1950 Census - Hugo and Sarona Alvine

 In this 1950 Census, my great uncle Hugo and great aunt Sarona lived at 611 Main St. Turlock, Stanislaus, California. They are retired, age 74 and 71 respectfully.

#4 house #611, Alvine, Hugo H., head, white, male, 74, married, born in Sweden, naturalized citizen, unable to work

#5 house #611, Sarona R., wife, white, female, 71, married, born in Sweden, naturalized citizen, unable to work

In this census every fifth person had additional questions. Luckily Great Uncle Hugo was one of those.

#4 living in the same house 1 year ago, both parents were born in Sweden, he finished the 8th grade as his highest education, he did not work at all the last year nor earned any money working, he earned $700 from other income (perhaps some came from lodger income), he did not serve in the US military during WWI, WWII or any other time.

I never met my great Uncle Hugo as he died a few months before I was born. I did once meet great Aunt Sarona, but being only 3 or 4 I do not remember that meeting. Great Aunt Sarona, her sisters Tekla and Olga and also my Uncle Albin all moved out to California well before my birth. I do not think my Illinois branch of the family, unfortunately, ever really knew them.

1950 Census - Albin & Leola Kallman Family

 My uncle Albin and Aunt Leola had sometimes in the 40's left Chicago and moved to California, leaving city life for a farm.

120 Walnut Road Ceres, Stanlaus, California

#12-house #120, a farm, Kallman, Albin R. head, white, male, 38, married, born in Iowa, worked 72 hours last week, farming, on a farm
#13-Kallman, Leola E. Wife, White, Female, 38, married, born in Iowa, at home
#14-Kallman, Jeanette, daughter, white, female, 10, never married, born in Illinois

additional sample questions for Jeanette-lived in same house a year ago, both parents born in the U.S., currently in school attending 5th grade, not working

my Uncle
Albin Richard Kallman
1912-1989

My Aunt 
Leola Ethelyn Lowenberg Kallman
1912-2012

My Cousin
Jeanette Kallman

Wow, Uncle Albin working 72 hrs, the last week farming? A hard life no doubt.

1950 Census Andrew and Ruth Soderstrom

1408 9th Street, Moline, Rock Island, Illinois

not a farm, less than 3 acres

#18 - Soderstrom, Andrew, Head, white, male, 61 yrs old, married, born in Sweden, naturalized citizen, worked 40 hrs in last week, as a toolmaker, in a farm implement factory, private business

#19 - Soderstrom, Ruth, wife, white, female, 55 yrs old, married, born in Sweden, naturalized citizen, at home, does not work outside of home 

#20 - Soderstrom, Evelyn, daughter, white, female, 15 yrs old, never married, born in Illinois, OT, not working outside of home  (OT refers to as other, 14 yrs and under considered to be at school. Evelyn is at school but many over 14 are working at this point.)

my great uncle

Andrew Olof Soderstrom

1888-1960

my great Aunt

Ruth Abrahamsson Soderstrom

1894-1969

my first cousin once removed

Evelyn Ruth Soderstrom Eckberg 

1935 -

Andrew and Ruth's older 3 children are all pretty newly married. So far they have 1 grandaughter.

1950 Census Bill and Eva Slimm

 

4113 N. Lincoln Ave Chicago, Cook, Illinois: 

above a storefront on the second floor front apt lived my aunt Eva and Uncle Bill.

*******************

#9-Slimm, William, head, white, male, 34 yrs old, married, born in Illinois, worked 35 hours last week, occupation refrigerator repair man
#10-Slimm, Eva, wife, white, female, 35 years old, married, born in Illinois, housework
#11-Slimm, Karen E., daughter, white, female, 2 years old, never married, born in California 

My aunt and uncle married a bit later than many did at that time. This was Eva's second marriage. 

In their later years, after they both were widowed, my Dad and Aunt Eva were particularly close.

1950 Census John Emil and Anna Jacobson

 I found a few things of interest on this census record.

 John Emil and Anna are now living in Chicago at 903 Waller St. first floor. The children are all grown and gone, nor are any grandchildren living with them as in the 1940 census.

line 24-Jacobson, John E,-Handyman-white-male-71-married-born in Sweden-citizen-worker-worked 40hrs last week as a burner? in a railroad supply mfg.

line 25- Jacobson, Anna-maid-white-female-64-married-born in Sweden-citizen-worker-worked 70 hrs. last week as a maid in the home.

Noted is that John Emil is not listed as the head of the household but as a handyman and Anna is not listed as his wife but as an additional employee, a maid. An additional person is also living in the same first floor apartment.

line 23-Lundberg, Anders G.-Head of household-white-male-85-widowed-born in Sweden-citizen-unable to work

My guess is that Anders is the owner of the building. Anna and John Emil live with him, but not as boarders. Anders is quite elderly and unable to work. Perhaps in lieu of rent John and Anna work for him. John Emil does the basic maintenance and upkeep of the building, plus he has an additional job 40 hours a week. Anna is a sort of live in maid for him and judging by the amount of hours she works weekly 70!! she most likely also has an additional job as a full time maid for someone else. 

