Fristus and Katie Howell Part 4, 1940-1949

• 1940, death of sisters Appie Howell Worley, and Tilithia Howell Lane.
• 1940 Census Goldsboro, Wayne, NC
• 1941, Death of siblings London King Howell, and Genetta Howell Hinnant
• 1941, US enters World War II
• 1942, Fristus joins the Army
• 1945, V-J Day

1940, age 67

Death of sister Appie Howell Worley, 27 March 1940, Pine Level, Johnston NC
Death of sister Tilithia Howell Lane, 24 December 1940, Howell Plantation, Johnston NC

1940 Census

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Line 14, 733 North Herman Street, Goldsboro Twp, Wayne County NC.  Frist Howell is renting the place for 12$ per month.  

• Frist Howell, Head, white male age 65.  Did not attend school, completed 1st grade, lived in same place in 1935.  It seems Fristus is unable to work.  His parents were born in NC, he spoke English, Veteran Father is not dead, he has a Social Security number, his usual occupation is Labourer at the County Laundry
• Katie, wife, white female age 44.  did not attend school, completed 4th grade, was born in Sounth Carolina, lived in same place in 1935, as did everyone else in the family.  Works as home housekeeper.  
• Lois, daughter, age 20.  did not attend school, completed 5th grade, born NC.  Worked for private for pay, worked 48 hours during week of March 24-30 1940, as  a labourer for the City Laundry.  
• Thadus, son, age 17,  did not attend school, completed 6th grade, born NC.  Thatus was also not employed during that week in March for some reason.  
• Roland, son, age 14,  did attend school, completed 6th grade so far, born NC.
• Heywood, son, age 11,  did attend school, completed 4th grade so far, born NC.  
• Aline, daughter, age 9.  did attend school, completed 1st grade so far, born NC.  
• Eula, daughter, age 7, did attend school, has not completed any grade so far, born NC.  
• Alford, son, age 2, no school.  born NC.  

about 1940
Bobbsey Twins at Spruce Lake book

1941, age 69

Death of sister Genetta Howell Hinnant, 5 June 1941, Goldsboro, Wayne NC
Death of brother London King Howell, 9 November 1941, Springhill, Wilson NC
US enters World War II

1942, age 70

Residence Goldsboro NC
Fristus Haywood Howell registered for the US military draft in 1942 during WWII

1944, age 72

Fristus Howell with Melvin Howell
Brunswick Georgia
photo courtesy of Bill Vidunas

Back of photo written by Bill Vidunas

Fristus Haywood Howell
William Roland Howell

1944 Fristus Howell age 72
Brunswick Georgia

Back of photo written by Bill Vidunas

Fristus Howell 1944, Georgia

Back of photo written by Bill Vidunas

1945, age 73

V-J Day

1948

Wayne County Courthouse, Goldsboro, NC, 23 July 1948, by Clarence Griffin.
From General Negative Collection, State Archives of North Carolina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wayne_County_Courthouse_1948.jpg

Fristus Howell 3 gen pedigree
from Ancestry.com

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Historical Insight -- Registering for Draft in World War II, from Ancestry.com

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

Though the United States wouldn’t enter World War II until December of 1941, it issued its first peacetime draft in 1940, which required all men between 21 and 45 to register for military service. From farmlands, cities, and small towns alike, millions headed to basic training to become soldiers, sailors, and pilots. More than 70 percent of Americans supported the draft, believing the country would soon join Britain’s fight against Germany. And the United States did declare war on December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. While the majority of American men were proud to do battle against the Axis Powers, some protested on religious grounds—72,000 registered as conscientious objectors. Others emphasized the hypocrisy of fighting for democracy abroad, when the military remained racially segregated. Despite protests, by the war’s end, 16 million Americans, including 1.2 million African Americans, had served their country.

Media Gallery

Before they were shipped off to the front, all new soldiers went through eight weeks of basic training. About 1941, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Credit: FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images

 

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In 1940, about fifty percent of draftees were rejected because of health issues and illiteracy. September 18, 1941, New York City. Credit: Lawrence Thornton/Archive Photos/Getty Images

 

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Despite religious protests by Jehovah’s Witnesses and Quakers, many still served in the military to avoid jail time. About 16,000 conscientious objectors were jailed for draft evasion and 6,000 served time in prison. September 1941, New York City. Credit: Hulton Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

 

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Until nearly the war’s end drafted African Americans were kept out of combat and relegated to positions of labor. The U.S. military wasn’t racially integrated until 1945 after the peace treaty was signed. 1940, Tuskegee, Alabama. Credit: Afro Newspaper/Gado/Archive Photos/Getty Images

 

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Census Sunday part 1 -- Fristus Howell before 1912

Fristus Howell 3-gen Pedigree from Ancestry.com

Below is the 1880 Federal census, with Fristus living with his parents Jethro and Laurenda Batten Howell in Boon Hill, Johnston Co. NC.   Later on, we'll explore the different name variations for his mother, but for now note it is spelled Lorinda. Their record starts at the bottom of the page, line 49.  This is a typical farming family.  Wonder what they farmed?

