An infographic on 1940 US Census from Archives.com

An infographic on 1940 US Census from Archives.com


Check out this neat infographic from Archives.com – one of the partners in the 1940 US Census Community Project!

Double click to see enlarged version...  ;-)



Families are Forever!  ;-)

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 13

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 13

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy 2012 prompts suggested by Amy Coffin; thanks, Amy!

Week 13. Local Societies: Local genealogical and historical societies are the lifeblood of genealogy. Members and volunteers give their time and money to preserve local history and promote family history. Tell us about a local society for which you are thankful.

This challenge runs from Sunday, March 25, 2012 through Saturday, March 31, 2012.

I am thankful for the Bureau County Genealogical Society, Bureau County, Illinois. In 1995, 96, as I was pursuing very serious genealogy study for the first time, focusing on my mother's paternal line, KINNICK, I received outstanding support from a volunteer and their research program there. They asked that I make contributions to their book fund at a rate proportional to her time spent researching in their extensive library. I had visited the library on one day, early on. Their followup work filled a couple of 3-ring notebooks, which I have used as a reference regularly since. I posted one reference here, last year.

Again, thank you very much. Also, I appreciate this opportunity to recall their good work.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Those Places - GE in Schenectady

Those Places -  GE in Schenectady

I'm going to need to move on from "my memories" from Schenectady. I wanted to do one more piece to finish my time on the GE Corporate Traveling Auditors staff, but I cannot find my "prop."

I have an 8x10 piece of paper that is full of small photos. It is the structure of the audit staff and head shots of all the men (no women, of course, in 1968) on it that quarter. It was updated, quarterly, at least. It was something like 10 rows wide and 14 rows high with the 4 highest ranking (longest there) in a top row (Larry Bossidy, as I mentioned earlier, was No. 1, at that time). When you first arrive, your face appears at the lower right. As your tenure grows, you move along the bottom row, then start at the right again on the second row from the bottom.

I was up to about the third or fourth row (from the bottom) when I decided to "move on." Guys were always "moving on" of course, for various reasons. My reason was, as mentioned a while back, I came to realize I could not see myself doing what the guys going "up and off" were going to do in terms of job and location, within the Company. Also, to get high enough to get really good jobs, meant continuing this traveling life for several years. I decided: "I was married to my wife and children, not to the company." That is my story, and I'm sticking to it!  ;-)

I loved GE. I loved what they stood for. I still do. During the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament last weekend, GE was a major sponsor. I always stopped and admired their commercials. I cannot help it. But, that life was not for me. So, we moved on.

Story to be continued.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Sydney, Nebraska, motel - 1950ish

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Sydney, Nebraska, motel - 1950ish

Is Jimmie about 6? That would be 1950. Pete and Eileen would have been married about 13 years. I'd have been eleven, taking the photo on Mom's old camera. It might even be 1949. Love the white hard-shell Samsonite luggage (far right, on the bed!). They sure are young! My Mom and Dad. He has the farmer tan, of course; being a very active farmer then. She still looked like the Coon Rapids girl, she always was! Fun...  ;-)

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Eileen KINNICK - 75 yrs ago - Week 12 - March 20-26, 1937

Eileen KINNICK
75 yrs ago
Week 12 - March 20-26, 1937

My mother, Eileen KINNICK (maiden name), kept a diary from 1932 until her death in 1999. In Feb 2005, I created a website of her 1936 diary, the year she graduated from high school. During the latter half of 2011, commented weekly on these entries.
For 1937, I am transcribing the daily entries, currently, at The KINNICK Project surname blog.

In this weekly blog post, I will make summary comments and observations, and perhaps add a photo, from time to time. Starting here with Week 10, I am switching to the week ending on Friday.
Setting: The family lived in a farmhouse a couple of miles out of town (Coon Rapids, Iowa). Older brother, Leo, lived at home; his girl friend, later wife, Ida, visited regularly. Younger brother, Buzzy (she often wrote Bussy) was 9 years old. Pete Smith is her 'boy friend' - fourth month starting Jan 1 (they do marry, in Mar 1938).

