Census Sightings: Harry B. Bryan???

Brothers, Hairston "Buster" Bryan and my father,
Whit Criswell Bryan in the late 1920s

In the 1930 census, my father, Whit Criswell Bryan, was living with his three sisters in Borger, Texas; however, his brother, Hairston "Buster" Bryan is not with the family and for years, I was unable to find him.  

Last week, when writing about Buster and his wife, Wanda, in the 1940 census, I decided to search yet another time for Buster in 1930. According to a search at Ancestry.com there were 356 male Bryans or Bryants born in Texas around 1906 and living in the United States in 1930.  Number 58 was the first that looked promising - Harry B. Bryan and the more that I read, the more that I knew it was Buster. 

"Harry" lived on Burnett Street in Wichita Falls, Texas - not far from Buster's hometown of Seymour.  He was a lodger in a home owned by a widow, Wanda Lawler, from Kentucky.  Also living in the house were Russel Dobbs, the G. C. Casey family, and another lodger, Carlena Mays, a cook. "Harry" was a drugstore clerk and like Buster, he was born in Texas in 1906, his mother was born in Texas, and his father was born in Louisiana.  

I don't know why his name is written as "Harry" instead of Hairston but, I know that this is Buster. Buster lived in Wichita Falls at the time of his father's death in August of 1929 and newspaper clippings about his father's death state that Buster worked at the Kemp-Kort Drug company in Wichita Falls. 

Diana

© 2012

Census Sightings: Hairston "Buster" Albritton Bryan

Wanda

Buster

Buster was my father's older brother, he died in 1940 so I never had the privilege to meet him and didn't know very much about him until I started looking into the family history. 

When an adult, Buster went by H. B. Bryan. I assume that this is stands for Hairston Buster Bryan. 

As recorded in the 1940 census, Buster was living with Wanda, his wife, and her 19 year old son, Randall Dorman. Buster and Wanda were both 34 years of age. Wanda and Randall were born in Oklahoma while Buster was born in Texas. Buster was working as a driller's helper in the oil fields, Wanda did not work, and Randall worked as an attendant at the "gasoline service station." Buster had worked for 40 weeks during the previous year and made $1400.00. 

It was reported that all three were living in Lea, New Mexico in 1935. In regard to education, Buster had two years of college, Wanda completed seventh grade, and Randall completed two years of high school. 

After finding this census record, I was able to find a little more about Buster's wife, Wanda. She was married previously to Walter Dorman* who had children from a previous marriage. She and Walter* had one child Randall.  Randall and Wanda moved back to New Mexico after Buster's death, but no other information is known.  I have yet to find Wanda's maiden name and a marriage record for Wanda and Buster. 

*This is incorrect. Wanda married a Rufus Dorman in 1918. Buster and Wanda were married in 1935 and Wanda's maiden name was Land. 

Diana

© 2012

Census Sightings: Whit C. Bryan

Whit Criswell Bryan - This is the same picture used in the
article seen in last Monday's post. 

Last week Ancestry.com announced that it indexed all of the 1940 census records so I immediately put Dad's name in the search boxes. A few months ago, I found his sisters in his hometown of Borger, Texas, but he wasn't listed as part of the family and I knew that he joined the Navy in 1940.

Well, Dad was the only Whit Bryan in the 1940 census and he was residing at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego where he was attending Hospital Corps School.  There were no new facts on the record. He was 19 years old, born in Texas, and stated that he lived in Borger, Texas in 1935.

I have more pictures from San Diego.  The one below is of Dad and two other very young men.

On this picture Dad wrote 

Bill Smith

 ? Winters

Whit Bryan 

Hospital Corps School San Diego Cal (Spring?) 1940 

A little more searching on the 1940 census told me more about the others in the picture with Dad. 

William Smith was 20 years old, born in Texas, but in 1935 resided in Fredrick, Tillman County, Oklahoma. 

Robert Winters was also twenty years old. He was born in Montana and resided in Glasgow, Valley County, Montana in 1935. 

  

The following pictures are also from Dad's time in San Diego. 

Administration Building - U.S. Naval Hospital Corps School 1940

 

Diana

© 2012