I’m researching the life of my grandfather, Arthur Dorsey (1931-1991), to better understand who he was. He has always remained a stranger to me, until now.

This blog post series chronicles my efforts to recover, understand, and reckon with the life of this complex ancestor. Check out the first post in this series: “Start Where You Are: Searching for ‘Sonny Boy’.”

Research funded in part by the Arts and Science Council’s 2026 Emerging Creator Fellowship.


A photograph of the Holy Angels School in Kinloch, Missouri. Date unknown.

Arthur went to Holy Angels School. (State Historical Society of Missouri. “Holy Angel School Kinloch, Mo.” State Historical Society of Missouri. https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/imc/id/58049/rec/2.)

To understand how Arthur’s life unfolded, I need to trace his movements across time. Based on what I’ve learned from relatives and some initial records, his life was split between at least three locations: Kinloch, Missouri; Peekskill, New York; and Oakland, California.

Let’s start at the beginning. First, I need to start with the household he grew up in. By the time he was born in the 1930s, Arthur was living in Kinloch with his parents, Ollie and Rebecca Dorsey, and several siblings.

U.S. Federal Census records can help me answer questions like:

  • Where did he live? Did his family rent or own their home?
  • Was his neighborhood diverse?
  • How did his family change over time (ie. who moved, who died, and when)?
  • Did he go to school?
  • What did his parents do for a living?

Getting Grounded

Using census records is one of the best ways to find groups of people living together across time. These records are accessible online through Ancestry ($), FamilySearch (free), and the National Archives and Records Administration (free).

Censuses are conducted every ten years, but you can only access these records 72 years after they were created. That means currently I can only access census records up to 1950.

For Arthur, I need to search the 1930, 1940, and 1950 census records to find him living with his family.

First, I need to review what I’ve already learned from oral histories and other records. This will help me confirm that the names I come across are actually part of Arthur’s family.

  • Arthur's parents: Ollie Dorsey and Rebecca Dorsey (née Gardner)
  • Arthur's estimated year of birth: 1930-1932
  • One of Arthur's home addresses: 19 McGuire Street, Kinloch, Missouri
  • Arthur's siblings: Fontella, Herbert, Idella, Virginia, Clarence, Sarah, and Martina
  • His parents' and siblings' birth years

1930: Arthur at 0 years old

I start with the 1930 U.S. Federal Census since that’s the year Arthur might have been born. It should show who was living in his house when he was born.

However, in this census, we find the Dorsey family with no Arthur in sight.

In the records I’ve come across, Arthur’s birth year ranges from anywhere from December 1930 to December 1932. This census was taken in April 1930, so of course, Arthur isn’t here yet. It’s possible his mother, Rebecca, is pregnant with him though.

In this census, we see his father, Ollie (age 38), Rebecca (age 37), and his siblings: Fontella (age 18), Idella (age 11), Virginia (age 8), Clarence (age 6), Sarah (age 3), and “Martena” (likely Martina; age 7 months). Herbert, another older brother, is not in the home. They’re living on “MacGuire St.”

1930 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Ollie Dorsey and family

1930 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Ollie Dorsey (highlighted in blue) and family.

This record tells me they own their home, which is valued at $1,000 (about $20,000 today). They have a radio set in their house and might use it to regularly listen to the news, music, or their favorite shows.

Ollie works as a “metal caster” for the “post dispatch” industry. I know from Ollie’s obituary that he worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a local newspaper. No one else is working.

Ollie and Rebecca are married and they were 17 and 15 (respectively) at the time of their first marriage (which may or may not have been to each other). They both know how to read and write.

All of the children except little Sarah and baby Martina are attending school. Maybe Fontella will be graduating soon?

1940: Arthur at 7 years old

The 1940 census is the first census record I find Arthur in. His family is still living on McGuire St in Kinloch.

The whole family is listed, including Ollie (age 48), Rebecca (age 47), and Arthur’s brother and sisters: Virginia (age 17), Clarence (age 16), Sarah (age 13), Martina (age 10), and the newest family member, Delores (age 6).

Arthur is seven years old: 1940 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Arthur Dorsey and family

1940 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Arthur Dorsey (highlighted in yellow) and family.

Notably, big sisters Fontella and Idella are gone– perhaps to start families of their own?

