Have you ever thought about how your ancestor's possessions would be valued in today's world? I often think about this because it helps me to better compare their situation against my own.
On the 1850 United States Population census individuals were asked about only the value of their real estate. The 1860 US census was the first to ask people to provide information about both their personal assets and the value of their real estate. The process continued with the 1870 census but was removed on the 1880 census. This makes the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census helpful in shining some light on the financial situation of our ancestors.
There is one downfall and that is that Individuals may have hesitated to answer correctly because the values they provided were used to determine the tax they owed.
Because I haven't come across any ancestors that had a large fortune, I decided to focus on those that didn't. I looked into all of my 3rd great grandfathers and what they claimed as the real estate and personal estate value on the 1860 and 1870 census.
I have been able to identify fourteen of my sixteen 3rd Great Grandfathers. six of them were living in the United States and recorded on the 1860 and/or 1870 census. The remaining eight were living in Canada.
One way to better understand the financial situation of our ancestors is to convert income and assets to current day value. This makes the comparison a little easier to understand.
I decided to compare 1860 values to 2010 values and 1870 values to 2020 values. You can see the results in the chart below.[zref]9C974GWN[/zref]
Instructions for Census Taker
1860
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1870
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In July of 1860 Francis Ward, age 27, was living in Harrison Township, Elkhart, Indiana with his wife of two years Mary Elizabeth and their baby daughter Lucinda Ellen Ward. Francis was working as a farm laborer and had no real estate and $50 in personal assets. In 2010 this would equate to $1,313.59.[zref]United States. Indiana. Elkhart County. 1860 Federal Population Census, population. Digital image. Ancestry.com. http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7667 : 2017.[/zref]
By July of 1870, Francis, age 37, was living in Concord, Elkhart, Indiana. He and Mary now had 4 children (Lucinda, John, Mary, & William). Francis lists his occupation as a farmer but does not claim any real estate or personal assets. I'm not sure if that was truly the case or if he was trying to sneak out of some taxes.[zref]United States. Indiana. Elkhart. Concord. 1870 Census, population. Digital image. www.ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/19217591:7163?tid=171372097&pid=372223153536&hid=1049480921589&_phsrc=sMi468&_phstart=default : 2021.[/zref]
In June of 1860 George Faught, age 22, was living with his brother William Faught in Lexington, Sanilac, Michigan. Also living with William were his elderly mother Bridget and older sister Ann. George is a farmer and does not report any real estate or personal assets.[zref]1860 Population Census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population, Lexington, 899, Dwelling Number: 452, Family Number: 443, William Faught; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/44736122:7667 : Viewed 26 March 2021); Family History Library Film: 803558.[/zref] However, this doesn't mean he didn't have any. Per the directions given to census takers for the 1860 census, only the head of each household was asked for information about real estate and personal assets.
By July of 1870, George, age 32, is living in Bridgehampton, Sanilac, Michigan with his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Mary Anna. He is still working as a farmer and claims real estate with a value of $800 and $200 in personal assets.[zref]1860 Population Census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population, Bridgehampton, 10A, Household: 14, Family: 14, George Faught; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/44736122:7667 : viewed 26 March 2021); Family History Library Film: 803558.[/zref] Comparatively speaking these assets would be valued at $15,809.29 and $3,951.32 in 2020.
In July of 1860 Thomas Jefferson Burt, age 54, was living in Sciota Township, Shiawassee, Michigan with his second wife Amelia and their five children (Ann, Ruth, George, Pruie, and Nile). Thomas is a farmer and reports that he owns $1,200 of real estate and $400 in personal assets. In 2010, these assets would be worth $39,407.71 and $10,508.72 respectively.[zref]1860 Population Census, Shiawassee County, population, Sciota Township, Dwelling No. 1500 Family No. 1354, Thomas J. Burt; digital image, Ancestry.com (: viewed 26 March 2021); https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4232713_00187?treeid=171372097&personid=372223153407&usePUB=true&_phsrc=sMi444&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=45279055.[/zref]
Thomas passed away on June 26th, 1864 at the age of 58, and was not recorded on the 1870 census.[zref]Henry Martyn Burt and Silas Wright Burt. Early Days in New England: Life and Times of Henry Burt of Springfield and Some of His Descendants. Genealogical and Biographical Mention of James and Richard Burt of Taunton, Mass., and Thomas Burt, M.P., of England. Madison, Wisconsin: C. W. Bryan Company, printers, 1893.[/zref]
In July of 1860, John Paul Jones was 34 years old and living in Howell, Livingston, Michigan with his wife Mary Jane and their three children (Delphine, Lucinda, and John Paul Jr.). John is working as a farmer and owns real estate with a value of $550.00 and personal assets of $67.00. Comparatively speaking, this would equate to a value of $14,449.49 and $1,760.21 in 2010.[zref]United States. Livingston County. 1860 Federal, population schedule. Digital image. Ancestry.com. http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7667 : 2017.[/zref]
By August of 1870, John, age 44, and his family have moved to Sciota Township, Shiawassee, Michigan. Five children are living in the household (John Paul Jr., Lucinda, Merritt, Royal, and Harriet). John now lists his occupation as a mason. The value of his real estate has increased to $3,000 and his personal assets to $326.00. In 2020 this would have been worth $59,269.85 and $6,440.66 respectively. It appears that he significantly improved the financial situation of his family in ten years.[zref]United States. Shiawassee County. 1870, population schedule. Digital Image. Ancestry.com. http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7163 : 2017.[/zref]
