Finding Aunt Anna Goldenstein in 1940

The first image in this post is part of the 1940 census enumeration for Anna Goldenstein in Arkansas County, Arkansas. She's a widow living with her parents. 

1940 US Census (Mill Bayou, Arkansas, Arkansas; Roll: T627_116; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 1-20)--obtained on Ancestry.com

Searches for Goldenstein turned up absolutely nothing despite my creativity. I did not know she was in Arkansas County in 1940, but I knew she married there in 1918 and died there in 1978 under the name of Anna Goldenstein. In desperation, and because I wasn't going ready to search the entire county of Arkansas page by page, I decided to search for other members of her family in an attempt to find her or at least learn something about her family. Among those matches with the last name of Whitman (Soundex turned on), was this entry, which struck my interest as it was the first name I needed and the correct year of birth.

"1940 United States Federal Census about Anna Wittman," obtained on Ancestry.com

Sure enough, that "Anna Wittman" aged 45 pulled up the census image you see at the top of this blog post.

The enumerator squeezed "Goldenstein" in and the indexer apparently missed it.

I've already submitted the correction to Ancestry.com.

Don't neglect the maiden name after the marriage-you just never know.

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Reminder--we don't include complete citations on blog posts--just our personal preference. Complete citations are always included in Casefile Clues or you can learn about citations in Elizabeth Shown Mills' Evidence Explained. We always do include enough background information in blog posts that readers can find our original sources.If you think we don't, please fire off an email to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com 

3rd and College Street in Stuttgart, Arkansas-in 1918

I descend from many farmers and it is rare to find their address on Google Maps. However, it's always interesting to take an address from a relative and see if I can map their location. As discussed earlier, my uncle Ben Goldenstein farmed his family's property in Stuttgart, Arkansas. His World War I draft card provided his street address:

This is the modern Google Map of that address (3rd and College Street in Stuttgart, Arkansas):


View Larger Map

Gives me a reasonable idea--although I'm not certain if he lived on the corner or which one. It's possible that he lived where the apparent vacant lot is located. But the picture was still pretty interesting.

Is This Ft. Worth Ben Goldenstein My Ben?

Date: Saturday, November 7, 1914  

Paper: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX)--obtained on  Genealogybank.com   

Unusual names are great in that there aren't many of them. Sometimes they can be a nuisance as it's tempting to research everyone with that name in the hopes that it is the person for whom you are looking.

This divorce entry from the 1914 Fort Worth Star-Telegram contains a reference to Ben Goldenstein. I came across it while trying to find an obituary on Genealogybank.com. An obituary was not located for him, but this reference came up.

The question is: "is this the Bernard/Ben Goldenstein for whom I am looking" or is it another one? I could order the divorce record and that might clear up the problem--or it might not. Before I go to that expense, I should compare this Ben with the one I am researching. There are a few things I could do:

Try and locate this Ben in Ft. Worth city directories and census records.
Try and locate a World War I draft card for this Ben.

I already have my Ben's World War I Draft card along with some other information on him. The best way to see if the Ft.Worth Ben could be mine is to research the Ft. Worth Ben and see if I locate information on him that seriously conflicts with what I know on my Ben. Conflicts would include:

• Having a date/place of birth significantly different from mine.
• Dying before mine did.
• Being in two places at once.

Stay tuned....