Garland Arthur Howell Part 4

Garland Arthur Howell Part 4

1940 -- Census, Micro to Parrish Memorial Road
1940 -- Historical Insight -- Registering for the Draft, WWII; North Carolina during World War II
1941 -- Son Joseph Bruce is born
1941 Historical Insight -- US enters World War II
1945 -- Historical Insight -- First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman; V-J Day

1940 age 25

Federal Census 1940, lived with his wife in Micro, Johnston County NC, on Micro to Parrish Memorial Road.  Ancestry.com has the census indexed as "New to Parrish Monorial Road."  

April 1940 Census, Micro Township, Johnston County NC

Garland and Lena, age 25 and 22 own their farm, valued at 4 (what? thousand?  four dollars?).  Neither of them attend school, Garland completed grade 7 while Lena had two years of High School.  Both were born in North Carolina, lived in the same place in 1935 (see the notes in the previous post).  Garland indicates he had a regular job, but Lena is listed as having no job, working in the home.  Garland worked 50 hours on farming as an operator, working on his own account, working for the full 52 weeks in the last year.  He indicates that he got no salary, but that he received "income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary."  His farm schedule is 173.

Historical Insight -- Registering for the Draft During World War II

Garland Arthur Howell registered for the US military draft.

Even before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States
established its first peacetime draft in 1940

Credit: Planet News Archive/SSPL/SSPL via Getty Images

from Ancestry. com

Garland Arthur Howell Draft Registration Card front

Garland's Draft Registration card Back

The information found on these cards is amazing.  We see his address in October 1940 is Route D2 in Selma, Johnston County NC.  He has no phone, he is 25 years old, working as a farmer for Vernon J. House in Selma.  It gives his date of birth, and his wife "Mrs. Garland Arthur Howell" is someone who will always know where he is at.  The front has what I believe is his own signature.    On the back, we find physical characteristics, that he was 6' tall, weighed about 120 pounds, had blue eyes, blonde hair and light brown complexion -- probably from his many days in the sun on the farm.

Historical Insight -- North Carolina During World War II

Garland Arthur Howell of Micro NC might have worked at one of North Carolina's military bases or airfields in 1940.

With an extensive network of military bases and camps, North Carolina
provided training for more American troops
than any other state during World War II.
Credit:  Library of Congress
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

1941 age 26

Birth of son Joseph Bruce on 31 December 1941 in Selma, Johnston County NC.  He later died in 2006.

Historical Insight -- The United States enters World War II

Garland Arthur Howell lived in Micro NC when the United States declared war on Japan just one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor that killed 2,400 Americans.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy,” declared President Franklin D. Roosevelt before Congress, “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” The surprise assault on Pearl Harbor, which killed 2,400 American servicemen and civilians, made Americans and their political leaders resolute. After two years of isolationism, the United States declared war on Japan and entered World War II. Fearing that the country’s entry into the global conflict was inevitable, Roosevelt had launched the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history starting in September of 1940. By the following December, the military had grown to 2.2-million servicemen. Over the next four years, the U.S. military trained 10 million additional draftees and volunteers for two distant wars against two distinct enemies: Germany and Japan. When soldiers shipped off, women were left to manage the home front with men who weren’t eligible to serve in the military. Daily life was challenging as families prepared for attacks on American soil and rationed food and common supplies to support the war effort. As factories pushed to keep up with skyrocketing demand and with male bodies in short supply, women entered the workforce in record numbers. Before the Allied victory was celebrated in 1945, nearly 420,000 Americans gave their lives. -- Ancestry.com Historical Insights

1945, age 30

Historical Insight -- First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman

Garland Arthur Howell of Micro NC was likely shocked when Harry S. Truman suddenly became president of the United States in 1945.

The Presidential oath of office was administered in a solemn, private ceremony,
as crowds stood outside the White House.
12 April 1945, Washington DC
Credit:  National Archives and Records Administration
from Ancestry.com Historical Insights

On April 12, 1945, the United States was dealt a terrible blow with the unexpected death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Beloved by his country, President Roosevelt had led Americans through both the Great Depression and a World War. Responsibilities regarding the ongoing war now fell on the shoulders of Harry S. Truman. Only two hours after hearing of the death of President Roosevelt, Truman received the presidential oath of office from Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone in the Cabinet Room of the White House, becoming the 33rd U.S. President. Many difficult decisions instantly became his, including whether to drop atomic bombs on Japan. “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me,” he later told reporters. President Truman asked the cabinet of Franklin D. Roosevelt to stay on with him and was later re-elected. -- Ancestry.com Historical Insight

Historical Insight -- V-J Day

At the close of World War II Garland Arthur Howell might have taken part in V-J Day celebrations while living in Micro NC.

