1940 Census: The Very First Find

Since NARA hasn't worked for me all morning, I switched to Ancestry in the hopes that they would have released a state that one of my ancestors were in. As luck would have it, they had Indiana, which is where my Bollings and Vanzandts lived in 1940.

I struck out on the Bollings. Despite being fairly certain about where they were living, I didn't see them. Maybe I overlooked them in my excitement. Rather than get frustrated, I marked them down for a second look and moved on to the next family on my list, the Vanzandts.

I was hoping to find my great grandfather Clyde Thomas Vanzandt, who was most likely living with his parents William Walter Vanzandt and Martha Elizabeth (Davis) Vanzandt. Instead, I stumbled across Henry Vanzandt, his brother.

Household of Henry Vanzandt; Source: 1940 US Census, Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, ED 93-3, Page 20B, Line 62; Images, Ancestry (ancestry.com)

Henry was living in Knight Township of Evansville, Indiana with his wife Margaret and two boys, Henry and Donald. The family lived at 1311 Henning Avenue. A quick peek at Google maps shows it to be a small house.



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Henry worked as a mechanic in the auto sales and service industry. He had worked 48 hours the week of March 24th through the 30th and had worked 52 weeks in the previous year. For his efforts, he received $600 in pay. Margaret was a homemaker.

When I checked my genealogy software, I was surprised to see that I didn't have a son named Henry for the couple, but I did have one named Donald. After taking a closer look in my software, I realized that the father Henry was actually Walter Henry M Vanzandt, which meant that the son I had listed as Walter M Vanzandt was my missing Henry.

Since I'm pretty sure that my great grandfather and his parents were in the same township, I should come across them soon.

Conversations With My Ancestors

Last night I had a dream. I'm sure it's a common one among genealogists and family historians. Even if they haven't dreamed it, they've thought about it. I dreamed I was talking to my ancestors, asking all the questions that go through my mind while I'm researching them.

To my 2nd great grandfather James Walter Sweat:

Exactly where the heck did you go between 1900 and 1920? I've searched census records using every possible variation I could think of. I couldn't find you in the WWI Draft Registrations even though you should have been there. It's like you, Addie and the kids fell off the face of the Earth and didn't find your way back until 1920.

And while I'm on the subject of things that baffle me, what's the big deal with moving all the time? You were born in Ware County, Georgia; showed up in Pierce County in 1880 and were still there when you married Addie in 1896; appeared in Appling County in 1900; disappeared for twenty years; reappeared in Atkinson County in 1920; popped up in Colquitt County in 1930 and your last appearance was Berrien County where you passed away in 1940.

To my 2nd great grandmother Addie Mae Deen Sweat:

Are my suspicions correct? Were Doley, John Wesley and Annie Deen your siblings? And what was your mother's name? Your death certificate says (blank) Jerdan. I've searched marriage records to try to determine her name and I've come up dry.

To my 3rd great grandfather Thomas Vanzandt:

Why are you listed as widowed in the 1910 census when your wife Ellen was alive and well living with her new husband and four of your children not even 100 miles away? Ellen even admits in the census that Frank Knipe is her second husband and your children are listed as his step-children.

To my 2nd great grandmother Eva Mae Sanders Boling Cooper:

Why is there a family legend that you were married eight times, outliving all your husbands? Were you a victim of genea-skankery or is there something else going on?

To Thomas Smith, father the man I suspect to be my 4th great grandfather, Thomas Smith:

Seriously? As a Thomas Smith yourself, you should realize how common that name is. Why not name your son something more unusual like Zachariah or Ezekiel? Finding the right Thomas Smith in census and other records is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Apparently pairing common given names with a common surname is a family trait seeing as some of your grandchildren were named James, William, Mary and George.

To my 4th great grandfather Oliver Perry Register:

Exactly what happened during the Civil War that led you to be accused of being a Confederate deserter? I've read your pension application and that of your wife Mary, studied your letters and brooded over the petition signed by other Confederate veterans. It must have been a real kick in the teeth to get called a deserter and denied a pension after serving faithfully.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Heritage Pie Chart

