Spelling Errors and the Census

It can be frustrating at times trying to finding census records for family members. It can be even more frustrating when researchers have to deal with spelling errors. When researching my great grandfather, Horace Sanders, I could not find his 1940 census record on Ancestry. He didn't die until the 1950's so I knew he was still alive during the 1940 census. It's rare for a person not to be enumerated but it did occasionally happen. Fortunately, I did find Horace's record on Family Search so I knew it existed although his record could not be found on Ancestry or so I thought. It wasn't until I was searching for Horace's soon to be daughter-in-law, Dorothy, that I found Horace. In the 1940 census, Dorothy was living in the household of Horace Souders not Sanders. Souders is not a name I would have ever considered as an alternative to Sanders but there it was Souders. Horace, his wife, Margaret, his two sons, Edward and Donald as well as Dorothy were all living at the same residence. Dorothy was a lodger.

To easily find Horace's 1940 census record, I edited his name to Souders and the 1940 census record immediately appeared as a hint on Ancestry. I changed Horace's surname back to Sanders after I added the record to Margaret, Edward and Donald. Just an added note that a few months after the census was taken Donald and Dorothy were married in Albany, Illinois.

So never give up when you cannot find a record. Try a variety of spelling variations for surnames. Check Family Search for records. Horace's 1940 census record was indexed correctly on Family Search and the record was also available to view.

Hugunin Family of Albany, Illinois

The following are newspaper transcriptions that I had transcribed a few years ago on the Hugunin family. A family I feel were related to my great greatgrandfather, David Byers born 1833 in Butler County, Ohio. 

JAMES HUGUNIN, passed away at his home in Upper Albany, yesterday afternoon at 1 o'clock p.m., after an illness of about three weeks. He was born Dec. 24, 1839, in butler county, Ohio, and came with his parents, to Albany when he was six years old. At fifteen he engaged in the river business, and followed that occupation for many years. He was a thirty-second degree Mason, belonging to the consistory at Lyons , Ia. , and for several years was master of the Albany lodge, No. 566, A.F. & A.M. He leaves a wife, and two daughters and one son to mourn his loss. - Sterling Evening Gazette 13 January 1906 p. 1; col. 2

ROBERT HUGUNIN - Rivermen are dragging the slough near the Docia in the hope of finding a trace of Robert Hugunin, who disappeared Sunday. They are using chain drags in efforts to locate the missing man. - Sterling Gazette 24 April 1917 p. 6; col. 1 

Robert Hugunin Was Not Drowned Was Verdict At Inquest 
The disappearance of Robert Hugunin, formerly of Albany , from his home at Comanche on the afternoon of April 15, had just been cleared, when his body was found floating in the Mississippi river on the Iowa side just above LeClaire. A post-mortem examination and inquest was held at LeClaire. The evidence showed that he had been dead some time before the body was placed in the river. The testimony of the physicians who performed the autopsy was that Hugunin's neck had been dislocated, the wind-pipe crushed, and there were scalp wounds. There was no water in the lungs, which showed conclusively that he was dead before the body was thrown into the river. The verdict of the jury was in accordance with the evidence. - Sterling Gazette 26 May 1917 p. 1; col. 2

SAMUEL E. HUGUNIN - Funeral service of Samuel E. Hugunin, 61, who died at his home in Albany Sunday after a brief illness with bronchial pneumonia, were held at the family residence at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Burial was in the Oak Ridge cemetery, Albany.
Contributed by Patritia Taylor - Sterling Gazette 24 March 1931 p. 2; col. 3