Ollie is working as a “laborer” at a “newspaper office.” He earned a salary of $1,898 last year (about $45,000 in 2026). No one else is working. Rebecca and Ollie have a 6th grade education.

All of the children are progressing in school, but Clarence has fallen behind, as he’s only completed 5th grade. Virginia has completed her sophmore year of high school. Sarah, 6th grade; Martina, 3rd grade; and Arthur, 1st grade. Delores has not started school yet.

Was Arthur following his big brother Clarence around everywhere or annoying and pranking his sisters?

1950: Arthur at 18-20 years old

I did not find Arthur on McGuire St in the 1950 census. Likely because he had just left the military.

But I did find his father, Ollie (age 58), and two of his sisters, “Deloris” (possibly Delores, age 16) and “Martineau” (possibly Martina, age 20) still living there.

1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Ollie Dorsey and family

1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Ollie Dorsey (highlighted in blue) and family.

Ollie is now widowed (“wd”), which is accurate. Rebecca, Arthur’s mother, passed away in 1949. Ollie’s occupation is “metal man” for a “newspaper printing plant.” Martina is working as a “nurse attendant” at a hospital. Neither Martina nor Delores are married.

The Dorsey household is considerably smaller now.

Sarah’s Family

Sarah Wiley (age 22), Arthur’s sister, is living next door with her family: husband, Jerry Wiley (age 27) and son, Clarence Wheatley (age 4): 1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Sarah Wiley and family

1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Sarah Wiley (highlighted in blue) and family.

Sarah “keeps house” while Jerry works as a “drill press operator making burners for the stove factory.”

Was Sarah’s son named after her brother?

Virginia’s Family

Not much further away, Virginia Davis (age 27), another sister, is living on McArthur St with her husband and son: William Davis (age 30) and Glenn Davis (age 1): 1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Virginia Davis and family

1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Virginia Davis (highlighted in blue) and family.

Glenn appears at the top of the next page: 1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Glenn Davis

Virginia doesn’t work, but William does as an “Egg Separator” at “Flour Co.”

With William being from Mississippi and Virginia being from Missouri, how did they meet?

Clarence’s Family

It’s a little hard to make out on this record, but I also find Clarence Dorsey (age 26), one of Arthur’s brothers. He appears in a household with his wife and children: Helen L. Dorsey (age 25), Patrica (age 8), Claradella (age 7), Evelyn L. (age 5) and Clarence Dexter (age 2).

1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Clarence Dorsey and family

1950 Census Record for Kinloch, Missouri featuring Clarence Dorsey (highlighted in blue) and family.

Clarence works as a “Porter Deliveryman” and he made about $1700 (about $23,600 today) in 1949. It looks like he did end up completing his education up to 7th grade! He is a military veteran.

Does Ollie see his grandchildren often since they’re so close by?

The Power of the Census

These censuses offer just a sneak peek at what life was like for the Dorsey family from 1930-1950. But from these records, I learned who left the household, who was working and their occupations, who started new families, and even the names of new relatives.

If I were to look at these censuses even more closely, I could examine the lives of their neighbors and build an even fuller view of their community. I’d probably even stumble upon the names of friends Arthur may have played with.

I still need more clues to figure out where Arthur and his older siblings (Fontella, Herbert, and Idella) were living in 1950, but this is a great start.

Sources

  • National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930; Year: 1930; Census Place: Saint Ferdinand, St Louis, Missouri; Roll: 1226; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 0137.
  • National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940; Year: 1940; Census Place: St Ferdinand, St Louis, Missouri; Roll: T627_2154; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 95-308.
  • National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975; Record Group Number: 147; Series: Post-WWII through Vietnam Era Selective Service Records, Missouri; Series Number: 147-76-0298.
  • National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: St Louis, Missouri; Roll: 6187; Page: 21; Enumeration District: 95-36A.
  • National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: St Louis, Missouri; Roll: 6187; Page: 74; Enumeration District: 95-35.
  • National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: St Louis, Missouri; Roll: 6187; Page: 22; Enumeration District 95-37.
  • State Historical Society of Missouri. “Holy Angel School Kinloch, Mo.” State Historical Society of Missouri. https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/imc/id/58049/rec/2.
  • Year: 1930; Census Place: Saint Ferdinand, St Louis, Missouri; Roll: 1226; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 0137; Image: 873.0; FHL microfilm: 2340961