US Social Security Death Index

[Cheryl Jones]

Malcolm,

I just Googled "occupation powderman roads" and had a good hit. It turns out that it is a construction related occupation, using explosive charges to move earth, rock, etc. That fits with his work both around the mill camp, for the railroad, and building roads in that area of Discovery Bay. Between 1925 and 1933, the Port Townsend Branch of State Road No. 9 was added to the state highway system. If you explore information about the area, you will find a lot of history to explain what he was doing.

I hope that this fills in some blanks. It doesn't help to explain why he didn't collect Social Security, but gives you some insight about his life.
Cheryl

[mfwebb]

Cheryl,

Many thanks for the 3 postings. I have been away for the weekend and so have not had the chance to respond as they came in.

Yes, I have found him in the 1920, 1930 and 1940 census and I am extremely grateful for the clarification of the detail from the 1940 census. I had overlooked that he was seeking employment and had been unemployed for 30 weeks. The US census is different to ours in the UK and I am guilty of not having read correctly what is there. I should know better after 25 years of research

I cannot locate him in the 1910 census but all the information I have tells me he should be there.

I am also grateful for the information about the road building and I will look further into this.

The first joint on the first finger of his left hand was missing when he signed his Declaration of Intent in 1917 and he could possibly have lost that before he left England (he worked in an iron foundry). There is also the possibility that he could have lost it working in the USA between 1904 and 1917.

I am waiting for his death certificate to arrive in the post to give me some further clues and, in particular, to see who notified his death and arranged his burial. As for him being buried in Oregon in 1956 I can only assume that this was the nearest National Cemetery to Seattle as there was no National Cemetery in Washington State until Tahoma was opened in 1993. I asked mysely the question WHY? and so researched further to make sure I had the correct Herbert Pickering.

I shall be contacting the Willamette National Cemetery shortly as I am anxious to know whether there is a headstone or grave marker on Herbert's grave. We would like to think that Herbert's final resting place is marked, but as he had no relatives in the USA (he died unmarried and with no children and, for some reason, was estranged from his family in England)) we may find that his grave is unmarked. We shall endeavour to rectify this if that is the case, but I will wait for his death certificate before I contact the cemetery.

Many thanks for your interest and your various responses. This is my first time in the American records and your help is greatly appreciated.

All the best,
Malcolm Webb
Lincoln UK.