Census Saturday - 1930 Census - Harry & Veronica Legge

This week I am going back another decade with Harry & Veronica Legge. In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, they were just married and she was pregnant with their first child, Harold, who would be born in July of that year. They were living in Fairview, Rush, Kansas on a farm.

Harry & Veronica Legge Household

Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920 - Population. 
State: Kansas; County: Rush; Fairview Township; Supervisor's District No 7; Enumeration District No 214; Sheet No 4A; Enumerated by me on the 27th day of January 1920, Wm Crotinger, Enumerator. Lines 20-21; House number: FM; Dwelling No. 56; Family No. 56: 
Harry Legge, Head, rented house, male, white, 19 years old, married, did not attend school since Sept. 1 1919, able to read, able to write, born in Kansas; father born in W-s--ollin [crossed out] Germany, mother tongue German; mother born in New Jersey, able to speak English; trade of farming on general farm; Farm schedule 57. 
Veronica Legge, wife, female, white, 17 years old, married, did not attend school since Sept. 1 1919; able to read; able to write; born in Kansas; father born in [illegible crossed out word] Russia, mother tongue German; mother born in Kansas; able to speak English; occupation none.


I've learned that Harry & Veronica were living and working a farm they do not own. I learn that both of their mother were born in America and their fathers born outside of the country. What I find most interesting in this census is that the enumerator had written down a specific location within the country their fathers were born in. Unfortunately, they were badly written and then crossed out so I am unable to read them. Harry's brother was living in the same town and has the same crossed out name, but that is difficult to read as well.

Source: 1920 U.S. census, Rush, Kansas, population schedule, Fairview, enumeration district (ED) 214, sheet 4A, p. 751 (handwritten), dwelling 56, family 56, Harry Legge household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Sep 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 547.

Census Saturday - 1925 Kansas Census - Harry Legge Household

This week I am looking at the Kansas State census of 1925. The Legge family is still living in Fairview, Rush, Kansas and only have the first three children living with them.

State: Kansas; County: Rush; Township: Fairview; Post Office: La Crosse; Page 1 (stamped); Lines 10-14; Name or number of street, avenue, rural route, etc. 2; Number of house or box, if on rural route: 52; Dwelling number 3; Family number 3.
Harry Leggle, head, male, white, 24 years old, married, born in Kansas, no occupation, did not attend school, able to read and write.
Veroniga [sic] Leggle, wife, female, white, 22 years old, married, born in Kansas, no occupation, did not attend school, able to read and write.H
Harold Leggle, son, male, white, 4 years old, single, born in Kansas, no occupation, did not attend school, not able to read and write.
Ralph Leggle, son, male, white, 2 years old, single, born in New Jersey, from New Jersey to Kansas, no occupation, did not attend school, not able to read and write.
Dorethy Leggle, daughter, female, white, 1 year old, single, born in New Jersey, from New Jersey to Kansas, no occupation, did not attend school, not able to readn and write.


First, the surname is spelled wrong. I had to look for them manually in the database on Ancestry because they weren't coming up in a simple search. Harry's name had been indexed incorrectly as Marry. The rest is just the incorrect spelling by the enumerator. Little Dorothy is only one year old and was born in New Jersey, so the family must have moved back sometime in the year and a half prior to this census and after she was born. Another interesting notation on this census is that there is no profession listed for Harry. I'm not completely positive this was an error, but it seems unlikely that he wouldn't have been working while trying to provide for a small family. It's also possible he was between jobs.

Source: 1925 State Census, Rush County, Kansas, population schedule, Fairview, p. 1 (stamped), dwelling 3, family 3, lines 10-14, Harry Leggle household; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Sep 2011); citing Kansas City Historical Society, Microfilm Reel K131.

Census Saturday - Harry A. Legge Household, Fairview, Kansas

This week I am moving to a different side of the family... the Legge family. This family is in my maternal line. In 1930, the Legge family consisted of two adults and six children all under the age of ten. They were living in Fairview, Rush, Kansas.