in July of 1860 Sylvester Mason, age 45, is living in Bridgehampton, Sanilac, Michigan with his wife Nancy and their four children (Robert, Silas, Amelia, and Perry). Sylvester is working as a lumberman. On the census, he claims $800 in real estate and $300 in personal property. Respectively, in 2010, this would be worth $21,017.45 and $7,881.54.[zref]United States. Michigan. Sanilac County. 1860 Population Census, population. Digital image. Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/44736122:7667 : 2021.[/zref]
By July of 1870 at the age of 54, Sylvester had moved his family to Sault Ste. Marie, Chippewa, Michigan. In the household are Sylvester, Nancy, Robert, Amelia, Mark, and Mary). Sylvester is working as a fisherman and does not report either real estate or personal property on the census. This could have been a mistake on the part of the census taker or maybe Sylvester was trying to avoid taxes. We can't know for sure but I assume that he had at least some assets.[zref]United States. Michigan. Chippewa County. 1870, population census. Digital image. www.ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/27281969:7163?tid=171372097&pid=372223153643&hid=1049777162193&_phsrc=sMi491&_phstart=default : .[/zref]
In June of 1860, at the age of 19, William Thomas King was living in Bloom Township, Seneca County, Ohio. William was living in the household of James and Sarah Stinchcomb. William was attending school and working as a laborer. He did not report any personal or real estate assets. This was probably because he was not the head of household and therefor not required to provide this information.
By July of 1870 at the age of 29, William had moved to Portland, Ionia, Michigan. He is living with his wife Catherine and their son Truman. The family is living next door to Catherine's mother Clarissa Coon and her mother's mother Catherine (Macqueen) Goodwin. William does not report any personal assets or real estate.
Summary
Although I have chosen to compare these six men across ten years they aren't all the same. Their ages range from 19 - 45 years of age. This is a range of 26 years. They lived in different states, counties, and cities. They were at different stages of their lives, and had different occupations. Some men were at the beginning of their lives and some nearing the end.
Throughout these ten years, their lives, families, occupations, and fortunes have changed. Being able to create comparisons like this for a single generation of our ancestors helps to put their lives into perspective. Census records contain so much information that allows us to do just that.
Asking the non-typical questions about typical record types will help us better understand and relate to our ancestors which helps us better understand their stories and the circumstances that lead to our lives today. Their successes, and struggles built the foundation for our life today. For that, we should feel fortunate.
This has always been one of my favorite photos, probably because of all the wonderful stories that come to mind when I see it.
This photo is of my second great-grandmother Loretta Alma Ward.
Loretta was born on September 15, 1878, in Stanton, Montcalm, Michigan to Francis M. Ward and Mary Elizabeth DeFord.
Loretta, or Rettie as she was called, lived a controversial life for her time. She was married three times. One marriage lasted less than six months.
One of her marriages was to Lawrence Clayton McKenzie. I wrote more about this interesting story in my post Alexander McKenzie and his Uncle... I mean Grandpa... I mean.... .
I think the main reason that this is one of my favorite photos is because of a story that was passed down to me by my cousin Claudette, one of Loretta's great grand nieces.
In the story, she references that her father, Lynes Hathaway Ward, went up to Michigan's upper peninsula to visit his aunt Loretta. She shares his memories.
You might be interested to know that my Dad went up to the UP a few times to visit his aunt "Rettie" and he said she wore a man's jacket and smoked a corncob pipe and would get up early and go fishing for panfish, bring them home, fix them up and serve them with cornmeal mush or oatmeal every morning for breakfast. He said she was a character (not in a bad way, just funny).
Claudette Filiputti
This little snippet of information adds so much more life and character to Loretta's story. When I look at it, the first thing I think is "That's Rettie, the woman who wore a man's jacket and smoked her corn cob pipe"
I can just imagine that Loretta "Rettie" didn't take any guff from anyone and was a woman who lived her own way, be damned what anyone else thought.
I hope that after reading this story, you may see the character of Loretta Alma Ward in this photo speak to you as well.
In previous posts, I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora.
As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of Mae and her family thus far, take a moment to read my previous blog posts.
I have also included a timeline of the events in Mae's life, in the left sidebar or at the bottom of the screen if you are using a mobile device.
In this post, I am going to share two letters written ten days apart. Both letters are written from Mae to Cora. The first letter is written on March 18th, 1943, only seven days after Donna's letter to Cora. The next is written on March 28th, 1943.
What struck me the most about these letters was the feeling you get for what life was like for the people at home battling their own struggles created by the war going on overseas.
There is one front and one battle where everyone in the United States - every man, woman, and child - is in action and will be privileged to remain in action throughout this war. That front is right here at home, in our daily lives, and in our daily tasks.
---President Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 28th, 1943
One common theme in these two letters is the struggle to financially make ends meet.
WWII started right after "The Great Depression" had ended, leaving many households, especially farming households, struggling with finances. I can imagine this was even more difficult for the McKenzie family because Mae's husband Orlie was having a difficult time finding and keeping a job due to the trauma caused by his time served during WWI. Today we would refer to this as PTSD.
