1940 Census: On The Trail of Some Neals

Riley and Aulda (Messenger) Neal were my paternal 2nd great grandparents. I knew they had been living in Glenville, West Virginia in the 1930 census and just outside Glenville in Linn, WV when Riley registered for the WWII draft. I decided to start my search there. As it turns out, there are six enumeration districts for that area. Wouldn't you know they were in the last one I checked.

Household of Riley Neal, Source 1940 US Census, Glenville, Gilmer County, West Virginia, ED 11-10, Page 10A

When the enumerator came around on 29 April 1940, Riley was the one to respond to the enumerator's questions. The family was living on a rented farm on Butchers Fork on the outskirts of Glenville. Riley is listed as having a 6th grade education and working as a laborer for the WPA. I'm not sure if it's a mistake or a quirk of the census but he is noted as having been unemployed for 26 weeks, but had worked 52 weeks the previous year. His salary is listed as $272. The family was living in the same house they were in in 1935.

Next in the household was his wife Aulda, a homemaker, who had achieved a 7th grade education. Children Charles, Herley, Ella, Leo, Lester and Roy were also in the household. Charles was the only one employed. He had worked 40 hours the previous week as a offbearer in a sawmill. He had 13 weeks of employment in 1939 and made $185.

In the household enumerated before my 2nd great grandparents, you find Riley's brother Oliver. Like his brother, he was living on a rented farm, the same place he'd been 5 years previously. He had worked 40 hours the previous week as a farmer. He had been employed all of the previous year and made $462.

His wife Dortha (Frashure) was the one who answered the enumerator's questions. As luck would have it, her name fell on line 14, making her a supplemental. In the supplementary questions, you can see that both of her parents were born in West Virginia. This was her first marriage, which she had entered at age 19, and she had gave birth to three children. These would be the three daughters-Goldie, Mable and Ethel-who are listed with the couple in the census.

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.

Assumptions are Dangerous

I recently had a reminder of how assumptions are dangerous in genealogy. I always knew my dad was born in West Virginia. I had assumed he was probably born in Gilmer County since that was where my grandparents married and I believed they had lived after their marriage.

Recently, I drove over to see my family. While I was there, I asked my mom for copies of her and my dad's marriage certificate, as well as their birth certificates. Everything looked just like I had thought, with the exception of my dad's birth certificate. It turns out he was born in the neighboring county of Lewis.

Granted, this wasn't a huge change from my assumption. However, if I didn't have the birth certificate or someone I could ask, I could have ended up wasting my time searching records in the wrong area. I would have eventually branched out into the neighboring counties and found him, but my false assumption would have delayed my research.

It could have been worse. I had always believed that my dad's mother was born in West Virginia. As far as I knew, her parents had always lived there, she married there and at least one of her children was born there. Imagine my surprise when I found out that she was born 300 miles away in a different state.

So far, my research hasn't shown any connection to where she was born. As it turns out, she told me and it's also listed on her marriage certificate. If I didn't know, I probably would have found out next year when the 1940 census is released.. However, without these clues, I would have first searched my assumed West Virginia counties, then branched out to the surrounding counties. It would have been a while before I checked the surrounding states for her birth certificate..

These aren't the only false assumptions I've made in my research. My paternal great grandparents, Charles William Radcliff and Living Neal, were married in Maryland, 250 miles from where they lived. My paternal 2nd great grandparents were married in the same place. One could assume that my great grandparents married there because my 2nd great grandparents did, but why did the original pair go there?.

On my maternal side, my 3rd great grandparents Aaron Hiram Rice and Martha Jane Register, disappeared after the 1920 census. Both were born in Georgia in 1872 and lived there up until that point. I searched the entire state of Georgia without success before moving to neighboring state. They turned up Florida where they appeared in the 1930 federal census, as well as the 1935 and 1945 state censuses.

Then, they threw me for another loop. Aaron died in Georgia in 1958. I'm still trying to figure out when and where Martha passed away.

While it's easy to jump to a conclusion based on known facts, sometimes you have to throw everything you know (or think you know) out the window to find the truth.

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.

February Genealogy Goals

Research

Extract all Radcliff (and variations) vital records for Wetzel County.

Extract all Neal (and variations) vital records for Gilmer County.

Visit local library to explore genealogy-related holdings.

Develop research plan for determining parents and burial location of James Thomas Hayes.

Organization

Continue going through my sources to make sure I have citations for everything.

Continue building timeline of vital events for individuals in my family tree.

Writing

Write 12 posts a month for both blogs.

Write a few evergreen blog posts for both blogs for use when I don't feel like writing or am too busy to post.

Education

Make a list of genealogy societies to research for possible membership.

Other

Index at least 2,000 names for FamilySearch