Cathy, Marilyn, Susan - many thanks for your contributions; I appreciate it very much. Cathy, you have come to my rescue once again. I was hoping that you would NOT find my George Thomas in that time period. His wife in a later census indicated that she was "widowed" but I have some evidence that George was still alive at the time. This leads me to two issues that I hope a number of you will comment on. The only evidence I have of George being alive from 1917 (when he last appeared in SF) to 1953 are two obituaries, one for his father (1930) and one for his half-brother (1953). In both he was listed as a family member and in neither one was he shown as "the late George Thomas". Have any of you ever found an obituary where a surviving member of the decedent's family was actually dead but the obituary didn't indicate that? If so, how often have you seen this. The second issue is one I have seen on several occasions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The heads of household, women in particular, would lie to a census taker that they were widowed when in fact they were divorced to avoid the stigma of divorce and the gossip of neighbors. Census takers were not always discrete. How many of you have seen this in your own research? Again, many thanks Paul

As to your first question I have found the city directories or phone books to be very helpful in tracking some of my relatives. I can comment directly to your second question. I have a Great Aunt who in 1903 told the folks who publish the Polk City directories that she was a widowed when in reality her husband had left her and she moved back in with her parents. At the time she had  one daughter.  A couple years later she remarried and had two more daughters by her second husband. I do not have a picture of her but I believe she must have  been a wonderful person to attract a single gentleman who in 1903 lived about three blocks from her parent's home. He eventually adopted her first daughter. Their marriage lasted until her death and he lived for another 12 years and  never remarried. Eugene ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Puente" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 11:31:59 PM Subject: [NORCAL] George Thomas b. 1887 California Cathy, Marilyn, Susan - many thanks for your contributions; I appreciate it very much. Cathy, you have come to my rescue once again. I was hoping that you would NOT find my George Thomas in that time period. His wife in a later census indicated that she was "widowed" but I have some evidence that George was still alive at the time. This leads me to two issues that I hope a number of you will comment on. The only evidence I have of George being alive from 1917 (when he last appeared in SF) to 1953 are two obituaries, one for his father (1930) and one for his half-brother (1953). In both he was listed as a family member and in neither one was he shown as "the late George Thomas". Have any of you ever found an obituary where a surviving member of the decedent's family was actually dead but the obituary didn't indicate that? If so, how often have you seen this. The second issue is one I have seen on several occasions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The heads of household, women in particular, would lie to a census taker that they were widowed when in fact they were divorced to avoid the stigma of divorce and the gossip of neighbors. Census takers were not always discrete. How many of you have seen this in your own research? Again, many thanks Paul

Paul, I managed to track down my fathers birth father and his second family. I found his obit and his widows, in hers it listed all her children as living. So I tracked them down, one daughter died three days after her mom, in the daughters obit the mom was listed as still alive and living in Salt Lake City. The daughter lived in California. This was mid 1980's. So guess it happens if family members are not in close touch. I did manage to speak with dad's half brother and one of his half sisters. She warned me to NOT tell her brother that I had spoken with her and she thought the other sister was living in Florida but could not be sure. OH and by the way my sister Sharon is dead. When I spoke to the brother he put his wife on the line and they pretty much just blew me off. Did not believe his dad had been married prior to his mom, even though I had proof, and NEVER once mentioned his sisters, not even the deceased one. Talk about a sad family. OH and they knew nothing about their father other than he was born in Ireland. Not when he came over, not where he lived - he *might* have lived in Omaha at one point - did not know he had ever lived and worked in Wyoming. So yeah, it happens and I'll bet in the way back days even more due to news did not travel all that fast back then. Susan Boise, Idaho, USA -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Puente Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 12:32 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [NORCAL] George Thomas b. 1887 California Cathy, Marilyn, Susan - many thanks for your contributions; I appreciate it very much. Cathy, you have come to my rescue once again. I was hoping that you would NOT find my George Thomas in that time period. His wife in a later census indicated that she was "widowed" but I have some evidence that George was still alive at the time. This leads me to two issues that I hope a number of you will comment on. The only evidence I have of George being alive from 1917 (when he last appeared in SF) to 1953 are two obituaries, one for his father (1930) and one for his half-brother (1953). In both he was listed as a family member and in neither one was he shown as "the late George Thomas". Have any of you ever found an obituary where a surviving member of the decedent's family was actually dead but the obituary didn't indicate that? If so, how often have you seen this. The second issue is one I have seen on several occasions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The heads of household, women in particular, would lie to a census taker that they were widowed when in fact they were divorced to avoid the stigma of divorce and the gossip of neighbors. Census takers were not always discrete. How many of you have seen this in your own research? Again, many thanks Paul

Paul and Everyone, First, you are welcome. Sorry I wasn't more help! As to your question, you may recall that you helped me with my Watson search about a year ago, and we had the lovely, thrice married Pauline to deal with. After her first divorce, Pauline moved back in with her family and used her maiden name, and "single" on the Census. Your idea then was as you stated below, and a good one -- especially in such a small town as Reserve, Kansas! Next, I am totally enjoying everyone's stories in reply to this question! My grandfather's first wife never remarried and gave "widow" as her status on the next two Census records, even though my grandfather was alive and well. Similar to Susan Slade's story, my grandfather's brother was married twice, and the second wife had no knowledge of the first wife or their 5 children! A distant relative saw an obit and recognized the names. She began calling other family members with this news. Someone then contacted a person listed in the obit, and they now have this huge, extended family they never knew existed. Oh, the webs we weave! Susan -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Puente Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 11:32 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [NORCAL] George Thomas b. 1887 California Cathy, Marilyn, Susan - many thanks for your contributions; I appreciate it very much. The second issue is one I have seen on several occasions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The heads of household, women in particular, would lie to a census taker that they were widowed when in fact they were divorced to avoid the stigma of divorce and the gossip of neighbors. Census takers were not always discrete. How many of you have seen this in your own research? Again, many thanks Paul ----------------------------------------- NORCAL ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. ----------------------------------------- To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to [email protected] ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message