903 Waller Chicago, Illinois

My Great Uncle
John Emil Jacobson
1878-1962

My Great Aunt
Anna Abrahamson Jacobson
1885-1965

As a child I was always aware that Onkel Emil and Tante Anna were poor immigrants (as were my grandparents) but I guess I really had no clue. Seems a far cry from life on the lovely and loving farm of Albin and Anna Abrahamson?

1950 Census - Howard and Laverne Johnson family

 3840 Sheffield Ave Apt 4B Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Here is my Uncle Howard and Aunt Laverne in the 1950 Census

line #15 - Johnson, Howard, head, white, male, 28 yr old, married, born in Illinois, working 40 wks this last year, occupation television service man

line#16 - Johnson, Laverne, wife, white, female, 26 yr old, married, born in Illinois, at home, not working or seeking work

line#16 - Johnson, Marilyn, daughter, white, female, born last August, never married, both parents born in the U.S., did not attend school

1950 Census - Richard and Lydia Kallman

 In the 1950 census my grandparents, Richard and Lydia Kallman, are living on the second floor of 4512 N. Seeley in Chicago. Four of their children, including my father, are now married. Daughter Ebba alone lives with them. Richard is unable to work. At the age of 63 his rheumatoid arthritis is already well advanced. They have a lodger, an unmarried male to help pay the rent. This was a common practice, a holdover from "Great Depression" days.

Line #20 - Kallman, Richard, Head, White, Male, 62 yrs old, married, born in Sweden, citizen, unable to work 

 Line #21 - , Lydia, Wife, White, Female, 60 married, born in Sweden, citizen, at home, not employed or seeking work

Line #22 - Ebba Rebecka, daughter, White, Female, 30, never married, born in Illinois, working 40 hrs last week, clerk, cleaning co., living in same house last year, both parents born in Sweden, attended and finished 12th grade, worked 52 weeks last year, earned 2500 last year

1950 Census - William and Esther Liljegren Family

 By law in the U.S., to protect the privacy of individual citizens, census records are not released until 72 years have passed. This year, 2022, the 1950 census was released.

April 19, 1950, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
5241 N. Sawyer Ave. 

click to observe enlarged, right click to download to your computer

#18- Liljegren, William, head, white, male, 27, married, born in Illinois, working, 20 hours last week, transplants flowers, in a green house

#19- Liljegren, Esther, wife, white, female, 23, married, born in Illinois, at home, not having a business working outside of the home or looking for a job

#20- Liljegren, Sally, daughter, white, female, July, never married, born in Illinois

This northside Chicago neighborhood in 1950 was not near as heavily Scandinavian as it was a few years back. In fact my Norwegian grandparents lived just 2 blocks down this very street when they first arrived in Chicago in 1923.

1950 Census - Paul and Ruth Jacobson and family

By law in the U.S., to protect the privacy of individual citizens, census records are not released until 72 years have passed. This year, 2022, the 1950 census was released. 

April 1950, Rural Snohomish county, Washington State
Parsonage in a farming community - Cedarhome Road

click to observe enlarged, right click to download to your computer

•15- Jacobson, Paul, head, white, male, 27, married, born Illinois, working, 42 wks, ministering, church

•16- Jacobson, Ruth, wife, white, female, 26, married, born Rhode Island, home, neither working or looking for work

•17- Jacobson, Paul Jr., white, male, 5, never married, born Maine

•18- Jacobson, Timothy, white, male, 4, never married, born Michigan

•19- Nelson, Edwin, father in law, white, male, 63, married, born Sweden, Naturalized, unable to work

•20- Nelson, Clara, mother in law, white, female, 56, married, born Sweden, Naturalized, home, neither working or looking for work 

Grandparents are living with the family. Unfortunately, that family scenario is not seen very often today.

1950 Census - Mel and Grace Kallman

 By law in the U.S., to protect the privacy of individual citizens, census records are not released until 72 years have passed. This year, 2022, the 1950 census was released. 

My parents were married in 1949 and in this census I find them as a young married couple. And me? I was their firstborn but in 1950 I was not even yet "a twinkle in my father's eye".

Chicago, Cook, Illinois 

822 N. Lavergne 2nd floor apartment

line 5: Kallman, Melvin, head of household, white, male, 33, born in Illinois, married, worked 40 hours last week as a floor sander for a retail department store

line 6: Kallman, Grace, wife, white, female, 23, married, born in Illinois

  Hardly a pair of fashionistas were they? 

  Dad, really? socks and shoes on the beach?

  Love you both,