Cecelia Anderson Young 1940s

Cecelia Anderson Young, 1910-1945

Cecelia Hazel Anderson Young
mini pedigree from Ancestry.com

1940

Census

Cecelia Anderson Young lived in St Louis Missouri on 1 April 1940.  She and her family were lodgers in a home.

1940 Census for Cecelia and Clarence Young

Line 6 starts with Clarence Young, followed by Cecelia and daughter Shirley.  They are all still lodging with Helen Mead at 1711 Grand Boulevard in St Louis Missouri.

Clarence is 38 years old, Cecelia is 29 and Shirley is 9.  Cecelia has completed the 8th grade, while Shirley is in 4th grade.  Clarence occupation is listed as Helper at WPA laundry sanitarium as a government worker.  Cecelia is a private worker doing housework in a private home.  

Time to look at a map of this place.  So far, every place we tried to find for Cecelia was either an empty lot, a parking lot, or an apparently abandoned building.  Shirley actually remembered living here on Grand.  She did some babysitting while here.

Cecelia Anderson Young 1940 Census map
Google Maps 2020
Red is 1711 Grand Boulevard
Pink are the addresses where she died
Yellow is Cecelia's mother in law

Cecelia Anderson Young 1940 Census address
Google Satellite view, 2020
Looks like our luck holds, it is an empty lot

Cecelia Anderson Young 1940 Census address
1711 Grand Boulevard is an empty lot as of 2015
from Google Maps Street View 2020

5 November 1940 age 30

Death of Step-Father Albert R. Tullock in St Louis Missouri.  He was 83 years old.  You can visit his Find a Grave memorial here, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96204961.

In Other News (OurTimelines.com, 2018)

• Colour Television was invented
• First Black General was appointed in the US army
• https://history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/davis.html

Benjamin O. Davis Sr, about 1899
US Army, n.d.

After the war (about 1899) he was assigned as a special assistant to the Secretary of the Army (Wikipedia -- Benjamin O. Davis Sr, 2020).

1941

In Other News (OurTimelines.com, 2018)

• Manhattan Project from 1941-1945

1942

8 December 1941

Historical Insight -- The United States enters World War II

Cecelia Anderson Young lived in St Louis MO when the United States declared war on Japan just one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor that killed 2,400 Americans.

By the war's end in 1945, women made up nearly 40% of the workforce,
while 150,000 more served in the military.  After the peace, they were
systematically cast out of factories to make way for returning soldiers
1942, USA
Credit:  Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/UIG via Getty Images
Ancestry Historical Insights, 2018

As factories pushed to keep up with skyrocketing demand and with male bodies in short supply, women entered the workforce in record numbers.  Before the Allied victory was celebrated in 1945, nearly 420,000 Americans gave their lives (Ancestry Historical Insights, 2018).

Photographed by Dayspringacres
from a kitchen towel found in a museum somewhere

Cecelia left little Shirley with her Grandma Rose, while she went to work at a war plant.  The work was tough, the heat unbearable, as Cecelia donned her coveralls, tied her raven black hair with a red bandanna, rolled up her sleeves, and went to work on the airplanes.  Cecelia was the embodiment of the posters of Rosie the Riveter seen at every street corner.  

Clarence was busy with his house painting, and the extra money helped.  This was a time when women were encouraged and expected to work outside the home to ensure that the country would run smoothly.  In the unventilated buildings where the planes were manufactured, where Cecelia worked as a Riveter, diseases were difficult to avoid.  

One such disease was tuberculosis, which Cecelia contracted.  She had to stop working and spend some time recuperating at a sanatorium.  She was placed outside in the fresh air and sunshine as the standard method of treatment.  Antibiotics had been developed which quickly killed the bacteria.  Unfortunately, since it also killed the host, it was unsuitable for medical use.  

Cecelia eventually recovered, and went home to live with her beloved family.  She got strong enough to go back to work.  Nobody said anything about her long absence, but they knew.  They could tell by her gaunt frame and the lively light in her eyes – all features typical of recovered tuberculosis victims.

In Other News (OurTimelines.com, 2018)

• Nuclear Reactor
• Magnetic Recording Tape

Staff, 1942 Magnetic Recording Tape, Gifts Accepted for University, 1942

1942

15 February 1942

Clarence Arthur Young Draft Card

1942 Clarence Young Draft Card Front
from Ancestry.com

1942 Clarence Young Draft Card Back
from Ancestry.com

Clarence lived at 1711 N. Grand Avenue, St Louis MO.  He is 40 years old, and although he is married, lists his father Oliver Young (living at 1916-A Coleman Street, SLMO), as one who will know where he is at all times.

