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William Shaffer — 1940 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1940 United States Federal Census · Polk-County, Iowa
Our Model Tree links this William Shaffer across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Polk-County, Iowa (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1868), then head of a 6-person household.
Age 72
b. ~1868
Male
Head
Born: Illinois
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Polk-County, Iowa |
| Surname | Shaffer |
| Given Name | William A |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 72 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Illinois |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Des Moines City |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Polk |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Track foreman |
| Industry | City Railway |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Income (1939) | 1800 |
| Highest Grade | No 6 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| Birth State | Illinois |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | illinois |
| Occupation | Track Foreman |
| Township / Ward | Des Moines City |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1868 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mabel Shaffer | Other | — | 45 | ~1895 |
| Irven Shaffer | Son | — | 47 | ~1893 |
| Donald Huston | Other | — | 23 | ~1917 |
| Nellie Shaffer | Spouse | — | 68 | ~1872 |
| Dilman Gates | Other | — | 33 | ~1907 |
| William Shaffer | Head | — | 72 | ~1868 |
Census Appearances
1920
Polk, Iowa
Head, age 52
Polk, Iowa · implied b. ~1868 — 5 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Shafer |
| Given Name | William S |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 52 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Illinois |
| Father's Birthplace | Pennsylvania |
| Mother's Birthplace | Illinois |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farm |
| Class of Worker | OA |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Illinois |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | illinois |
1930
Polk, Iowa
Head, age 62
Polk, Iowa · implied b. ~1868 — 3 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Shaffer |
| Given Name | William A. |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 62 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Illinois |
| Age at First Marriage | 21 |
| Father's Birthplace | Pennsylvania |
| Mother's Birthplace | Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Fireman |
| Industry | Electric Railway |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | O |
| Home Value / Rent | 5000 |
| Radio Set | R |
| Birth State | Illinois |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | illinois |
1940
Polk-County, Iowa
Head, age 72
Polk-County, Iowa · implied b. ~1868 — 6 household members
| Surname | Shaffer |
| Given Name | William A |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 72 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Illinois |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Des Moines City |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Polk |
| Occupation | Track foreman |
| Industry | City Railway |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Income (1939) | 1800 |
| Highest Grade | No 6 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| Birth State | Illinois |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | illinois |
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 Shaffer across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
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This person
Anchor record
William Shaffer
Head · 1940 · age 72 · b. ~1868 · 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
18 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-01194-00556)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Johnson | 10 | Son | — | Iowa |
| 2 | Everett R Johnson | 27 | Head | City Salesman | Iowa |
| 3 | Edna F Johnson | 21 | Wife | — | Nebraska |
| 4 | Wade B Johnson | 0 | Son | — | Iowa |
| 5 | Walter H Mueller | 49 | Head | Furrier | Iowa |
| 6 | Arthur H Schmidt | 47 | Head | Electrical Engineer | Iowa |
| 7 | Pauline Schmidt | 39 | Wife | — | Iowa |
| 8 | Hope G Schmidt | 17 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 9 | Arthur J Schmidt | 15 | Son | — | Iowa |
| 10 | David L Schmidt | 4 | Son | — | Iowa |
| 11 | Pauline Schmidt | 2 | Daughter | — | Iowa |
| 12 | William A Shaffer THIS PERSON | 72 | Head | Track Foreman | Illinois |
| 13 | Nellie M Shaffer | 68 | Wife | — | Missouri |
| 14 | Irven H Shaffer | 47 | Son | Artist | Iowa |
| 15 | Mabel E Shaffer | 45 | Daughter in law | Journalist | Iowa |
| 16 | Dilman Gates | 33 | Lodger | Radio Service | Iowa |
| 17 | Donald Huston | 23 | Lodger | Truck Driver | Iowa |
| 18 | Gola Aliber | 45 | Head | — | Iowa |
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)