State: Kansas; County: Rush; Fairview Township; Enumeration District No. 83-9; Supervisor's District No. 8; Sheet No. 2B; Page 0151 (handwritten); Enumerated by me on April 17, 1930, Walter H Nickel, Enumerator. [actual census taken April 18th according to left margin] Lines 58-65; Dwelling 36; Family 38.
1) Harry A. Legge, Head, home rented, owns radio set, family lives on a farm, male, white, 29 years old, married, aged 18 at first marriage, did not attend school, able to read and write, born in Kansas, father born in Germany, mother born in New Jersey, able to speak English, Farmer, General Farm, Own account, not a veteran, farm schedule no. 39

2) Veronica M Legge, Wife of head, female, white, 27 years old, married, aged 16 at first marriage, did not attend school, able to read and write, born in Kansas, father born in Russia, mother born in Kansas, able to speak English, no occupation.

3) Harold Legge, son, male, white, 9 years old, single, did attend school, born in Kansas, parents born in Kansas, no occupation.

4) Ralph Legge, son, male, white, 7 years old, single, did attend school, born in New Jersey, parents born in Kansas, no occupation.

5) Dorothy M. Legge, daughter, female, white, 6 years old, single, did attend school, born in New Jersey, parents born in Kansas, no occupation.

6) Edward Legge, son, male, white, 4 years 7 months old, single, did not attend school, born in Kansas, parents born in Kansas, no occupation.

7) Robert Legge, son, male, white, 3 years 1 month old, single, did not attend school, born in Kansas, parents born in Kansas.

8) Alfred Legge, son, male, white, 1 year 3 months old, single, did not attend school, born in Kansas, parents born in Kansas, no occupation.

I noted several things from this census. There are pretty exact ages listed for the youngest three children, which leads me to believe that it was the mother, Veronica, who was giving this information to the enumerator. It's possible that it was the father, however, it seems more likely the mother would be tracking this information more closely. The ages given match the time frame I have for the known birth dates of these children as well. The birthplaces of both Harry and Veronica confirm information I already had. I also learn that they married at relatively young ages of 18 and 16 years old. Two of the older children were born in New Jersey, so it appears the family moved there for a period of time, possibly to be closer to his family. I will be looking into that time and place to see if I can locate any records of their time there.

Source: 1930 U.S. census, Rush County, Kansas, population schedule, Fairview, enumeration district (ED) 9, sheet 2B, p. 0151 (handwritten), dwelling 36, family 38, Harry A. Legge household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Mar 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 718.

Sunday's Obituary - John Rohr (1845-1918)

The LaCrosse Chieftain, LaCrosse, Kansas; Thursday, March 21, 1918

John Rohr
John Rohr wa[s] born in Marienthal; Samareske Goperna, Russia, May 5, 1845. He came to America in 1877, locating at Topeka, Kansas. In 1878 he moved to Victoria, Ellis county, Kansas. In 1884 he moved to Liebenthal, Rush county, Kansas, which was his home when he died, March 14, 1918, at the age of seventy-two years, ten months and fourteen days.

He was married twice in Russia, his first wife died and he married his second wife in 1867. From this union there were ten children, four of whom survive him, two sons, Peter and John Rohr, and two daughters, Mrs. Mary Drehr and Mrs. Anna Linenberger. There are also a number of grandchildren.

Funeral services were held in the Liebenthal Catholic church by Father [there appears to be missing information here] 1918. He was buried in the Liebenthal cemetery. His wife passed away several years ago.

John Rohr was one of the pioneers of Rush county. He endured all the privations and hardships of pioneer days, with less complaint than the average man. He was an honest, hard working christian man.

Mr. Rohr was among the first Big Timber Germans with whom we became acquainted in the early days and we are pleased to state that we were always friends.

The funeral was well attended, many friends coming from neighboring towns.