16 Great Grandparents

• William Merch Radcliff, born 1 Nov 1881 in Gilmer County, WV, died 15 Sept 1974 in Weston, Lewis County, WV. He married Bessie Ethel Collins 27 May 1910 in Oakland, Garrett County, MD.
• Bessie Ethel Collins, born 10 Nov 1891 in Gilmer County, WV, died Oct 1980 in Weston, Lewis County, WV.
• Riley Neal, born 15 May 1887 in Lewis County, WV, died 16 Nov 1968 in Linn, Gilmer County, WV. He married Aulda Jane Messenger 13 Aug 1911 in Gilmer County, WV.
• Aulda Jane Messenger, born 13 Aug 1891 in Gilmer County, WV, died 16 Jan 1973 in Weston, Lewis County, WV.
• Francis Scott Carson, born 20 Aug 1878 in Gilmer County, WV, died 23 Dec 1946 in Gilmer County, WV. He married Dora C Grose 29 Mar 1914 in Gilmer County, WV.
• Dora C Grose, born 10 Feb 1894 in Sand Fork, Gilmer County, WV, died ?
• Frank Elman King, Sr, born 19 Dec 1891 in Wetzel County, WV, died 21 Sept 1966 in Weston, Lewis County, WV. He married Alta Edith Smith 6 Jan 1918 in Wetzel County, WV. He married Anna Belle Jones 10 Dec 1921 in Gilmer County, WV.
• Alta Edith Smith, born 31 Mar 1895 in Green District, Wetzel County, WV, died 1919 in WV.
• James Walter Sweat, born 6 Nov 1874 in Ware County, GA, died 18 Feb 1940 in Nashville, Berrien County, GA. He married Addie Mae Deen 1 Nov 1896 in Pierce County, GA.
• Addie Mae Deen, born 8 Sept 1881 in Blackshear, Pierce County, GA, died 13 May 1966 in St. Cloud, Osceola County, FL.
• James Thomas Hayes, born 5 Jun 1889 in Valdosta, Lowndes County, GA, died 13 Feb 1960 in Nashville, Berrien County, GA. He married Minnie L Rice 27 Oct 1912 in Berrien County, GA. He married Charlotte Jane LNU
• Minnie L Rice, born Nov 1897 in GA, died ca 1931 in GA.
• William Walter Vanzandt, born 30 Jan 1884 in Kentucky, died 19 Jan 1963 in Chandler, Warrick County, IN. He married Martha Matilda Elizabeth Davis 20 Oct 1905 in Boonville, Vanderburgh County, IN.
• Martha Matilda Elizabeth Davis, born 19 Nov 1881 in Chandler, Warrick County, IN, died 22 Oct 1961 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, IN. She was previously married to Thomas Huggins.
• Lora D Boling, born 7 Nov 1897 in Pellville, Hancock County, KY, died 26 Sept 1961 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, IN. He married Eva Mae Sanders ca 1897 in Pellville, Hancock County, KY.
• Eva Mae Sanders, born 13 Jul 1907 in Pellville, Hancock County, KY, died 31 May 1988 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, IN. She later married Andrew Cooper.

In Memory of the Ancestors I Have Lost in My Lifetime

I spent the end of last month in Florida attending the funeral of my paternal grandfather. I lost my maternal grandfather just six months ago so it was difficult. On the drive back home, I was thinking about the ancestors I have lost in my lifetime.

Some I knew quite well, having spent a lot of time with them growing up. Others, like most of my great grandfathers, I don't really remember. They either passed away when I was really young or I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them. From the time I was born in 1982, I have lost:

Paternal great grandfather Argial Waitman Carson (1916-1985)

Maternal great grandfather Clifford Eugene Sweat (1911-1986)

Maternal 2nd great grandmother Eva Mae Sanders Boling Cooper (1907-1988)

Paternal great grandfather Charles William Radcliff (1915-1992)

~picture coming~

Maternal step great grandfather Clark L Sutter (1906-1994)

Maternal great grandfather Clyde Thomas Vanzandt (1922-1994)

Maternal great grandmother Virginia Leigh Boling Vanzandt Sutter (1925-2000)

Paternal great grandmother Evelyn Edna King Carson (1919-2007)

Maternal great grandmother Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat (1920-2009)

Maternal grandfather Thomas Walter Sweat (1941-2010)

Paternal grandfather Charles Leo Radcliff (1938-2011)

Research Plan for Thomas Vanzandt

Research Problem

I want to learn who the parents of my maternal 3rd great grandfather Thomas Vanzandt were. I also want to determine his date of death.

Known Information

He was born ca 1846-1848 in Indiana per census records. The 1900 census gives his birth as Jan 1848.

He married Ellen Sturgill ca 1882 per census records.

Per census records, his parents were born in Indiana.

He had 6 known children, William Walter Vanzandt (my 2nd great grandfather), Amanda Agnes Vanzandt, Robert Lee Vanzandt, Thomas Homer Vanzandt, Myrtle Vanzandt and Joseph H Vanzandt.

