1940s

In 1940 only four Native families are living in Kewadin. The Ben Mamagona family (descendants from one of the original 1850 land owners) is still here 90 years later.

Newcomers are Isaac Wilson and his mother Lizzie; her brother Frank Wesley with wife Alice, daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Elijah Wanegeshik; and Alice's brother widower George Russett. These three families are from Mason county by way of Mancelona, Alpena and even Vilas County, Wisconsin, following the work in the lumber camps.

Edward Anderson Sr., husband of Theresa, son of Jacob Anderson and unknown (said to be Sarah Aiken) died 17 Feb 1940 in Elk Rapids. Cause of death was apoplexy. He was buried in the Kewadin Indian Mission Cemetery.

The 1940 Federal Census shows Ben Mamagona, age 66, a farmer, on his own farm, worked 52 weeks in 1939 earning no money. He lived in the same house in 1935 which he owns and values at $650. Ben had a 4^th grade education. With him are his daughter Gladys, age 20. She has an 8^th grade education and does housework for a private employer, earning $300 for the 32 weeks she worked in 1939. Ben's son Mark is 19, has an 8^th grade education, is a laborer on the farm and worked 41 weeks. Son David is 17 and has completed the first year of high school. Ben's brother Jim, age 68 is also living with the family. He has a 4^th grade education and was a laborer on the farm for 40 weeks, also claiming no income. Perhaps this means they only farmed for their own subsistence and did not sell anything to others.

Isaac Wilson lived in a rented home, paying $3 per month, is 22, and a laborer for a pulp wood company. He has a 3^rd grade education, worked 52 weeks in 1939 and earned $364. His mother Lizzie lives with him. She is 65, widowed, unemployed and never went to school. They lived in rural Antrim in 1935.

George Russett is 56 and widowed. He owns his home valued at $125 and is a farm laborer, working 42 weeks, earning $160. He never went to school and lived in the same house in 1935.

The house Frank Wesley owns is valued at $100 and is the same one his family resided in in 1935. He is 56, never went to school and works as a laborer for a pulp wood company, earning $450 in the 45 weeks he work. Wife Alice, age 65, also didn't go to a formal school and worked 15 weeks at making baskets, but showed no income. Daughter Elizabeth is 24, unemployed, and completed 7^th grade. Her husband, Elijah Wanegeshik, 26, is also a pulp wood laborer, working 45 weeks for $402. He completed 8^th grade and lived in rural Leelanau in 1935.

Nearby in Elk Rapids are families who have ties to Milton township. One such family is the Anderson family.

Census family #221 is Aaron Shaw age 49. He is a veteran whose usual occupation is laborer for road construction but did not work in 1939. Aaron has completed the 4^th grade and his family lived in the same place in 1935. They pay $3 per month for their rented home. Wife Lucille is the person who gave the information and while all the children are listed as sons and daughters of Aaron, Lucille gave each of the children their actual father's last name. She is 37, with a 7^th grade education and worked 15 weeks doing general housework in private homes earning $20 in 1939. Daughter Madeline Shaw is 19, completed the 7^th grade and was living in Ann Arbor in 1935, the only family member to not be living in Antrim county. Geneva Shaw is 17 and completed the 7^th grade. Albert Shaw is 16 and also has a 7^th grade education. Elizabeth Judson is 15 and completed the 7^th grade. Elsie Mark is 14 but only completed the 3^rd grade. Effie Judson is 11 and finished 1^st grade, while Irving Shaw, age 7, and Evelyn Lewis, age 5, have not completed any school yet.

Next door (family #222) is Lucille's brother Percy Anderson and family in a $5 per month rented house. Percy is 29, a truck driver for a retail lumber company, earning $936 for 52 weeks worked. He has completed 6^th grade and lived in the same place in 1935. Wife Louise is 28 and finished the 8^th grade. Children are Gerald, 9, (3^rd grade), Florine, 7, (1^st grade). Those too young for school are Percy, 5, Robert, 4 and Steven, 2.

Theresa Anderson, (mother of Lucille and Percy) is family #223. Theresa, 51, rents a house for a monthly fee of $2. She is listed as married with a 6^th grade education (attended Mt. Pleasant School). Her daughter Irene Koon is 26 and also married. She has completed 4^th grade and is a laborer doing general housework, working 17 weeks in 1939 and earning $200. They lived in the same place in 1935. In actuality Theresa is a widow, her husband Edward dying on the 17^th of February of 1940. It is unknown where Irene's husband Edwin is living/working at this time.

Family #224 is another of Theresa's children, Edward Anderson. They also live in a rented, $2 per month house, and lived in the same place in 1935. Edward is 39, a laborer for road construction and worked 34 weeks earning $450 in 1939. He has finished 4^th grade. Wife Lena is 25 and also completed 4^th grade. Daughter Agnes Theresa is 2.

