Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Are Your Ancestors Missing in the Census?

 From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  Which of your ancestors or relatives have you NOT found in the Census records and what have you done or are doing or are planning to do to try to find that person?  Can AI help?

2)  Identify one or more of your ancestors that are inexplicably missing from one or more census collections. Whey do you think they were not enumerated?

3) Please share!

(Thank you to Marian B. Wood for this SNGF idea.)

Here's mine:

    My maternal grandparents, Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973) and Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley (1913-1973) are not to be found on the 1940 census.  I did not even realize this until I started preparing for this blog post. 

    They were married in December 1939 and were definitely living in California.  That is where they met, married, and raised their children. According to the California Index to Register of Voters in Los Angeles, they were both living at 15749 Vintage Street, Los Angeles, which is located in the San Fernando Valley and is now considered to be North Hills.  According to the same source, they lived at the same address in 1942 and 1944.  My mother was born in September of 1942 and knows they spent the first few years of her life in that house.  Mom and I drove by this house when we were in Los Angeles in 2010 so we recognize it when we see photos of it.

    However, as I was researching this post, I came across information that the house was not constructed until 1943.  Before then, the area was farmland and empty lots which were not developed until the mid-1940s.  Mom doesn't know for sure that her father built that house and doesn't know the story surrounding the property.  

    So where in the world were they?  I tried to search Ancestry but neither one of them came up on the 1940 census, even with alternate spellings.  I'm sorry, but there were 1.5 million people living in Los Angeles that year.  I am not up to going through every page of the Los Angeles 1940 census.  I even tried to go through the list of enumeration districts but it was a lengthy list.

    I turned to Google Gemini (AI) and asked them this:  

"My maternal grandparents, Charles Morgan Tapley and Ethel Tapley were not found in the 1940 census for Los Angeles, Los Angels, California, where they lived at 15749 Vintage Street, supposedly.. Can you give me any insight as to how or why that would have happened along with any research strategies I could use to find them? I'm very confused now since the California Voter Registration for 1940 has them listed at that address, but the house there was not built until 1943."

    This was Gemini's reply:

"Discovering a mismatch between a voter registration record and a census enumeration—compounded by a physical house not yet being built—is a common and frustrating wall to hit in genealogical research.

Why This Discrepancy Happens

Voter Registration vs. Actual Residence (Intent vs. Reality):

Voter registration lists from this era are frequently compiled via canvassing, party registration drives, or declarations of intent. It was common for people to register to vote using a mailing address, a plot of land they owned, a planned future home site, or a family member's address before a physical structure was actually erected on the property. If they purchased the Vintage Street lot or planned to build on it in 1939 or 1940, they may have registered using that location even while living temporarily elsewhere.

Enumeration Timing and Mobility:

The 1940 Federal Census official enumeration date was April 1, 1940. Census takers canvassed neighborhoods block by block. If your grandparents were in the middle of moving, traveling, or living in a temporary rental while waiting to build or settle in the San Fernando Valley, they could easily have been missed or recorded in a completely different enumeration district.

Name Variations and Transcription Errors:

Indexing errors in databases like Ancestry or FamilySearch are rampant for uncommon spellings, misread handwriting, or enumerators recording middle names (e.g., recorded under "Morgan Tapley" or with Ethel listed under a maiden name or initial).

Research Strategies to Find Them

To track down where Charles Morgan and Ethel actually were in the spring of 1940, use the following targeted approaches:

1. Broaden the Los Angeles City Directory Search

Instead of relying solely on the census, look for Los Angeles City Directories (Polk's) for the years 1939, 1940, and 1941.

City directories were published annually and often captured residents closer to real-time than the decennial census.

Search for Charles M. Tapley to see if an employer, a different street address, or a phone number is listed for that exact window.

2. Check the 1940 Census via "Locality Only" (No Names)

If name-based indexing has failed due to a bad transcription:

Go directly to the 1940 census enumeration districts for the San Fernando Valley / Sepulveda / Van Nuys areas surrounding Vintage Street.

Manually browse the neighboring pages of the closest existing developed streets from 1940. Because enumerators walked a continuous path, looking at the families listed just before and after the empty acreage can reveal temporary rentals or nearby properties where early Valley pioneers stayed.

