William Jahns

Today's post is about my great-grandfather, William Henry Jahns.  As noted in the last post, he is the son of Charles and Mary Jahns and was born on March 24, 1884, in Madison County, Illinois, and he remained with his parents until his marriage in 1909 to his first wife, Loretta Frances Reynolds.  They appear on the 1910 census living just down the road from Charles and Mary in Caseyville, St. Clair County, Illinois.

William occupation is that of a laborer in the coal mines; he also owns his home, with a mortgage. Loretta's occupation is listed as "none".
By 1920, there have been some changes in William's life. He now has four sons: William Charles, born July 21, 1910, Orville Ernest, born October 15, 1913, Harold Frederick Sr., born May 23, 1917, and the youngest, Robert Henry (whom for some reason I do not have his birth date).  The family is now living in Denver, Colorado, and have been since at least 1917, since that is where Harold and Robert were born.  William is a street car conductor.

At some point in the 20's, the family moves back to Illinois. By the 1930 Census, William and Loretta are divorced, with Loretta and the four boys living in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois, and William remarried and living in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His second wife's name is Maude. William is a sheet metal worker with Detroit Air Craft.

On January 6, 1937, William applied for his Social Security Card, listing his address as 1428 W. Euclid, Detroit, Michigan, and that he is working for Lumber Product Corp. at Greenfield and Fullerton Streets. He lists Charles as his father, deceased, and Mary as his mother.

Of course, I have looked at this address on the 1940 Census, and he is no longer living there.  I will have to be patient and wait for an index.

Maude passed away in 1946, and  I think William remarried again - there is a wedding photo buried over at my brothers house, and her name is on the back of a photo; I am fairly sure it is not the wedding of William and Maude.  William lived the rest of his life in Detroit, passing away in August of 1968, and is buried next to Maude at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens in Novi, Michigan.