Others in Elk Rapids are:

Louise M. Gould, 52, widow, rents a house for $6 a month. She has completed 4^th grade and lives with her grandchildren, George Sawmick, 15, (7^th grade) and Dorothy Sawmick, 14, (6^th grade). The family lived in the same place in 1935.

Sampson Nada owns his home, valued at $400. He is 74, widowed and has a 4^th grade education. Son Wallace is 43 and single. He finished 7^th grade and is a laborer at a resort property, working 17 weeks in 1939 and earning $150. They lived in the same house in 1935.

Elizabeth Nada also owns her home. It is valued at $500. She is 46, widowed, completed 6^th grade and her family lived in the same place in 1935. Elizabeth shares her home with her niece, Elizabeth Southbird, 16, (8^th grade), nephew Isaac Southbird, 13, (4^th grade), granddaughter, Delora Bird, 10, (3^rd grade), grandson Percy Bird, 8, (2^nd grade) and granddaughter Margaret Bird, 6, not in school yet.

Clifford Carl Martinson is listed as Indian, 27, 8^th grade education. He is a fir cutter at a lumber camp, earning $420 for the 52 weeks he worked in 1939. He lives in a $5 per month rented house with his wife Ruth (listed as white), 18. Ruth finished the first year of high school. Both lived in Antrim county in 1935.

Mary K. Smith is a 63 year old widow living in a rented house which costs $5 per month. She has never attended school. Son Alden is 30, (6^th grade) and unemployed. Wallace, 20, was a woodman at the pulp wood forest for 52 weeks earning $260 in 1939. Moses, 18, was a wood cutter, also at the pulp wood forest, working 28 weeks for $188. Both Wallace and Moses completed the first year of high school. All three boys attended Mt. Pleasant School. The family lived in rural Otsego County in 1935.

Next door is Mary's daughter Anna and her husband Charles Wilson. Charles is 43, a wood cutter at the pulp wood forest, worked 52 weeks and earned $350 for the year. He pays $2 per month for their rental house. Charles completed 6^th grade. Wife Anna is 33. She has finished the 5^th grade. Son James is 17. He finished the 6^th grade and is also a wood cutter at the pulp wood forest. In 1939 he worked 16 weeks and earned $40. Nicholas is 12 (3^rd grade) and Mary is 1. The family also lived in rural Otsego County in 1935. [Their daughter, Angeline, 18, lives with her husband Anthony Sineway, 24 and daughter Virginia, 1, in Cold Springs township, Kalkaska county.]

Carl Martinson, 58, is white, born in Norway, coming to the US in 1903. He owns a farm valued at $500. He was a fir cutter at the evergreen swap for 52 weeks earning $300. He has finished the 7^th grade. Wife Mary is 63, Indian, finished the 6^th grade. Son Calvin, 21 has finished the second year of high school and worked 35 weeks in 1939 earning $240 as a fir cutter at the evergreen swamp. The family lived in the same house in 1935.

Lastly is Amos Gould, a single, 40 year old lodger. He is unemployed, finished the 3^rd grade and lived in the same place in 1935.

The question on the census about grade completed is statistical only and says nothing about a person's intelligence. Someone who never went to school could know the medicinal uses of every flower and herb and have knowledge equivalent to a pharmacist or could be the best basket maker in the county, something that could not be learned from a book.

Geneva Shaw, 17 year old daughter of Aaron Shaw and Lucille Anderson died 11 Sep 1940 at the Michigan State Sanitarium in Howell, Michigan. Cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis.

Mark Mamagona, private first class, service number 36411925, date missing 18 Feb 1945, unit 172nd Infantry Regiment, 43rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army. Listed on wall/tablet at Manila American Cemetery. Mark was declared dead while missing, awarded the bronze star and purple heart.

Traverse City Record-Eagle 16 Jun 1945

Traverse City Record-Eagle 23 Jun 1945

Emery Nada, son of Sam Nada and Jennie Antoine, died 16 Jun 1946 in Allen Park, Wayne, Michigan. Cause of death was tubercular meningitis. Burial was in Kewadin Indian Cemetery.

Application for Emery Nada's military headstone.

Clarence Nada, son of Sam Nada and Jennie Antoine, died 17 Sep 1946 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Cause of death was hypertensive vascular disease. Buiral was in Elk Rpaids [Kewadin].

Raymond Lucius Antoine, son of Lucius Antoine and Madeline Shaw died 5 Feb 1949 at the age of 1 day. Cause of death was premature birth. Burial was in the Kewadin Indian cemetery.

 Wallace Nada, son of Sam Nada and Jennie Antoine,  died3 Nov 1949 in Kearney, Antrim, Michigan. Cause of death was heart disease. Burial was in the Kewadin Indian cemetery.

copyright (c) 2024 Vicki Wilson