3. Cross-Check WWII Draft Cards and Employment Records

WWII Draft Registration Cards: Charles Morgan Tapley likely filled out a draft card in the early 1940s (often referred to as the "Old Man's Registration" for men born in the late 1890s/1900s, or the main 1940/1942 registries). These cards require exact residential addresses and employers at the time of signing, which can clarify where they lived right around the census window.

Employment / City Records: If Charles worked in Los Angeles at the time, check if local trade unions, tax assessment rolls, or county employment records capture his whereabouts in 1940.

4. Investigate Surrounding Counties or States

Sometimes a couple registers to vote in anticipation of a move to California, but delays push the actual relocation back by a year or two. Check neighboring counties (like Ventura, Orange, or San Bernardino) or check if they were still appearing in records from their previous place of residence during the spring of 1940."

    My research plan going forward is to follow Gemini's suggestions as follows:

    (1)  Do a deep dive into the Los Angeles City Directories from that time.  

    (2)  Check the 1940 census by locality.  This is going to take time I did not have before posting this blog today.  

    (3)  Charles's U.S. Draft Card for World War II had a registration date of October 16, 1940.  He used the same address at that time. So this is a dead end.

    According to his Draft Card, he was a self-employed ice delivery man, but he listed his employer as Pure Ice out of Culver City, California.  I am guessing this is where he sourced the ice he sold.  I don't know if I can find anything with this information, but I'll give it a shot. 

    (4)  Since I know they were in Los Angeles at the time and both had been in California for years, I do not need to search other states.  However, I will check that they were not out in San Bernardino at Ethel's parents' house.

    I also asked Gemini about the "miss rate" for Los Angeles and California.  While the miss rate cannot be tracked to a particular city or even state, AI did share the following:

Why Los Angeles Had Unique Factors for a Higher Miss Rate

While a localized statistical percentage for Los Angeles in 1940 does not exist, several historical factors suggest the local miss rate may have met or exceeded the national average:

Explosive Population Growth:

In 1940, Los Angeles and the surrounding San Fernando Valley were undergoing rapid, chaotic growth. Enumerators struggled to keep pace with housing tracts springing up over former agricultural fields, leading to missed households in newly developing or semi-rural pockets.

Transient Populations:

The late 1930s and 1940 saw massive waves of migration to California (including Dust Bowl migrants and defense industry workers). Highly mobile families living in temporary housing, trailers, or transitional rentals were notoriously difficult for door-to-door enumerators to track down.

The Manual Door-to-Door Process:

The 1940 census relied entirely on human foot-canvassing. If a lot had no permanent structure (such as Vintage Street's status as open land at the time), an enumerator looking at a voter registration list might completely bypass the area assuming no residence existed, or miss residents who were temporarily away from a temporary lodging site.

Sympathy Saturday

    Sympathy Saturday will be where I share the obituaries and my condolences for members of my family tree who passed recently.  When you get to be a certain age, you begin to read the obituaries every day.  As the days go by, you read about more and more of your friends and family members who have died.  You compare their age to your own and get a jolt. "That could have been me." 

    For genealogists, checking obituaries and visiting cemeteries is as normal as breathing. I learn so much from an obituary, i.e., maiden names, parents' names; children's' and grandchildren's' names, funeral and burial locations, sometimes even a cause of death.  I want to learn these things not for any purpose but to put it on the family tree for future generations to see and learn about the family that went before them. I admit, most of these relatives I have never met, but I think it is important to share that they were here on this Earth, and they were important.

    So I am signed up with at least three funerals homes from Swainsboro, Vidalia, and Wrightsville to get daily notices of obituaries sent to my email.  Every day, I peruse them and with the help of the family tree, figure out who is related to me and add any new information to the tree. Some weeks there are several, and some weeks there are none. This week there are two that actually passed away in the Spring. I got behind on email for while.

    Please join me in offering condolences to their families and holding them in the light.

Robert Wayne Kea

October 11, 1941 - March 05, 2026

Swainsboro, Emanuel County, Georgia, USA

Mr. Robert Wayne Kea, 84, of Swainsboro passed away Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Emanuel County Nursing Home. He was born October 11, 1941, in Swainsboro to the late George Robert Kea and Frances Hooks Kea. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Larry Kea.

