WB
William Best — 1940 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1940 United States Federal Census · Vernon-County, Wisconsin
Our Model Tree links this William Best across the 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Vernon-County, Wisconsin (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1871), then head of a 6-person household.
Age 69
b. ~1871
Male
Head
Born: Wisconsin
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Vernon-County, Wisconsin |
| Surname | Best |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 69 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Viroqua Township |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Vernon |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Patrolman |
| Industry | Road |
| Class of Worker | GW |
| Hours Worked | 40 |
| Income (1939) | 900 |
| Highest Grade | No 8 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
| Occupation | Patrolman |
| Township / Ward | Viroqua Township |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1871 |
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.
6 people recorded at the same address in the 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to William | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Best | Spouse | — | 66 | ~1874 |
| William Best | Other | — | 10 | ~1930 |
| Ira Best | Son | — | 36 | ~1904 |
| William Best | Head | — | 69 | ~1871 |
| Arline Best | Other | — | 13 | ~1927 |
| Virginia Best | Other | — | 36 | ~1904 |
Census Appearances
1910
Vernon, Wisconsin
Head, age 39
Vernon, Wisconsin · implied b. ~1871 — 5 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Best |
| Given Name | William J. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 39 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Years Married | 13 |
| Father's Birthplace | Ohio |
| Mother's Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farming |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
1920
Vernon, Wisconsin
Head, age 49
Vernon, Wisconsin · implied b. ~1871 — 3 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Best |
| Given Name | William J. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 49 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Father's Birthplace | Ohio |
| Mother's Birthplace | New York |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farm |
| Class of Worker | OA |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | O |
| Home Free/Mortgaged | M |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
1930
Vernon, Wisconsin
Head, age 59
Vernon, Wisconsin · implied b. ~1871 — 7 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Best |
| Given Name | William J. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 59 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Age at First Marriage | 26 |
| Father's Birthplace | Ohio |
| Mother's Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Patrolman |
| Industry | Road |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | O |
| Home Value / Rent | 119 |
| Radio Set | R |
| Veteran | No |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
1940
Vernon-County, Wisconsin
Head, age 69
Vernon-County, Wisconsin · implied b. ~1871 — 6 household members
| Surname | Best |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 69 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Viroqua Township |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Vernon |
| Occupation | Patrolman |
| Industry | Road |
| Class of Worker | GW |
| Hours Worked | 40 |
| Income (1939) | 900 |
| Highest Grade | No 8 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
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 William Best across 4 US Census years (1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
Show:
This person
Anchor record
William Best
Head · 1940 · age 69 · b. ~1871 · Wisconsin
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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 — Vernon-County, Wisconsin
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Vernon-County, Wisconsin
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-04530-00745)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palmer | 30 | son | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 2 | Carl Palmer | 25 | son | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 3 | Louise Boyle | 22 | daughter | — | Wisconsin |
| 4 | Florian Boyle | 23 | son-in-law | Clothing | Wisconsin |
| 5 | Florian Jr. Boyle | 0 | grandson | — | Indiana |
| 6 | Chris P. Hage | 73 | Head | Farming | Norway |
| 7 | Belle Hage | 72 | wife | — | Wisconsin |
| 8 | Carl Hage | 34 | son | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 9 | William Best THIS PERSON | 69 | Head | Patrolman | Wisconsin |
| 10 | Grace Best | 66 | wife | Saleswoman | Wisconsin |
| 11 | Ira Best | 36 | son | Mechanic | Wisconsin |
| 12 | Virginia Best | 36 | daughter-in-law | — | Missouri |
| 13 | Arline Grace Best | 13 | granddaughter | — | Wisconsin |
| 14 | William Jr. Best | 10 | grandson | — | Wisconsin |
| 15 | Ida Le Page | 59 | Head | — | Wisconsin |
| 16 | Pearl Le Page | 38 | son | Hired Hand | Wisconsin |
| 17 | Samuel Le Page | 33 | son | Hired Hand | Wisconsin |
| 18 | Herbert Le Page | 28 | son | Hired Hand | Wisconsin |
| 19 | William Leslie Le Page | 23 | son | Hired Hand | Wisconsin |
| 20 | Norman Victor Le Page | 21 | son | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 21 | Charles Creme | 75 | Head | — | Wisconsin |
| 22 | Lillie Creme | 72 | wife | — | Nebraska |
| 23 | Maria Lee | 50 | Head | — | Norway |
| 24 | Ole D. Olson | 61 | Head | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 25 | Christine Olson | 69 | wife | — | Wisconsin |
| 26 | Clarence Hall | 49 | Head | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 27 | Nettie Hall | 51 | wife | — | Wisconsin |
| 28 | Hope Hall | 20 | daughter | Bookkeeper | Wisconsin |
| 29 | John Thurman | 18 | son | — | Wisconsin |
| 30 | Clarence Jr. Thurman | 15 | son | — | Wisconsin |
| 31 | S. H. Peterson | 51 | Head | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 32 | Erland Helgeson | 34 | brother-in-law | Farming | Wisconsin |
| 33 | Marie Helgeson | 40 | sister | — | Wisconsin |
| 34 | Andrew Herried | 60 | Head | Farming | Norway |
| 35 | Stella Herried | 43 | wife | — | Wisconsin |
| 36 | Alvilda Herried | 32 | daughter | Maid | Wisconsin |
| 37 | Helen Herried | 21 | daughter | Maid | Wisconsin |
| 38 | Arland Herried | 16 | son | — | Wisconsin |
| 39 | Harold Herried | 12 | son | — | Wisconsin |
| 40 | Peter Nelson | 72 | Head | Farming | Norway |
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)