Census...children not listed

[Maureen]

In the 1910 Census for my grandparents it states that there were 3 children born and 3 children were living at the time of the census. However, none of the three children are listed. They included my father, his older brother and a sister.. the youngest. Should I not use this census as one of the events on the children's pages? They are listed, as well as 2 additional siblings, in the 1920 census.

[Sara]

Originally Posted by Maureen

In the 1910 Census for my grandparents it states that there were 3 children born and 3 children were living at the time of the census. However, none of the three children are listed. They included my father, his older brother and a sister.. the youngest. Should I not use this census as one of the events on the children's pages? They are listed, as well as 2 additional siblings, in the 1920 census.

You might like to put a comment in notes about this but I wouldn't list it under events until they're located. Possibly they were living with or visiting someone - most likely a relative.
Just my opinion.

[Al Poulin]

Originally Posted by Sara

You might like to put a comment in notes about this but I wouldn't list it under events until they're located. Possibly they were living with or visiting someone - most likely a relative.
Just my opinion.

I would certainly look further for the missing names. Another possibility, is that the census enumerator omitted the names while copying information taken during the interview to the official form submitted to the government. This transcription process is documented to be prone to error.

[John M. Leggett]

Originally Posted by Al Poulin

I would certainly look further for the missing names. Another possibility, is that the census enumerator omitted the names while copying information taken during the interview to the official form submitted to the government. This transcription process is documented to be prone to error.

Another problem is that the census did not take place everywhere at the same moment. In the 1920 census my father is listed as living in Wichita Falls, TX and his wife is shown as living with his parents in Camden, TX which is where both of them actually resided. Apparently my father was not home when the census taker came by. My father worked on a railroad and roomed in Wichita Falls with a cousin before returning to Camden on his next shift.

However my father and his wife also appear in the 1920 census in Seattle living with her mother and curiously he is listed as the Head of Household. As far as I can tell, the actual facts are correct. The Seattle census taker visited them two months later than the Texas person and they had moved to Seattle during that interval.

[Al Poulin]

Originally Posted by John M. Leggett

Another problem is that the census did not take place everywhere at the same moment.

True, and although the 1920 census was to report where people lived on January 1, the enumerator sometimes ignored that point. Or, the family member(s) being interviewed did not understand the requirement or simply forgot the details of time.

[Maureen]

The three children in question were 4, 3 and 1 at the time. This took place in Cordova, Alaska Territory. I suppose they could be at a neighbors house, will look again. Thank you.

[Steve Ketcham]

I found the children of one of my families listed after several other families on the next page. It looked to me like the enumerator forgot to write them down, and added them when s/he realized it.