Monday, January 2, 2017

From a Hint to an Identity for Della B.

In my RootsMagic database, and my Ancestry Member Tree, is a woman named Della B., born about 1891 in Massachusetts, who was married to Frank Ellsworth Seaver (1896-1968) of Hudson, Massachusetts.  I didn't have a maiden name, a birth date or birth place, or marriage date and place, or a death date and place.

The records I have for Della B. are the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Census records in Hudson, Massachusetts with her husband Frank Seaver.

1)  I received a Hint for Della B. today on Ancestry.com for an entry in the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index:


I clicked on the Hint and saw the summary from the record for Della Beatrice Seaver:


This provided a birth date (11 June 1892), a birthplace (Marlboro, Mass.) and a death date (5 Apr 1944), but no death place and no name of parents or spouse.

2)  I did a search in Ancestry.com for Del* born in 1892 in Marlborough, Mass. and found a Della Labin listed in the Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915, born 11 June 1892 in Marlborough, daughter of Louis and Lucy (Duplessis) Labin.

An entry in the Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 was for Delia Labou, born 1892 in Marlborough, Mass.

3)  I went to American Ancestors, and found the entry in the Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 record collection and found her birth record indexed as Delia Labou, born on 11 June 1892 in Marlborough, daughter of Louis and Lucy (Dyplessis) Labou.  Here is the record:


4)  I can see that it could be Labou, Labin, Labour, Labbie, Labbee or something else.  My judgment is that all three birth records are for the same person.

A search of the Massachusetts birth, marriage and death records for L*is Lab* found a John Louis Larbour in the World War I Draft Registrations, and an 1897  marriage record for Josephine Larbour, daughter of Louis and Lucy Duplessis.

I found no census records for L*is La*b* or his wife Luc* La*b* from 1860 to 1950.  Apparently, they were never enumerated.

5)  I am going to use Larbour for the maiden name for Delia.  If I'm wrong, perhaps a descendant or a relative will correct me.

I noted that a birth name of Delia and a census record and death record for Della is not disqualifying.  Also there is no record of a middle name, but I have B. from the 1930 and 1940 census records, so Beatrice it is.

This was fun and instructive - I was able to find everything but a death place for Della Beatrice (Larbour) Seaver;  it was probably Hudson, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where she resided in 1940.  I absolutely failed to find any vital records for her parents, Louis and Lucy (Duplessis) Larbour(?).

The lesson here is to not give up on finding a maiden name for those persons for whom you don't have a maiden name.  Sometimes you have to search a bit out of the box.

UPDATE:  Reader Lois Willis found 1900 and 1910 census records for Delia Larbor or Labour, and Leah Smith found a 1944 death record that said her maiden name was Labour.  Thank you for the help!  See their notes in Comments.


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3 comments:

Lois Willis said...

If you want to find out more about Delia's family try FamilySearch. FamilySearch has the Massachusetts births and marriages (including images), and I found a number of children of Louis and Lucy, using the surname La*b* and searching for births in Massachusetts between 1870 and 1900, father Louis, mother Lucy.

I was also able to find the family on the 1880, 1900 and 1910 censuses.
In the 1880 census at Marlborough, Massachusetts under the surname Larabo
head of household Lewis Larabo age 39, born in Canada
wife Lucy age 26, born in Mass
daughter Lucy age 10, born in Mass
son Frank age 7, born in Mass
Son Peter L age 5, born in Mass
son Mary E age 2, born in Mass

Delia was on the the 1910 census at Marlboro, Massachusetts, under the surname Larbor. The head of the household was her mother Lucy age 55, and also in the household was a lodger Emma Larbor age 20.

On the 1900 census the family were also at Marlborough, Massachusetts. The head of the household was Lucy Labour age 43, widowed, son Henry J Larbour age 16, daughter Ida L, age 14, son Frederick age 12, daughter Rosella age 10, and daughter Delia age 8.

I haven't been able to find the marriage of Delia to Frank Seaver yet.

Randy Seaver said...

Well done, Lois! I should have just asked you to find them in the first place I guess.

I gave up too soon, I fear. Another lesson learned.

L Smith said...

Massachusetts Death Index at Ancestry has a Della Seaver whose death was recorded in Hudson in 1944. Image shows maiden named of Labour.