Find Ancestors

I added this to my previous thread but It doesn't really tie in with my original request, so I'm doing it as a separate thread here.
In trying to find more info on Harold Marshall Oliver, I looked at the US census to see if I could find his family. In the 1930 US census I found an H. M. Oliver with parents Harry H. Oliver and Anna Oliver, and siblings. It gives his father born in Canada and his mother born in Yugoslavia. Assuming this is the correct family I looked at the 1940 census and found his parents and one of his siblings but no Harold. I suspect he was overseas as we know he was in the Canadian military during the war and met and married his wife in England. I then looked at the 1920 census to see if Harold's parents were in the USA but the only Harry Oliver I could find was married to a Myrtle (born in Michigan). It gives Harry born in Canada, with same occupation and living with them are two of the children shown in the 1930 census. If this is the correct family and not just a big coincidence, what happened to Myrtle and when did Anna come into the picture.
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

According to that 1930 census Harry H. and Anna were both aged 18 at the time of their first marriage so evidently not married to each other.

Harry H. Jr. and wife Myrtle entering USA at Buffalo, NY. Harry gives name of his father as Harry H., Guelph, Ontario:

Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956
about Harry H Oliver Junior Name: Harry H Oliver Junior
Arrival Date: 24 May 1916
Port of Arrival: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Residence Country: Canada
Age: 21
Birth Date: abt 1895
Birth Country: Canada
Gender: Male
Race/Nationality: Irish
Record Type: Manifests
Line Number: 7

A tree on Ancestry says that he married Myrtle Willard 17 Feb. 1916, Ontario. This looka like the marriage but her name is Margaret:

Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928
about Margaret Willard Name: Margaret Willard
Birth Place: Detroit, Michigan
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1898
Father Name: Albert Willard
Mother Name: Dessa Hillborn
Spouse Name: Henry Oliver
Spouse's Age: 21
Spouse Birth Year: abt 1895
Spouse Birth Place: Euelph
Spouse Father Name: Henry Oliver
Spouse Mother Name: Isabel Emma Fairburn Oliver
Marriage Date: 17 Feb 1916
Marriage County or District: Wellington

Here's the other half of that border crossing entry posted by Margee, re Myrtle:


Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956 about Myrtle Oliver
Name: Myrtle Oliver
Arrival Date: 24 May 1916
Port of Arrival: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Residence Country: Canada
Age: 18
Birth Date: abt 1898
Birth Country: USA
Gender: Female
Race/Nationality: English
Record Type: Manifests
Line Number: 8

She also gives Harry's father's name as that of the "nearest relative or friend in the country whence alien came."

Looks like the marriage to Margaret Willard is the right one. [EDIT: Well, maybe - see next post.] She must have just been known as Myrtle:


Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957 about Harry H Oliver
Name: Harry H Oliver
Arrival Date: 22 May 1916
Birthplace: Guelph Ont
Gender: Male
Race/Nationality: Irish

Port of Arrival: Detroit, Michigan
Accompanied By: Wife Myrtle
Departure Contact: Father Harry H Oliver Sr
Arrival Contact: Mother-in-law Mrs Willard <<<<<<<<

Microfilm Roll Number: M1478_73

Or maybe this is her. Mother's name could be the same as Margaret's mother, depending on transcription, but father is Richard, not Albert:


Michigan, Births and Christenings Index, 1867-1911 about Myrtle Willard
Name: Myrtle Willard
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
Birth Date: 18 Oct 1898
Father's Name: Richard Willard
Father's Birth Place: Michigan
Mother's name: Lessa Willard
Mother's Birth Place: Canada
Comments: 14th Ward
FHL Film Number: 1377675

1910 United States Federal Census about Myrtle G Willard
Name: Myrtle G Willard
Age in 1910: 11
Birth Year: abt 1899
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1910: Detroit Ward 6, Wayne, Michigan
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Richard W Willard
Father's Birthplace: Michigan
Mother's name: Jesse G Willard
Mother's Birthplace: Canada
[Canada English]
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Richard W Willard 38
Jesse G Willard 36 (looks like Jessa on image)
Wilber C Willard 16
Inez R Willard 14
Myrtle G Willard 11
Ethel M Willard 8
Flossie G Willard 4



1900 United States Federal Census about Myrtle G Willard
Name: Myrtle G Willard
Age: 1
Birth Date: Oct 1899
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1900: Detroit Ward 10, Wayne, Michigan
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Richard Willard
Father's Birthplace: Michigan
Mother's name: Dessa G Willard
Mother's Birthplace: Canada, England
Occupation: View on Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Richard Willard 28
Dessa G Willard 26
Wilber C Willard 6
Inis E Willard 4
Myrtle G Willard 1
Mellie M Willard 59
Cyrus Claflin 64

Thanks for all this info ... don't know how you guys do it but you never cease to amaze me. I'll have to digest the info you've given me and see where it fits in ... too many Harrys at first reading! Guelph, Ontario, is definitely in the picture so it's looking pretty good.
Thanks so much.

