Insane, really?

I'm looking at a census records for Louisa.  She's an unemployed adult who cannot read nor write.  She is listed as insane.  The choices are deaf and dumb, blind, insane or idiotic.  I wonder what the criteria was for being labeled insane in 1870.

Be creative!

I love the census records, however, they can be pretty #@$#& frustrating when I can't find who I'm looking for in them.  Today I was reminded of being creative with names when looking.  The name alluding me was Jurmann.  I can find the family in the 1910 and 1930 census.  Where are they in the 1920? 

It hit me. 

The last name sounds like German.

I tried German and there they are!  I hope that works for the 1940 census, too!

Joke?

Someone's idea of a joke? Bill and Darlene divorced in 1972. She died in 1983. He died in 1991. Their headstones are separate but in the same cemetery and next to each other. His has the word TOGETHER on it. Hers has AGAIN. Did Bill get the last laugh?

Listen to instincts!

A thought kept creeping into my mind as I posted data to the family tree today regarding Kenneth.  I knew his name is Kenneth Eugene yet I posted a SSDI record with Kenneth middle linitial G.  Why?  Because sometimes the initials are wrong.  It bothered me that the SSDI record had a G instead of an E.

But did that stop me?

No.

Am I sorry?

Yes.

Kenneth G is NOT Kenneth Eugene.  You probably think that is a no brainer but when dealing with the census and records that are taken by hand there are tons of mistakes due to misreading the sometimes horrible handwriting.

The SSDI is not usually wrong.  I ignored the warning in my head.  Now I get to clean up the mess.

What made me finally admit my mistake?  The 1940 census.  I found Kenneth E and Kenneth G in their respective assumable locations.

Why did I do it to begin with?  I hate to admit it but I found  family trees with the misinformation.  Usually I do a better job of proving the information before adding it.

Not today.  Argh!

 Another twist of the knife....Kenneth E was easy to find on the SSDI.  Frustrating.

Feeling like a detective...

Abraham Dobbs was giving me fits on the census.  I could not find him anywhere.  So I tried looking for his wife, Jane.  Bingo!  I have records for him on the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census.  He was listed under his first name, his middle name and his initials.  Wonder what is next?

Oh heck, found the family on the 1880 census but Abraham is not with them.  Jane is listed as married so where is he???  No luck with anything I've tried.

I tried to find him in the 1900 census as I think he died in 1902.  No luck again.  Time to try to find him through his sons.

Oh Good! Earlier Census! Chance to get Parents' Names

Charles Wetherhold married into the family.  I have no idea who his parents are so was happy to see a 1910 census record for him.

I was surprised to see no parents listed, however, he is the nephew of Francis and Laura Peter.  Really?  I have a feeling Charles is related to me.  This needs more investigation!

I find Laura's mother was a Wetherhold, but that doesn't help at the moment.  Still investigating.

Well, after checking census records for the aunt and uncle listed with Charles on the 1910 census, I still don't know how he is related.  <big sigh>  I think I'll go eat a snack and try again later.

Sometimes it pays to enter a little extra

I really think I must be related to over 1/2 of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.  The other day I entered information on a Schlosser family.  This is NOT a direct line of mine, but I have several in my database.  Because of having so many, I went ahead and entered parents of the Schlosser...who didn't match any in the database.  I discovered the next generation of parents' names and enter them.  Still no matches.  Found another generation...they were in the database.  Related.  So the Schlosser marrying into the family was/is actually another cousin.  Distant cousin marrying a distant cousin.  I did not check to see if they were distant cousins of each other. There is a possibility of that.