If you would like to learn more about Orlie's life, please read some of my previous posts.
We have all heard about how hard the depression era was on our ancestors and the hardships that followed during the war years, but have you compared their struggle to your life today?
If you know me, you know that I have a degree in accounting and love budgets. So I decided to see if I could create a monthly budget for the McKenzie family based on what I found in these two letters and historical research.
This can not be considered an all-inclusive budget or a 100% historically accurate, but I do think it will provide us with a glimpse into what the letters can tell us about life and Mae's financial struggles.
We can see from Mae's letters that she did the washing and ironing for local women and neighbors.
Below are three examples of the type of work that Mae was doing to help provide for her family. Two examples are from letters she wrote in March of 1943, the other is from an earlier letter written in July of 1941.
I don't know if Mrs. Smith will give me more then six days (?) this month or not.
---Letter - 07/10/1941
As I did laura wash & ironing this week that will give me 75¢ to $1.00.
---Letter - 03/18/1943
I am doing the washing a week for Weaver & I got me a new hat & I gave Donna half of the money for doing the ironing.
---Letter - 03/28/1943
We know from previous letters that Mae was receiving money sent home from Alex's work at the C.C.C. camps. At the time of these letters, we know that Alex was no longer working in the C.C.C. camp but was serving in the Navy and Garnet had a job away from home. We can assume that both boys were sending money home to help with expenses. I am also going to assume that Orlie was bringing in some income made from the odd jobs he was able to find.
Based on the information from the letters and my assumptions, I figure that the McKenzie family's monthly income was about $10.00. Today that would amount to $152.06.
| Income | 1943 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Mae's work doing laundry and ironing | $6.00 | $91.23 |
| Other Income (From Orlie, Alex, and Garnet) | $4.00 | $60.82 |
| Total Income | $10.00 | $152.06 |
Now that we have a general idea of the family's income, let's take a look at their expenses.
| Expense | 1943 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 lbs of Granulated Sugar | $0.75 | $11.40 |
| 2 Gallons Vitamin D Milk | $1.24 | $1.99 |
| 1 lb bacon | $0.45 | $3.99 |
| 3 lbs of Fresh Ground Beef | $0.90 | $11.97 |
| 2 Dozen Eggs | $0.42 | $5.98 |
| 3 Loaves of Fresh Bread | $0.30 | $8.97 |
| Total | $4.06 | $44.30 |
As you probably noticed, the amount of food included in the budget above was probably not enough to support a family of seven. During WWII, families used several other methods to supplement their food supplies. Some of these included victory gardens, home canning, and wartime recipes.
Use the buttons to the right to learn more.....
People were encouraged to grow their own food And these homegrown victory gardens helped lessen the negative effect of war rations. Individual homeowners and governors of public land all planted and tended these small plots. In addition to letting more of the overall food supply go to the troops in the war trenches, the victory gardens ensured that growing children would get enough servings of fruits and vegetables.
Victory Garden Promotion in the Saturday Evening Post
Home canning soared during World War II, reaching its peak in 1943, with over 4.1 billion jars canned in homes and community canning centers (Bentley, 1998).
Due to food shortages and rationing, families needed to be creative. War recipes were published and distributed to help.
War Cake Recipe from 1918
Using up Stale Bread
We had a very bad storm yesterday. Had to go to town to buy two new window glasses as our front dining room window blew out, broke all to pieces.
---Mae McKenzie
I made an assumption about the size of the window glasses that Mae had to replace, based on the standard windows in my 1950's home. It was almost impossible to know what someone would have paid in a small northern Michigan town. I used the next best thing available to me, The Sears, Roebuck, and Co. Catalog.
Based on the 1943 catalog, it may have cost about $.36 per window pane. Having to replace two window panes, it would have cost Mae about $.73.
Donna said I bought a new cost. Yes it is new to me, but I only gave 75 cents for it. It is all wool navy blue crepe has 6 buttons down the front princess style with a white collar. I bought it at Red Cross store it is second hand. I also bought your dad a pretty good pair dress shorts for 25 cents.
--Mae McKenzie
The coat pictured to the right is similar to the one that Mae bought second hand at the Red Cross.
I wished I could go and pick me out a new Easter outfit. But I will have a part of one I am going to try buying me a new hat.
---Mae McKenzie
Garnet wants a clock as he cannot get up in the morning. I don't know where to get him one. He has had a raise & a new boss & does good.
---Mae McKenzie
Mae mentions that her son Garnet, who is working away from home, would like an alarm clock. Although this seems like a simple request, it wasn't that simple during WWII.
I attempted to find the cost of an alarm clock in the Sears, Roebuck catalog but found an asterisk instead. When looking further down the page I realized why...
The asterisk indicated that it wasn't possible to purchase an alarm clock due to "the shortage of critical materials or manufacturing facilities".
Mae also talks about having to spend money, that she didn't have, to get her daughter Cora's dog fixed because it seems they couldn't keep the male dogs away. Reading her comments below, this seems to be an interesting story in and of itself.
I took your dog to Dr. Carney Tuesday to get operation as we have been having a terrible time with her. Carl Rises dog stayed here continuously & then someone shot him. Of course there was just I and the children home at that time but I felt as though they blamed me as Ida came up & asked about him. I think the game wardens got him as they have been killing dogs that are running deer. He said it was $5.00 to operate on her.
