Tag: 1950

The 1950 Census Is Here

On By jenbumannIn ShepardLeave a comment

Well, another 10 years has passed. What does that mean? The 1950 census has been released. That is about the only interesting thing that has happened in my research this year.

But, I have a problem. My mother and her family are not in the census! I tried and tried, and even though Ancestry has completely indexed the records, officially, they are still not to be found.

I was not terribly surprised by this, only because I have a ships passenger list of people arriving in the port of New York from Puerto Rico on April 1, 1950. On it were my mother, her brothers and her mother. Grandfather had come back to the mainland earlier.

As you can see here the ship arrived in port on April 1.

The census started in April. I think that the Shepard clan was in the midst of settling down when the census was going on and they were missed. I found Dick and Dad, and my father’s family, also. But not mom. I will check one more time when the FamilySearch site is done with their indexing (they still haven’t finished Ohio and California, my two options for the Shepards.)

The above census is dad and his family in Wausau, WI. Clarence was one of the folks who got a few extra questions too.

I have found pretty much everyone else of interest at this time in the 1950 census. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Bill and Lois are mis-indexed, but I have a feeling that this is the one census they missed.

November 27, 1950 Lois Shepard to in-laws

On By jenbumannIn letter, ShepardLeave a comment

Nov. 27, 1950

Dear Dick & Dad,

Hope you aren’t snowed under but by all reports I guess you are. Eve called Bob last nite & it was pretty bad in Dayton. She left this morning. Sorta hated to see her go. One reason I haven’t written is that we’ve been busy & pretty much on the go as we wanted her to see a little before she left. Our furniture arrived Monday, almost a week after we arrived. Everything OK, but our big mahogeney coffee table & our magazine rack. The coffee table has a crack across one corner & the magazine rack was cracked on the side. Maybe we can collect Both can be fixed I guess.

The weather here is beautiful. Except for the 1st weekend & it dripped continuously then. Not exactly a rain but awful thick fog. And that’s when we drove

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into Los Angeles & Hollywood. We did get to see a little tho. Then Thanksgiving day we drove down to San Juan Capistrano It is beautiful country down there. Saw the Pacific ocean. Tho the Caribbean is prettier.

Bill took the kids horseback riding yesterday. They enjoyed it but Bill is a little sore today. He’s Staff Duty Officer today & won’t be home tonite.

We do like one house very much but I’ve still a lot to do. I’ve got a woman coming tomorrow to clean 75¢ an hour she charges. I guess I’ll have her one day a week & then she baby sits too. She lives almost across the street so it’s handy.

We had her Sat. nite & went to a dinner dance at the Club. Haven’t seen any of the folks that

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we knew at Ramey yet. The Schwaderers live in San Bernardino & it’s quite a ways. It certainly is handy to the field here. Almost as close as living on it would be

I feel sort of let down today. Partly cause Evelyn left & partly cause I cut Davids hair. Poor little stinker. He isn’t the same boy. He didn’t mind a bit & sure looks like Bill now. It was so cute when it curled but now it won’t. He looks cute but it’s such a change.

Evelyn gave me another Toni [perm] Friday. Looks pretty good this time. I still could get into my pink formal & that’s what I wore Sat. nite but I won’t be able to wear it again till after Minnie arrives.

Kenny & Sue seem to like their school They have a cafeteria & eat there lunch there  20¢ a day same as Minerva.

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They’ve learned to cross the street here OK & can go to the grocery for me. I hope to get started on my Xmas shopping this week or next but it just doesn’t seem like it’s that time of year yet.

I haven’t done much today & should get busy. We just stuffed things away to get them out of the road & now I have to get them arranged. I’m to get my stove put in this weekend. Be glad to have it to use again. I’ll write again.

Love
Lois

October 1, 1950 William Shepard to parents

On By jenbumannIn letter, ShepardLeave a comment

1 October 1950

Dear Mother, Herman, Ruth & Ed:

Did I include everyone? well I promised to write so here goes. In case you havent heard, I will give you all the news I know.

Arrived here early Wednesday morning after a fine trip. I just received my assignment as Wire Officer for the 15th Air Force. The 15th has the Strategic Air Command fields in the western U. S. Pacific, Japan etc., also some in England. It looks as if I will be traveling some but not too much as my job is a staff job. General “Rosy” McDonnel is my commanding general. By the way please do not at any time release any information of my duties etc, to any newspaper as SAC is very strict about it.

The base is situated very much like Tuscon, desert with mountains around it. The Sierra’s are in the back yard here. The climate is warm by day cold by night. It hasnt rained for some time here,

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and as I understand it, it does not rain too often. Irrigation seems to supply water and when you buy property you get so many water shares with it.

I am going to have Lois try to sell our house and move out in about a month. In case we have to loose too much on the place we will keep it and rent it.

Housing seems to be plentiful here. About a hundred homes for rent in areas near March field. We wont have any trouble finding a home.

It is hard to say how permanent my job will be, but it looks as steady as any in the Air Force today so I guess the family will be better off out here.

How about some news from Canada?

Bill