Where's Aunt Bernice in 1940?

My Aunt Bernice was 17 years old when the 1940 census was taken. However, the 1940 census taken in April 1940, does not list Bernice in the household of her mother, Bertha Johnson. Where or where can she be?
The obituary for her grandmother, Frances Mahalia (Flaharty) Thompson lists Bernice as "of Chandlerville". Normally in an obituary that would mean that was where she was residing when her grandmother died. Her uncle & aunt who were living with her grandparents in Mason County, Illinois however are also listed as living in Chandlerville. So is she in Chandlerville... Mason County... or where?
Fortunately, Chandlerville is a small township and took very little time to review each of the 3 enumeration districts which it contains. All three districts had no reference to my aunt. The town of Chandlerville is split by two townships - Chandlerville and Panther Creek. So I checked Panther Creek township as well with no luck.
I needed more information to try to narrow my possibilities. Time to talk to my father and that is what I did. My aunt was married twice. Her first marriage happened before 1943. According to my dad, she married young. I asked him if she might have already been married in 1940 and he thought she might have been. My dad at the time was only 13 years old. My father also said that his sister's first husband did not live long after the marriage. He indicated they might have lived toward the town of Oakford.
With this information in hand, I first rechecked the census records of the area outside of the town of Chandlerville but still within Chandlerville Township. I then checked the census for the area around Oakford and for Oakford Township as well. Not finding any reference to Virgil or Bernice.
I decided to do an Ancestry search on Virgil Ray estimating his year of birth to be within 5 years of my aunt and that he was born somewhere in Cass County, Illinois. Ancestry brought information back in a subscriber's family tree that Virgil died 15 April 1940 in Panther Creek, Cass County, Illinois. According to the 1940 Census for Panther Creek, the census for that area was taken between April 11 - May 7 1940.
I find Virgil Ray listed with his parents, Oscar & Rebecca, in Panther Creek, Cass, IL. He is listed as age 23 and married with what looks to be a question mark behind it. The date the census was taken for the Ray household was May 3 1940. Since the date of record for the 1940 Census is April 1, 1940, Virgil must have been living with his parents on that date. But Bernice, his wife and my aunt, is not listed in the household. An oversight possibly due to the family being in morning due to the death of her son several weeks earlier to the date the census was taken.
I returned to the household of my grandmother, Bertha, to determine when the census was taken for her household. The date is listed as April 3 -4, 1940. It would appear that it is possible that my aunt Bernice was missed in the census due to the hands of fate and the timing of the taking of the census.

Syncing Ancestry Online Trees, Ancestry App & Family Tree Maker for Mac

I love the new synching feature of Ancestry Online Trees, the Ancestry App on iPad and Family Tree Maker for Mac. I never have to worry which one I used last or what was the last piece of information added. No matter what device I decide to work on my family tree whether it be my computer, phone, or iPad, my tree has all the same information. Giving me that ability to take my genealogy with me anywhere and to be able to work on it anytime.... as long as there is a cell signal.
I have set up one family tree file that is synced over the various electronic devices. While I have posted my direct family line in my online tree, the tree which I have been working on for over 20 years with over 2,000 individuals I have kept separate. I use the online tree for clues and find the documentation I need to support the data's inclusion in my "offline" file.
Why do I not put my historic file up online? When I first started the file, I did not have strong documentation skills. Some of the information in my file was gathered from other family genealogists who did not provide documented support for their entries into the trees. I am not saying that they didn't have it. Only that it was not shared with me. I have tried to ensure that the family tree information I put online is supported by proper documentation.
Perhaps some would think that I am potentially holding back valuable genealogical information. But I know that I ensuring that only the most accurate data is being posted online by myself. There are many family trees out in cyberspace. We all know that every family tree online is the documented truth...right? Unfortunately, with all the information available online these days, it is often difficult to check the documentation that supports the facts. I could go off on a tangent here but I digress.
I really don't have much more to say about the synching feature.... other than love it, love it,uhhhhh love it! Thank you Ancestry for this great feature!

My Genealogical Resolutions for 2012 - Better Late?

Several months ago...okay four months ago.... two months after the beginning of the new year, I noted some genealogical pursuits that I would like to accomplish in 2012. As I was reviewing my draft blogs, I realized that this entry was never posted. Better late than never?

Any way here we go...... I resolve to the following:

1) Join a few local genealogical socities that relate to my family especially one that has meetings.

2) If none of the societies that I join have meetings, look to start a local research group.

3) Get all of the cemetery pictures I have taken over the past year posted on FindAGrave.

4) Get pictures of my husband and I scanned so they can be backed up.

5) Post more of the information I have collected on my family tree at Ancestry.

6) Get my DNA tested for my maternal line and talk my father into getting his DNA tested for my Johnson family line.

7) Spend more time actively researching my genealogy.

8) Go to Michigan and Canada to do research.

9) Take more cemetery pictures.

10)Share my current research with all my family.