Curiously this Harry Henry Oliver enlisted 2 Feb. 1916. Is he the one who married 2 weeks later and then moved to USA 3 months later?

Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918
about Harry Henry Oliver Jr Name: Harry Henry Oliver Jr
Residence: Guelph, Ontario
Birth Date: 16 May 1895
Birth Location: Guelph, Wellington Co, Ontario
Relative: Harry H Oliver Sr
Relationship: Father
Regiment Number: 928506

Thanks Margee - it does seem to be the same one. It's strange that he enlisted in Canadian military then moved to US.

So to recap - if we've got the right Henry /Harry:

he enlisted on 2 Feb 1916, married on 17 Feb 1916, and went to Detroit in May 1916?

The one who married Margaret Willard in 1916 is called Henry in the marriage record, and Margaret's father is Albert. One would think that either the registrar was having a really bad day for mistakes, or this is a different couple.

But both M Willards are born in Detroit in 1898; their mothers have very similar first names (Lessa / Dessa); both Harry and Henry are born in Guelph - too many concidences to be different people.

Perhaps he was escorting Myrtle home to Detroit, so that she could stay with her parents while he was away in the Army?

Here's the birth of the one who married Margaret:


Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 about Henry Huggard Oliver
Name: Henry Huggard Oliver
Date of Birth: 16 May 1896
Gender: Male
Birth County or District: Wellington
Father's Name: Henry Huggard Oliver
Mother's name: Isabella E Fairburn
Archive Name: Archives of Ontario
Archive Series: MS929
Archive Reel: 135

So, assuming it's the same person who enlisted in 1916, the enlistment record has his YOB wrong by one year.

The right family in 1911?

1911 Census of Canada
about Henry Oliver Name: Henry Oliver
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Age: 41
Birth Date: May 1870
Birthplace: Ontario
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Isabella Oliver
Tribal: Irish
Province: Ontario
District: Wellington South
District Number: 134
Sub-District: Guelph
Sub-District Number: 38
Place of Habitation: 9 Stranger
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Henry Oliver 41
Isabella Oliver 44
Maurie Oliver 17
Harry Oliver 15
Annie Oliver 12
William Oliver 9
Isabel Oliver 3

The one who enlisted says he's not married.

His address was 9 Strange Street, Guelph., which was also his father's address.
[EDIT: Same address as 1911 posted above.]
He's an auto trimmer.

But is Harry Henry Oliver the same person as Henry Huggard Oliver?

I'm totally confused!

A sister of Henry Huggard:


Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 about May Rowena Oliver
Name: May Rowena Oliver
Date of Birth: 15 Dec 1893
Gender: Female
Birth County or District: Wellington
Father's Name: Henry H Oliver
Mother's name: Bella E Fairburn
Archive Name: Archives of Ontario
Archive Series: MS929
Archive Reel: 124

On the basis of Margee's posting of 1911 census, Henry Huggard is the same person as Harry Henry.
Same address in Guelph.

Another sister:


Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 about Hannah Ida Bell Oliver
Name: Hannah Ida Bell Oliver
Date of Birth: 13 Apr 1892
Gender: Female
Birth County or District: Wellington
Father's Name: Henry Huzgard Oliver
Mother's name: Bella E Fairburn
Archive Name: Archives of Ontario
Archive Series: MS929
Archive Reel: 113

Then there's this draft registration in USA. He registered 21 May 1916.

U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
about Henry H Oliver Name: Henry H Oliver
City: Detroit
County: Wayne
State: Michigan
Birthplace: Ontario,Canada
Birth Date: 16 May 1894
Race: Caucasian (White)
Draft Board: 5

Now I'm totally confused ... going to have to sit with pen and paper, the Luddite way, and try to make some sense of all this. I've just been looking at a tree on Ancestry and it seems that the whole male line has been Harry, Harold or Henry, just to confuse me even more.
I also can't get my head around enlisting in the Canadian military then his draft into the US military, or am I mis-reading that?
Then, I go back to the beginning of my thread and wonder what happened to Margaret/Myrtle after 1920 US census.
Thanks for all this info.