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William Nelson — 1940 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1940 United States Federal Census · Polk-County, Minnesota
Our Model Tree links this William Nelson across the 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Polk-County, Minnesota (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1872), then head of a 3-person household.
Age 68
b. ~1872
Male
Head
Born: Wisconsin
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Polk-County, Minnesota |
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 68 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Fisher Village |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Polk |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Deliveryman |
| Industry | Retail Coal |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 12 |
| Income (1939) | 300 |
| Highest Grade | No 6 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
| Occupation | Deliveryman |
| Township / Ward | Fisher Village |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1872 |
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 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to William | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Nelson | Head | — | 68 | ~1872 |
| Morris Nelson | Son | — | 24 | ~1916 |
| Anna Nelson | Spouse | — | 59 | ~1881 |
Census Appearances
1910
Polk, Minnesota
Head, age 38
Polk, Minnesota · implied b. ~1872 — 5 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 38 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Years Married | 9 |
| Father's Birthplace | Nor. Norwegian |
| Mother's Birthplace | Nor. Norwegian |
| Occupation | farmer |
| Industry | general farm |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
1920
Polk, Minnesota
Head, age 48
Polk, Minnesota · implied b. ~1872 — 7 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 48 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Father's Birthplace | Norway |
| Mother's Birthplace | Norway |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farm |
| Class of Worker | OA |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
1930
Polk, Minnesota
Head, age 58
Polk, Minnesota · implied b. ~1872 — 5 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 58 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| Age at First Marriage | 29 |
| Father's Birthplace | Norway |
| Mother's Birthplace | Norway |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Mother Tongue | Norwegian |
| Home Owned/Rented | O |
| Home Value / Rent | 800 |
| Radio Set | No |
| Birth State | Wisconsin |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | wisconsin |
1940
Polk-County, Minnesota
Head, age 68
Polk-County, Minnesota · implied b. ~1872 — 3 household members
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 68 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Wisconsin |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Fisher Village |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Polk |
| Occupation | Deliveryman |
| Industry | Retail Coal |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 12 |
| Income (1939) | 300 |
| Highest Grade | No 6 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| 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 Nelson across 4 US Census years (1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
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This person
Anchor record
William Nelson
Head · 1940 · age 68 · b. ~1872 · Minnesota
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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, Minnesota
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Polk-County, Minnesota
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-01949-00559)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Jauque|Janque Tangen | 11 | Son | — | Minnesota |
| 42 | Roy Tangen | 8 | Son | — | Minnesota |
| 43 | Roy Adams | 51 | Head | Proprietor | Minnesota |
| 44 | Esther Adams | 44 | Wife | Bookkeeper | Minnesota |
| 45 | Ernest A. Gunderson | 33 | Head | Salesman | Minnesota |
| 46 | Helen Gunderson | 23 | Wife | — | Minnesota |
| 47 | Patricia Gunderson | 5 | Daughter | — | Minnesota |
| 48 | Sandra Gunderson | 2 | Daughter | — | Minnesota |
| 49 | Omar B. Bain | 38 | Head | Carpenter | North Dakota |
| 50 | Myrtle Bain | 32 | Wife | — | Montana |
| 51 | Dennis Bain | 3 | Son | — | Minnesota |
| 52 | Lawrence A. Bain | 58 | Father | Carpenter | Canada |
| 53 | Russell Bain | 35 | Brother | Laborer | North Dakota |
| 54 | Gilbert O. Gunderson | 57 | Head | Salesman | Norway |
| 55 | Mary Gunderson | 55 | Wife | — | Norway |
| 56 | Gilman Gunderson | 26 | Son | Apprentice Creamery | Minnesota |
| 57 | Ervin Gunderson | 18 | Son | — | Minnesota |
| 58 | Laverne Gunderson | 16 | Daughter | — | Minnesota |
| 59 | Albert J. Boyer | 57 | Head | Laborer | Ohio |
| 60 | Ella B. Boyer | 60 | Wife | — | Norway |
| 61 | Chester J. Boyer | 21 | Son | Laborer | Minnesota |
| 62 | Esther E. Boyer | 19 | Daughter | House Work | Minnesota |
| 63 | John D. Petersen | 43 | Head | Laborer | Iowa |
| 64 | Pearl E. Petersen | 40 | Wife | — | North Dakota |
| 65 | Donald V. Petersen | 18 | Son | Blacksmith | Minnesota |
| 66 | Doris L. Petersen | 17 | Daughter | — | Minnesota |
| 67 | Dolores Petersen | 8 | Daughter | — | Minnesota |
| 68 | Arthur Guerin | 37 | Head | Manager | Minnesota |
| 69 | Eunice P. Guerin | 39 | Wife | — | Minnesota |
| 70 | Rose Ellen Guerin | 13 | Daughter | — | North Dakota |
| 71 | Beverly Guerin | 11 | Daughter | — | Minnesota |
| 72 | Arden Guerin | 8 | Son | — | Minnesota |
| 73 | Parnel Guerin | 6 | Son | — | Minnesota |
| 74 | Henry J. Videnhoefer | 46 | Head | Postmaster | Minnesota |
| 75 | Margaret Videnhoefer | 50 | Wife | — | Minnesota |
| 76 | Eileen Videnhoefer | 20 | Daughter | Teacher | Minnesota |
| 77 | Francis B. Daherty | 42 | Head | Clergyman | Massachusetts |
| 78 | William Nelson THIS PERSON | 68 | Head | Deliveryman | Wisconsin |
| 79 | Anna Nelson | 59 | Wife | — | Norway |
| 80 | Morris J. Nelson | 24 | Son | Laborer | Minnesota |
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)