside, MO.  The program from his Memorial Service said the same thing.  So I went to Find A Grave to search and see if he was listed there, and he was not.  Then I searched Find A Grave to see if  the East Slope Memorial Gardens cemetery was listed, and it was.  There was also a list of the graves, and Homer wasn't on that list.  But his father, Elisha M. Robertson was!  Someone had started a memorial page for Elisha and listed that he was buried at East Slope Memorial Gardens and had put a picture of the cemetery, but not his grave.  So I put in a request for a photo of his grave and two people went to the cemetery over the weekend and sent me pictures of Elisha's gravestone, but couldn't find Homer's grave....which is strange because according to the records I have, he is definitely buried there.  Both of the people who took Elisha's photos said they would try to find Homer's grave, so I hope they succeed!

I'm pretty much at a standstill for Homer right now until I get some info back from the two letters I sent, or until they find his grave.  So I decided to do a little research on his father, Elisha Milford Robertson.

UPDATE: 6/10/2012 - Homer's grave has been found!  I updated this information with photos on the March 16th post.  Jeremy Yazell found it for me (through Find A Grave).  His grave has no headstone, but is located 2 plots away from Elisha's grave, according to the cemetery records.  You'll see Elisha's headstone below and Homer's would be to the right, 2 plots away.    I need to get a headstone for him!.

Elisha Milford Robertson - Father of Homer Ross Robertson and my maternal great-grandfather

I'll start with the photos of Elisha's gravestone that I received through Find A Grave.  It gives his birth year as 1881 and his death year as 1946.  This gravestone was found in East Slope Memorial Gardens in Riverside, MO.  I was hoping Homer and his wife, Zona, were buried nearby, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Elisha M. Robertson  1881-1946

Top picture: You can see Elisha's headstone in the foreground through the grass.  

Bottom picture: A google earth image.  The small dark circle is where Homer's grave is.

These pictures of East Slope Memorial Gardens were found on the Find A Grave website. 

So, we start with Elisha being born in 1881 and passing away int 1946.  That would have made him 65 years old at his death. 

Census Records for Elisha Milford Robertson

You would think that the birth and death year on a gravestone would be accurate, wouldn't you?  But, if Elisha was born in 1881, then he definitely wouldn't be on an 1880 Census.  Yet he was!

It's very light, but you can definitely see, listed last in the Milas M. Robertson household, Elisha - aged 1.  That would put his birth year as 1879.

Homer's Death Certificate

Today I had some extra time, so I started looking in my computer files to see what I had already scanned for Homer.  I found his death certificate:

I've had this death certificate for a long time.  It's one of the first things I sent for after joining the Church in May of 1972.  Notice the date on the seal at the top is Sep 14 1973.  That's when I sent for a certified copy.  I had always been told that Grandpa Robertson died of a heart attack.  This death certificate confirms that.....immediate cause of death coronary occlusion.  There are several things I found interesting on Homer's death certificate.  First, it gives his date of birth as 11/11/1900.  This is completely different that any other birth date I have found for him.  But it does uphold the 1900 birth year.  Grandpa Robertson died 2 days before my 7th birthday and was actually buried on my birthday, as I discovered from his Memorial Service Program:

He died on March 7, 1962 - my birthday is March 9, 1955 - and he was buried on March 9th....my birthday.  Both the death certificate and this Program say that Grandpa Robertson was going to be buried at East Slope Memorial Gardens in Riverside, Missouri.  I decided to take a look at this cemetery online and see what I could find out about it.  Google directed me to Find A Grave, where I found these photos:

I really like the look of this cemetery and found comfort knowing my Grandfather was buried here.  Since I knew for sure from his death certificate and Memorial Service program that Homer was buried here, I tried to find a list online of the different cemetery plots and who inhabited them.  I searched Find A Grave and didn't find Homer Ross Robertson...but I did find Elisha M Robertson listed as buried at East Slope Memorial Gardens!  Whoever had put Elisha's name on Find A Grave gave the following information:

Elisha M Robertson

Birth: Mar. 25, 1881 - Missouri, USA

Death: Nov. 25, 1946 - North Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri, USA.

I don't have this specific kind of information for Elisha....so I was hootin' and hollerin'!  I'll see if I can verify these dates.

I put in a request for a photo of Elisha's grave at Find A Grave, and then I made a Memorial page for Homer and requested a photo of his grave, too.  I hope, with all my heart, someone out in Riverside, MO will go to the cemetery for me and find their graves!  

