Census

Our Census form was completed and mailed a few weeks ago.  There are only two of us living in this humble little house on Tarbox-Cemetery Road.  I'd like to count my dogs and horses as part of the family but there is no place for that on the form.

I have a partial copy of a 1930 Census.  It has my Grandmother Rankin's family listed.  It was very detailed and hand written by the census taker.  It comes from the Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930.  My Grandmother was living in her parents home in Allen County, Indiana, Violet Tilbury took the information on May 7th, 1930. 

My Great Grandfather's name was Richard Coak, 64 years old and my Great Grandmother's name was Lydia and she was 54 years old.  My Grandmother's name was Gladys Thelma Coak, and was living at home with a brother, Charles R., 17 years and another sister Betty L. was only 7 years old.  I also learned from this that my mother was then three years old, her name on that cencus form is Robella Margaret Jane York. 

As you scan the census form, my Grandmothers status is divorced and she was twenty years old.  Interesting things you could find out from the old hand written census.  My Great Grandfather was listed as a farmer and my Great Grandmother and Grandmother's occupations were: None. 

My Grandmother, Gladys died in 1986.  She had three children, my Mother, my Uncle Kenneth Coak and my Uncle Billy Rankin.  It seems each of her children had different fathers, I do know when she married my Grandfather, Raymond George Rankin, her name listed on the marrige license was Gladys Thelma Bardsley.   They married June 29, 1940.   My Grandmother was then 30 and my Grandfather was 42 years of age.  It looks as if my Grandmother had been married at least three times.  She made her journey from this world in 1986, she had cancer.

My Fathers side of the family is almost a sketchy, although some things have been revealed to me that I never knew and it didn't come from my Mother.  I know from the Fifteenth census of the United States: 1930 in Ohio, Clark County.  That my Grandfathers name was Ralph DeRemer, 36 years old and my Grandmother's name was Goldie. They had three daughters, Irene, Annette and Corrine and Steven Guy DeRemer was my birth father.  He was born in June 1931.   I never knew this side of the family, my Mother was divorced sometime after my brother was born, Brian is 18 mos. younger than me.  Secrets, secrets............  Oh yes, there have always been secrets in my family.  For the life of me I don't understand why things are so hidden. 

My birth father lives in Seguin, Texas and had three sons by a second marriage, Steve, Mark and Mitchell DeRemer. He is again divoriced and living with his dog.   He still living and refuses to have any contact with me.  I don't understand this, I have requested some form of contact and I get no response.    A shame really, life is so short.  His sisters have all passed on now.  I am not sure that it is critical for me to know more, filling in the blanks would be nice for some reason.

I may have stirred the bee hive with this information, it doesn't matter, it is my history.......... Now you might be asking, why share this information in a blog?  I often ask myself this question, sharing yourself with the world is a little uncomfortable.  I started the blog to make a conscious effort to record some of my family history.  We have done so many wonderful things, I hate to see it get lost to our grandchildren.  I love remembering things from the past and sharing my life as I live it now.  It is a history for my family, if someone else enjoys reading it, I'm okay with that too.  To me it is like reading chapters of a book, every entry is another chapter.  If you don't want to read that chapter, it's okay too.

Photo:  upper left, My Father and Mother, May 1949
             lower right, My Grandpa and Grandma Rankin, Uncle Billy and me, May 1949