Survivors include his daughter, Sherry Riner (Jason Howard) of Swainsboro; brothers, Phillip Kea (Carol) of Atlanta, Gene Kea (Ann) of Swainsboro); sister, Barbara Williams (Bill) of Register; grandchildren, Amanda Rich and Justin Riner, both of Swainsboro; great-granddaughter, Stella Riner.

No arrangements have been made at this time.

Condolences may be expressed at www.chapmanfhofswainsboro.com

Chapman Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements for Mr. Robert Wayne Kea, 84, of Swainsboro.

 

Henry Brady 'Bud' White Jr
August 20, 1953 - April 13, 2026

Mr. Henry “Bud” Brady White, age 72, of Tarrytown, died Monday, April 13, 2026, at his home following an extended illness. He was born on August 20, 1953, in Candler County to the late Henry Brady White and Mary Emma Collins White. The family returned to Tarrytown in 1959, and he graduated from Montgomery County High School, Class of 1972. After high school, he worked many years with the Georgia Department of Transportation. In 1996, Bud moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, working as a diesel mechanic for the Fairbanks School System before returning to Tarrytown in 2016. As a younger man, he was a member of Ruth’s Chapel Church. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, Georgia football and the NFL.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a son, Anthony Shane White; and a brother, George Jeffery White.

He is survived by one son, Chris H. White of Vidalia; three stepchildren, Angie Barfield Jackson of Dublin, Quinton Barfield, and Richie Barfield and wife Sam, all of Fairbanks; one sister, Gail White Parrish of Tarrytown; one brother, James White and wife Chelia of Ailey; two nephews and two nieces.

A graveside funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 16th, 2026, at 12:00 noon at Tarrytown City Cemetery with Pastor Paul Beasley officiating.

The family will receive friends at the cemetery from 11:00 until just prior to the service.

Flowers are accepted, or memorial donations may be made to Diamonds in the Ruff, PO Box 771, Soperton, GA 30457.

Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia is in charge of arrangements.  

Friday's Faces from the Past

 

Dr. William Jordan Flanders
1860-1936

    Dr. Flanders was a dentist in Wrightsville, Johnson, Georgia, USA.  He was elected temporary chairman of the 16th District Senatorial Convention that met in Dublin, Laurens, Georgia, USA in 1912.

Thriller Thursday - Unwritten Law

    If you missed last Thursday's teaser, you can view it here.

Newspapers.com, Jackson Daily News, Jackson, Mississippi,
Monday November 18, 1907, Page 7

    James Alonzo 'Lon' Tapley (1866-1919) was a member of the Jackson, Mississippi Police Force for many years.  He was a well-respected officer and member of the community who seemed to be instrumental in solving cases that others had been unable to solve.  At the time of this murder, he had been a police officer for three years.  

    On May 17, 1907, just 6 months before the above photo was taken, Lon shot and killed a man who he found in his own house with his wife.  Now let me be clear - this was a different time.  Just being alone in a house with another man's wife was highly inappropriate.  Even though there was no evidence of a physical relationship between Lon's wife and the gentlemen, it was still extremely improper. And this was not the first time Mr. Taylor had been in the house alone with Lon's wife. 

    H. W. Taylor was a chemist who worked for a fertilizer company just across the street from the Tapley home. While Mr.  Taylor's friends claimed that his relationship with Mrs. Tapley was purely of a friendly character, Taylor had been seen leaving the Tapley home as late as 3 o'clock in the morning when the husband, Lon, was on night duty.

    Lon had heard the rumors.  He had even warned the chemist frequently to keep away from his home because he suspected that the relationship between Taylor and Mrs. Tapley was not proper.  On that Friday morning, May 17th, Lon was sent on a call near where he lived and as he rode his horse by his home, he looked over and saw Mr. Taylor standing in the hall of his house, speaking with Mrs. Tapley. I'll let this newspaper article tell the full story:

Newspapers.com, Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi,
Saturday, May 18, 1907, Page 3

HERBERT TAYLOR IS KILLED BY POLICE OFFICER TAPLEY

A Sad Tragedy Growing Out of Family Matters—The Dead Man Had Hitherto Borne an Excellent Reputation.

