Thursday, April 26, 2012

Searching The 1940 Census

It's been a time searching the 1940 census. It look me a while to catch on. Slowly bit surely I've located some of my relatives. Then, there are many I had trouble locating.

The census is being index. I'll be glad when it's completely index. In the beginning, I was searching page by page. I have an idea where some of the family members may have lived. I have found most of my relatives in St. Joseph, Missouri.

I came across some of the ones that lived in Yankton, South Dakota and Iowa. I had a time with the ones in CA and NY. I've found two of the LANKFARD brothers in NY. I haven't found the CA relatives yet. I have an idea where some of them lived.

I checked the 1930 census to see where they lived. I tried to match it up to here they may have lived in 1940. It appears that some of them moved. I think that they were in the same State.

As the days have been passing, I began to find more and more relatives. I have to have an idea of where they lived. It can be time consuming if don't know where to look. Thank God for those who are taking the time to index the 1940 Census.

It's been exciting to search this census. When I come across a relative... that make it more exciting. I was excited when I came across my parents' names. I saw them for the first time on the census together with their first born David Jr.

My parents live next door to my mother's parents, Leo and Mary (ALLEN) LANKFORD/ LANKFARD and sibling...Also they lived not far away from my mother's sister, Mary Virgina and her husband, Milton Vernon Thomas. Aunt Mary "Jennie" went by Virgina and Uncle Milton went by Vernon on the 1940 Census.

I'm still searching. I came across more names to add the family tree. I did come across some surprises. I need to make some updates on the family tree.

The ones that I'm looking for and haven't located ...Isaac and Anna (Lankford) Blakley and family MN. John and Lottie (Suggs) Blakley IA, William and Leola (Lankford) Farmer and family in (?). Ollie and Margaret (Cason) Blakey, Archie and Flora Blakey, Lawhorn Blakey and his wife, Jordan Blakey and his wife and family all in CA. Alberta (White) Morris and family in CA. The Nickersons in CO, Fredrick Lankford in NY. Charles E. Lankford in (?) Anna Alice (Lankford) Smith in MO. There are others...
.
I hope some day I will find more information.
There were some leads that I can follow up on.
Thanks for reading.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

What About Aunts And Uncles By Marriage Part 5 : Alma (Suggs) Nelson Blakley And Alma Lottie (Cave) Smith- Blakley - Jackman

As I began to search for my Uncle John's wife Lottie, I made some discoveries that I'm still trying to figure out. Was Uncle John married to two Lotties.

Lottie (Suggs) Nelson - Blakley
Alma Lottie (Cave) Smith Blakley - Jackman
I've been trying to figure out the mystery.
From what I have discovered, there appears to be two Lotties.
One went by her middle name.
Her name was Alma.
I have found her name to have been Alma Lottie or Lottie Alma.
Then later on I came across that Lottie was older than John.
I found out that this Lottie was from KS.

I found a letter written to my mother from Lottie Suggs.
Her name was spelled Lottie Sugg Nelson Blakley.
After farther research I located an Alma "Lottie"  born on Dec 18, 1912 and passed away on Nov 26, 2007 in Des Moines Iowa. The dates matches up with the death record. This Alma appears to have been  the second wife of John Blakley.

According to the 1930 Census record in St. Joseph, Missouri,
John was married to a Lottie.
They married about 1928.
This Lottie was born about Feb 1896 KS.
I came across Lottie's parents  and siblings in KS.
William A. Suggs
Elizabeth (Arkers) Suggs (1870 - 1927).

Lottie's Siblings:
Charles, William H. and Ella Suggs
Lottie (Suggs) Nelson was the informant on her mother, Elizabeth's death record in St. Joseph, Missouri. I can't located when Lottie Suggs Nelson Blakley passed away. I think she may have passed away in Des Moines Iowa between 1961 - 1965. I don't think she divorced John.
When John passed away in July of 1975, he had 3 step children. They carried the Smith surname. Lottie's children by her first marrage were Elizabeth, Marie and Garnett Sterling Smith Jr.

