HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR?
On New Year’s Day 2023, upon logging into FamilySearch to research something else, I realized that the long-awaited 1950 census was "up and running.” Excited to find the 1950 census easily accessible since it wasn’t when it first became available in April 2022, I immediately began scouting for the key players in our family.
At first, when I plugged the name "Fannie Mark" into the search engine, I thought my Aunt Fannie’s 1950 census records were unrecorded. Then, I took a chance and clicked on the one that showed her spouse was “Joseph.” Knowing she never married, it was a bit odd, but further being aware that my Uncle Jerome was known as “Joe” while serving in the Navy Seabees during WWII, I decided, “Why not try it?” Sure enough, seven years her junior, my uncle was incorrectly listed as the head of the household, with Fannie as his spouse.
My Uncle Jerome, listed with his name misspelled as “Gerome” in the transcription of the 1930 census, sheds light on the routine inconsistencies in records. I point out that not everyone would know how to research their subjects. If they did know, they might not understand the inconsistency in the documents.
I was lucky to find the records of my relatives that I was seeking. That success was based on little clues I picked up throughout decades of listening to my aunt telling stories, followed by years and years of research.
While trying to find records, how do I know what to look for? I keep at it and, importantly, take chances. My advice to others is to start by taking the opportunity to discuss pointed questions with family members.
I’m off to send this latest find from the 1950 U.S. Census to my brothers and cousins.
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Essential Information
Given Name: Fannie
Surname: Mark
Name Suffix:
Race: W
Sex: Female
Age
Age: 32
Relationships
Spouse: Joseph Mark
Census
Date: Apr 22, 1950
Place:
County: Essex
House Number: 298
Apartment number: 2 Fl R
City: Newark
Supervisor District Field: 30-90
State: New Jersey
Birth
Place: N. J.
Residence
Place:
County: Essex
House Number: 298
Apartment number: 2 Fl R
City: Newark
Supervisor District Field: 30-90
State: New Jersey
Date:
Year: 1949
Additional Fields
World War I vet:
Source Page Number: 72
Lived on farm:
Checked by:
Same county:
Other income supplement: none
Seeking work:
Occupation Industry: Veteran Administrator
Father's Birth Place: Russia
Relative income:
Code C2: 2
Worked last week:
Worker class: g
Attended school: 30 or over
Weeks worked: 52
Marital Status: nev
Code C: 350
Employed:
Code B:
Code C1: 916
Relationship to Head: Wife
Mother's Birth Place: Russia
Institution 2 to line:
Agricultural questionaire number:
Institution 1:
World War II vet:
Checked by date:
Grade completed: s12
Institution 2 type:
Hours worked: 40
Completed grade: Yes
Occupation category: wk
Source Line Number: 20
Institution 1 type:
Income: 2700
Income other sources: none
Institution 2:
3 plus acres:
Checked by date: Yes
HOUSEHOLD_ID: 95
Lived on farm last year:
Occupation: Typist
Weeks out of work:
Same house: Yes
Institution 1 to line:
Institution 2 from line:
Enumerator Name: Leo Yourish
Citizen Status Flag:
Relative income:
Income from other sources:
Veteran:
Code A:
Institution 1 from line:
Recapping, “Joseph” was not her spouse, he was Fannie’s younger brother, Jerome. In 1950, they lived at 298 Belmont Avenue on the corner of Avon Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. Today, that section of Newark is known as the Springfield/Belmont neighborhood, with Irvine Turner Boulevard marking where Belmont Avenue once intersected with Avon.