Update on Elisha and Homer's graves - 6/10/2012

I have to say a big thank you to Jeremy Yazell for going to East Slope Memorial Gardens for me and finding these graves!  Above is a picture of Elisha's headstone...Homer's father.  Below is a view of his headstone in the grass.  The dates shown for Elisha are 1881 - 1946, which agree with my records.

The photo below shows Elisha's headstone and a grassy place beside it.  I had a couple of people go to the cemetery for me and they couldn't find Homer's grave anywhere.  But I knew he was buried there because I had the funeral program that listed East Slope Memorial Gardens as the place where he was buried.  I wouldn't have had the answer to this riddle without the persistence of Jeremy Yazell, the author of these photos.  Here are two messages that I received from Jeremy:

"Hello Debbie.  I have located Homer's grave.  Unfortunately, Homer has no headstone.  You are correct, Homer is located near Elisha.  The graves are 2 plots apart.  We photographed Elisha's headstone and also took a photo of Homer's grave with no stone.  According to the records at the cemetery, Homer shows no birth or death dates, but is located in lot 8 row 36 plot 4.  I will post Homer's grave photo for you , but again, I am very sorry he has no stone.  I will also post Elisha's gravestone photo..."

"Hello Debbie, it was not a problem at all (I had thanked him for going the extra mile in finding my grandfather's grave).  We spoke to Toni Looker, her and her husband, Jim, have been taking care of East Slope for 13 years.  The number is 816-741-1881.  He is in their records as being buried there and Toni's guess as to why there was not marker was perhaps the family could not afford one.  I have no problem going back to speak with Toni and ask any questions you may have, just let me know."

So, Homer's grave is two plots away from Elisha' grave...to the right in the photo.  I really want to put a headstone there!  I'll have to find out how much it would cost and try to save up and get that done!  I wondered why my grandmother or my mother never got that done while they were alive.  Then I remembered that my grandmother came to live with us right after Grandpa's death - in California - and, to my knowledge, she never returned to Missouri.  If she had still lived in Missouri, I think she would have taken care of that.  I would like to take care of that for them.

Google Maps and Street Views

 Let me see what address Homer lived at when he died......his death certificate gives his address at death as:

4417 East 44th Terr. No.

North Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.

It also states that Homer had lived in Kansas City for 25 years. 

I googled this address to see if I could get a street view of this address and to see if the house still existed.  Nowadays, the address is written as 4417 NE 44th Terrace.  The street is still there - a beautiful street!  But the houses I saw had a different number on them.  However, looking at the street gave me a really good idea of what it looked like for Homer and Eleanor while they lived there.  I doubt that is has changed that much.

I tried to copy a picture of the view from google maps, but it didn't work.  Maybe I can figure it out later.  Suffice it to say, I could live there.  It's beautiful and green with lots and lots of huge trees and super huge yards for the houses.  I think Missouri is probably in my blood.  

I found Elisha's death certificate in my records.  He died at home and the address was 206 E. 16th St., North Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.  He died of a stroke due to hypertension.  I googled his address and took a look at the street map.  It's now a business district.  I did check the distance between their homes, though.  They lived about 8 miles away from each other.

Update on Railroad Retirement Board and Social Security Number

Today I filled out two forms and wrote two checks.  One was to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board to see if they have a file on Homer Ross Robertson.  His social security number indicates that he worked for the railroad at the time he applied for social security, and I'm hoping they have some records on him.  The Railroad Retirement Board website said to write a letter with his name, birth and death dates, and social security number - - along with a check for $27.00 - - and they would check to see if they had the records.  

The other form letter was to the Social Security Administration to get a copy of Homer's Social Security Application.  This also cost $27.00....and I can't wait to get these back!  I'll update when I do.

6-10-2012 Update on Railroad Retirement Board request for information

I received a reply to the letter I sent in March to the Railroad Retirement Board to see what information I could get on Homer.

They said that they "have no retirement or survivor records of Mr. Robertson as he did not have enough railroad service to be eligible for railroad retirement benefits.  The minimum service requirement needed to qualify for such benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act is 120 months (10 years) of railroad service of 60 months (5 years) of railroad service if such service was performed after 1995.  Our past service records show that Mr. Robertson acquired only 15 months of railroad service after 1936. Consequently, no benefits would have been payable to him or his survivors by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).  If a railroad employee does not qualify for railroad retirement benefits, the RRB transfers the employee's railroad retirement credits to the Social Security Administration where they are treated as social security credits.  You may wish to contact that agency at 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235, to see if they can provide you with any additional information.  Our records showed that Mr. Robertson was employed as a bridge and building carpenter from January 1937 through March 1938.  He was employed by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company.  He earned $1, 404.11 in 1937 and $358.95 in 1938.  These records do not reflect where any of this work was performed, his address at the time of his employment or any other details about it.  Enclosed is a photocopy (see picture above) of the application for a social security number that Mr. Robertson signed on December 21, 1936, and has been preserved on microfilm.  (Signed Robin J. Channon, Public Affairs Specialist)."