Week 12 (Mar 20-26):

On March 20, I expressed my frustration that I now longer seemed to have the more detailed diary entries, just the short transcriptions in the Multi-Year Diary. Well, as you read yesterday on March 26, I have found out I DO HAVE THE LONGER ENTRIES! Shame on me. Now, I must go back and catch up from Mar 9 to 25… It will fill in some gaps, where I was frustrated. Sorry to lay this on you, my dear readers… but, I guess it is good to share the frustrations as well as the joys of doing this particular task!  ;-) I've already done March 9 and 10…and 11, and 12, need to get on to the rest!  ;-)

Comments welcomed! 

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Those Places Thursday - 2029, Where will you be?

Those Places Thursday - 2029, Where will you be?

Been thinkin' about the future... I so often focus on the past... for my family history and genealogy interests. A few years ago, I had another spell like this, and picked three dates: 2003, 2010, 2029 that were important to me. I've used them in yahoo email accounts along with the billsmith - since it is so common. By now, of course, the first two have already passed by. So what is the significance of 2029?

2029 is the year I turn 90. That is 17, 18 years from now. A generation, for some. About the same amount of time as from today back to when we moved to Emporia, as a fresh, new PhD. Has much happened in that time span? You betcha'! Retirement need not be a time to sit idle. We can't do as much, or as quickly, as we used to do. But we can still do. That's what I have been thinking about - how best to do that.

My grandson will be 25. What will he be doing? where? Will I be able to see him to it? Will there be great-grandchildren by then? Probably not, but maybe. 

Will the world be a happier place? I'd like to think so. It will be the 100th anniversary of the Great Depression that so shaped my parents and grandparents, and my family as well. We are just coming out of the Great Recession, now. Hopefully there will be some new golden years, in between. Will I get to see them? I hope so. I plan to. How about you? Will you help them come about? I hope so.

Have a good day, both today, and each tomorrow!

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Piano Recital Program July 1962

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Piano Recital Program July 1962

This is a scan of the program of July 23, 1962, of a Piano Recital of Eileen (KINNICK) SMITH that lists all the different students she had at that time that had been taking lessons. Many familiar names from Coon Rapids, Iowa. Be sure to click on the image, to get the full size, so you can read the names.

Families are forever!  ;-)

Eileen KINNICK - 75 yrs ago - Week 11 - March 13-19, 1937

Eileen KINNICK
75 yrs ago
Week 11 - March 13-19, 1937

My mother, Eileen KINNICK (maiden name), kept a diary from 1932 until her death in 1999. In Feb 2005, I created a website of her 1936 diary, the year she graduated from high school. During the latter half of 2011, commented weekly on these entries.
For 1937, I am transcribing the daily entries, currently, at The KINNICK Project surname blog.
http://thekinnickproject.blogspot.com/
In this weekly blog post, I will make summary comments and observations, and perhaps add a photo, from time to time. Starting here with Week 10, I am switching to the week ending on Friday.
Setting: The family lived in a farmhouse a couple of miles out of town (Coon Rapids, Iowa). Older brother, Leo, lived at home; his girl friend, later wife, Ida, visited regularly. Younger brother, Buzzy (she often wrote Bussy) was 9 years old. Pete Smith is her 'boy friend' - fourth month starting Jan 1 (they do marry, in Mar 1938).

Week 11 (Mar 13-19):

On Sunday, March 14, Eileen noted that she and Dot T. spent the day together. Dot T. was Dorothy Thomas, sister of Wes Thomas and Ruth (Thomas) Bolger (my mother-in-law). Eileen had gone to choir practice, last week, and church (Methodist) this week - I'm confident that is how they connected this week.

Here is a photo of the Thomas five in 1960. Dorothy is front, left. Ruth is far left. Bill is front right, Wes is back center, and May is the younger sister, far right.

Comments welcomed! 

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Have you read the 1940 US Census blog? Try it!