Police Officer J. A. Tapley is confined in the city jail, while the dead body of Herbert W. Taylor lies at the Taylor Undertaking Parlors, pierced by a bullet from the officer’s pistol, the result of a sad tragedy in which the “unwritten law” will figure.

The tragedy took place at the home of Mr. Tapley, at 9:30 yesterday morning on South Farish street, and the killing was seen by no one except the participants in what has been the most sensational happening in this city in many years. The woman who was the cause of the tragedy had fled from the house and taken refuge in that of a neighbor when the shot was fired.

Story of the Killing.

The story of the killing, as gleaned from the neighbors and those who arrived on the scene a few moments after the fatal shot was fired, is as follows: Officer Tapley left his home at an early hour yesterday morning to report at police headquarters for his day’s assignment. The police court was in session and he was a witness in two cases, but while awaiting their trial, was sent on a call to that portion of the city in which his home is located. He is on the mounted force, and riding his horse along the street in front of his residence he saw Taylor and his wife standing in the hall. Tapley claims that he had repeatedly warned Taylor to stay away from his home, and cease interfering in his family affairs. He dismounted and started in the house, when Taylor, seeing him coming, called Mrs. Tapley’s attention. Tapley had gotten to the steps and Mrs. Tapley, when she saw him, exclaimed, "Yes, run for your life!" at the same time running into a room on one side of the hall, while Taylor ran into one on the other side, and bolted the door behind him.

Broke in the Door.

Tapley went to the door and tried to gain admittance, but found that it was bolted from the inside, and no response came from his demand for admittance. He then tried to shave it open with his shoulder, but found it too severe. Making a desperate kick, the latch gave way and the door swung open, the bottom panel of the door attesting the force of the kick.

Confront Each Other.

As the door flew open Tapley stepped inside and found Taylor at the foot of the bed, across the room, with a pocket knife in his hand, which he was attempting to open. The men must have only faced each other for a moment, in a very short space of time a shot rang out. Mrs. Tapley had, in the meantime, ran from the house and to that of a neighbor, only a few steps away, where she remained.

First On the Scene.

The first person to arrive on the scene of the killing was a young man who works at Dan Maybee’s building supplies shop, a few doors away. He was found Taylor lying flat of his back, near the foot of the bed gasping but that he died inside of ten minutes from the time he was shot. Tapley stepped out of the room, and seeing a passerby instructed him to mount his horse and go for the police. In a few moments two officers arrived, and one of them remained in the house with the body of the dead man, while the other escorted Tapley to the city jail.

Tapley’s Version of the Affair.

Tapley, when seen at the city jail while laboring under that excitement that would naturally exist under such trying circumstances, greeted the reporter of The Clarion Ledger pleasantly and said:

"I have very little to say for publication, only that I acted as any other man would under the circumstances. While I do not regret the act itself, I was forced to that. I do from the bottom of my heart regret the cause that made it necessary for me to kill a fellow man. It is hard to be forced to kill a man, especially under such and circumstances. For the little woman and her innocent children, who received the sad message, I have the greatest sympathy. But he brought it on himself, and I feel that my friends and the public will uphold me in my action."

The Other Side.

Friends of the dead man say that there was nothing improper in Taylor's conduct. That he was of that disposition that made him loyal to his friends, and being a warm friend of the Tapley family, he thought it duty to stop in on his way up town and bid Mrs. Tapley goodbye, as he intended to leave for Louisiana, where his wife and two little children had gone the evening before, and that he was simply on this mission when he met his death. They say that he often went to the Tapley home, which was just across the street from the Capital Fertilizer Factory, where he was employed as chemist, sitting on the front gallery, and would spend several minutes in friendly chat. He had packed his gripe, and leaving the office at the fertilizer factory, stated to his associates that he was going out to pay his respects to his friends, and that Tapley’s house being the nearest to his place of employment, was the first one at which he stopped. They claim that he was standing in the hall, and had just remarked to Mrs. Tapley how happy he would be the next day when he rejoined his wife and children at Baton Rouge. It was at that moment that Tapley came up and his wife seeing him with his hand on his pistol, told Taylor to "run for his life," while she did the same.

