13 Cook/ Bernard Cook family 1940's

The first document I have today is for Bernard Cook from his employment with the Chicago and North Western Railway Company.  I have two pages.  The first page takes us through 1947.  This is all I received for my efforts from contacting the Railroad.

Bernard Roy Cook
Earnings with the Railroad1

So, according to the calculations I found, his $2,995 salary in 1940 would be  worth $54,988 in 2020.  His $3,600 salary from 1947 would be worth $51,696 in 2020.

In 1940, the Bernard Cook family was living in Chicago.  I didn't find another article about a promotion or move from Boone to Chicago during this time period.  I'll keep looking because I would bet there is something out there.  Here is the 1940 Chicago Census.  

Chicago 1940 Census
Cook County2

Here is a close up of just the family.

Bernard Cook family
1940 Chicago Census2

On the left side of the full census, you can see they lived on W Rascher Ave. and they were renters. Note the R in column 4 which stands for rent.  It must have been an apartment building because the families before and after both have the same address, 1675.  Both of these families also worked for the steam railroad.  It makes me wonder if this might be the building behind the picture of Dick, Bill and Jean I posted previously.  It did look like an apartment building to me.

Bernard is now 44, Frieda is 41, Richard is 18, William is 16 and Jean is 15.  They also have a relative living with them.  James Fitzpatrick, Gertrude's son, is living with the family.  He is 26.

This census was taken on April 15, 1940.  According to column 13 only William and Jean had attended school since March 1, 1940.  According to the next column, Bernard, Frieda, Richard and James had all attended 4 years of high school, William 2 and Jean 1.  Bernard's information is in conflict with at least one previous census that said he had only attended 11 years of school.  The census data is only as accurate as the information family members provide.  All six were born in Iowa.

In 1935, the Cook family was living in Boone, Iowa and James Fitzpatrick was living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Apparently, they all moved to Chicago some time after this date.

Column 21 is about work.  'Was this person at WORK for pay or profit in private or none emergency Govt. work during the week of March 24-30, 1940 (Yes or No)'  Bernard, Richard and James all answered yes to this question.  Frieda was working at home, which is the H in column 25.  William and Jean were both students, which is the S in column 25.

Column 26 is for the number of hours worked during the week of March 24-30.  Bernard, Richard and James all worked 40 hours.  One couple further up the census worked 62 and 58 hours in retail grocery!

Bernard was an accountant for the steam railroad.  Richard looks like he was a sorter clerk for the steam railroad.  James was a salesman but I was having trouble reading the rest of it.  I decided to look for census data using James as the key because it would have his occupation transcribed.  I discovered James was listed twice in the 1940 census.  Once in the Chicago 1940 census noted above and again in the Cedar Rapids census from April 11, 1940 as living with his mom at Nelle and Lyman Marshall's home.  His occupation is listed as a sorter in the account department for the railroad.  When I enlarged it to look closer, I realized it says AB (absent) after his name.  So maybe he was only counted once since he was living with the Bernard Cook family in the 1940 Chicago census discussed above?

Cedar Rapids Census 1940
Lyman Marshall family3

Column 30 indicates whether they are a new worker (NW) or if they have done this work before (PW) previous worker.  It looks like all on this census are previous workers.

The next few columns are about how many weeks they worked in 1939, how much they were paid and if they had any other income.  Bernard worked 52 weeks for $2850.  Richard worked 16 weeks for $240 and James worked 12 weeks for $150.  

We know in 1935 they were all still in Boone, Iowa.  I found an employee form for Bernard which shows he was still in Boone in December 1936.  It has their address as 1115 Greene St, Boone, Iowa.

Social Security Registration
Bernard Roy Cook4

Sometime between 1937 and April 1940, the family moved to Chicago. The twins were born in November of 1937 and died shortly after birth.  They were buried in Boone, so I am guessing the family moved after their death.

I have one more item for Bernard in the early 1940's.  Bernard was in the "Old Man's Draft' Registration Cards for WWII.

WWII Draft Registration page 1
Bernard Roy Cook5

WWII Draft Registration page 2
Bernard Roy Cook6

At this point, Bernard was 46 as of April 27, 1942.  He is 6 feet tall, 215 pounds, blue eyes, grey hair and has a ruddy complexion.  It says they live at 1625 Rascher Ave.  In 1940 it said 1675 Rascher Ave.  So, have they moved or is one or the other wrong? 

I love when I find documents with actual signatures.  Someone made a framed print of all of their ancestors' signatures.  It was pretty amazing the number they had.  Something to think about for the future.

The beginning of WWII seems like a good place to stop for today.  We only covered a few years but found some very good documents for the family.

Happy Discoveries to you from one Ancestral Explorer to another,
Janet

Sources:

1.  'Bernard Roy Cook' family records from the Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 
            60611-1275.

2.  'Bernard Cook' 1940 United States Federal Census; Year: 1940; Census Place:  Chicago, Cool, Illinois; 
             Roll: m-t0627-01023; Page 4B; Enumeration District: 103-3243A; Ancestry.com online. 

3.  'James T. Fitzpatrick' 1940 United States Federal Census; Year: 1940; Census Place: Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa; 
             Roll: m-t0627-01175; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 57-41A; Ancestry.com online.

4.  'Bernard Roy Cook' U.S., Chicago and North Western Railroad Employment Records, 1935-1970;
         Chicago & North Western Historical Society; Berwyn, Illinois; CNW Social Security Applications; 
           Ancestry.com online. 

5.  'Bernard Roy Cook' U.S.; World War II Draft Registration Cards 1942; The National Archives at St Louis; St. Louis, 
            Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration), for The State of Illinois; Record Group Title: Records 
            of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M2097; page 1; Ancestry.com online.

6.  'Bernard Roy Cook' Page 2 - Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II:  Fourth Registration 2011; 
            Repository:   https://www.fold3.com