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Elmer Nelson — 1940 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1940 United States Federal Census · Polk-County, Iowa
Our Model Tree links this Elmer Nelson across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Polk-County, Iowa (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1890), then head of a 7-person household.
Age 50
b. ~1890
Male
Head
Born: Iowa
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Polk-County, Iowa |
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Elmer |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 50 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Iowa |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Des Moines City |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Polk |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Chauffeur |
| Industry | Groves Russell Co |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 48 |
| Income (1939) | 1200 |
| Highest Grade | H-4 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Iowa |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | iowa |
| Occupation | Chauffeur |
| Township / Ward | Des Moines City |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1890 |
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.
7 people recorded at the same address in the 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to Elmer | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Whitaker | Other | — | 27 | ~1913 |
| Elmer Nelson | Head | — | 50 | ~1890 |
| Jacqueline Whitaker | Other | — | 3 | ~1937 |
| Ellen Whitaker | Daughter | — | 25 | ~1915 |
| John Lometich | Other | — | 24 | ~1916 |
| Frances Nelson | Daughter | — | 23 | ~1917 |
| Vivadora Nelson | Spouse | — | 49 | ~1891 |
Census Appearances
1920
Polk, Iowa
Head, age 30
Polk, Iowa · implied b. ~1890 — 4 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Elmer O. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 30 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Iowa |
| Father's Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Mother's Birthplace | Unknown US |
| Occupation | Fireman |
| Industry | House |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Iowa |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | iowa |
1930
Polk, Iowa
Head, age 40
Polk, Iowa · implied b. ~1890 — 5 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Elmer O. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 40 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Iowa |
| Age at First Marriage | 24 |
| Father's Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Mother's Birthplace | Norway |
| Occupation | Chauffeur |
| Industry | Private family |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Home Value / Rent | Un |
| Radio Set | R |
| Birth State | Iowa |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | iowa |
1940
Polk-County, Iowa
Head, age 50
Polk-County, Iowa · implied b. ~1890 — 7 household members
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Elmer |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 50 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Iowa |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Des Moines City |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Polk |
| Occupation | Chauffeur |
| Industry | Groves Russell Co |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 48 |
| Income (1939) | 1200 |
| Highest Grade | H-4 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Iowa |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | iowa |
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 Elmer Nelson across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
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This person
Anchor record
Elmer Nelson
Head · 1940 · age 50 · b. ~1890 · Iowa
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Confirmed / household (~0.90+)
Probable / derived (~0.65–0.89)
Candidate (<0.65, unverified)
Original Census Page
1940 US Federal Census — Polk-County, Iowa
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Polk-County, Iowa
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-01193-00846)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deanna F. Chase | 4 | Daughter | Same Place | — |
| 2 | Newell Bright | 42 | Head | Pharmacist | Iowa |
| 3 | Hilda D. Bright | 34 | Wife | — | Iowa |
| 4 | Dallas A. Palmer | 32 | Head | Service Sta. | Missouri |
| 5 | Annette Palmer | 33 | Wife | — | Tennessee |
| 6 | Mary Jane Palmer | 3 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 7 | Gala Jane Palmer | 40 | Sister | Music Dept. | Missouri |
| 8 | Byron Faulkner | 42 | Head | Life Ins. Adjuster | Indiana |
| 9 | Katherine Faulkner | 28 | Wife | — | Canada |
| 10 | Patricia Faulkner | 4 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 11 | Mary Faulkner | 2 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 12 | Ellis G. Smith | 49 | Head | Janitor | Penn |
| 13 | Virginia Smith | 40 | Wife | — | Illinois |
| 14 | Ellis Jr. Smith | 7 | Son | — | Iowa |
| 15 | Fred Sebelt | 53 | Head | General Laborer | Iowa |
| 16 | Ada Sebelt | 49 | Wife | — | Iowa |
| 17 | Jay Harold Newburn | 39 | Head | Owner | Iowa |
| 18 | Carmen Newburn | 39 | Wife | — | Ohio |
| 19 | John Newburn | 10 | Son | — | Iowa |
| 20 | Claudene Maples | 15 | Maid | Maid | Iowa |
| 21 | Otis Jones | 50 | Head | Checker | Iowa |
| 22 | Leona Jones | 48 | Wife | — | Iowa |
| 23 | Elmer Nelson THIS PERSON | 50 | Head | Chauffeur | Iowa |
| 24 | Vivadora Nelson | 49 | Wife | Clerk | Ohio |
| 25 | Frances Nelson | 23 | Daughter | Bookkeeper | Iowa |
| 26 | Ellen Whitaker | 25 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 27 | Harry Whitaker | 27 | Son-in-law | Messenger Boy | Iowa |
| 28 | Jacqueline Whitaker | 3 | Granddau | — | Iowa |
| 29 | John Lometich | 24 | Lodger | Skinds Armature | Iowa |
| 30 | Brown C. Hubbell | 57 | Head | Real Estate | Iowa |
| 31 | Anna B. Hubbell | 56 | Wife | — | Iowa |
| 32 | Virginia Thorne | 32 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 33 | Anna Thorne | 6 | Granddau | — | Iowa |
| 34 | Bertha Friedmeyer | 37 | Servant | Servant | Missouri |
| 35 | Della Wagner | 27 | Servant | Cook | Iowa |
| 36 | Anna Geiger | 54 | Servant | Nurse | Minn |
| 37 | Fred Friedmeyer | 37 | Servant | Houseman | Missouri |
| 38 | Jerome Lorenz | 67 | Head | — | Iowa |
| 39 | Harry Brent | 32 | Lodger | Salesman | Iowa |
| 40 | Joseph Knight | 40 | Lodger | Salesman | Wisconsin |
About This Record & Model Tree
This record was independently indexed by YourRoots from the 1940 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)