Have you read the 1940 US Census blog? Try it!



To be reminded of the events surrounding the 1940 US Census there are few better sources that the Blog at the 1940 US Census Community Project.


Recent posts have included:

Top 5 Inventions of the 1940s
1940s Transportation
You Swingin'?
Events from the 19402 - McDonald's
1940 Census Top Posts - Week of March 5

Check it out! 


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Alex and the Train

Treasure Chest Thursday - Alex and the Train

Treasure chests take many forms. Today, I will celebrate one of my "antiques" and my grandson who will inherit it (them). At Christmas after my tenth birthday, I got the first pieces of my electric train - a SuperChief Santa Fe duo-engine Lionel O gauge set. That was Dec 1949 - over 60 years ago. It still runs. Here I am with my Grandson, Alex Rathsack, who will be eight next month. He last saw the train run in Dallas, when he was about 2. Here I'm explaining how one of the cars works.

This was Spring Break in Austin, where Alex lives. We were happy to have them visiting this week at the cabin, in Branson. I encouraged him to share the train with his grandson, or great-grandson (or daughter), when he is 72 years old. Hopefully, with the Made in the USA stamp on the bottom, it will still be running!  ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Old Front Porch

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Old Front Porch

I really didn't realize I had this one... on digital.

This is the old front porch, on the southwest corner, of the home where I grew up. This photo is probably from about 1942 or 3, when Pete and Eileen and Billie first moved into their first home on their first farm. A few years later, where this porch is became a front entry way and the bathroom with bath tub - where I spent every night washing off from a hard day or play or work.

The entrance was nice, but we NEVER used it. We always came in, first on the east side old porch; then, when the big porch was added, the south entrance near the kitchen. What memories.

I do not currently know the other girls, but Mom, Eileen, is third from the right. I'm sure I know the others, will just have to figure out at another time. Your help would be appreciated! 

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Eileen KINNICK - 75 yrs ago - Week 10 - March 8-12, 1937

Eileen KINNICK
75 yrs ago
Week 10 - March 8-12, 1937

My mother, Eileen KINNICK (maiden name), kept a diary from 1932 until her death in 1999. In Feb 2005, I created a website of her 1936 diary, the year she graduated from high school. During the latter half of 2011, commented weekly on these entries.
For 1937, I am transcribing the daily entries, currently, at The KINNICK Project surname blog.

In this weekly blog post, I will make summary comments and observations, and perhaps add a photo, from time to time. Starting here with Week 10, I am switching to the week ending on Friday.

Setting: The family lived in a farmhouse a couple of miles out of town (Coon Rapids, Iowa). Older brother, Leo, lived at home; his girl friend, later wife, Ida, visited regularly. Younger brother, Buzzy (she often wrote Bussy) was 9 years old. Pete Smith is her 'boy friend' - fourth month starting Jan 1 (they do marry, in Mar 1938).

 Week 10 (Mar 8-12):

Well, this was an eventful week in Eileen's young life. It looked like she was going to move a couple of hours from Coon Rapids, to Storm Lake, to work… and she did. But, it didn't last very long. She didn't like her new working environment, including the boss, and she was very quickly home sick. Can you blame her? Not really!

Of course, likely wouldn't be here if she had stayed in Storm Lake. So, I may be a bit biased!

On Wednesday, March 10, she got a "manicure set" from a Navy boy she wrote letters to… do you suppose it looked anything like this? Or would it have been smaller?

Comments welcomed! 

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Sharing Memories - GE Traveling Auditor - Schenectady

Sharing Memories - GE Traveling Auditor - Schenectady

As I have said many times over the years, "I got a solid ten years of powerful business experience in that 'little over a year' on the GE Traveling Auditor staff." True or not, it certainly felt like it. Of course, my family and I were dealing with some serious family issues during this period, as well, as I discussed last Sunday.

