William George Underwood (1905 - 1999)

Born 28 May 1905 in American Falls, Power, Idaho, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Doris Eloise (Bailey) Underwood — married 5 Nov 1932 in Vancouver, Clark, Washington, U.S.

Died 28 Jul 1999 at age 94 in Lakeview, Lake, Oregon, United States

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Biography

Bill Underwood was the second son of Walter and Flora Underwood, and their first child born in the United States. He was born 28 May 1905 in American Falls, Idaho. According to his sister Elsie (who later wrote what she had been told of the experience), the family had been residing with their cousins, the Walter Hawkes family, but "Dad was getting itchy feet again, wanting to make a home for his family, and be indepent." For a multiplicity of reasons, he decided that it was time for them to move on when the harvest was over.

Mother never told him she might be having a baby. So they loaded up their worldly goods and saying their goodbyes to these care loving people was very hard to do...They traveled until they came to American Falls, Idaho. They stayed here Dad got some odd jobs. Sure enough Mother was going to have her second child. My brother William George was born on the 28th. of May 1905. They stayed here until Mother and Bill were able to travel.^[1]

Census records

(To view transcriptions of these census records, click the link for the desired year.)

The first census in which Bill appeared was the 1910 Federal census. In this census, the Underwood family appeared divided. Both households were in Burley, Idaho, but Walter Sr. was alone on a farm while Flora and the children were in a house.^[2][3] The reason for this is uncertain, but it seems likely that Walter was getting the farm ready for the family. However, there is another possible reason. The child Vida appeared in this census, and her sister Elsie later recollected that

She only lived a few months. The Fremsteads took care of her but she passed away. We all came doun with “typhoid fever” except Dad and my oldest brother Walter. (Drinking water was the cause.) Mom always thought she could have saved Vida. ^[1]

Perhaps this census was taken at the time of this illness, and the family was in town in order to be treated for the typhoid fever while Walter Sr. kept up the farm.

At age 14, Bill was still living at home in the 1920 census, although the location of that home was now in Whitney, Ada, Idaho. He attended school.^[4]

He continued to live with his parents in the 1930 census, at age 25.He was working as a blue printer.^[5]

1940 census

In Portland, Oregon.^[6]

William UNDERWOOD: Head; code A: 0; male; white; age 34; married; did not attend school this year; 8 highest grade completed; code B: 8; born in Idaho; code C: 19; residence in 1935: Same place; not a farm; code D: XOXO; Was this person at work for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Govt. work during the week of March 24-30?: Yes; code F: 1; 42 hours worked; occupation: Blue-printer; industry: Printing Shop; worker code: PW; code F: 486 14 1; 52 weeks worked in 1939; income 1642; Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary: No.

Doris E UNDERWOOD: Wife; code A: 1; female; white; age 24; married; did not attend school this year; 8 highest grade completed; code B: 8; born in Oregon; residence in 1935: Same place; not a farm; code D: XOXO; Was this person at work for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Govt. work during the week of March 24-30?: No; Indicate whether engaged in home housework (H), unable to work (U), or other (O): H; code F: 5; 0 weeks worked in 1939; income 0; Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary: No.

William Jr. UNDERWOOD: Son; code A: 2; male; white; age 3; single; did not attend school this year; 0 highest grade completed; born in Oregon; code C: 97.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Crocker, Elsie. unpublished typescript.
2. ↑ 1910 U.S. census, Cassia, Idaho, population schedule, Burley Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 112, sheet 5B, dwelling checkmark, family 140, Walter Underwood; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 Feb 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll T624_223.
3. ↑ 1910 U.S. census, Cassia, Idaho, population schedule, Burley Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 112, sheet 10A, p. 258 (stamped), family 221, household of Flora Underwood; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 Oct 2006); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 223.
4. ↑ 1920 U.S. census, Ada, Idaho, population schedule, Whitney, enumeration district (ED) 34, sheet 7A, p. 259 (stamped), dwelling 1, family 1, household of Walter Underwood; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 Feb 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll T625_287.
5. ↑ 1930 U.S. census, Multnomah, Oregon, population schedule, Darlington, enumeration district (ED) 26-268, sheet 2A, p. 75 (stamped), dwelling 41, family 41, household of Walter Underwood; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 Feb 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 1955.
6. ↑ 1940 U.S. census, Multnomah, Oregon, population schedule, Portland, enumeration district (ED) 37-168, sheet 62A, p. 1542 (stamped), household 140, household of William Underwood; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Sep 2015); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T627, roll 3388.

• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, "Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1912, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1962," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Sep 2015), entry for William George Underwood's 1905 birth; citing Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Boise, Idaho.

• Clark, Washington, marriage certificate no. 54770 (1932), Underwood-Bailey; digital image, Washington State Archives, "Clark County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1843-2012," Washington State Archives - Digital Archives (http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov : accessed 9 Feb 2010).

• 1950 U.S. census, Multnomah, Oregon, population schedule, Portland, enumeration district (ED) 37-38, sheet 74, household 146, household of William G. Underwood; digital images, 1950 Census (https://1950census.archives.gov/ : accessed 9 Apr 2022); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T628.

• Social Security Administration, "Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Sep 2015), entry for William G. Underwood, 1999.

• Find A Grave, "Find A Grave," database and images, Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 Jan 2015); William George Underwood (Memorial #82487062); record added 28 Dec 2011 by J.