I already sent a request to the Social Security Administration to get a copy of Homer's SS Application, but I haven't received a response yet - almost 3 months later.  Hopefully it will come soon!  

I'm very happy with the results of this search.  I now know when Homer worked for the railroad and that the railroad he worked for was the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Company.  I know that he was a Bridge and Building Carpenter and that he worked for the railroad from January 1937 through March 1938. I even know how much money he made at that time!!  The application lists his parents as Elisha Millford Robertson and Zona Elizabeth Rogers.  It states his age as 36 and that he was born 10-12-00 (Oct 12, 1900) in Gallitan, Davis, MO.  It verifies his social security number to be 707-07-3979.  And...I have his signature!

Update on Homer's occupations

So far I've found out that Homer worked at Darby Corp in Kansas City, Kansas,  at least in 1944 - where they made amphibious vehicles for the military for the war effort.  He also worked on the Railroad - - not sure which one or what he did - but he has a railroad social security number.  And on his death certificate it states that his occupation was a 'welder' and he worked for the C. S. Foreman Company at the time of his death in 1962.  I tried to google this company, but all I found were court records.  It sounded, though, like the company repaired pipes.  Since he was a 'welder' for the C. S. Foreman Company, I wonder if that's what he did all of his working life?  He could have been a welder working on amphibious vehicles and a welder for the railroad.  It makes sense.  Maybe I'll find out more about him when I get replies to my two letters above.

I had an idea to look at the census' for Homer and see what occupation they listed.  He's on the 1910 census, but his age was listed at 6.  He's on the 1920 census, but his age is 16 and his occupation is listed as 'none'.  However...........Elisha, his father did have an occupation listed on that same census.  He worked as a 'section boss' for the 'railroad'.  Railroad again.....so Homer grew up with his dad working on the railroad. It was natural, then, for him to work for the railroad when he was old enough.  Maybe Elisha was able to get him a job there!  I checked the 1930 Census.  Homer was a 'lodger' at the time and his occupation was listed as a 'laborer - independent'.  I'm not sure what an independent laborer was at the time, but I don't think he worked on a farm.  The 1940 Census is due to be released in just 17 days!  I'll look for Homer on that one and see what his occupation was.   That will be the first census where Homer is married to Eleanor and my mother, Kay, should show as a child since she was born in 1934!  Yeah!!!

Military Service

I wondered if Homer ever served in the military....not just helped build amphibious vehicles for the war.  But on his death certificate it asks the questions 'Was deceased ever in the US armed forces?' The answer was NO.  I wonder, though, if he had to register for the draft?  

My Research Blog

My name is Debbie Budge, born Debra Kay Harms - second child of Buddy and Kay Harms.  This is my research blog for my search for my family's history.  I have been doing genealogy on my family lines since I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1972, but most of what I have discovered is in boxes and disorganized.  This blog is my attempt to bring order to my research and a place to gather not only information, but photos and other media to help me identify and understand my family better.  

Homer Ross Robertson - My Maternal Grandfather

Homer Ross Robertson was the father of my mother, Kay Elizabeth Robertson.  He was married to my grandmother, Eleanor Myrtle Pierce Robertson and Kay was their only child.

Homer Ross Robertson and Eleanor Myrtle Pierce Robertson

Kay Elizabeth Robertson - age 8

Conflicting Birth Dates

I have a couple of different birth dates for Homer.  One is 12 Oct 1900 in Gallatin, Daviess, Mo...I don't remember where I got this one.  I'll have to look in my records.  The other general birth year was 1904 according to the 1910 Census on which his age was put as 6.  I thought the 1900 birth date was correct, but I couldn't find a record of Homer Ross Robertson in the 1900 Census, which could just mean he was born after the Census was taken, which is likely if he was really born in October of 1900. 

1910 Census Daviess County, Union Township, MO

I did find him on the 1910 Census for Daviess County, Union Township, Mo.  He was living with his father 'Lish' and his mother 'Zona' and his sister 'Nita F.'  The last name was spelled 'Robinson', which was an error by the scribe.  Lish would have been short for Elisha, Zona was short for Arizona, Ross (middle name) was used instead of Homer, something that happened a lot with this family, and Nita F. was short for Homer's only sister Mary Lucille Venita Faye Robertson.  She went by Faye when she was older.

