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Willie Nelson — 1940 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1940 United States Federal Census · Sumter-County, South Carolina
Our Model Tree links this Willie Nelson across the 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Sumter-County, South Carolina (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1912), then head of a 10-person household.
Age 28
b. ~1912
Male
Head
Born: South Carolina
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Sumter-County, South Carolina |
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Willie |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 28 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | South Carolina |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Sumter Township |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Sumter |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Lumber Mill |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 42 |
| Income (1939) | 468 |
| Highest Grade | No 6 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | South Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | south carolina |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Township / Ward | Sumter Township |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1912 |
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.
10 people recorded at the same address in the 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to Willie | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Nelson | Son | — | 12 | ~1928 |
| Willie Nelson | Head | — | 28 | ~1912 |
| Lee Nelson | Son | — | 4 | ~1936 |
| Herbert Nelson | Son | — | 2 | ~1938 |
| Mary Nelson | Daughter | — | 5 | ~1935 |
| Mildred Nelson | Daughter | — | 10 | ~1930 |
| Henry Nelson | Son | — | 8 | ~1932 |
| Rebecca Nelson | Spouse | — | 28 | ~1912 |
| Bertha Nelson | Daughter | — | 3 | ~1937 |
| Laura Nelson | Daughter | — | 6 | ~1934 |
Census Appearances
1930
Sumter, South …
Other, age 17
Sumter, South Carolina · implied b. ~1913 — 27 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Willie |
| Relationship to Head | Convict |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 17 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | South Carolina |
| Father's Birthplace | South Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | South Carolina |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Chain Gang |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read/Write | No |
| Veteran | No |
| Birth State | South Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | south carolina |
1940
Sumter-County, South …
Head, age 28
Sumter-County, South Carolina · implied b. ~1912 — 10 household members
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Willie |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 28 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | South Carolina |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Sumter Township |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Sumter |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Lumber Mill |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 42 |
| Income (1939) | 468 |
| Highest Grade | No 6 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | South Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | south carolina |
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 Willie Nelson across 2 US Census years (1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
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This person
Anchor record
Willie Nelson
Head · 1940 · age 28 · b. ~1912 · South Carolina
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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 — Sumter-County, South Carolina
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Sumter-County, South Carolina
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-03842-00649)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Beckham | 30 | Head | Carpenter | South Carolina |
| 2 | Marie Beckham | 21 | Wife | — | South Carolina |
| 3 | Richard Beckham | 5 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 4 | Rosie Gillion | 38 | Head | Cook | South Carolina |
| 5 | Essie Gillion | 13 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 6 | Susie Gillion | 11 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 7 | James Gillion | 9 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 8 | Rosa Lee Wright | 16 | Lodger | Cook | South Carolina |
| 9 | Charles Durant | 60 | Head | — | South Carolina |
| 10 | Elizabeth Durant | 45 | Wife | — | South Carolina |
| 11 | Willie Durant | 14 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 12 | Hattie Durant | 9 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 13 | James Alvin Durant | 6 | Grandson | — | South Carolina |
| 14 | Maggie Durant | 28 | Granddaughter | Cook | South Carolina |
| 15 | Rosa Ella Durant | 26 | Granddaughter | — | South Carolina |
| 16 | Willie Nathaniel | 30 | Head | Fireman | South Carolina |
| 17 | Hattie Nathaniel | 25 | Wife | Cook | South Carolina |
| 18 | Sara Nathaniel | 7 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 19 | Willie Jr. Nathaniel | 6 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 20 | Harry Mcbride | 32 | Head | Laborer | South Carolina |
| 21 | Mattie Mcbride | 32 | Wife | — | South Carolina |
| 22 | Rosa Mcbride | 10 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 23 | David Mcbride | 8 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 24 | Willie Nelson THIS PERSON | 28 | Head | Laborer | South Carolina |
| 25 | Rebecca Nelson | 28 | Wife | — | South Carolina |
| 26 | Willie Jr. Nelson | 12 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 27 | Mildred Nelson | 10 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 28 | Henry Nelson | 8 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 29 | Laura Nelson | 6 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 30 | Mary Thelma Nelson | 5 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 31 | Lee Nelson | 4 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 32 | Bertha Mae Nelson | 3 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 33 | Herbert Nelson | 2 | Son | — | South Carolina |
| 34 | James Hickman | 25 | Head | Laborer | South Carolina |
| 35 | Bertha Hickman | 25 | Wife | — | South Carolina |
| 36 | James Williams | 28 | Head | Sawyer | South Carolina |
| 37 | Edith Williams | 23 | Wife | — | South Carolina |
| 38 | Dorothy Williams | 7 | Daughter | — | South Carolina |
| 39 | Katie James | 51 | Head | — | South Carolina |
| 40 | Edward James | 22 | Son | Laborer | South Carolina |
Related Census Records
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)