The Joy of Indexing

I am an indexer. What this means is that I volunteer at www.familysearchindexing.org. This organization provides the opportunity to create indexes of vital records, census records and military records. These indexes then make it possible to search for individuals in these records. Prior to the indexing efforts many hours had to be spent looking at each record on microfilm to find if the person you were looking for is there. After indexing a textual search can be accomplished to find which records your person is on.

While Indexing the 1900 census I ran across the following census record for Apache County Arizona, Eagar Precinct. In this census record I find that my fathers father, Abram Burgess Slade, lived down the street from my mothers mother, Atella Wiltbank. Atella was 1 year old and Abram was 22 years old but it was cool to see this. It appears that they lived close to each other. I can only assume that the Henry and Amanda Slade family was neighbors and knew the Pacer and Sarah Wiltbank family.

1900 US Census for the Eagar Precinct of Apache County of the State of Arizona

I have learned in my research that it is important to use census records. While an individual census record, due to the fact that census takers were not always disciplined at their task, does not prove individual facts about an individual such as birth date, birth place, or spelling of a name, it still can be of great worth. It is an indication of where and when a person was born and who the family members are. However, a group of census records will, I believe, prove the spelling of a name, the place or birth, or a family relationship.

Shown in the next 4 images are a progression of small segments of the census record where Sarah Hannah Brown and her family are shown. From the 1900 to the 1910 census we see that 2 of Sarah's children had died as shown in the last column going from 9 to 7 living children. As for her Marriage status we have the following: 1900-she is married but no husband is shown, 1910-husband is shown, 1920-she is divorced, and in 1930-she is widowed. Living situation: 1900/1910-has 4 children living with her, 1920-living alone but close to her son Benjamin's family, 1930-living alone and no family close. Also in 1900 her aging father is living with her as a 77 yr old widow and by 1910 he is no longer there because he had died.

 1900 Census

1910 Census

1920 Census

1930 Census

Finally one thing that can be shown or learned from a census record is something such as how people found each other to get married. While this was described in the history of Henry Slade written by Ida Slade Burgess, it was not until I saw the following census record that I truly understood this. The Goheen and Slade families were neighbors that had joined the church together and obviously their families knew each other. Sometime within the next two years M.R. Goheen and Julianne Slade died. These two neighbor families most likely helped each other through the tough times as neighbors and friend. When Dorinda and William married she was had with 3 girls ages  12, 10, and 8 and a boy age 2.5 and William had Boys ages 18, 16, 14, 9, and 5 and 2 girls ages 12 and 3. These two families benefited each other greatly.

My Parting Thoughts
Volunteer This is a plea for you to volunteer your time as indexers. If you have not indexed in the past please look into this important activity. It will greatly further the family history work in the United States. I know that I have been greatly blessed as I have volunteered my time indexing. I simply give up time I would play games on the computer or surf the internet and use it to help myself and others be able to find their ancestors.

1940 Census Starting on 2 April the 1940 US Census records will be available for indexing. There are 130 million names that need indexing. By the next census in 1950 there will be over 400,000 men killed in WWII. This will be a great opportunity to honor them. I know that I will be spending time each day volunteering on this project.