Jethro and Laurenda Howell census 1880 part 1

Next page lists the children of this family.  Nellie is the oldest age 18, Fristus here is written as "Pristus" and he is 6 years old.  His grandmother Sophia LNU Howell lives with them, probably because she's been a widow since 1858.  Also living with them is an 18 year old servant/laborer John Britton.  As far as I know he is unrelated.

Jethro and Laurenda Howell 1880 Census 2

They live in Boon Hill Township of  Johnston County, North Carolina.  Some names of their neighbors that I find in my corollary research are Raines, Sasser,  and Creech.  My great uncle told me once that the young men found their girls within walking distance of their home.  Because they didn't have cars, then.  They had to finish their farmwork, walk to the girls' home to visit for a while, then walk back home.  This information is valuable when looking for your ancestors.

Boon Hill Twp from Mapclick Johnston Co NC

This is the location of Boon Hill Twp as of 2017.  This information was obtained from Mapclick Johnston Co.  The link is below, and it is a fun site to play with.

There is no 1890 census due to a major fire.  Easy enough to find this information, so I won't belabour the cause.

The 1900 census is below.  He is living with his mother Laurenda, his sister Tilithia, and his nephew Millard G. Lane.  The family starts line 4.  This is a cool census because it provides the month and year each person was born.  I have to point out that Millard is NOT a Howell child.  He is listed here as Laurenda's grandson.  Research shows that Tilithia married Millard Lane, and they had at least this son.  Point of research -- find out why Millard Sr is no living with them right now.  It is too early for WWI.

Their home is still in Boone Hill Township, but also in the Lower Boon Hill Precinct, all of Johnston County NC.  Still a farming family.  Fristus is still a farmer labourer, and he cannot read nor write.

Laurenda Howell 1900 Census

His name is indexed as Faistus, but again, if you look carefully you can make out the "r" and see where it is closed at the bottom.  But you have to squint your eyes and hold your nose to the left a bit.  Well ... hmmm ... maybe not.  I checked the other "r" words like Corra and Robert and Charley.  The enumerator wrote in something like a Palmer method of handwriting, see the sample below --

Sample of Palmer Cursive
http://writeanalog.com/learning-cursive-handwriting/

So, perhaps his name really IS written down as "Faistus."  Anyway, this is the last census we will find Fristus in as a single fellow.  He marries Katie two years after this census was taken.  Neighbors include Raines, Sasser, Daughtry, all corollary names.

This family, in the 1910 census, begins on Line 31, with Cain Nawell (according to Ancestry.com).  However, if you look closely, you can see the proper spelling in the large handwriting, with the large tilted "H" and the cross-member.  The first name "Cain" is actually London King.  He went by his middle name (but of  COURSE he did, because everyone in North Carolina did).  I asked one of King's brothers why he got that name.  Uncle said it was because his parents ran out of names by that time and they wanted something BIG.

Line 38 is Fristus.  But -- his name looks like and is indexed as Cris.  MAYbe Fris.  The only way I knew this was Fristus is because of the other people in King's family.  I missed this one for years because of the horrible misspelling.

Fristus Howell 1910 Census

Fristus is a 35 year old who is farming on his own account.  I still wonder if this is where he was living when he met Katie?  I think so, it almost looks like he has a portion of farmland that is his own, but he doesn't have a house of his own yet?  This part is all imagination at this point.

I tried to find out what exactly Upper and Lower Boon Hill precincts looked like.  All I could find was a newspaper article in 1898 where they divided Boon Hill into two voting districts.  Same thing for Beulah, divided into voting districts.

Upper and Lower Boon Hill Precincts
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, North Carolina)
Thu, Sep 24, 1896 ·  Page 2
Downloaded on Jun 9, 2017

• Johnston County North Carolina MapClick -- an interactive map of the county