Once I got through the 'orientation' process, in town, the 'normal' process was a three-month audit in a distant location with only a week-end at home each month end. We tended to work ten-twelve hour days, on the road at a GE facility. We not only did the financial audit, under the auspices of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, & Co (as the CPA firm was known at that time), the official GE auditors, but we did a full operational audit of the operations under review, as well. So, not only did we learn the accounting procedures, we learned the entire operations of each unit. It was a fantastic, incomparable opportunity to learn 'best practice' business operations - or not, if it was not a great unit, of course [of course, there were NONE of those at GE! ;-) Silly me to even suggest...].

I want to briefly mention two people that, to me, represent both the quality and the depth of the experience. Reginald Jones, a future GE CEO, was on the corporate audit staff for eight years; as CEO, he was the one who selected Jack Welch to succeed him. Here is his Wikipedia link; the link on his name is to the GE write-up. He was the Financial V-P to whom the Traveling Auditors reported, during the time I was there. I never met him. Note on GE bio - he started in the same BTC program I did, but he started in the year I was born!  ;-)

OK, three guys… Gerald L. Phillippe was the CEO at the time I was with GE. It was his son-in-law who was in my program, a friend and colleague, in Louisville. Phillippe was born in Ute, Iowa… not even a stop-light in the town, perhaps.

The most directly influential on me, and I not only met him, I had a three month audit directly under his supervision as a junior member of his team: Lawrence A. ("Larry") Bossidy. He is generally credited with founding, and he did serve as Chief Operation Officer of, General Electric Credit Corporation; a major contributor to the success of Jack Welch as GE CEO. Bossidy later served as CEO of Allied Signal/Honeywell.

I have often described my impression of Larry, from my first hand experience: "He was the singularly most devoted person to his work assignment of any person I have ever known." Larry was one of our four 'top leaders' on the GE Traveling Auditor Staff, while I was there. Much like Jones was his last 4-5 years, I assume. Bossidy ran the audit in Phoenix, Arizona, at that time, the GE Computer Division - it was later sold off. This was Apr-May-Jun of 1968. 

A few days after returning from the end of May home visit, the team had gone to the 'new' movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), as I recall. When I came out, I got in a phone booth, and called Nancy saying I had decided it was going to be time to 'move on' when I could arrange for a new job. Besides the rigors of the traveling, it was becoming obvious, that even if I stayed on, and was successful, the job I would be earning the opportunity to be considered for in GE would be in a GE plant on the east coast. That was simply not what I saw as a future we wanted to have.

To be continued…

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Do you know the 50 questions that were used on the 1940 census?

Do you know the 50 questions that were used on the 1940 census?


Randy Seaver published these recently, so many of you have seen them - but did you stop and look at them in detail (His list is really easy to read - THANKS, Randy). Today, I want to focus on two sets of the questions:

1) 21 through 34, for Persons 14 Years Old and Over - Employment Status (and Occupation, Industry and Class of Worker), as well as Income in 1939, and

2) Supplementary Questions 35-50 asked only of a 5% sample of the population, for persons 14 years old and over (For persons enumerated on lines 14 and 29).


2) I am really anxious to see if any of the people I'm really interested in, close family and friends in the community, obviously, were asked these questions. Probably my favorite single thing to look for in the 1940 US Census. How about you?

1) I am interested to see if we really get the much broader set of answers that these questions suggest compared to what we got in 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses. Who will report that they worked for the WPA, CCC, for example. What was the number of hours per week worked reported!

The occupational questions seem to be more detailed. Will the answers also be?

And, of course, the income questions. How will they be answered? How will they compare, among family and friends… there could be some 'juicy' analysis come out of this. What do you think?


Finally, it is interesting to look at the actual forms that were filled out. Have you looked at them?
I'm including the first of the five images here.
http://usa.ipums.org/usa/voliii/form1940.shtml - site of images of questionnaire

Families are Forever!  ;-)

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 9

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 9

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy 2012 prompts suggested by Amy Coffin; thanks, Amy!

