Stories From the 1950 Census ~ Uncle Stanley in Philadelphia

At first, we didn't know exactly where Uncle Stanley lived when the 1950 federal census enumeration took place. It could have been Philadelphia or New Jersey.

Stanley's sister, my mother-in-law, was able to remember the street name which helped me identify the enumeration district where I paged through looking for her brother.

Stanley and his English bride, Betty, were living at 26 Robinson Street, Philadelphia, next to a cousin of his mother's, Albert Nappen. 

Albert's father was Barnett Napadensky and his mother was Hannah Segal. I have shared their family information from earlier censuses at Napadensky Family becomes Nappen Family.

Stanley served in WWII in Europe and met his wife, Betty, while recovering in England from injuries. They married in England in December 1945.

1950 U.S. census, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ED 51-1607, sheet 6, lines 16-20, household 49 (Albert Nappen family) and lines 21-22, household 50 (Stanley Goldstein family); U.S. National Archives, 1950 Census (https://1950census.archives.gov/search/).

Stanley, age 26, born in New York, had worked 40 hours the week prior to the census taker coming to visit. He worked as the Editor of a Magazine, but I can't read the additional note next to Magazine in the Industry column. (Let me know if you can decipher this!) Stanley continued to publish magazines and newspapers for decades after this.

Betty, a year older at 27, was born in England and was at home.

Next door was Albert Nappen, a proprietor of a clothing manufacturer, where he worked for 60 hours in the prior week. He was 47 and born in New Jersey. At home was his wife, Sadie, age 42, and three children: Barnett, age 11; Robert, age 7; and Sheilla [sic] Ann, age 2, all born in Pennsylvania.

Both Albert Nappen and Uncle Stanley were asked the supplemental questions.

Both Albert and Stanley reported that they were living in the same house a year before. Albert reported that his parents were both born in Russia and that he had 16 years of schooling (S16). He worked 48 weeks in 1949 and made $5,000.

Stanley reported his father's birthplace as Romania, and his mother's as N.J.U.S. (New Jersey). He had 14 years of schooling (S14) so perhaps had additional schooling beyond high school after returning from the war. Stanley worked 12 weeks in 1949 and made $600. He also reported that "relatives in this household" earned $500 in 1949, so even though Betty wasn't employed outside the home as of April 1, 1950, she likely worked in 1949. It's possible that Stanley didn't work a full year in 1949 since he had returned from serving in the U.S. Army in WWII, which is also reported in one of the right-most columns.

26 and 28 North Robinson Street, Philadelphia. Courtesy Google Maps Street View.