Motivation Monday - Who's in the 1940 US Federal Census

    The 1940 census will be available for viewing in just over a month.  I have April 2 marked as a day free of any other activities so I can jump in and search for family in the census.  There will not be an index at the start.  FamilySearch.org is organizing many groups to begin indexing as soon as the census is available on Apr 2.  I am signed up and can't wait to do some indexing in Texas & California.

    So since there will not be an index on the 2nd, my first list of family to search for will be those who lived in small towns or counties where I can search page by page for them.  Here is a list of a few I will start:

1. My father, William J Hork, his mother Anne Hork, sisters, Lorene, Virginia, and June.  They were living in  Cucamunga, California, according to a 1940 city directory.
2. My grandfather, William C Hork.  He was living in Ontario, CA, according to a 1940 city directory.
3. Stephenville, Erath Co, Texas for Warren & Lela Lancaster, Thomas N Johnston & Zilpha Johnston, and possibly my mother and grandparents, Lela N Johnston, Tom J Johnston, and Pansy L Johnston.
4. My husband's father, George J Gorrell was in north Sacramento county.  His mother, Thelma Nilsen was in either Hilmar, Merced Co, CA with her grandmother, Matilda Lovisa Lundquist or with her father Arthur Nilsen in Modesto, Stanislaus Co, CA or Stockton, San Joaquin Co, CA.
5. My husband's grandparents, Joseph Norman & Matilda Gorrell were in Webb City, Jasper Co, MO.

    I think this is a good list to start.  Webb City, MO and Hilmar, CA will be easy places to search because their jursidictions are small.  I might find several in the Stephenville, TX census.  After speaking with my grandmother, Pansy, her family traveled quite a bit before and during World War II, and I might have to wait for an index before finding them.


Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past