I first found Samuel in the 1930 census for Atlanta, Logan Co., IL. He was only 6 years old but already his life was complicated. He was living in the household of his aunt, Maude E. Criswell Childress b. 1892 KY. Also living there was Maude's 2 year-old son, Jesse Childress, his paternal grandmother, Susan A. Criswell b. 1855 KY, and his sisters, E. Allene, 14, M. Dorothy, 12, and Lorena M., 9.
Since 2 of his sisters were born before the 1920 census I worked backwards to find out who his parents were. The 1920 census for Fork, Edmonson Co., KY is where I found his parents and sisters. Hubert and Beula T. Criswell were the parents of Allene and Dorothy so now I could find them in 1930.
I next found a 1930 census for a hospital in Christian Co., KY where his father Hubert was a patient. In that same census I found his mother working as a maid in the Edgar G. Ransdell household in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL. I knew it had to be her because her children were also living in the same town.
By the 1940 census the household was changed yet again. Beulah probably divorced Hubert. Hubert was again a patient in the Western KY Hospital in the 1940 census but Beula was still living in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL with 2nd husband, Jesse (Hubert's younger brother), her son, (Samuel) Edison, and children Clara Marie b. 1935 IL and Charles b. 1938 IL.
On August 18, 1942 in East St. Louis, IL Samuel enlisted as a private in the Air Corps (during WWII). He indicated he was single and working as a salesman and that his date of birth was Sept. 29, 1923.
I don't know how he came to be buried alone in a cemetery in Sterling, IL but I was happy to see someone connect him to his wife and see from her obituary that he also had children.
Rest in peace, Samuel.
Since 2 of his sisters were born before the 1920 census I worked backwards to find out who his parents were. The 1920 census for Fork, Edmonson Co., KY is where I found his parents and sisters. Hubert and Beula T. Criswell were the parents of Allene and Dorothy so now I could find them in 1930.
I next found a 1930 census for a hospital in Christian Co., KY where his father Hubert was a patient. In that same census I found his mother working as a maid in the Edgar G. Ransdell household in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL. I knew it had to be her because her children were also living in the same town.
By the 1940 census the household was changed yet again. Beulah probably divorced Hubert. Hubert was again a patient in the Western KY Hospital in the 1940 census but Beula was still living in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL with 2nd husband, Jesse (Hubert's younger brother), her son, (Samuel) Edison, and children Clara Marie b. 1935 IL and Charles b. 1938 IL.
On August 18, 1942 in East St. Louis, IL Samuel enlisted as a private in the Air Corps (during WWII). He indicated he was single and working as a salesman and that his date of birth was Sept. 29, 1923.
I don't know how he came to be buried alone in a cemetery in Sterling, IL but I was happy to see someone connect him to his wife and see from her obituary that he also had children.
Rest in peace, Samuel.
I first found Samuel in the 1930 census for Atlanta, Logan Co., IL. He was only 6 years old but already his life was complicated. He was living in the household of his aunt, Maude E. Criswell Childress b. 1892 KY. Also living there was Maude's 2 year-old son, Jesse Childress, his paternal grandmother, Susan A. Criswell b. 1855 KY, and his sisters, E. Allene, 14, M. Dorothy, 12, and Lorena M., 9.
Since 2 of his sisters were born before the 1920 census I worked backwards to find out who his parents were. The 1920 census for Fork, Edmonson Co., KY is where I found his parents and sisters. Hubert and Beula T. Criswell were the parents of Allene and Dorothy so now I could find them in 1930.
I next found a 1930 census for a hospital in Christian Co., KY where his father Hubert was a patient. In that same census I found his mother working as a maid in the Edgar G. Ransdell household in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL. I knew it had to be her because her children were also living in the same town.
By the 1940 census the household was changed yet again. Beulah probably divorced Hubert. Hubert was again a patient in the Western KY Hospital in the 1940 census but Beula was still living in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL with 2nd husband, Jesse (Hubert's younger brother), her son, (Samuel) Edison, and children Clara Marie b. 1935 IL and Charles b. 1938 IL.
On August 18, 1942 in East St. Louis, IL Samuel enlisted as a private in the Air Corps (during WWII). He indicated he was single and working as a salesman and that his date of birth was Sept. 29, 1923.
I don't know how he came to be buried alone in a cemetery in Sterling, IL but I was happy to see someone connect him to his wife and see from her obituary that he also had children.
Rest in peace, Samuel.
Since 2 of his sisters were born before the 1920 census I worked backwards to find out who his parents were. The 1920 census for Fork, Edmonson Co., KY is where I found his parents and sisters. Hubert and Beula T. Criswell were the parents of Allene and Dorothy so now I could find them in 1930.
I next found a 1930 census for a hospital in Christian Co., KY where his father Hubert was a patient. In that same census I found his mother working as a maid in the Edgar G. Ransdell household in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL. I knew it had to be her because her children were also living in the same town.
By the 1940 census the household was changed yet again. Beulah probably divorced Hubert. Hubert was again a patient in the Western KY Hospital in the 1940 census but Beula was still living in Atlanta, Logan Co., IL with 2nd husband, Jesse (Hubert's younger brother), her son, (Samuel) Edison, and children Clara Marie b. 1935 IL and Charles b. 1938 IL.
On August 18, 1942 in East St. Louis, IL Samuel enlisted as a private in the Air Corps (during WWII). He indicated he was single and working as a salesman and that his date of birth was Sept. 29, 1923.
I don't know how he came to be buried alone in a cemetery in Sterling, IL but I was happy to see someone connect him to his wife and see from her obituary that he also had children.
Rest in peace, Samuel.
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