---Mae McKenzie
Mae speaks about wanting to get her sons each a suit for Easter. She talks about getting sport suits for the older boys and a navy blue sailor suit for her youngest boy Clayton.
I am going to try & send for each of the boys, a Easter suit those sport kind & Clayton I think a navy blue sailor suit.
---Mae McKenzie
| 1943 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Household Expenses | |||
| 2 new window glasses for the front window | $0.73 | $11.10 | |
| Used coat for Mae from Red Cross | $0.75 | $11.40 | |
| Used pair of dress short for Orlie from the Red Cross | $0.35 | $5.32 | |
| Vet bill for Cora's dog | $5.00 | $76.03 | |
| Total Household Expenses | $6.83 | $103.85 | |
| Wish List | |||
| Easter Dress | $3.00 | $45.62 | |
| Easter Hat | $2.50 | $38.01 | |
| Alarm Clock | |||
| Easter Suits for Vern and Herb | $14.00 | $212.88 | |
| Sailor Suit for Clayton | $5.00 | $76.03 | |
| Total Wishlist Expenses | $24.50 | $372.54 | |
| 1943 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Income | $10.00 | $149.52 |
| Monthly Food Costs | $(4.06) | $(44.30) |
| Household Expenses | $(6.83) | $(103.85) |
| Income after necessary expenses | $(0.89) | $1.37 |
| Wishlist | $(24.50) | $(372.54) |
| Income after Necessary Expenses and Wishlist items | $(25.39) | $(371.17) |
Seeing the financial struggles that Mae and her family faced in this format gives me a greater respect for her and the strength that she possessed. We take so many little things about the way we live today for granted. I believe that a little dose of historical reality helps put things in perspective.
I truly believe that by gaining a better understanding of our ancestors we also gain a better understanding of ourselves. I feel that these cherished letters help me to better understand my great grandmother, her life, and the impact that she had on future generations.
In previous posts, I wrote about my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie and the letters she wrote to her daughter Cora.
As in everything, timing and context are important when analyzing the lives of our ancestors. To catch up on the life of Mae and her family thus far, take a moment to read my previous blog posts.
I have also included a timeline of the events in Mae's life, in the left sidebar or at the bottom of the screen if you are using a mobile device.
This next letter was written on March 11th, 1943, 11 months after the last letter I shared, which was written on March 29th, 1942. It was written by Donna McKenzie to her older sister Cora.
In the first part of this letter, Donna speaks about how wonderful it was to get a letter from her sister Cora.
However, the letter doesn't stay positive for long. Donna quickly begins to relay news about their father Orlie Charles McKenzie
I suppose you have already heard that dad is home again, got a job but didn't keep it.
---Donna McKenzie
In my blog post Thriller Thursday: The Tragic Death of Orlie Charles McKenzie I wrote about my great grandfather Orlie and his troubled life.
Orlie was a WWI vet. His struggle with alcoholism after the war eventually led to his tragic drowning death on July 30th, 1948.
This letter provides us with an interesting insight into how his family felt about his ongoing struggles to find and keep steady work in efforts to support the family.
My heart goes out to his children. It must have been very difficult to see daily the impact that this had on their mother Mae.
In the next part of the letter, Donna talks about the blouses that her and her mother made. Mae's blouse was yellow and Donna's was green.
Although, we don't know exactly what the blouses that Mae and Donna made looked like, they may have looked similar to the styles shown here that were popular in 1943.
Donna goes on to talk about their brother Garnet.
We haven't heard from Garnet since he went back but Johnny (?) got a letter from him.
---Donna McKenzie
At the time this letter was written Garnet would have been a few months shy of 17 years old.
I'm not sure where Garnet "went back" to. I know that he had not yet joined the military and by this time the C.C.C. camps, that I spoke about in my previous blog post, were no longer in operation. Could he have been working away from home to provide additional income for the family?
Donna makes reference to Johnny, could this be the Johnnie that we heard about in the letter from my last post?
Donna also asked her sister if she has heard from Fred yet. I have not yet figured out who Fred is. However, in some later letters there is mention of a Fred Milliron. Could this be who she is referring to?
In this part of the letter, Donna talks about the recent weather. As typical in northern Michigan, it can change at a moments notice.
Gee it snowed here all day and was it ever warmer. A nice day for once, Hope it rains tomorrow.
---Donna McKenzie
In this part of the letter, Donna talks to Cora about school.
Our school gets out the twenty ninth of May. When does youre's get out?
---Donna McKenzie
At the time of this letter, Cora was 21 years old and Donna was just shy of 15. Donna was probably attending the local high school. Cora, who had received her teaching certificate the previous year, was either teaching at a local school in Gladwin, Gladwin County, Michigan or continuing her own college education.
Somethings in Michigan never change. As a parent from Michigan, I am very familiar with late winter / early spring flu season.
Here Donna talks about flu that is making the rounds at her school. Luckily it is only lasting a couple of days.
Seems as through every one is having the flu around here. It only lasts for about one or two days. Almost all the kids in school have had it.
---Donna McKenzie
Donna closes her letter by telling her sister that she was listening to the radio while writing the letter and hopes that Cora is able to read it.
Hope you can read this, as I am trying to listen to the radio too.