He is living with his daughter Agnes and son-in-law Charles N Abney during the 1910 census. At first, I wasn't sure this was him because he is listed as widowed and I know that Ellen Strugill remarried in 1906 to Frank Knipe. However, since all the other information fits and he is listed as father-in-law to Charles, I'm inclined to believe this is the right person.

Suspected Information

The last record I have of him is the 1910 census. By the 1920 census, he has disappeared and can't be found living alone or with any of his children. I suspect he passed away between 1910 and 1920.

An unsourced family tree on Ancestry gives his parents as Thomas B Vanzant and Eliza Jane Greathouse. The tree also gives a date of death 2 Feb 1911 and burial place of Locust Hill Cemetery in Evansville, IN.

The death date fits my suspected range. Several of Thomas's children lived in Evansville around the suspected time of his death so the location fits. I checked Find-A-Grave and the City of Evansville Locust Hill Cemetery database, but wasn't able to find him.

There is a Thomas Vanzant listed in the Indiana Deaths database on Ancestry. The death date matches the family tree, but the age is off by 6-8 years from what I calculated from the 1900 and 1910 censuses.

The 1860 and 1870 censuses for Posey County, Indiana have a Thomas Vanzandt. Birth is given as ca 1854 in Indiana. The date is a little off from my calculated birth date, but it fits with the death record. It's also closer to the event than my 2 census records so potentially could be more accurate.

Both records have James Vanzant Sr, born ca 1795 in Pennsylvania as head of household. He seems a bit old to be Thomas' father and his birthplace doesn't fit what later censuses say about Thomas's parents.

Plan

Call Locust Hill to see if Thomas is interred, but not listed in their database for some reason.

See if there is an obituary available. I checked the Browning Obituary Database, which contains the obituaries of residents of Evansville and the surrounding areas, but didn't find Thomas. The database information says that it is complete from the early 1900s, but it's possible it just doesn't go back far enough or his obituary was missed for some reason.

Consider ordering a death certificate. It appears I can order one for $8.

Research possible family members from 1860 and 1870 census to prove/disprove their relationship to Thomas.

Contact my grandmother, the great granddaughter of Thomas, to see if she knows any information. While he passed before she was born, it's possible she heard something about him from other family members.

March Genealogy Goals

Research

Extract Neal (and variations) vital records for Lewis County.

Develop research plan for determining date of death and parents for Thomas Vanzandt.

Work on plan for genealogy research trip to south Georgia next month.

Organization

Make table of contents for each surname folder so I can see at a glance what each folder has.

Writing

Write 8 posts a month for each of my blogs.

Education

Take one of the online research classes at FamilySearch.

Other

Index at least 2,000 names for FamilySearch.

Visit mother-in-law to begin scanning her pictures.

2011 Genealogy Goals

It's that time again, the time to set goals for the coming year. Unlike my previous goals, which focused on research, I will be setting goals in multiple categories. These are research (obviously), organization, writing and education.

Research

• Determine who the parents of my great great grandfather James Thomas Hayes are and where he is buried.
• Determine exactly when my great great grandmother Minnie L Rice Hayes passed and where she is buried.
• Determine if Bonnie Lee Radcliff and Lenia Pearl Radcliff were actually twins or if there was an error in the birth records.
• Determine who the parents of Thomas Vanzandt were as well as his exactly date of death. 
• Determine parents of husband's great great grandparents Joseph Koch Sr and Therese Ospelt Koch.
• Continue transcription project of all vital records for my WV surnames.
• Look into ordering death certificates for those individuals in my tree that I do not have a date of death or am missing information on parents. 
• Look into alternative record sources instead of only census, immigration, military and vital records.
• Visit at least one archive or genealogy library.
• Visit local libraries to see what they have to offer that may be helpful in my genealogy research.

Organization

• Continue with project to rebuild family tree from scratch adding only those people that I have sources to back up their addition.
• Make sure I have copies of all sources with citations.
• Make sure all sources I already have copies of have citations.
• See if there is a way to do a timeline for the entire family tree with one of my family tree programs. If not, begin compiling one.
• Get all photographs scanned in and labeled.
• Consistently use my research logs to avoid repeating searches.

Writing

• Write at least three blog posts a week for both of my blogs. One of the three posts here at Ancestrally Challenged can be a daily blogging theme.
• Participate in a genealogy blog carnival.

Education

• Attend at least one genealogy conference.
• Take at least six family history-related classes or webinars.
• Look into joining a genealogy society.
• Look into professional certification.

I know it seems like a lot, but I plan to break these goals down into more manageable chunks for my monthly goals. With luck and some perseverance, by this time next year, I will hopefully be able to check everything off.