Something of the Dead Man.

Herbert W. Taylor has been a resident of this city about two years, coming here from Meridian, where he was employed as a chemist. For some time he held a position with the Mississippi Cotton Oil Company, but of late has been with the Capital Fertilizer Company. His friends and business associates were astounded when they heard that he had been killed under the above circumstances. They regarded him as a very high toned, honorable gentleman, strictly moral, devoted to his family, and the last man in the world who would get in such trouble. He was an Alabamian by birth, but married a Miss Young, of Baton Rouge, La., who was well known in this city in her girlhood days, as well as since she has resided here as the wife of Mr. Taylor, having been a pupil of Belhaven College, and graduated in the same class as did Miss Frances Manning. He is from a prominent family, one of his brothers being general manager of the Mexican Central railroad, another chief engineer of the Chesapeake & Ohio, and still another professor of chemistry in the University of Wisconsin.

Officer Tapley's Record.

J. A. Tapley, or "Lon," as he is known to his friends, is one of the best police officers on the Jackson force, and has always been regarded as a peaceful, law-abiding citizen. He is an officer in whom his superiors put explicit faith, and has been zealous in the discharge of his duties since he became a member of the force three years ago. This is the first trouble he has ever been in, in fact in the discharge of his duty, or as a private citizen, he has never been necessary for him to even strike a man with his hand. He believed he was justifiable in his act, and says he will so show when the time comes. He is from an old Jackson family, and has been well and favorable known in and around this city for years.

Mrs. Tapley's Condition.

Mrs. Tapley was in such a nervous and excited condition yesterday that it was impossible for her to give any connected account of the tragedy that so nearly affects her. So overcome was she by the dreadful happening that she was got to bed at a neighbor’s house, and told a reporter that it was impossible for her to give any account of the killing, but protested that she was guiltless. She referred the reporter to a friend who she said would detail the circumstances of the killing, which were about as given above. Mrs. Tapley is a small woman of pretty features, the mother of two handsome boys, and has been married to Mr. Tapley about fourteen years.

Was On Eve of Departure.

Taylor was to have left Jackson last night. It is said that he became possessed of a nice little sum of money a short while ago through a legacy and with this had purchased a plantation near Baton Rouge, and intended to spend his life as a planter with his wife and children. They had left the city the day before his death, to arrange things for his coming, while he remained behind to close up his affairs, and a happy reunion was anticipated be the wife instead of the sad message she received of his tragic death.

Preliminary Today.

Tapley will be given a preliminary hearing in the Police Court this morning at 10 o'clock, and is confident that he will be able to prove to the court his justification, while the friends of Taylor are equally as confident that the dead man was only making a friendly call.

Relatives Will Come.

Taylor’s body was taken directly from the Tapley residence to the H. M. Taylor Undertaking Parlors, where it was embalmed, and his family notified. Some of his relatives were expected last night, among them his wife’s father, ex-Sheriff Young, of Baton Rouge. - Transcription by Google Gemini

    Lon was taken to jail immediately after the shooting.  The next day, Saturday, May 18th, a preliminary hearing was held late into the night with many witnesses testifying.  (Mrs. Tapley was not required to testify.) There were four hours of witness testimony and four more hours of arguments by two of the foremost criminal lawyers in the state pitted against each other. Shortly before midnight, the Police Justice announced that he would grant the defendant bail in the amount of $2,000.  This was posted by three of Lon's friends, and he was required to appear at the circuit court session in September 1907.

    Immediately after being granted his freedom, Lon was given a 10 day leave of absence by the Chief of Police.  After the leave, he returned to the city and resumed duty as a patrolman.  The sympathies of the police department were plainly and unmistakably with Lon.  Several of his brother-officers were familiar with his family troubles during the last couple of years and were firmly convinced that Lon followed the unwritten law in killing Taylor.

