1940 Census

The 1940 census was released this week. It was taken the first week of April that year. The Lavery family was living at 951 Northrup Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Part of the national snapshot.

The family is split over two pages with the youngest, Bob and Frank, at the top of the second page. The census was taken on April 6 so Ralph was still a couple of weeks away.

Ages are as follows:
Grandpa..34
Grandma..30
Shirley..10
Ed..5
Chuck..4
Bob..2
Frank..2

The house is listed as owned rather than rented and had a value of $2000. A quick check of the neighboring houses shows they were renting for $10 to $16 per month. Level of education completed shows Grandpa finished 9th grade while Grandma went through 8th grade. Shirley is listed as finished 3rd grade so currently in the 4th grade. I assume Ed was in his first year of school but the rest were still home full time. Picture that.

Most of the rest that can be gleaned here deals with Grandpa;s employment. He is working at the peanut plant 40 hours per week for an annual wage of $1560 and he worked 52 weeks in 1939. That is $30 per week or 75 cents per hour!!




This is the Google "street map" to see what it looks like today. You can play with navigation tool in the upper left corner to change the view, look left and right and across the street.

According to Zillow in 2012 the value of the house was $20,900. That site shows it has 708 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, built in 1930, lot size is 3485 square feet.


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Cecilia Marie (Lillig) Lavery born September 2, 1909

Donald Michael Lavery, Grandma Lavery, Billy Lavery, about 1959

Grandma at the house in Mission

Graduation 1959.

Standing: Bill Schoth, Patty (Schoth) Lavery, Grandma, Theresa, Margaret Mary. Front: Paul

No doubt taken by Ralph.



Grandma before the cake is served.
Party in the basement in Mission.

on the left, Grandma's mother, Lizzie (Pittrich) Lillig, and Grandma on the right.

Pick them out. Shirley, Ed, Chuck, Bob, Frank, Ralph, Paul are all here.

Grandma with Scout Ralph, Graduate Mel, Margaret Mary, and Theresa in front.

Happy 75th Birthday to Ed

left to right, Ed, Bob, Shirley

front row, Margaret Mary, Paul, Frank, Ralph, Chuck, Ed. back row, Pop, Grandma, Mel.

Party Like It's 1933

If you came across these two photos in a shoebox you might not give them a second look. They are grainy, out of focus, and poorly exposed, but they happen to be a couple of my favorite snapshots.

This is December 31, 1933, the depth of the Great Depression. Exactly seventy-five years ago.

But they had more than just New Year's Eve to celebrate. Grandma and Grandpa are just newlyweds, not yet married four months, aged 24 and 28, hosting the party. It would have been too early for them to know it yet but they were also expecting their first child together.

Also, the Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution had just been ratified three weeks earlier repealing Prohibiton which had been in effect since 1920. This would explain everyone brandishing their bottles. They were drinking legally for the first time in their lives.





In this photo Grandpa and Grandma (Charles and Cecilia Lavery) are on the left, Aunt Wilma Lillig is next to Grandma partially hidden. To Wilma's left are Laurence and Claudia Lavery, Grandpa's brother and sister-in-law.  Helen Schranz is to the right of the man pouring a drink.  Billy Ryan is on the right and I think Aunt Tootsie Lillig is cut off next to him.


In this one Fred and Wilma Lillig are leaning in on the left, Claudia Lavery is above them.  Billy Ryan and Aunt Tootsie in the middle, Helen Schranz is to the right of them. and Grandma and Grandpa Lavery on the right. That is all that I can identify.

Interview with Grandpa Lavery, part three of three

Grandpa talks about his oldest brother John, school, and church.

At the start he mentions his brother was stationed at Fort Riley and was quarantined with the flu in 1918. This was ground zero for what became a world wide pandemic also known as the Spanish Flu. It is now believed that this was an avian flu and if you read up on this you will understand the reasons for all the attention there has been to the current bird flu outbreaks.

Unfortunately the interview ends rather abruptly.

Interview with Grandpa Lavery, part two

Pop reminisces about his teenage years camping and swimming in Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri.

Lavery/Lillig Wedding 75 Years Ago

Charles William Lavery and Cecilia Marie Lillig married August 5, 1933 with her siblings, Fred Lillig and Frances "Tootsie" as best man and maid of honor.

Betty Lillig, daughter of Paul and Mary, perhaps the flower girl.



Grandma and Aunt Tootsie.



Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Betty, Grandpa's sister.

Bride and Groom at her parent's house at 1211 Lowell in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Bride.

Shirley Lavery, Grandpa's daughter from his first marriage and Betty Lillig again.

Paul Lillig, son of Paul and Mary, perhaps ring bearer.

Grandma & Grandpa with her parents, Kless & Lizzie Lillig.

Again with Fred and Tootsie.

back row: Grandma's mother, Lizzie, Aunt Johanna (Pittrich) Gunther, Aunt Tillie (Pittrich) Ryan, Grandpa, Grandma, Tootsie, Fred.
front row: Grandma's brother, John Lillig, his wife, Gertie, their son, John jr , Grandpa's sister, Betty, Grandma's brother, Paul Lillig.
Aunt Mary Lillig may have been behind the camera since she is not in any of these photos.

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See the house and neighborhood as it is today. Scroll around to see the same houses in the background as in the photos above.