In the United States, public displays of jubilant celebration
characterized the end of World War II on V-J  (Victory over Japan) Day.
Credit:  Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe, and consider supporting me on my patreon page

Become a Patron!

Garland Arthur Howell Part 3

Garland Arthur Howell Part 3

1930 -- Census, 10 Bissell Mill Road, New Hope, Wayne County NC
1931 -- Sister Ida Alline is born
1933 -- Sister Eula Evelyn Howell is born
1933 -- Historical Insight -- Social Impact of the First "New Deal"
1934 -- Sister Arlie Virginia died
1934 -- Sister Julia Elizabeth is born, dying about 6 weeks later
1935 -- Married Lena Estelle Parrish
1935 -- residence Micro to Parrish Memorial Road per 1940 census
1935 -- Historical Insight -- The Great Depression
1936 -- Sister Sadie was born, dying less than a month later

1930, age 16

Federal Census, he lived with his family on 10 Bissell Mill Road, New Hope, Wayne County NC.

1940 Census
10 Bissell Mill Road, New Hope, Wayne, North Carolina

I covered this census and the family's farm in this blog about Fristus and Katie Howell.  Take a look, let me know if something is missing.

1931, age 16

Birth of his sister Ida Alline on 3 February in Wayne County, NC.  She died 2008.

1933 age 18

Sister Eula Evelyn Howell was born 2 May in Wayne County NC.  She died 1999.

1933, age 19

Historical Insight -- Social Impact of the First "New Deal" 

The government programs started by the first "New Deal" in 1933 may have assisted Garland Arthur Howell from Micro NC.

The first "New Deal" brought economic relief to many Americans in 1933
through programs that addressed banking, farming and unemployment.
Credit:  Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

By the spring of 1933, working class and rural Americans were tightly in the grip of the Great Depression.  Forty percent of the nation's banks failed between 1929 and 1933, and almost 4 million manufacturing jobs were lost as consumption and production became locked in a downward spiral.  The first "New Deal" created by President Franklin Roosevelt and his cabinet was aimed at providing relief and recovery to those hit hardest by the depressed economy.  A farmer wrote in her diary in 1933 about the impact of the "New Deal" in rural areas:  "Well, the national farm strike ... set for May 13 has been postponed, for which we are all thankful.  They came to that decision after Roosevelt signed the farm bill, which makes it possible for the loan companies to refinance mortgages.  ... Well, it gives us more courage to go on.  We had about given up ever trying to keep up anymore."

1934, age 19

Sister Arlie Virginia Howell died in Goldsboro, Wayne County NC.

1934, age 19

Sister Julia Elizabeth Howell was born 13 July in Goldsboro, Wayne NC.  She died about 6 weeks later of "dehydration and anemia of inanition."

1935 age 20

married Lena Estelle Parrish in Johnston County NC on 7 November.  She died in 2009.  Her parents were General Washington "Jim" Parrish and Callie Creech Parrish.  She was also born in Johnston County NC.  I wonder how they met?

Johnston County 1935 Marriage Index

1935 Marriage Certificate for
Garland Arthur and Lena Estelle Parrish Howell

Ottis Lane is the Minister or Justice of the Peace.  I have a photo somewhere of Otis Lane in his WWI Army uniform, I suspect he is related to the Howell family somehow.  I suspect he is quite old by 1935, his signature is pretty shaky and uncertain.   They were married at the Smithfield Court House, and the witnesses were Mrs. Paul Creech and Miss Thelma Parrish.  Since they both are from Selma, they most likely were friends or relatives of the bride.  This certificate does not include signatures of the Bride and Groom.

1935 age 21

According to the 1940 Federal Census, he lived on Micro to Parrish Monorial Road, Micro, Johnston County NC.  I am pretty sure Ancestry.com has mis-labeled the road.  The index says they live on "New to Parrish Monorial Road" but the writing is actually "Micro."  Then, the actual writing seems to say "Micro to Parrish Memorial Road."  So many people in Ancestry copy the same misspelling.  There is no actual road by that name, although there is Parrish Memorial road south of Micro.  See the map.

