1940 Roll Call!

I had an idea, not necessarily a grand idea, but an idea to find out what all "our people" were up to in  1940, by searching the US Census. I tried to find photos of everyone close to the age they were at when the census was taken. It wasn't always possible, but I did my best!
            So where were the Jonsson's? Well, let's find out, shall we?


The Jonsson Family: Helge, Esther and Arthur

  Both Helge and Esther, and their son (My grandfather) Art were residing at 627 Oakland Ave in Villa Park, IL.  Grandpa was 12 and in school. Great Grandma was at 39 years old, and taking care of the home, and Great Grandpa was working as a mechanical engineer for C.H. Hanson in Chicago. (Which, might I add is still in business! Look Here!) From personal knowledge, Helge was in the business of inventing machinery, specifically engraving machines. I also believe he knew Mr. Hanson personally, as I have a book on mechanics belonging to a "C.H. Hanson" with notes in it that was part of my great grandfather's things.
   At this point, both Helge and Esther had been in America around 17 years now.

Jonsson's in the 1940 US Census

 The Wille Family: Henry, Ida, Ora Jean and Don
 

Sooo.... The Wille Family in 1940 they do not turn up in any searches.... They transitioned from the farm in Elk Grove to life in Elmhurst about this time, with a few short stays in several places in Elmhurst. One on Elm Ave. One on Oak Ave, and then finally settling at 136 E. Grantley in Elmhurst. 
   I started browsing by enumeration districts, and it turns out, it wasn't the Wille's at the Grantley house yet in 1940... but a florist with a totally different name and family. So I searched up and down Elm ave and Oak Ave. They were not there unless I missed it. They are there somewhere, and I WILL find them, but it's safe to say that in 1940, the Wille family was shifting gears, and quite drastically from rural farm life to life in town. By 1942 the Wille's were at the 136 E. Grantley house in Elmhurst and Henry was working at the Buick Engine Plant in Melrose Park. 
   In 1940, though... I can't find any member of their household.  







The Smith/Olsen Family: Ole Olsen, AJ Smith, Hannah (Joanne), AJ jr. (Mick) and Patricia Smith

In 1940, AJ Smith and his family were living with his father in law, Ole Olsen in his house on M149 in unincorporated Thompson, Schoolcraft County in the Upper Peninsula. 

Ole was 69 and still farming his own small parcel. His daughter, my great grandmother, Hannah (or Joanne, as we knew her) was 35. Her husband, AJ was 46 and working as a teamster for a lumber camp. Hannah and AJ had 2 of their 5 children in 1940. AJ and Patricia, 8 and 3 respectively. Within the next 6 years, three more children would be born, including my grandmother. Shortly after her birth, AJ would die from complications of gangrene after an Axe split his foot, and Ole would suffer a horrible death from being burned alive. By 1946, Hannah would be on her own with 5 small children. A charmed life it was not, but life was often hard in the Upper Peninsula. Things didn't come easy and it looks like our glimpse into 1940 for them was the calm before the storm. 

Smith and Olsen Family in the 1940 US Census

 The Billings Family: Raymond and Lucille, who was pregnant with Leland.

    I have no photos of Raymond or Lucille, but I do have their census. They were owners of the home at 262 Elm in Manistique, Schoolcraft County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Which doesn't seem to exist anymore). Lucille was about 4 months pregnant at the time with my biological grandfather, Leland Raymond Billings. Come September of 1940, there would be another addition to the household.

    Raymond was a painter of houses and their interiors, and Lucille worked as a Stenographer for the Bureau of Social Security. They were both 26 years old, and seemed to be doing quite well in a place where jobs could be hard to come by, now that the Lumber boom was slowly dying out.

 

The Billings Family, 1940 US Census

Next up in my 1940 Roll Call will be my husband's grandparents! Stay Tuned! 

William Henry Burmester's Obituary

I found this today while going through the will and probate records of my 2nd great grandfather, William Henry Burmester,  and the title of his obituary just about took my breath away! Boy, thinking about what a reward that must have been with the Blessed Assurance he most certainly carried with him!

  "William H. Burmester Summoned to Reward"

Hallelujah, Right!?

 "He was genial and courtly in manner, and his word was as good as his bond."

It was a wonderfully written and refreshing obituary to read. Pondering all the things I had read, I realized in that moment so much about my legendary Great Grandmother, Ida Burmester Wille suddenly made so, SO much more sense! 

 William's daughter, Ida Burmester (b. 6.23.1893) was by all accounts a kind, humble, generous, faithful, loving and hard working woman. She passed when I was small, but what I hear most often when we speak of her is "I wish you could have known her like we knew her. She was such a wonderful woman."

After reading William's obituary, it seems the apple did not fall far from the tree with my great grandma, and many of the attributes her own family knew her for could also be found in her father. 

 Now, not to leave her dear mother, Alvina, good woman, of course. But a good GERMAN woman, if you catch my drift. : )  From accounts, and candid photos, she seemed "All work and no play". Like I said... German. Whatever her personality,based on William's description in his obit, I do know it wasn't the likeness shared between William and his daughter, Ida. 

The Burmester Women (My g-grandmother Ida, Aunt Emma, gg-granmother Alvina, and Aunt Mart)

Ida enjoying her great grandchildren

   I can't mention Ida's similarities to her father without mentioning Ida's sister (another daughter of William's) Emma Burmester (b.4.28.1886) who carried on this loving kindness and generosity along the family line. Though Emma never married, she too, cared for all those around her. She took loving care of her mother, Alvina, until her death, and when the depression hit hard, Emma would share her paycheck with her sister Ida, and her family of  10, to help make sure they could make ends meet.

Aunt Emma Burmester, Daughter of William H. Burmester

  It would seem to me that William had set a fine example to those around him. A good and Godly man who lived a life that was loved, and honored. A life that left a great legacy for his children ( All 13 or so!) to draw from.

 Definitely a few more people in my tree I wish 

I could have known personally. <3

 I look forward to going through the rest of the records to see what I find!