---Donna McKenzie
The letter was written on a Thursday. The image below shows the possible programs that Donna may have been listening to while writing to her sister.
The Radio Guide / Movie Radio Guide published listings network radio programming schedules and programs with articles about the stars, stations, and networks. Issued weekly from October 30, 1931, to February 1943 and then monthly until November 1943.1
It is very interesting to browse through this guide. The effect of the war on everyday life is obvious.
I find joy in reading the words of my ancestors. It is like listening to them tell me their story.
Although these letters may not have any significant historical value, they allow me a peek inside the daily lives of people that I barely knew, but because of their daily survival in tough times, I am here today to be able to share their stories.
I am thankful for the little pieces of history that they left behind for me to find.
My great grandmother, Mae Arla (King) McKenzie would have been 116 years old today. In celebration of her birthday, I would like to share a letter written by her to her daughter Cora.
Several of these letters, as well as cards and photos, were given to me a couple of years ago by my aunt Betty who received them from Cora's daughter Sandi.
The letters span a time period starting in July of 1941 and ending in December of 1946.
The letter I am going to share today was written on July 10, 1941, from Mae McKenzie to her daughter Cora.
First I would like to set the scene and maybe give you some insight into what Mae's life was like in July of 1941.
Mae was born on May 25, 1903, in Superior Township, Chippewa County, Michigan to Truman Edward King and Loretta Alma Ward.
Mae married Orlie Charles McKenzie on July 1st, 1919 when she was 16 years old.
By July 10, 1941, the date of this letter, Mae and Orlie had nine children:
- Alice - age 20
- Cora - age 19
- Alexander - age 17
- Garnet - age 15
- Donna - age 13
- Neil - age 11
- Vernon - age 9
- Herbert - age 6
- Clayton - age 1 1/2
The family was living in Briley Township, Montmorency County, Michigan. Based on additional research I believe that at the time this letter was written, Orlie was not living at home, but instead was staying at a Veterans Administration Facility in Bedford Township, Calhoun County, Michigan. You can read more about this in my post "Thriller Thursday: The Tragic Death of Orlie Charles McKenzie"
The letter was written in 1941, almost two years after the start of World War II and at the tail end of the great depression. Mae was 38 years old, only a year younger then I am now and presumably raising the six children she had still living at home on her own.
Alice, her oldest daughter, had moved out of the house and had been married in 1939. Her second oldest, Cora, the daughter this letter is written too was not married yet, but appeared to be living in the small community of Alger in Moffatt Township, Arenac County, Michigan.
The letter is three pages long and is transcribed below. I attempted to stay as close to the actual text as possible, adding words only when necessary for understanding and using a (?) for unknown words.
Atlanta Michigan
July 10 1941
Dear daughter:
Received your card today and I was glad to receive. The children all went to a Sunday School picnic at Clear Lake today. Haven’t felt good all day. Don’t think I will get to Alpena as they aren’t going. they (were) working on Donna home yesterday.
I got my check from the C.C.C. camp today what do you think I got only $5.57 that makes only $35.57 to live on this month.
Alexs own check came and it is 4 dollars less then he said he would have. We soon can live with out money if it keeps on. I could have went to the picnic but didn't feel like it. Mrs. Cla…d Sherwood was here lecturing for Mr. Sherwood. Annetta Smith was here after & Donna to go join the 4-H tomorrow. Jack forth were here also. Mrs. Roberts was here last night and Ethel & Chet & Jack & Morgan was over here for supper last night.
Well Alex better make good some place as I sure didn’t get much money out of the C.C.C. from him. It would have been better if he had stayed out of there. I don’t know if Mrs. Smith will give me more then six ? month or not. Well I will close with love from all.
Your mother and all
Answer soon
Haven’t saw Alice since she was here two weeks ago.
Although simple in nature, this letter tells so much about Mae McKenzie and her family.
- The war has obviously had an impact upon the McKenzie family, especially with Orlie not working and not being at home.
- Their son, my grandfather, Alexander McKenzie was only 17 and away working for the C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corps) and sending the money back home to his family.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men. Originally for young men ages 18–25, it was eventually expanded to ages 17–28.
The CCC was designed to provide jobs for young men and to relieve families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression in the United States.
Each enrollee volunteered and, upon passing a physical exam and/or a period of conditioning, was required to serve a minimum six-month period. Enrollees worked 40 hours per week over five days.
In return they received $30 per month (equivalent to $522 in 2019) with a compulsory allotment of $22–25 (about equivalent to $435 in 2019) sent to a family dependent, as well as housing, food, clothing, and medical care.1
I am going to assume that Alex was paid weekly, which is why the check that Mae is referring to was only $5.57.
I have truly enjoyed reading the letters written by my great grandmother. They provide such a wonderful glimpse into the life of her and her family. I did have the privilege of meeting Mae McKenzie when I was a young girl, however, her letters give me a different perspective on the woman I knew.
I have several more letters that I will continue to share.
This isn't the first time that my great grandfather, Orlie Charles McKenzie, has appeared in a "Thriller Thursday" post. Unfortunately, in this post, things don't turn out well for Orlie.
The story I am going to share today has been repeated many times in my family. There is a little bit of mystery, and quite a bit of tragedy and sadness.
