Sunday, December 16, 2007

Am I a Census Dodger? Are you?

After spending a great deal of time searching for his maternal grandfather in the 1920 census records, earlier today Tim Agazio apologized to his descendants about his habit of avoiding the census. He makes up for the error of his ways by providing details for where he was in each census in which he should have been enumerated.

I thought that was an interesting exercise so took some time to figure out where I was when the census was taken during my lifetime. I'm not sure how many years I'll show up in the records, but here is where you should find me. . . I may someday be one of those unmarried relatives where no one knows what happened to them. However, if this blog still exists in cyberspace, they'll have the answers they seek! Are you in the census records when you should be?
  • 1950 Age 2. The family was living in the "little block house" that had been converted from a garage in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. My parents, two brothers and myself. Mom and dad would have been married 4 years. I have no idea if they filled out the census papers.
  • 1960 Age 12. With the addition of a little sister, the family had moved into a new home on the Armstrong Road, within 10 miles of our previous residence. Still in Tippecanoe Township. Again, I don't know if my parents filled out the census forms or not.
  • 1970 Age 22. In the U.S. Navy, stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. I don't recall filling out any forms for the census. Did the military record that information?
  • 1980 Age 32. Lived in Terre Haute and was attending Indiana State University. I dutifully filled out the census questionnaire and sent it off to wherever it needed to go.
  • 1990 Age 42. My mother and I were living in "the old farmhouse" in Washington Township, Noble County, which we had purchased 3 years previously. One of my nieces was still living with us. Her sister had gone to Georgia to live with her father. I don't recall filling out census forms and I doubt that Mom would have done it on her own.
  • 2000 Age 52. Mom and I had moved to Thorncreek Township, Whitley County in 1997. I remember being disappointed in receiving the "short" form to fill out. It didn't take long to fill in the information, and send it off.
  • 2010 Age 62. Who knows where I'll be, I sure don't!

1 comment:

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...

I assume my mother would have filled out the form while I was still living with her. I remember filling out the form in 2000. Neither my husband nor I remember filling out the form in 1990. We had moved the year before. Interesting question!