Census Sunday: Ellsworth D Haley household, 1940, Jay County, Indiana

My paternal great granduncle, George David Ellsworth Haley, was enumerated in the 1940 census in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  He was living in a rented home in Ward 3 of the city.

1940 U.S. census, Jay County, Indiana, population schedule, Ward 3, Portland, enumeration district (ED) 38-21, SD 5, sheet 2B, 507 E. High St., dwelling 47, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 May 2013); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

The family consisted of Ellsworth, age 71, and his wife, Anneta, age 70.  They were both born in Indiana, and their residence in 1935 was the same place.

Ellsworth's occupation was listed as the proprietor of a retail feed & seed store.  Previous occupations have him as a building contractor, Evangelical minister, factory laborer and photographer.  Both he and his wife had completed the 8th grade in education.

Prior to this find, I had his wife listed as Nettie, though it appears Anneta may be the full name.  Ellsworth may have been how he was known, but my files show his full name as George David Ellsworth Haley, likely named for both of his grandfathers.

Census Sunday is a daily blogging prompt used by many genealogy bloggers to help them post content on their sites.

State & Federal census sheets are filled with information for genealogists. Both the population & non-population schedules give us insights into the lives of our ancestors. What have you found that is Surprising? Reassuring? Bewildering? Census Sunday is a daily blogging prompt suggested by Colleen Pasquale of Leaves and Branches.

Surprise Party for Mrs. George Allen, 1914

"A Surprise Party," announcement, Alexandria Times-Tribune, 22 October 1914; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 March 2015).

A SURPRISE PARTY

Mrs. George Allen, who resides south-west of the city was very pleasantly surprised Tuesday night when a large company of friends gathered at the home to spend the evening.  The time was spent in enteretaining music and games.  Pop-corn, apples, candy and melons were served to the guests.  Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Manring, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Thurston and daughter, Lolaa, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. Grover Gaither and son, George.  Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Bowers and Son, Herbert, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Davis and son, Ralph, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Peet, Mr. and Mrs. Webster and family, Mr. and Mrs. Horace McCord and family, Mr. and Mrs. Wid Carver, Mrs. Clyde Clevenger and daughters, Misses Hazel Nichols, Nellie Smith, Frances Wright, Hazel Folden, Elsie McCord, Marie Etsler, Louise Auler, Gladys Cox, Katherine Brown, Mary Moore, Elizabeth Auler, Olivia Wright, Katherine Cox, Nellie Scott and Messrs. Will Nichols, James Ferguson, Will Smith, Robert Gaither, Charles Sexton, George Hardcastle, Joseph Gaither, Kenneth Allen, Byford Brown, Virgil Wright, Jesse and Lawrence Gaither, Will Baxter, David Bowers, Clifton Jones, Virgil Wright, Thurel Markle and Wid Nickols.

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Another social gathering attended by my maternal great-grandfather, Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972) was covered by the society pages in the paper.  Many of these listed were family friends and neighbors who have appeared in other gatherings.

Virgil was listed twice in the list of names, I wonder if the second time should have been mention of his brother, Chester.

The Frances Wright and Olivia Wright mentioned in attendance were Virgil's cousins, daughters of James and Clara (Hicks) Wright.

Sometimes the paper gets it wrong

"Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wright and children," announcement, Alexandria Times-Tribune, 27 July 1914; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 14 March 2015).

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wright and children, John and Virgil Wright, motored to Anderson yesterday and spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Wright.

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Oftentimes, the newspapers just don't get it right.  If you've ever been misquoted during an interview, you know what I mean.  Or maybe even witnessed and event and then read the paper the next day to see that it was mangled by the press in the reporting.  Happens all the time, even with the gossip columns of old, apparently.  At least it appears that way in this item.

Charles Wright was a brother to Jesse Wright, so it makes sense that he might have motored to Anderson to visit him.  However, his children were not named John and Virgil Wright.  Charles' children were Fred, Edna, Erma and Paul.  

Now Charles and Jesse did have a brother John Wright, who had a son, Virgil.  John was my maternal 3rd-great grandfather.  At first I thought this story might have meant that Mr. and Mrs. John Wright instead of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wright, but the Mrs. John Wright, my 3rd-great grandmother, Ellen, had passed away in December 1913 so there was no Mrs. John Wright at the time.

What I think happened, was that Charles Wright and his wife went to Anderson and visited his brother, Jesse, and took along his other brother John and John's son, Virgil.  Somehow in the telling of the story to the press, the names and relationships became mangled.