10 sounds like a good number of genealogical resolutions. I am sure I could come up with more. But if I want a chance of making all of them happen this year, I think 10 is reasonable.

Searching the 1940 Census

     Do you remember the joys of searching for your ancestors in a microfilm census roll?  Using soundex to try to locate the correct roll of microfilm?  Were you overjoyed when internet websites such as FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com provided indexes to the censuses with links to census images?  Seems like we are right back where we started except we don't have to go to the library or LDS center to get the microfilm.
     For those who started researching their family tree after the FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com, now you get a taste of the hunt to find that ancestor which to me is the thrill of doing genealogy in the first place.
     I realized lately that as more and more information is available online that I am not as excited when I find something new about a family member.  To me, it is more exciting to dig through tons of books to find one bit of information.  I guess you could say I like the thrill of the hunt!
     So here I am searching page by page through the 1940 census searching for my cousin's parents in hopes that I can post an image up at our family reunion in July.  I do see where indexes are vital tools when looking at large towns or cities.  But where some of my family is from small rural communities, it is neat to scroll through the census pages and read the names.  Some of the names are familiar as distant relatives or as people my father has told me stories about over the years.
     Many of the names common in the small communities start me wondering are they related. Then I am off on a tangent trying to determine if they are related.
     Time to get back on course as I search for a great or grand uncle, John Thompson, in a larger community.  I know where he lived in 1930 so I tried the "One Step Work of Stephen Morse and Joel Weintraub".  My first go round I apparently put in too much information. After searching those two districts, I decided to give one step another try.  While I like the search, it didn't really feel like going through 10 districts of over 50 pages each.  The site provided two more districts.
     I first scan each district looking for the street that they lived on in 1930.  When that theory didn't pan out, I decided two scan each district page by page.  Even if I didn't find thin, I would know he was not in these four districts. After scrolling page after page, the name of my great uncle John did not appear.
     Time to look at my family information... where might he be?  When my great grandfather Thompson died, John was listed in the newspaper obituary as living in Alton, Illinois.  When his sister (my grandmother) died 16 years after her father, Uncle John was listed as living in Fosterburg.  My cousin live on the family land in Fosterburg that I remember traveling to as a child for visits.  So I decided to check Fosterburg.

     I tried to select Fosterburg from the standard browse list on Ancestry but it wasn't there. It was not listed  as a "populated place".  I did a google search for "fosterburg il township 1940 ed" (ed for Enumeration District).  In the list of search results was "1940 Census Enumeration District descriptions" on the National Archives website at research.archives.gov.  There was a list of enumeration districts for Madison Co, IL.  When I clicked this result, I was taken to an image of a typewritten list of enumeration districts.  The sixth entry down read Fosterburg township with the burg blacked out.  Beneath it read, "show separately Fosterburg (unincorporated)."
     I went back to Ancestry.com 1940 browse feather and changed the populated place to "Foster".  it provided me only one enumeration district.  I clicked on the selection.  And the fates smiled on me... or maybe just my uncle and his wife.  because there at the top of the first page was Uncle John, his wife Pearl, and their daughter, Norma Jean.

     While this search probably took me hours longer since the census is not fully indexed.  I must say I found the search much more thrilling in the end!

A Family Reunion

It's that time of year and my Thompson Family Reunion is right around the corner. There is about 1 month left. While that may seem like a lot of time, it really isn't when you work full time.

     One of the major items has been out of the way for months... the location. It is best to plan this well in advance. Many sites fill up. Our family has been patronizing a local state park. It offers many options boating, fishing, hiking, bike riding or just relaxing next to a lake. A bonus for the location we reserve is it has a covered pavillion with electricity. The electricity comes in handy to run fans to keep attendees of all ages a little cool. Tough bill to fill in middle of summer.

     Another major item for reunions is food. Never a problem with our family. We use the potluck method. We take a collection every year to cover meat, drinks, and serving items. But everyone is asked to bring a covered dish. In my family, that means they show up with at least two or more. I think our family motto could be "We shall not starve".

     The first two items are minor challenges to me What is more of a challenge is bringing genealogy to the family in fun and interesting ways. During our first reunion, I brought a descendency chart. I had found pictures from my mother's photo albums of as many people in the chart as I could. We had some good laughs. It was fun to have middle age adults find themselves in the chart as children. It was a great way to get updated pictures as well.
     I also created a family display board. It contained pictures of our shared ancestor, George and Fannie Thompson. The board has pictures of each of their children in order of birth. To add interest to it, I added information about George's father's Civil War Service. The next year I add pictures that had been found of George and Fannie's parents as well as missing picture of one of the children who did not survive until adulthood.
     This year I want to expand the display. Since this year marked the release of the 1940 Census, I plan to find George and Fanny as well as all of their children and display the print of their census page. Only a few of the attendees will find themselves listed in the print outs.
     Probably the biggest challenge is keeping the youth interested in reunions and in the family history. That will take a little more research.