Part VI: Arthur CHAMBERLIN in the Census

Previous post in this series:
Part V: My Research on Arthur Guy CHAMBERLIN

Now that I had Arthur Chamberlin's parents' names (Martin William CHAMBERLAIN and Gertrude DEVERS), I could look for them in the census records. I had already looked for Arthur in the 1930 census (the first one he would have appeared in, since he was born in 1923) before my research trip to Michigan and couldn't find him. After my research trip, I decided to look for his parents in 1930. Maybe his name was indexed incorrectly, and I could find the family under his father's or mother's name.

Interestingly, the second time around, I did find part of Arthur's family in 1930. Remember how the death record of Arthur's father, Martin, said he was divorced at the time of his death in 1942? Well, I found Martin and two sons named Edward and Thomas living with Martin's widowed father, Edward F. Chambelain, at 206 Bruce St. in Marine City, St. Clair, Michigan.

 1930 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Marine City (Ward 3), enumeration district (ED) 24, sheet 13A, dwelling 315, family 317, Edward F. Chambelain household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 March 2008); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1024.

Where was Arthur and his mother, Gertrude? Were there any other missing siblings? Martin's marital status said that he was married, but we all know census records may not be accurate. Martin was age 46 (about two years off from the age at the time of his marriage) and worked as a caretaker of a summer resort. Edward was age 18 (born about 1912) and worked as a laborer in a creamery; Thomas was age 17 (born about 1913) and worked as an auto mechanic. Now we know that Arthur had at least two older brothers. Martin's father, Edward, was listed as age 75 (born about 1855 - about a year off from the age on his death record) and a janitor at the Masonic Hall. It's interesting to note that Edward (the younger) and Thomas were actually listed as sons of Edward (the older), but other records have confirmed they were sons of Martin and Gertrude.

I then searched for Martin and Gertrude in the 1920 census (prior to Arthur's birth in 1923), and this time, I found them together, once again in Marine City. 

1920 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Marine City (Ward 3), enumeration district (ED) 111, sheet 14B, dwelling 303, family 310, Phelix Chamberlain household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 March 2008); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 795.

This time the family lived at 206 Scott St. with Martin's widowed father, enumerated under his middle name as Phelix Chamberlain. Phelix was age 65 and a ship carpenter. Martin was age 37 and a salt block foreman. Also in the household were Gertrude, age 32; Edward, age 8; Thomas, age 6; Alice, age 4; and Albert, age 2. So now we know that Arthur had two additional siblings, Alice (born about 1915) and Albert (born about 1917). So where were Albert and Alice in 1930? With Arthur and Gertrude? Did Martin and Gertrude separate with him taking the older two children and her taking the younger three children?

Since Martin and Gertrude were married in 1908, I decided to go back another ten years and find them in 1910. This time, I found them living alone on Bruce St in Marine City. This was prior to Martin's mother passing away in 1914, so I imagine that Martin and Gertrude didn't move in with Martin's father until sometime after her death.

1910 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Marine City (Ward 3), enumeration district (ED) 104, sheet 11B, dwelling 242, family 246, Martin Chamberlain household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 March 2008); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 673.

Martin was age 27 and an oiler at a salt block. Gertrude was age 22. They had not had any children yet.

OK, so it looked like I still had some work to do to find Gertrude and the younger children in 1930. It would take several months, but I would eventually find them....