Finding Truelove, Part 3

At the Library

My mom absolutely loved reading. I can't think of a time she wasn't in the middle of reading one book or another. This habit was passed on to us, so my siblings and I spent a lot of time in our local libraries when we were younger. We would go look for interesting new books, check out books, or stay in the library often to read. In the early 90"s, one of the librarians suggested we go check out the census. She explained that the federal government took a counting of the population every 10 years, and they had some available to view there. Maybe we could find our grandparents or great-grandparents. I was instantly excited. How cool would it be to locate our mom or grandma when she was a kid!

So, off went go on our first trip to their research room. After explaining how to find the correct census location, we were ready to search. We quickly realizing our mom wouldn't be an option, and moved on to find grandma. I recalled that grandma was born in Botetourt County, Virginia. She also said she lived in a town called Lily of the Valley. Turns out, that's just what the community was called. But we knew the church her family attended was called Lily of the Valley, and it was located in a town near Fincastle. Eventually, we found the Waldron family in Buchanan, Botetourt County, Virginia.

Waldron family in the 1920 census. Source: Family Search

This document is filled with details, but at the time we only focused on the names. The first thing I noticed is our grandmother was not listed on it. Her first would be the 1930 census, and that wasn't available yet. The second thing I noticed was Truelove! She always seems to pop up. I also recognized my great-grandparents, William and Danie. There were other people listed with them. Some names we knew, but others we didn't. However, I'll show you what I should have learned from this document the first time I viewed it.

The top section of the 1920 census. Source: Family Search

The top portion tells us that the 1920 census was the 14th census conducted for the US. This document provides information about the population living in Botetourt County, Virginia, in the Buchanan District. The Waldrons were enumerated on January 8th, by Hugh R Robertson. This was the 4th sheet he recorded information on for this district. And as you can see, he used cursive to record the information. His writing isn't too bad. It may not be the best I've seen, but it definitely isn't the worst.

This is the header section for the columns on the census. Source: Family Search

In the next part of the document, we see the specific type of information that was provided in the columns below. The enumerator should have recorded things like the street name, type of home, name of individuals living in the home, how these people are related to each other, and occupation. We didn't notice all of the information that was recorded. Some of it can seem mundane, but it gives a glimpse of what their life was like.

Street name column of the 1920 census. Source: Family Search

The first column tells us what street, avenue, or road the "Place of Abode" is located. This time it happens to be filled out. The Waldrons lived on Valley Road. Sometimes the enumerator gets lazy and only fills out this column when the road changes. Unfortunately, I've found it left blank many times. This information could help you search for their home online, or visit in person.

The first half of the census showing the Waldron family. Source: Family Search

Now, this is the section everyone pays attention to because it contains the names. But the first columns still deal with the "Place of Abode." We can see that the Waldrons live on a farm, not just in a house. They were the 56th dwelling that was visited and the 57th family. Next, family members are listed, their relationship to the head of the house, their gender, race, age, and marital status. So here we finally see information about Truelove. She is enumerated as Truelove Waldron, head of household, female, black, age 54, and a widow. Widow, which means her husband Aaron, my 2nd great-grandfather, had died. Of course, I knew he wasn't alive, but this realization saddened me. Truelove had lost her husband. How long had he been gone? I couldn't remember the dates form his headstone. But Truelove was now head of the family, including 7 children, a daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren.

This part of the census also tells us that their farm was rented. I'm not sure if they were sharecroppers, or just rented their home. The last few columns deal with education. Did they attend school, could they read, could they write? Truelove did not attend school at this time, she could read, and she could also write! So could all the adults in the home. Something we take for granted too often.

The second half of the census showing the Waldron family. Source: Family Search

In the last section of the census, we learn that every member of the household was born in Virginia. Their mothers and fathers were also born in Virginia. I believe Trueloves' parents were born in Botetourt County, but I'm not positive. Still looking for proof. The next column tells us that they are all able to speak English. Finally, we learn about the family's employment. Truelove was a manager on a farm. She worked on her own account, meaning she worked for herself. It also looks as if 3 of her sons worked with her on the farm. The farm they worked was #47 on the farm schedule.

This document seems to contain some mundane information, but really it began to tell me a story. In 1920, Truelove Waldron was a 54-year-old widow. She was left without her husband Aaron and is fully in charge of the family. Although 6 children have moved out of her home to form families of their own, 7 children still live with her. She made sure she was educated because she could read and write at this time. Her children were educated, and they could also read and write. They are either attending school or working hard as she is. Truelove had to work hard throughout the day while managing a farm. All within the social climate of 1920. But there were also 3 young grandchildren running around. I can imagine the joy they would have brought. I think back again to her photo. I can see sitting on a porch, rocking in a chair, and watching them play around the farm. Just one snapshot of her life.