    So what was this unwritten law?  According to Google Gemini, "The "unwritten law" referenced in historical legal contexts and news reports of that era was a social and legal defense. It traditionally referred to an unwritten legal doctrine or customary social code that morally or culturally justified a homicide committed by a husband, father, or brother who caught a man involved in an illicit sexual relationship with a female family member.

    In practice during the 19th and early 20th centuries, men who invoked the "unwritten law" used it as a defense for vigilantism—arguing that killing someone to defend family honor or avenge a perceived violation of domestic sanctity was justifiable, and juries frequently acquitted defendants who used this defense."

    What about Mrs. Tapley?  She was the former Lida Chapman.  She and Lon were married November 21, 1891 and were the parents of two sons when this incident occurred.  When she saw Lon coming into the house that morning, she told Mr. Taylor to run for his life.  She then fled the house and ended up at a neighbor's. She talked with news reporters about noon that same day and said that "Mr. Taylor had always conducted himself as a gentleman in my presence. Nothing that would smack of improper conduct ever existed between myself and Mr. Taylor."

    Lon continued to work as a patrol officer and did his job well.  Lida came home. September came and the newspapers came alive debating will he? or won't he? be indicted for the murder.  

    Then on September 10, this was published:

Newspapers.com, Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi,
Tuesday, September 10, 1907, Page 5

Police officer J.A. Tapley, who was charged with the killing of J. P. Taylor several months ago, was yesterday released from bond after the failure of the grand jury to bring in an indictment against him.

    The unwritten law defense, along with the added self-defense excuse, won. Lon went on with his life.  He and Lida remained together and had two more children. She passed away just two years later, in 1909. Lon remarried in 1911 to a woman named Fannie Carroll who was 26 years younger than him.   They had a daughter together. At some point during this time, he left the Jackson police force, became a deputy sheriff and then was employed by the Illinois Central railroad as a special officer (detective). In 1913, he was elected Constable in the fifth district of Jackson.  Lon was a beloved citizen of Jackson, a very successful police officer, husband and father.

    Lon passed away suddenly on January 5, 1919:

Newspapers.com, Jackson Daily News, Jackson, Mississippi,
Monday, January 06, 1919, Page 6

    Oh and to answer the final question: Once I discovered Lon's full name of James Alonzo, I found him in my family tree as we are actually related!  

Wedding Wednesday

 

Cecelia 'Celia' May Jones
1896-1980

and

Charles Kohler
1882-1963

Wedding Portrait

1912
Champaign County, Illinois, USA

    There is a story on Ancestry hints that when Celia and Charles married, he was 30 years old and she was only 15. She wrote the number "15" on a piece of paper, and when the Justice of the Peace asked her her age, she stated, "I'm over 15."  They must have married between their birthdays as he would have turned 30 on August 10, and she would have been 16 on October 7. 

 

Tombstone Tuesday

 

James Rufus Wheeler Sr
1919-2008

along with his wife

Nellie Mae Shaw Wheeler
1920-2012

West View Cemetery
Augusta, Georgia

Military Monday

Ray Henry Tapley

May 18, 1925 - December 25, 1971 

Newspapers.com, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee,
Saturday, February 19, 1944, Page 3

Pfc. Tapley Is Here on Furlough After 18 Months in Pacific Area

Pfc. Ray H. Tapley, 19, who was in the first group of marines to land on Guadalcanal, is spending a 45-day furlough here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Tapley, 310 Poplar Street.

Formerly employed in the circulation department of The Chattanooga Times, Tapley saw his first foreign service in Samoa. From there he went to New Caledonia, later going to Tulagi, Guadalcanal and the Russell Islands in the Solomon group. His last overseas duty before returning to the States was in New Zealand.

The 19-year-old youth, who enlisted in the marines in November of 1941, has served overseas approximately 18 months. Most of that time he spent driving trucks. Tapley returned to the United States last Nov. 26 and has served at Corona, Calif., since that time. His next assignment is the naval hospital at Memphis.

Among the service ribbons Tapley wears, one indicates a presidential citation. He was in the First Marine Division, all members of which were included in the citation. Other ribbons he wears are the Southwest Pacific Ribbon, which bears three stars for major battles; the American Theater Ribbon and the American Defense Ribbon.

Tapley attended Vocational High School. - Transcription by Google Gemini