According to someone on ancestry.com John married Lottie in 1965 in Iowa. On this Lottie's name on death information on both Alma Blakley and Alma Jackman. Both were born in  Dec 18, 1912. Alma's third husband was name Olber Jackman.

There is a photo of Alma Cave Jackman on ancestry.com.
However, I can't see it. That site is private.
That's one sad thing about priviate sites.
I haven't located John Blakley Jr, Lottie Suggs Blakley or Alma Lottie Cave Smith on the 1940 Census. I hope I came across them. I'm glad that I have found out what I have.

I hope some day that I can find out more.
Perhaps some one will come across this site and add more to the family history.
I hope so.
Thanks for reading.
God bless you.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Piecing Together The South Dakota And California BLAKEYs

I've come a long ways. There is so much information that I have come across. I started out around the mid 1970's and get serious in the 1980's.

My desire to know more has increased over the years. There is more information that's available to search. The 1940 census came out on April 2, 2012. I found some of the Blakeys in Yankton, South Dakota.

I've been searching for Mattie White and her descendants at the time of this blog. I'm trying to piece together some of the family history. As I've looked over some of my Grandfather John's half brothers' and sisters' information. I see some connections.

Some of the BLAKEYs moved to California about 1929, 1930's and 1940's.
I have located some of them.

What year did they go to California?  Perhaps around 1929.
Wonder why they wanted to move west?
Did Lillie and Edward HAYES move to CA?
Lillie and Edna moved to the same cities in MO and SD.

The BLAKEYs who lived in California.

Ollie and Margaret CARSON BLAKEY
I have located them on the 1930 census
They were buried in CA.

Jordan and Flora E. BLAKEY
I have located them on the CA voting records.
Flora passed away in CA.
Jordan moved to Michigan and passed away there.

Edna BLAKEY JACKSON BENTLEY
I have located her on the CA voting records
Edna was buried in CA.

Lawhorn and ? BLAKEY
I have located him

Archie T. and Flora BLAKEY
I have located them on the CA voting records.
Archie was buried in CA.

But there is a mystery.
Jordan married a Flora. So did Archie Blakey.
I can't figure out which one had children.
There was a Flora with maiden name Lawrence, She had children.
I assume that she was Jordan's wife.

But one of this Flora's son was named Thomas Blakey Jr.
Archie's middle name searched with a T.  Flora E.  had about 4 or 5 children. I think I have leads on one of Flora's son. He had about 5 to 11 children.

Here's the memorial in South Dakota of Florance Blakey. She could be the wife  or child of one of the Blakeys in South Dakota. I don't know.

Here are the memorial for the South Dakota and California Blakeys

I'm still looking into the mystery of the California Blakeys.
I haven't located them on the 1940 Census.
That will take some time without an index.

Also I came across more information on The Richard and Jane (FERGURSON) WHITE Connections in CA ~> Alex and Alberta (WHITE) MORRIS.

Staying On The Family History Journey,

Susan

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

The 1940 U.S.Census

I've been looking forward to the release of the 1940 U.S. Census for so long. The release is on Monday ~> April 2, 2012. <~ Click  at 9 AM Easter Standard Time.

There are some loose ends that I can follow up from the past censuses. However this isn't index...Yet.  So for now, it's searching page by page. I think that the 1940 census has the records by states and cities. Well, I would think so.

I'll know it will take some time to find what I'm looking for. But I believe that it will be worth the time. Wondering who I will find first?

First on my list to located my parents with their household. I hope that they lived in St. Joseph, Missouri. They would have lived next door to my mother's parents.

I wonder how many of my relatives lived on LBJ Street? It appeared that most of my mother's siblings lived near one another. I hope to locate them as well.

This will be a journey in the making. I'm so exited that there is more information available to the public. My Family History Journey Continues....

Thanks for reading.
On The Journey to find more on the family tree.
Hope others will search as well.

It's Holy Week. Enter In...
God Bless.
Susan