I feel like I can never learn enough about the people that came before me…I’ve spent hours pouring through Mother’s bin of old black and white photographs and daguerreotypes. Some of my most precious and intimate information about Mother’s mother was garnered in a dream tour I had of her home where I awoke knowing things I never couldn’t have legitimately learned (that’s clearly a story for another day.) My family photos
Soooo, when ancestry.com had free viewings of 1930 census data a while back, I jumped at the chance to learn more about our families. Here’s what I found out…
- Daddy-O’s grandma was widowed and lived with two of her children – D the stenographer and S the minister – in Savannah. Curiously, her two younger children F and B lived together, also in Savannah, but not with their mother. My grandfather was a mechanic in 1930 – oh, how I wish I’d had the opportunity to know my Daddy’s daddy!
- Daddy-O’s mother was 22 years old and lived with her parents and brother. Her father was a carpenter.
- Mother’s daddy was 21, a city policeman (Mother never knew this!) and married to an older lady (27) that was NOT my grandmother! They lived on Hull Street in Savannah and rented for $13.75 a month. Mother since uncovered the official notice from the Bishop in Savannah noting that marriage null on the grounds of clandestiny. Sounds juicy!
- Mother’s paternal grandparents lived on Habersham Street in Savannah. Her grandpa was a boiler maker for the railroad. Three of their children lived at home with them. The home still stands today, though it's been relocated a few blocks over.
- Mother’s paternal great grandparents lived a few doors down, also on Habersam Street in historic Savannah. Their home was worth $5000 (and it’s a true beauty, even today.)
- Mother’s mother was only twelve, and lived with her widowed mother, her brother the antiques dealer and her niece (nobody knows where she came from!). Mother’s grandmother was a hairdresser and she owned her home, worth $2,500. The census showed her middle initial as “E”. This is interesting because her death certificate said her middle name was “Grace” but she had always said her middle name was “Evelyn.” So, the initial supports she really did know her own name and that the Grace was a mistake somewhere along the way :-)
- Honey’s maternal grandmother was 21 and lived at home with her parents in Indiana. Her father worked for the gas company.
- Honey’s maternal grandfather also lived at home with his parents in Illinois. His parents were both high school teachers and they owned their home.
- Honey’s maternal great grandfather was widowed and lived as a caretaker in Illinois.
- Honey’s paternal grandfather lived at home with his parents in Baltimore. They owned their home, worth $1,900. His father was an oiler for the electric company.
- Honey’s paternal grandmother lived at home with her parents, also in Baltimore. Her father was a post office foreman and they owned their home, worth $7,500 (ritzy, no?)
I could have spent hours looking up children, cousins and parents…and even hours more daydreaming about what life was like eighty-two years ago. Alas, I have two littles that need their mommy back in the year 2012 :-)
xoxo
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