Looking for information on my great grandfather, William Harrison McDonald. All the information I have is from his WWII draft card and the 1930 census. He was born in Blaine, Kentucky on February 9, 1895. Married Mable F (Do not know maiden name) and had five children; Ester, Earl, Susan, Richard, and Kenneth. Last known residence was South Bend, St Joseph, Indiana. My mother told me that he died when my grandfather was 12 or 13. My grandfather was born in November of 1930 and Williams age on his draft card in 1942 was 47 so he died shortly after. Mable was born in Pennsylvania (from the census) and her parents were born in Sweden. I believe the children of William and Mable were born in Indiana. I am unable to find any information about Williams siblings or parents so any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
I am currently using ancestry.com
My mother was told that he died from a heart attack.
Have you contacted St Joseph County for a death certificate?
The 1930 census has oldest child was born in OH, 2nd child was born in Michigan. So look for marriage in OH or PA.
Try this website:
http://www.sjcpl.org/obits/search_form.php
Post on a McDonald Surname Message Board looking for descendants of other children, they may have more information.
Also do a search of the above for name or names to see if someone else has asked about him.
If you don't find an obituary or a death certificate it is possible he didn't die (1942/43) but left the family because of illness, as I see he worked in a brake shop factory and may have got a lung disease, where he had to go to a hospital (in that time called a sanatorium) in another county or even state. The warmer states had faculties for TB and other lung problems (asbestosis from asbestos in brake linings) as the warmer, dry air was easier to breath and less chance of catching colds or pneumonia. He could have just left to for what ever reason unless a relative remembers attending a funeral.
Also look at Veteran's hospitals/homes as he served in WWI and may have gone to one of those in IN or another state.
Do searches of the the 1910, 1900 census for McDonald birth year 1895 +- 2 yrs in KY.
Do you know you have to do searches of McDonald and Mc Donald also MacDonald and Mac Donald using Ancestry?
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