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Ben Smith — 1920 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1920 United States Federal Census · Ottawa, Michigan
Our Model Tree links this Ben Smith across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Ottawa, Michigan (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1893), then head of a 3-person household.
Age 27
b. ~1893
Male
Head
Born: Michigan
Married
1920 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1920 |
| Location | Ottawa, Michigan |
| Surname | Smith |
| Given Name | Ben |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 27 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Michigan |
| Father's Birthplace | Netherlands |
| Mother's Birthplace | Netherlands |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Threshing Machine |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Michigan |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | michigan |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Township / Ward | Blendon Township |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1893 |
Household Members
Census records only state relationship to the household head.
Pairwise kinship is derived (~90–95% accurate), not recorded.
Step/blended families and boarders can break it.
3 people recorded at the same address in the 1920 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to Ben | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennie Smith | Spouse | — | 24 | ~1896 |
| Henry Smith | Son | — | 1 | ~1919 |
| Ben Smith | Head | — | 27 | ~1893 |
Census Appearances
1920
Ottawa, Michigan
Head, age 27
Ottawa, Michigan · implied b. ~1893 — 3 household members
| Surname | Smith |
| Given Name | Ben |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 27 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Michigan |
| Father's Birthplace | Netherlands |
| Mother's Birthplace | Netherlands |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Threshing Machine |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Michigan |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | michigan |
1930
Ottawa, Michigan
Head, age 36
Ottawa, Michigan · implied b. ~1894 — 6 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Smit |
| Given Name | Ben |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 36 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Michigan |
| Age at First Marriage | 24 |
| Father's Birthplace | Netherlands |
| Mother's Birthplace | Netherlands |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | Truck Farm |
| Class of Worker | VVVV E |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Michigan |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | michigan |
1940
Ottawa-County, Michigan
Head, age 47
Ottawa-County, Michigan · implied b. ~1893 — 7 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Smit |
| Given Name | Ben |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 47 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Michigan |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Zeeland Township |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Ottawa |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | Farm |
| Class of Worker | OA |
| Hours Worked | 50 |
| Income (1939) | 0 |
| Highest Grade | C 4 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Michigan |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | michigan |
Model Tree
An inferred pedigree reconstructed from census links — up to 4 generations within the 1900–1950 window. Closer generations are built from household co-residence; deeper ones are bridged by following a relative to their own childhood census. Confidence compounds and weakens with each generation.
Our Model Tree links Ben Smith across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
Show:
This person
Anchor record
Ben Smith
Head · 1920 · age 27 · b. ~1893 · Michigan
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Confirmed / household (~0.90+)
Probable / derived (~0.65–0.89)
Candidate (<0.65, unverified)
Original Census Page
1920 US Federal Census — Ottawa, Michigan
Open full size
1920 US Federal Census — Ottawa, Michigan
Page Contents
50 people indexed on this census page (ia:1920:14thcensusofpopu792unit:0176)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Derck L. Schut | 45 | Head | Farmer | Netherlands |
| 52 | Magna Schut | 36 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 53 | Derck Schut | 6 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 54 | Elizabeth Schut | 5 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 55 | John Schut | 3 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 56 | Katharine Schut | 1 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 57 | Lubbers Schut | 76 | Head | Retired Farmer | Netherlands |
| 58 | Harmena Schut | 69 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 59 | Gerrit Besene | 43 | Head | Farmer | Michigan |
| 60 | Johanna Besene | 40 | Wife | — | Michigan |
| 61 | George Besene | 11 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 62 | Arthur Besene | 4 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 63 | Florence Besene | 10 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 64 | James E. Besene | 8 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 65 | Julia Besene | 3 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 66 | Caroline A. Besene | 1 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 67 | Ben Smith THIS PERSON | 27 | Head | Laborer | Michigan |
| 68 | Jennie Smith | 24 | Wife | — | Michigan |
| 69 | Henry J. Smith | 1 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 70 | Dick Oster | 27 | Head | Farmer | Michigan |
| 71 | Bertha Oster | 27 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 72 | Mena Oster | 4 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 73 | Cornelius Oster | 43 | Brother | Laborer | Michigan |
| 74 | Hannah J. Oster | 1 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 75 | Ebert Muer | 64 | Head | Farmer | Netherlands |
| 76 | Berdena Muer | 62 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 77 | Peter Tenhoe | 55 | Head | Farmer | Netherlands |
| 78 | Martha Tenhoe | 55 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 79 | Lucy Vanderploeg | 48 | Sister | — | Netherlands |
| 80 | Emily Vanderploeg | 2 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 81 | Gerrit Dewitte | 54 | Head | Farmer | Michigan |
| 82 | Mary Dewitte | 52 | Wife | — | Germany |
| 83 | Walter Dewitte | 20 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 84 | Henry Dewitte | 18 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 85 | Grace Dewitte | 12 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 86 | John Offenbecker | 25 | Head | Farmer | Michigan |
| 87 | Christina Offenbecker | 28 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 88 | Mena Offenbecker | 5 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 89 | Gertrude Offenbecker | 2 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 90 | John Offenbecker | 0 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 91 | Peter Dreyer | 34 | Head | Mill Worker | Michigan |
| 92 | Alice Dreyer | 32 | Wife | — | Michigan |
| 93 | John Dreyer | 7 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 94 | Jacob Dreyer | 5 | Son | — | Michigan |
| 95 | Henrietta Dreyer | 2 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 96 | Jacob Dreyer | 50 | Head | Farmer | Netherlands |
| 97 | Henrietta Dreyer | 48 | Wife | — | Netherlands |
| 98 | Anna Dreyer | 19 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 99 | Henrietta Dreyer | 16 | Dau | — | Michigan |
| 100 | Jessie Dreyer | 14 | Dau | — | Michigan |
About This Record & Model Tree
This record was independently indexed by YourRoots from the 1920 United States Federal Census (NARA). Our Model Tree links this person across census decades using XGBoost-based record linkage, with per-link confidence scores. Household corroboration strengthens the signal when co-residents appear on the same census pages in multiple years.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)