Small Town Life: Close Proximity

 

Three weeks ago, I shared the inter-family marriages of Boone Prairie, Texas -- Mom's childhood home.

The image above is my visual interpretation of the 1930 census for those families. It's important to note that in rural communities, the census taker numbered the households in the order in which they were visited. Street addresses were not available in this location at this time.

The number in the upper left-hand corner represents the house visitation order. Where possible, I identified the names of Mom's relatives. The blank spaces are unfamiliar names to me (so far).

** It is worth noting that Floyd and Maida Lee (Mom's parents) lived in the same house as his mother and older brother, Ollie. Mom was two years old.

My next step is to overlay this census information with geographic location. However, I have yet to find an appropriate map. Until I do, I can only make inferences. I do not know how far apart each dwelling was (in terms of miles), nor do I know if the visitation order corresponds to the physical location order.  However, it does appear that these families lived in close proximity to one another.

As you may recall, the Dowdy family experienced several losses between 1924 and 1933. Not only did they bury two young mothers, an uncle, a grandmother, and an 8-year-old child... but they also had to juggle the care of young children. Adam's infant daughter was adopted by his younger brother's family. Cleveland's toddler daughter went to live with her grandparents. 

I make note of this because dire circumstances resulted in family members stepping up and helping out. Although these young children were not in the same home as their birth parents, they were close enough to visit and maintain relationships.

The question that continues to haunt me: Why was this option not available to my mother?

Her father died in February 1936. I am certain they lived in the same house as they did in 1930. I'm not clear whether Floyd's mother still lived there or if Ollie continued to live there with his new wife and her two children. 

If that is the case, the house is probably a little crowded. And perhaps that is one of the reasons Mom recalls her paternal grandmother "kicking her out of the house" after Floyd passed away. 

But as the above chart illustrates, Mom was still surrounded by extended family. Gilbert Miles has a daughter two years younger than Mom. Gilbert's oldest daughter, Mildred, is now married and lives nearby. Ola Mae Boyd, Floyd's sister, is fairly close (although not listed on this graphic). And Mom's grandmother still lives "up the road." 

Last week I determined why my grandmother went to Houston for secretarial school. I understand that decision. But I do not understand why she uprooted Mom from this community. Several options seemed available for the two-year commitment.

Mom had just lost her father. Did she have to lose contact with everything else familiar to her?