Orlie registered for the WW1 draft on June 5th, 1917 at the age of 23. He was drafted and served time in the US Army, mustering out on May 31st, 1919. You can read more about Orlie's time in the military in my blog post "Orlie Charles McKenzie: WW1 - From Training to the Trip Home"
A few months later, on July 1st, 1919, at the age of 25, he married Mae Arla King in Briley Township, Montmorency County, Michigan. From 1920 to 1939, Orlie and Mae had nine children.
Orlie did not have an easy life and was said to struggle with alcohol addiction for a good part of his life. We can only assume that part of the reason for this struggle was due to his time in the army during WW1.
On May 14th, 1940, we find Orlie listed as a patient at the Veterans Administration Facility in Bedford Township, Calhoun County, Michigan. It seems at the time of the census he was only working about three hours per week.
The effect that Orlie's struggles have on his life becomes even more evident in the summer of 1944 when he and his wife Mae are granted a divorce, less than one year after their youngest child, Clayton D. McKenzie is born.
At this point, Orlie is 50 years old, divorced, unable to hold down a job and struggling with alcoholism.
It seems that Orlie decided that a change of scenery was the best option. Based on newspaper articles, Orlie moved from Briley Township, Montmorency County to East Tawas, Iosco County, Michigan.
The story that I have been told is that Orlie went to Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, Michigan looking for work as a cherry picker, in preparation for the National Cherry Festival.
So, why would Orlie go from working as a farmer and in the lumbering trade to picking cherries?
Let me stop my story for a bit and give you some background...
The national cherry festival started out, in 1910, as the "Blessing of the Blossoms", celebrating the blossoming of cherries in May.
In 1926, a local bakery baked a huge cherry pie, 3 ft in diameter and containing 5,000 cherries, and presented it to the standing U.S. president Calvin Coolidge.
By 1931, the Michigan state legislature passed a resolution making the cherry festival a national celebration.
The South has its Mardi Gras, the Pacific Coast its Tournament of Roses and the Middle West it's National Cherry Festival.
---from a 1948 festival board letter
Between 1942 and 1947 the festival was not held due to WW11.
The festival resumed, for the first time in six years, in 1948.
Orlie was living in East Tawas, Iosco County, Michigan and decided to look for work in Traverse City picking cherries. I can only imagine, with 1948 being the first year in a while that the festival was being held, that the demand for labor was high.
The newspaper article to the left, although from 1946, is an example of the type of ad that Orlie, looking for work, may have responded to.
To put the rates, referenced in the newspaper article, into perspective, I have converted them to today's monetary values.
1 lug = 16.53lbs (Average)
Rates being paid (in today's value) were:
Harvest Hands - $6.55 - $8.52 per lug (16.53 lbs) of cherries
or
Processing Workers - $9.17 - $10.48 per hour
Although, the rates were not extremely high, given Orlie's situation, it probably seemed like a good bet for easy money.
I also found it very interesting that the article mentions the availability of tents, cots, and blankets, as well as feeding stations, set up in a tent colony. Keep in mind, this article was published in 1946, a year that the National Cherry Festival was not being held. I can only imagine what 1948 looked like.
Based on the story that was passed down to me, Orlie was found dead on July 30th, 1948, having drowned in Grand Traverse Bay.
The newspaper articles and death certificate I found seem to back up this story.
The death certificate states that Orlie's cause of death was due to accidental drowning. The location of his death is indicated as being the Municipal Bathing Beach in Traverse City.
I attempted to find the "Municipal Bathing Beach", but was unable. My best guess is that he was found at or near the beach at the Traverse City State Park, as shown in the map.
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The newspaper article does not go into detail about Orlie's death. However, the article does say that there were 26 deaths that weekend in the state of Michigan.
The story I was told is as follows:
Orlie, although a great swimmer, was found drowned in Grand Traverse Bay. He was found in only his underwear. His clothes had been neatly folded on the beach, his wallet was set on top of his clothes. Found inside his wallet were cash and his most recent paycheck.
His death does not seem to be caused by foul play. We can only assume that he had a little bit too much to drink and while going into the water to either swim or bathe, incapacitated himself in some way, leading to his frowning and death.
Orlie was laid to rest on August 4th, 1948 in the Briley Township Cemetery in Briley Township, Montmorency County, Michigan.
I never had the opportunity to meet my great grandfather Orlie Charles McKenzie, however, his story tugs at my heart.
Some may see it differently, but I see a veteran who struggled to overcome the demons in his life and ultimately lost the battle.
Did Alma Ward exist? This is the question I have been asking myself for about a week. Now that I've asked the question, let me fill you in on the details.
Until recently, I believed Alma Ward to be my paternal 2nd great aunt, and the sister of my 2nd great grandmother Loretta Alma Ward.
When I started my research, this is what I knew about Alma. She was born about 1878, most likely in or near Montcalm County, Michigan to Francis M. Ward and Mary Elizabeth DeFord. On May 30th,1895 she married Robert F. Conaway in Forest Township, Missaukee County, Michigan.
After this, I lose track of her. To be honest, I didn't really look past her marriage. Until recently, Alma was not even on my research radar.
However, I have been focusing on Alma's mother Mary Elizabeth DeFord. While researching Mary, I began to dig deeper into the lives and her children. This is when I started to question whether Alma Ward really existed..... or .... whether Alma Ward was actually Loretta Alma Ward, my 2nd great grandmother.