Clarence has a different job every time we look at him.  Here, he works at Mack’s Screen Shop, 8029 Frederick St., St Louis.  He is white, about 5’11”, weighs about 144 lbs.  His eyes are gray, hair is brown, and complexion is light.  He has no scars or distinguishing marks.

Bonus Points for Signature!  I believe this is Clarence's genuine signature.  Sometimes, I think the clerk just signed for the men.

I don't know if Clarence was ever in the military, Shirley never mentioned that he was.

1945 age 35

Harry S Truman President of the United States 1945-1952

Harry S. Truman, President of the United States

12 April 1945

Historical Insight -- First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman

Cecelia Anderson Young of St Louis Missouri was likely shocked when Harry S. Truman suddenly became president of the United States in 1945.

Ancestry Historical Insights 2018
For a time, President Truman continued
in the same vein as his predecessor, but he
eventually developed his own programs
1945  Credit:  Getty Images

18 July 1945

Cecelia is admitted to Isolation Hospital

Google Maps for Bernard Free Cancer Isolation Hospital

The red circle on the upper right is Cecelia's address on Bacon Street, at the time of her death.  The Blue circle are her husband's address in 1929 when they married, and her mother-in-law's 1940 census address.  The larger red circle is what looks like the hospital district.

14 August 1945

Historical Insight -- V-J Day

At the close of World War II Cecelia Anderson Young might have taken part in V-J Day celebrations while living in St Louis Missouri in 1945.  She was 35 years old.

14 August 1945, New York City, New York
The largest crowd ever recorded in Times Square celebrated the end of World War II
Credit:  Dick DeMarsico/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
Ancestry Historical Insight 2018

An estimated crowd of 2 million erupted in cheers.  The War in the Pacific, and thus World War II, was over.  "Victory over Japan," or "V-J Day" was celebrated August 14 and spilled over into August 15 in the United States -- Ancestry Historical Insights, 2018

It is highly probable that Cecelia never knew about this victory.  She was already in the hospital for about a month by this time, according to her death certificate, below.

5 September 1945

Death of Cecelia Hazel Anderson Young

She lived in St Louis Missouri her entire life.  Her address at death was 1925 Bacon Street, according to her death record, as well as Shirley's memories.

Cecelia Anderson Young Death Certificate

5 September 1945 death certificate for
Cecelia Hazel Anderson Young
age 45

She was in Isolation Hospital from 18 July 1945 to 5 September 1945, about 8 weeks.  Husband Clarence Young was 45 years old.  Cecelia was 35 years, 2 months and 5 days old, born 30 June 1910.  Her parents were Seley Anderson born in Canada;  Ida Omohundro born in Missouri.  She was buried 8 September 1945 at St Matthews Cemetery, 4452 Washington Boulevard.

Cecelia's address was 1925 Bacon Street.  Her cause of death was Carcinoma of the Cervix.

There is no marker for Cecelia, as the family could not afford one.  Her grandson tells the story of how Shirley went to visit her mother's grave and was devastated when she couldn't find it.  Shirley cried for about a week.

The area where Cecelia was buried

You can visit Cecelia's Find a Grave memorial here. 

In Other News (OurTimelines.com, 2018)

• US drops the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Hypertext was developed
• United Nations was formed this year

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Resources

Ancestry Historical Insights. (2018). First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman. (Ancestry) Retrieved 2018, from Historical Insights: Ancestry.com

OurTimelines.com. (2018). TimeLines. (Timelines courtesy of www.ourtimelines.com. Timeline formatting and technology copyright © 2000-2018 ourtimelines.com, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED under the Pan-American Conventions.) Retrieved from OurTimeLines.com: http://ourtimelines.com/

Staff. (1942, January 23). 1942 Magnetic Recording Tape, Gifts Accepted For University. (Ancestry) Retrieved April 3, 2020, from Journal and Courier, Lafayette Indiana: https://www.newspapers.com/image/262061185/?terms=magnetic%20recording%20tape#

US Army. (n.d.). Profiles of Bravery: Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from African Americans in the US Army: https://www.army.mil/africanamericans/profiles/davis.html

Wikipedia -- Benjamin O. Davis Sr. (2020, March 19). Benjamin O. Davis Sr, First Black General of the US Army. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_O._Davis_Sr.

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