Week 10 – Genealogy Road Trips: No two genealogy road trips are the same but they’re always fun and meaningful. Describe a memorable trip in your past. Where did you go? What did you find (or not find)? Did you meet any new cousins? What did the trip mean to you and your family?

This challenge runs from Sunday, March 4, 2012 through Saturday, March 10, 2012.

This was our trip to Maryland, where my KINNICK ancestors first appear in the USA. Based on this first visit and the research that went before and since, I am still preparing to write a family history book about 5 times Great-Grandfather Serg Major William Kinnick, my 'primary' Revolutionary War ancestor. This set of four web pages was created in Aug 2001, shortly after the visit.

This trip was completed just two years before I completed the (multi-year) work (900+ webpages - including contact with nearly 100 'cousins') on the update of the 1953 KINNICK Family Genealogy Book as an online interactive book:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kinnick/

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - The 1929 Calendar

Treasure Chest Thursday - The 1929 calendar

I'm not sure why this scan is in black and white, when I know the Photo is in color - of Mozart Playing for Royalty (has been written in). This was a 1929 Calendar given as a 1928 Christmas gift to my Mom, Eileen KINNICK. At Christmas 1928, she would have just turned 10 years old a few days before. The 'gift' is from Frances Williams Piano Studio - Frances was her older First Cousin, Once Removed (Frances was 23 in late 1928). Actually, this was probably given to each of her all of piano students, but Eileen kept hers her entire life, I now I am the proud holder of the Treasure Chest item.

Comments on Eileen's diary entries have mentioned her playing the piano; recently she bought some sheet music. We know she played piano in high school for several music groups. I don't think the Kinnick farm had a piano in the home, however, we we don't hear as much about it, right now (75 Years Ago).


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Wordess (nearly) Wednesday - Trailer with Paul and Dorothy

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Trailer with Paul and Dorothy

This is a photo I've had in the back of my mind for a long time, and couldn't put my hands on it. When I did come across it, a while back, I had nothing particular to do with it! So, today is the day.

My maternal grandparent, Paul and Dorothy (SORENSEN) KINNICK, outside a trailer house they lived in for some time. It was parked north of our house. Our 'garden' was behind them - that is the 'grove' to the right, behind. It was the late 1940s, I believe. It seems they were remodeling something, and this was interim housing. I just don't remember. Hope someone will see it that does remember. It is a kind of important stage of life! Thanks, for any clues.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Eileen KINNICK - 75 yrs ago - Week 9 - March 1-7, 1937

Eileen KINNICK
75 yrs ago
Week 9 - March 1-7, 1937

My mother, Eileen KINNICK (maiden name), kept a diary from 1932 until her death in 1999. In Feb 2005, I created a website of her 1936 diary, the year she graduated from high school. During the latter half of 2011, commented weekly on these entries.
For 1937, I am transcribing the daily entries, currently, at The KINNICK Project surname blog.

In this weekly blog post, I will make summary comments and observations, and perhaps add a photo, from time to time.
Setting: The family lived in a farmhouse a couple of miles out of town (Coon Rapids, Iowa). Older brother, Leo, lived at home; his girl friend, later wife, Ida, visited regularly. Younger brother, Buzzy (she often wrote Bussy) was 9 years old. Pete Smith is her 'boy friend' - fourth month starting Jan 1 (they do marry, in Mar 1938).

Week 9 (Mar 1-7):  On March 4-5, we hear "Storm Lake," "Peck," and "Harry Cadden." The news story, below, helps fill in some gaps. I mentioned that Cadden had the men's clothing store in the 50s when I was a young man. Below explains the beginnings. We later learn that Peck as a big car dealership in Storm Lake.