 Since I couldn't find Homer in the 1900 Census, I looked for his parents.  I did find both Elisha Robertson and Zona Rogers in the Daviess County, Union Township, 1900 Missouri Census, but they were single and Zona was living with her family....Elisha was living as a 'servant' in the home of Obe Gillilan, doing the work of 'farm laborer'.   

1900 Census Daviess County, Union Township, MO

You'll find Elisha Robertson right at the top with Mrs. Gillilan.  Obe Gillilan is on the previous page of the census.

1900 Census Daviess County, Union Township, MO

The Jacob Rogers family is near the top, with Zona listed as a daughter.

So, Elisha and Zona weren't married in 1900 when, supposedly, Homer Ross was born.  They did, however, live in the same Township.  I found a marriage record showing that they were married December 6, 1902 in Gallatin, Daviess County, MO - - both of them were listed as being from Union Township, Daviess County, Missouri.  

Milford was Elisha's middle name.  This family switched their first and middle names around a lot, so I learned to look for them by either name.  So Milford E. Robertson was the same person as Elisha Milford Robertson....sometimes also known as Lish.  Zona's name was a nickname.  Her real name was Arizona Elizabeth Rogers....Zona E. Rogers on the marriage certificate.  

So, was Homer born in Oct. 1900 or after his parent's marriage in 1902?  The 1910 Census records Homer's age at the time of the census as 6....making his birth year 1904.  This makes a lot more sense to me.

  If he was born in 1900, his mother, Zona, was pregnant, single and living with her family - not married to Elisha, who was single and living with and working for the Obe Gillilan family.  And, even though she had to be pregnant in June when the Census was taken for her township in order to give birth to Homer in October, she didn't marry Elisha for two more years??  Why??  That doesn't make any sense at all.  I'm going to try to track down more info on Homer's birth and see if I can't get some more verification for the 1904 birth date.

1920 Census Maysville, DeKalb County, MO

I found Elisha M., Zona E., Ross M., and Nita F. Robson on the 1920 Census for Maysville, DeKalb County, MO.  Again, the surname was written down wrong by the scribe...Robson instead of Robertson.  It  would be more difficult to find them in the Census'....except 'Zona' is such an unusual name that I can usually find the family by searching for her.  I'm glad they named her that!  In this Census, Ross M. (Homer's) age is given as 16, which would put his birth year as 1904.  That agrees with the 1920 Census.  So...1904 just might be his birth year!  I'll keep looking for verification.  I don't know why they have his middle initial as 'M' on this census.

Update on Birth Information

I figured out where I got the birth date 12 October 1900.  It was from the Social Security Death Index for Homer Robertson.  His social security number was 707-07-3979.  The SSDI lists his birth as 12 Oct 1900 and states that he died Mar 1962.  His social security number was issued through the Railroad Board (Before 1951).  I remember when my Grandfather Robertson died.  I was told that he died from a heart attack (I think around my birthday) and then my grandmother Eleanor Robertson came to live with us.  I was 7 and she lived with us...or with mom and dad... until she died.  I grew up with Grandma Eleanor in the house.  She was always doing the dishes, making Black Walnut Bread and Apple Butter, reading mysteries, and she taught me to crochet.  After she died, I went to the hospital to say goodbye. Mom had her cremated.  

 I printed out a letter from ancestry.com to send for Homer's Application for a Social Security Card, which will have his birth date and death date and lots more info on it.  I think it will say the birth date is 12 Oct 1900.  So, now I'm not sure what to think about what was happening with Elisha and Zona in 1900.  Did he lie on the Social Security Application?  Maybe he wanted to retire early?  Or is the 1900 birth day accurate?  More research, I guess.

Homer's Delayed Certificate of Birth

I went through the files on my computer and found that I had already sent for Homer's birth certificate from Missouri.  It was actually a delayed birth certificate....a common thing around that time.  People needed a birth certificate, or proof of birth, to apply for a social security number.  This delayed birth certificate gives Homer's birth date as 12 October 1900 in Gallatin, Daviess, Missouri.  So, we're back to the 1900 birth date.  How did he prove this??  The certificate shows what information he gave to prove his birth:

1. Employment Record Darby Corp - Kansas City, Kansas dated 1-5-44 which states his birth date as Oct. 12, 1900 in Gallatin, Mo.

2. Prudential Ins. Policy # 441 721 317 dated 4-24-1944 which states his birth date as Oct 12, 1900 in Missouri and his father's name: Elisha Robertson; his mother's name Zona Rogers.