Micro to Parrish Memorial Road
Google Maps 2018

He indicates in the 1940 census that he and his wife were living there together in "same place."  Yet, they were married in November, so it is highly unlikely they were actually living in the same place in May.  But people are human, and to think back to five years in the past, it would certainly be easy enough to just tell the census taker that they lived in the same place.  We will look at the census in five years, so stay tuned!

Historical Insight -- The Great Depression

During the Great Depression, Garland Arthur Howell likely faced hardships like joblessness and scant resources while living in Micro NC

1929 The Great Depression Historical Insight
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 propelled the United States
into the worst hard times:  the Great Depression
Credit:  MPI/Archive Photos/Getty Images
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

October 24, 1929, was one of the darkest days in American history. On Black Tuesday, the hopeful, prosperity of the Roaring Twenties came to an abrupt end when the stock market crashed. Suddenly, the United States, and the world with it, was propelled into the Great Depression. Americans began withdrawing their money from banks, causing them to fail. Industrial production came to a standstill and unemployment skyrocketed. Unable to pay their bills, hundreds of thousands of Americans became homeless. By 1933, 15 million were without work and almost half of all U.S. banks had shuttered. To make matters worse, a historic drought caused widespread farmland erosion across the Prairie, precipitating the Dust Bowl. The “only thing we have to fear is fear itself” declared incoming President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his 1933 inauguration. Immediately he set to work rebuilding the country. Through a series of federal programs, he launched the New Deal, which revived banks, created millions of jobs, and helped Americans from going hungry. Slowly, the economy picked up, and with the outbreak of World War II in 1939, factories across the United States kicked into high gear, propelling the country out of the worst economic depression in its history. -- Ancestry.com Historical Insight

1936 age 21

Sister Sadie was born 17 August in Goldsboro NC.  She died the next month of GastroEnteritis, malnutrition and Otitis Media.  Gastroenteritis is a serious infection of the gut that causes dehydration, vomiting and diarrhea.  The ear infection was a secondary finding, I am sure, although both the ear infection and the stomach stuff started about the same time.  Sad day.

If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe, and consider supporting me on my patreon page

Become a Patron!

Garland Arthur Howell Part 2

Garland Arthur Howell Part 2

1920 -- Sister Annie Lois is born
1920 -- Census Boone Hill, Johnston County NC
1920 -- Historical Insights -- Sears, Roebuck and Company; Nationalization of 4-H Program
1921 -- Brother Melvin Thadius is born
1924 -- Brother Paul Coolidge is born, died age 4 months
1926 -- Brother William Roland Howell is born

1920, age 5

The fifth child, sister Annie Lois Howell was born in Princeton RFD, Micro Township, Johnston County NC.  She went by Lois, died in 1973.  She is my grandmother.

1920, age 6

According to the Federal Census, he is living with his family in Boon Hill, Johnston County NC.  Now, did they move back to Boon Hill?  Did boundaries change even though they stayed on the farm?  I haven't researched this yet.  If you have any idea, be sure to let me know, using the communication form on the right.

1920 Census, Boon Hill, Johnston County NC

Historical Insight -- Sears, Roebuck and Company 

Garland Arthur Howell most likely read or shopped from the Sears catalog.

1914-1930 Sears, Roebuck and Company
Ancestry.com's Historical Insight
"In 1918, the Sears catalog sold the plans and materials for homes like
Model No. 2094, 'The Verona,' for $4096.  A number of these existing homes
have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1918 Credit:  Sears Roebuck & Co./Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Historical Insight -- Nationalization of 4-H Programs 

Garland may have participated in a 4-H program while a youth in North Carolina.  "Utah's Logan Republican reported in September 1914 that 200,000 youth around the country were participating in 'Industrial Clubs.'"  

1930 The Nationalization of 4-H Programs
13 October 1921, Charleston, West Virginia.
Credit:  Library of Congress
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

1921, age 6

Birth of brother Melvin Thadius Howell was born 27 October in Johnston County NC.  He went by Thad, died in 2009.

1924, age 9

Birth of brother Paul Coolidge 7 January 1924 in Johnston County NC.  He died about 4 months later of IleoColitis lasting 8 days.  This may be Crohn's disease, according to Medicine Net.  

1926, age 11

Birth of brother William Roland Howell on 13 March in Wayne County NC.  He went by Roland, and died in 2009.

Resources

• Medicine Net -- https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3898

If you like what you see, be sure to subscribe, and consider supporting me on my patreon page

Become a Patron!