Morning Nahptime: Hooper 1940 Census

Monday, January 26, 2015

Hooper 1940 Census

Previously, I looked at the section of the 1930 Census which included my Grandpa Calvin Muir Hooper as a 5-year-old boy. I wanted to follow the family in the 1940 census to see how their lives had changed.

Charlotte Jeanette Muir Hooper

It looks like the family is all together this time. Morise L. Hooper is the 40-year-old head of household, and Charlotte J. is his 35-year-old wife. Five years before, they lived together in Pioche, Lincoln, Nevada, but have returned to Beaver, Utah. They currently rent a home for $10 per month.

U.S. Census for Beaver, Utah 1940 including Hoopers and Muirs

U.S. Census for Beaver, Utah 1940 including Hoopers and Muirs, close up of first part

She is a housewife, and my 15-year-old Grandpa Calvin Hooper is a student, who completed 7th grade in the previous year.

The document delves into educational background, acknowledging the highest educational grade completed. Apparently, Morise completed his fourth year of high school, and Jeanette finished her third year of high school. I learned before that she married at 18, so did she drop out of school to get married, was that all the education available for her, or is there a different explanation?

The employment section backs up part of the questioned 1930 census record, because again Morise is in the mining industry, previously employed as a Mill Operator. He is listed as not currently employed, but seeking work, having worked 28 weeks in 1939, and unemployed for 12 weeks. He made $600, and it shows there was an additional source of income.

They had added two family members, my Grandpa's (half) siblings LaRoy M. and little Charlotte [La]Fay.

Again, they are either in the same house or next door to Charlotte Jeanette's mother, Mrs. Hannah E[lizableth] Muir. Her youngest, Lucy, has moved away, so now it is Hannah (65), Marion J (37), and Wallace B (33) still at home. She is listed as the owner of the property, valued at $1,500. Both sons completed two years of high school, but my great-great-grandma Hannah Elizabeth Orton Muir was only able to complete the 8th grade. It must have been a tough year for them employment-wise, because Marion was only able to work 25 weeks ($300) and Wallace only 8 weeks ($200), both as farm laborers. Hannah was no longer working as a laundress.