Proof that leaves questions

In talking to my Granpa Hellewell on my last trip to Wisconsin, I found out something interesting about him that I did not know. I found out that his name had been spelled incorrectly on his birth certificate. Instead of “Louis,” it was spelled “Lewis.” It remained this way for many years, until he enlisted in the US Navy at 17 years old. I am not entirely sure why they did not try to correct this record for that many years, but it remained incorrect for all that time.

When I was looking at some family history stuff online tonight, I came across this on the 1930s census record.

There is proof that my Grandpa Hellewell was in fact listed under a name that was spelled incorrectly. He is listed on this census record as being “Lewis P.” when he should have been listed as “Louis P.” I verified that the siblings are in fact his and those were his parents. The names all appear to line up with their legal names and/or other names that they went by on records at the time.

On this census record he was over 2 years old but not quite 3 years old. This screen shot of the record does not show the age. It is unclear why they did not put the correct information on the census record unless you were required to put the legal name as it was recorded on official birth records. If that was the case then it raises questions on many other census records where names do not match up 100%.

I find it interesting that there was in fact proof outside of verbal and self-told record that these errors occurred. It will be interesting to trace the name change on the records through the census records knowing that there is at least one more census taken before he official enlisted in the US Navy at age 17.

Proof that leaves questions

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