3. Affidavit of Mother, Zona Robertson dated 10-6-53 which states his birth date as Oct 12, 1900.

The application for the delayed certificate of birth was made on 6 October 1953.  The evidence for the 12 October 1900 birth date is piling up!  But how to solve the mystery of his birth and what was happening with his parents in 1900??  

Railroad Social Security Number

I mentioned that the SSDI stated that Homer's social security number was issued by the Railroad Board - before 1951.  I did a little research into the Railroad Board social security numbers and this is what I found on a RootsWeb site: http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/lesson10.htm

The first Social Security card was issued 1 December 1936 and on 1 January 1937, U.S. workers began acquiring "credits" toward old-age benefits. About 35 million numbers were assigned to workers who qualified at that time. 

Railroad workers were enrolled in the same Social Security program, but from 1937 to 1963 they had numbers ranging between 700 and 728 as the first three digits. In 1964 their numbers began to reflect the same geographic location as other workers. Some railroad workers received Social Security benefits, but some did not. However, it is wise to check the SSDI in any case.

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board was created in the 1930s, and has records dating back to 1937, but they exist only for those whose employers were covered under the Railroad Retirement Act. You can obtain information about deceased individuals for genealogical purposes. The records are arranged by Social Security number. If you do not know the number, provide as much identifying information as you have. Currently there is a $21 nonrefundable fee for a search in these records. Send request, along with check or money order, to:

Railroad Retirement Board
844 North Rush Street,
Chicago, IL 60611-2092

I think I need to send for these records if they exist for Homer and see what information they may contain.

More Conflicting Ages and Birth Dates

The birth years/ages of all the members of Homer's family keep disagreeing on the different records.  It's kind of driving me crazy!  I'll go into that next time.

WWII in Kansas City, Kansas

I went to bed last night and kept thinking about Homer's delayed birth certificate.  One of the sources he gave for his birth date was a document from his employer in 1944 - Darby Corp.  I got curious what kind of work he did, so I googled Darby Corp Kansas City Kansas 1944 and it brought me to this site:

http://www.kcpt.org/over_here/prod2.html

I found out that Kansas City, Kansas was a big center for building the machines that the military needed for WWII.  They had what they called THE BIG 4 companies that were all located in Kansas City, Kansas and were the centers for war manufacturing.  Darby Corp was one of the BIG 4 companies. Pratt & Whitney, North American Aviation and American Royal Gliders were the other 3.

 Here's why Kansas City was chosen:

Pratt & Whitney:

The War Production Board and the Navy urged Pratt &Whitney to supervise and run a facility inland from the east coast. Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City were the candidates. Kansas City was chosen because of its location and the availability of electrical power and water, and the high education level of the population. 

The ground breaking was July 4, 1942 with Senator Harry Truman presiding and construction was completed over the next 9 months. Even while construction was going on, Pratt &Whitney was procuring tooling and training employees. The executives had doubts that the Missourians could produce the newest of the company engine designs, the R-2800-C. But they not only produced this engine but had it in production and delivered on time for use in the Battle of the Bulge - less than a year after ground breaking.

North American Aviation:

From December 1941 until August 1945, a total of 59,337 men and women contributed to the war effort by helping build 6,608 B-25 Mitchell Bombers at the North American Aviation plant in Kansas City, Kansas. The war could not have been won without the contribution of the "bomber builders".

American Royal Gliders:

In mid-1943 the Kansas City-produced glider was sent to other glider factories as a prototype. The president, Raymond Voyes of New York, promised that Commonwealth would be manufacturing several models of light planes here in Kansas City after the war.

Rearwin Aircraft and later Commonwealth Aircraft produced 100 CG-3A gliders and 1,470 CG-4A gliders in 1942. The CG-3 was used primarily for training, and the CG-4A was a larger cargo and troop carrying glider. … The company was 2nd only to Ford in glider production.

Darby Corp:

Amphibious Vehicles - Darby Steel
Even though the city was 1000 miles inland, it produced ocean going vessels carrying men and machines to the "enemy's front door." In May of 1942, the Navy announced that LCTs(Landing Craft,Tanks) and LCMs (Landing Craft, Mechanized) would be built in the Darby Corporation Shipyards at Kaw Point. Darby transformed the Kaw's mouth into an amazing ship building center that could hold 8 135í LCTs and 16 LCMs in various stages of construction. These "Prairie Ships" took Allied troops to Normandy.

It appears that my grandfather, Homer, worked at Darby Corp, so he would have been building the amphibious vehicles used in WWII.  I never knew this about him!!  Now I know that he worked at Darby Corp. helping with the war effort, and later I know he worked at the Railroad since he had a railroad social security number.  I'll have to try to find out more info about that.  This is getting very interesting!