Drew Smith (one of the Genealogy Guys) wrote to tell me that he may have found my Great Aunt Stephania in the 1930 Census . Recently I found that in 1910, Stephania (or Stefania) was living in a convent in Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania . Drew found someone who seems to match her stats in the 1930 Census in Coal Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
Stephania Chmielewski in the 1930 Census
Click on the link for a PDF copy of the US Federal Census Record for Stephania Chmielewski – 1930 . The census record shows that:
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Stephania was listed on line 65 of Sheet No. 13B, Supervisor’s District No. 9, Enumeration District No. 49-10 in (part of) Coal Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
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Stephania was a lodger in a house on 851 Chestnut Street where the head of household was Emelia Florek
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All of the lodgers in the household were either teachers in a parochial school or domestics performing housework
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A priest and a clergyman live in the next household enumerated
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Stephania is listed as a single, white, female, 44 years old
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She was not attending school, and could read and write
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She was from Poland, as were her parents, and her native tongue was Polish
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She immigrated in 1900, was an alien, and could speak English
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She was employed as a domestic performing housework
The information provided in the census matches up well with the information I have on Great Aunt Stephania . The Ancestry.com index has her listed as Stephania Chmielinski, but the actual census record could be interpreted as Chmielewski . Her age is right on the money; since she was born on January 7, 1886 her age should be 44 . Stephania immigrated in 1901, but the census record looks like either 1900 or 1910 . If it actually says 1900, it’s not far off.
The census lists Stephania’s occupation as a domestic performing housework in a house full of teachers . The house was apparently near a house with a priest and a clergyman . This is consistent with what I know about Stephania, since I know that she was very religious, was living in a convent in 1910, and later worked as a housekeeper in a rooming house in Massachusetts.
I know Stephania was living in Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1910 . Â Coal Township is adjacent to Shamokin . Â Moreover, I know from her naturalization records that Stephania was not living continuously in Massachusetts until 1933 . Â Thus, Coal Township is a reasonable location, based on information in other sources.
This looks like it’s the correct census record for Great Aunt Stephania.
Now, it looks like I should search religious records and school records for the Roman Catholic Diocese to which Northumberland County belonged (the Harrisburg Diocese) . Perhaps I can learn more about Stephania in those records.
Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko
