Trying to find my great grandfather on the 1930 Census

[TomGad]

It is a copy of the 1920 census that you appear to have already seen 

Ah ok, I’m looking for the census after that in 1930.

[rosie99]

I appreciate that but it gives us something to work on as there is more information about his siblings which could help us in our search.

[scotmum]

Indeed, rosie99. The more info already known to you, TomGad, that you can share, the more helpful it can be and can save us wasting time going down wrong tracks.

Can I check how certain you are and what source record/s you have, for your James' birth year of 1918 and middle name of Pershing?

https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/BirthResults only returns 9 James Davis births that year, with the only Creek County one having been born 9th October and having middle initial W.

Your James, in the 1920 at least, was said to be 3 yrs and 6 months old, so if correct, would have been born around July 1916.

The same site above, returns 4 births in 1917, albeit with none in Creek County nor with middle name starting P. And in 1917, 10 returns, but none in Creek County, nor with middle name starting P.

[shellyesq]

His WWII draft registration card has his middle name - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCZ-K4K7?lang=en

I wouldn't be surprised if someone in a rural area in a mostly rural state in that time frame didn't get a birth certificate or only got a delayed birth certificate much later on when they needed it for Social Security benefits.  Also, Oklahoma didn't require statewide vital registration until 1917, so people might have not bothered in the early years.

[shellyesq]

Based on James' Social Security number, he was likely living in Illinois by Feb. 1937.  https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=3060&mtch=1&cat=TS15&tf=F&q=327012484&bc=,sl,sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=4359253

The family tree mentioned above said James' mother Bertha died in April 1920.  Not positive it's her, but the OK death index has a Bertha Alice Davis who died in Creek Co. on 17 May 1920.  https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/DeathSearch

According to the obituary for James' father Robert, Robert married wife Wilma on 15 May 1930 in Davenport (I'm presuming that meant Davenport, Iowa, which is close to Moline, Illinois).  https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-obituary-for-robert-davi/185509672/  That fits with wife Wilma who is on the 1940 census with Robert, James, and three of her other children.

[TomGad]

Indeed, rosie99. The more info already known to you, TomGad, that you can share, the more helpful it can be and can save us wasting time going down wrong tracks.

Can I check how certain you are and what source record/s you have, for your James' birth year of 1918 and middle name of Pershing?

https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/BirthResults only returns 9 James Davis births that year, with the only Creek County one having been born 9th October and having middle initial W.

Your James, in the 1920 at least, was said to be 3 yrs and 6 months old, so if correct, would have been born around July 1916.

The same site above, returns 4 births in 1917, albeit with none in Creek County nor with middle name starting P. And in 1917, 10 returns, but none in Creek County, nor with middle name starting P.

Jim’s military records are where his birthday is from along with his death records etc. There is alot more detail in these american records then what you would find in records here in England.

Long story short I am 100% sure it is all correct. His name is definitely was James Pershing Davis and he served in WW2 in the Forces.

[scotmum]

So with that registration card, we also learn that the father, Robert, must have re-married a Wilma at some point after his wife Bertha died. Does this match what you know, TomGad? With James and/or his folks not using this middle name in the census for 1920 or for 1940, and with the 1920 census suggesting a 1916 birth, it is understandable why it is trickier to tie him down in 1930. Could he have been with grandparents on either side?

[TomGad]

Based on James' Social Security number, he was likely living in Illinois by Feb. 1937.  https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=3060&mtch=1&cat=TS15&tf=F&q=327012484&bc=,sl,sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=4359253

The family tree mentioned above said James' mother Bertha died in April 1920.  Not positive it's her, but the OK death index has a Bertha Alice Davis who died in Creek Co. on 17 May 1920.  https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/App/DeathSearch

According to the obituary for James' father Robert, Robert married wife Wilma on 15 May 1930 in Davenport (I'm presuming that meant Iowa, which is close to Moline, Illinois).  https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-obituary-for-robert-davi/185509672/

The Bertha Alice record could well be correct. I have just realised I have no records that confirm her middle name to be Ann only Bertha A Lee or Bertha A Davis.

Is there a way to order the death certificate?

[TomGad]

So with that registration card, we also learn that the father, Robert, must have re-married a Wilma at some point after his wife Bertha died. Does this match what you know, TomGad? With James and/or his folks not using this middle name in the census for 1920 and  for 1940, and with the 1920 census suggesting a 1916 birth, it is understandable why it is trickier to tie him down in 1930. Could he have been with grandparents on either side?

This matches up, Wilma’s full name is actually Erika Josefina Vilhelmina Wicklund. Her english name Wilma coming from “Vilhelmina”