Hopefully, I don't have you too confused at the moment... If so, hold tight, I am going to walk you through the reasons that I believe that Alma Ward and Loretta Alma Ward may be the same person.
The first thing I noticed is that Alma does not show up on the 1880 census with her parents, as I would expect.
On the census, we find the following people:
- Francis Ward - Age 47
- Elizabeth (Mary Elizabeth) Ward - Age 42
- John H. Ward - Age 19
- William Ward - Age 11
- Lewis (Lynes) Ward - Age 8
- Loretta Ward - Age 1
In the Neighboring Household, we find Mary (Ward) Mitchell, the oldest daughter of Francis and Mary, and her husband Henry
Logically, if Alma was born in 1878, she should show in the household in 1880 being between the age of 1 and 2. However, as most genealogists know, birth years are not always dependable... So, kept looking...
Because the next logical record would be the 1890 census and that is not available, I took another look the next available record I have for Alma, her marriage record to Robert F. Conaway.
As I referenced earlier, this record indicates that Alma Ward married Robert F. Conaway on May 1st, 1895 in Forest Township, Missaukee County, Michigan. Robert was 23 and living in Forest Township and Alma was 17 and living in West Branch, Ogemaw County, Michigan. Alma lists her parents as William Ward and Elizabeth D. Ford. They were married by the Justice of the Peace, N. Emmons Sabin. The witnesses are listed as Truman King and Elizabeth Lounsbury, both of Forest Township.
There are a few things that are interesting about this marriage record:
- The male witness is Truman King, who is the man that my 2nd great grandmother, Alma's sister would marry on January 9th, 1898.
- The female witness is Elizabeth Lounsbury, who is Alma's mother. Her last name is different because she married John Lounsbury on May 19th, 1886.
- Alma's father's name is recorded as William, which is interesting because all other records, with the exception of one, list the children's father, as Francis M. Ward. The document that was the exception is the marriage register for my 2nd great grandparents, Loretta Alma Ward and Truman Edward King. I have included images of the marriage record below for reference.
Conclusion
I searched for Alma and her husband Robert in the 1900 census and was unable to find them anywhere in Michigan.
What I did find, was that Robert F. Conaway moved to Alabama and remarried a woman named Alabama Levenia Sanks on January 2nd, 1898 in Sullivan, Escambia, Alabama. Robert and Alabama lived in the state of Alabama together until their deaths in the 1960s. This can be proven through several census records, city directories, marriage, and death records. I was also able to trace Robert's parents William and Sarah (Yoast) Conaway to Alabama during the same time period. This helped me to confirm that I was researching the right man.
I am also unable to find any additional records, including death records, for Alma, using either her maiden name Ward or married name Conaway.
The only thing that I can assume is that Alma and Robert were divorced sometime between June 1st, 1895 and January 1st, 1898. Although, I have not yet been able to locate proof of their divorce in state divorce records or local newspapers.
Although I will continue to look for proof that Alma Ward existed, I have come to the conclusion that Alma Ward and Loretta Alma Ward are not sisters, but instead, the same person.
The reason this conclusion is so interesting is that it shines a light on to a marriage that I never knew about. I will summarize the marriages of Loretta Alma Ward below:
- Marriage to Robert F. Conaway on May 39th, 1895 at the age of 16, in Forest Township, Missaukee County, Michigan, My assumption is that the marriage ended in divorce, but I have not yet been able to find proof of this.
- Marriage to Truman Edward King on January 9th, 1898, at the age of 18, in Forest Township, Missaukee County, Michigan, Loretta and Truman were married for nearly 40 years when Truman passed away in 1937.
- Marriage to Lawrence Clayton McKenzie on September 2nd, 1944, at the age of 65, in Strongs, Chippewa County, Michigan. Loretta and Lawrence had been married for just over 2 years at the time of her death in December of 1946.
I think every genealogist dreams of finding an ancestor that was alive during such a historically significant event as the Revolutionary War (1775 - 1782). I haven't yet found proof of the part that my King ancestors may have played in the events that took place during this critical time period in our country's history, I would like to share some of the documents that I have found thus far.
I was researching tax lists from Revolutionary-era period in Pennsylvania on Ancestry.com. I came cross these tax document for Michael King in Milford Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
In 1781 Michael is listed on the same tax list as his father Phillip and Michael is listed with the following tax
Assets
Land --
Horses --
Cows --
Grist Mills --
Distillery --
Taxes Pound Shillings Pence
State - 1" 1" 10" ($185.28 today)
State - 1" 1" 10" ($185.28 today)
County - 0" 3" 1" ($26.12 today)
In 1782 Michael is again listed on the same tax list as his father Phillip. They are listed as Non-resident and Michael is listed with the following tax
Taxes Pound Shillings Pence
State - 2" 8" 9" ($406.56 today)
In 1783 Michael is listed, now owning 300 acres of land and 1 horse.