From a recent Coon Rapids Enterprise:

75 Years Ago
February 19, 1937
Coon Rapids is to have a new clothing store, a men’s and boy’s furnishings store. It will be located in the building formerly occupied by the Murdy Drug store, a building formerly owned by Mrs. Edw. McDonald but purchased a few months ago by George Boehler. The first of the week Harry Cadden sold his interest in the Cadden and Bell garage to his partner, John A. Bell, and immediately leased Mr. Boehler’s building and began plans to buy store fixtures and lay in a stock of men’s and boy’s furnishings.
Mr. Cadden says he plans a store which will be a credit to the town and community. Mr. Cadden is well known here having been in business in the town since 1923 when he went in the garage business with George Smith. The following years Mr. Bell bought Mr. Smith’s interest and since that time Cadden and Bell have enjoyed a good business at this garage where they handled the famous Standard Oil products.
Mr. Bell will continue in the garage business as before. Mr. Cadden says he will get his store ready for business as rapidly as possible for the public in the near future.

More next week… keep reading the daily entries…  ;-)

Comments welcomed! 

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Sharing Memories Sunday - Appril Eileen Smith

Sharing Memories Sunday - Appril Eileen Smith

The primary memory of our first six months in Schenectady, as I was struggling to learn this new, high level, Traveling Auditor game, was on the home front. Nancy was pregnant with our third child, due in 1968 (first one, 1960; second, 1964). Unfortunately, she was a Rh Factor baby. She decided to come early, on December 23, 1967. However, her little heart was not up to the strain her 'conflicted' body put on her. All the remedies easily available today had not yet been developed by medical science at that time.

Appril Eileen Smith died on Christmas morning, December 25, 1967.

We buried her in Schenectady, where she was born. However, a few years later, when it was apparent we would never live there, again, we brought her little casket back to Iowa, with the metal marker, to the Union Township cemetery near Coon Rapids, near where my Dad was buried. When Mom died, in 1999, we decided to buy our own gravestone, for future use, near theirs, and mounted the metal marker on the back of our stone (rather than have the grass grow over it).

Families are Forever!  ;-)

1940 Census Update 3 March 2012

 1940 Census Update 3 March 2012

We are now inside of 30 days until the release of the 1940 US Census images. Tens of millions of people living in the United States in 1940 are still living today, making this a record set that connects people with recent family records. I'm in it!  ;-)

The people in the 1940 census deserve to have their records preserved and made available online. Have you been prepared to assist with the indexing project that will be required for all of us to be able to use indexes in our searches? If not yet, sign up TODAY. THANKS!  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Follow Friday - 2 March 2012 - FHISO

Follow Friday - 2 March 2012 - FHISO

The Family History Information Standards Organization, or FHISO, is a newly-formed international organization created to develop standards for the digital representation and sharing of family history and genealogical information. One community, one standard: I love this concept.

 FHISO will be a nonprofit, community-owned organization. Members will work transparently and collaboratively to identify, develop and maintain voluntary, open, consensus-based technical standards for international use. FHISO standards will be publicly available at zero or minimal cost on a non-discriminatory basis. Anyone will be able to implement the standards for any purpose without royalty or license fees. I see these as strong positives for our international community.

Membership will be available to all who participate in the global family history and genealogical community. I will share more about FHISO in future posts. FHISO's success depends on the voluntuary participation of all the global stakeholder groups. In the standard-setting process, there is no substitute for the active involvement of vendors, developers, technologists, users and family history or genealogy organizations. All of us must work together for the common good.

See Facebook Page.

I plan to post more details on FHISO. I like this organization. Stay tuned. I hope you agree.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Those Places Thursday - Schenectady, New York home

Those Places Thursday - Schenectady, New York home

As mentioned in Shared Memories, last Sunday, our next stop was Schenectady, New York, at the time the headquarters of the GE Traveling Auditors of which I was becoming a part.

We were fortunate to find a nice split-level home that served us well through the coming, often difficult, year. Annette has many memories of walking to school and playing with friends in the neighborhood. Allison wanted to go everywhere, too, but we needed to be careful - she was still very young. I spent a lot of time on the road, of course. And, did I mention, Nancy was very pregnant… More on Sunday, in our next Sharing Memories.

Just remember how to find this one of my Mom, Eileen, in front of the house, Mar 1969:

The girls shared a big bed room over the garage!


Families are Forever!  ;-)