Assets
Land - 300 acres
Horses - 1
Cows --
Sheep --
Taxes Pound Shillings Pence
State - 0" 7" 4" ($59.93 today)
County - 0" 1" 5" ($11.59 today)
In 1785 Michael is again listed on the same tax list as his father Phillip. He is listed with the following tax
Taxes Pound Shillings Pence
State - 0" 7" 5" ($63.76 today)
In 1786 Michael is again listed on the same tax list as his father Phillip. He is listed with the following tax
Taxes Pound Shillings Pence
State - 0" 12" 7" ($110.38 today)
In 1786 Michael is again listed on the same tax list as his father Phillip. He is listed with the following tax
Taxes Pound Shillings Pence
State - 0" 9" 5" ($81.17 today)
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Briley Township Cemetery
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My Paternal Great Great Grandparents
Alexander Orlando McKenzie * (1/20/1851 - 11/6/1907) and Mary Anna Faught * (1/18/1870 - 3/12/1929) |
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Alfred McKenzie (4/17/1892 - 7/20/1894 )
Edward McKenzie (2/22/1905 - 10/12/1926)
Oral McKenzie (11/22/1899 - 2/23/1929)
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My Paternal Great Grand Uncle
Lawrence Charles McKenzie (9/12/1899 -5/1/1976) |
My Paternal Great Grand Aunt
Cora Gladys (McKenzie) Mulholland (10/3/1901 - 9/13/1980) |
 My Paternal Great GrandfatherOrlie Charles McKenzie *
(3/1/1894 - 7/29/1948) |
My Paternal Great Grandmother
Mae Arla (King) McKenzie Marceau * (5/25/1903 - 6/7/1994) |
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My Paternal Great Aunt and Uncle
Donna Margie (McKenzie) Brown (4/21/1928 - 12/16/1982) Harold (Joe) Lewis Brown (8/11/1927 - 7/22/1992)
My Paternal Great Uncle
Herbert H. McKenzie (7/21/1934 - 4/1/1981) |
My Paternal Great Uncle and Aunt
Neil Truman McKenzie (3/2/1930 - 7/26/2001) Marilyn Mae (Woods) McKenzie (12/1/1934 - 1/8/2015)
My Paternal Great Uncle
Clayton D. McKenzie (12/15/1938 - 3/2/1974) |
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My Paternal Grandparents
Alexander Orlando McKenzie * (1/13/1924 - 1/2/1999) and Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie * (8/19/1927 - 8/26/2013) |
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My Paternal Uncle
Terry Lee McKenzie (5/19/1951 - 3/2/1974) |
 My Father
Tom Orlando McKenzie * (2/13/1960 - 11/6/2014) Ashes to be buried in Briley Township Cemetery |
- Jeremiah H. "Jerrie" McKenzie - My 2nd great grand uncle / Half brother to Alexander Orlando Mckenzie
- Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin - Wife of Jeremiah H. McKenzie
- Mary Sybil "Minnie" (McKenzie) Briley - Daughter of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Evelyn Belle "Lena" (McKenzie) Currie - Daughter of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Kathryn Maude (McKenzie) Farmer - Daughter of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Elliott Cecil McKenzie - Son of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Hubert Wellington McKenzie - Son of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Oscar J McKenzie - Son of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Russell Alger McKenzie - Son of Jeremiah H. McKenzie and Ella (Powell) McKenzie Irwin
- Laura Isabelle (Daly) McKenzie - Wife of Russel Alger McKenzie
- Ferdinand Tyrone McKenzie - Son of Russel Alger McKenzie and Laura Isabelle (Daly) McKenzie
- Orlaf Wayland McKenzie - Son of Russel Alger McKenzie and Laura Isabelle (Daly) McKenzie
- Rozeltha LaRue (McKenzie) Potter - Daughter of Russel Alger McKenzie and Laura Isabelle (Daly) McKenzie
Several photos in this blog were retrieved from memorials at Findagrave.com. Clicking on the individuals name will bring you to the Find a Grave memorial for that person.
I created this website with the intention of breaking out of the solo research box, sharing my research with family and friends, getting feedback and having discussions, gathering family stories and memories. All of this will help enrich my research!
I have already witnessed the positive nature of my budding willingness to share. After a discussion with my mother Linda, I encouraged her to check out this site. After she did, she mentioned that there was a picture on one of my ancestor pages that didn't match what she believed to be true.
The ancestor was Mae Arla (King) McKenzie. I had this photo as the main photo on her page:
The caption reads Spin McKenzie and Grandma King McKenzie. My grandmother Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie wrote this caption on the photo. I had no doubt in my mind that this was my great grandmother Mae Arla King and her husband's brother (her brother in law) Lawrence Clayton "Spin" McKenzie. That didn't seem strange to me at all. My mother pointed out that this picture did not look anything like my great grandmother Mae Arla (King) McKenzie. Admittedly, my mom had known great grandmother much longer than me, since she passed away in 1994 when I was only 14 years old. So, I did some review:
I had read the caption as Grandma King (Mae's Maiden name) McKenzie (Mae's Married name). However, If you have read my last blog post:
Alexander McKenzie and His Uncle... I mean Grandpa... I mean...What, would make more sense is that this picture is of Loretta (King) Ward McKenzie, the mother of Mae Arla King and wife (second marriage) of Lawrence Clayton "Spin" McKenzie.
I compared this photo with another photo I have of Loretta and the similarity is striking.
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Lesson learned the woman in the picture on the right, who for over 7 years, I believed was Mae Arla (King) McKenzie is actually Loretta (Ward) King McKenzie.
What is your opinion? Have you had any similar experiences with your research?