Anna Cynowa 1930 Census
Anne (22), Francis (4), Robert (2), Julia (9 months)
In 1930, during the Great Depression, Anna Cynowa, a single mother, was raising three children under the age of five.
Her husband, in title only, married Anna just days before the birth of Francis. Subsequently, Anna had two additional children, Robert and Julia, with Jesse Amos Travis. However, Travis abandoned Anna and his children shortly after Julia’s birth.
Shortly after the abandonment, Anna contracted appendicitis and was hospitalized. It was during this hospitalization that Anna’s life and the lives of her children were irrevocably changed.
According to Frank Cynowa, Anna’s son, he recalls being present at the hospital that night and being placed in a Wayne County facility until social workers could relocate them. The children were reportedly malnourished and neglected, leading the county to remove them from Anna’s custody.
Francis was placed in the care of Joseph and Mary Cynowa, his grandparents. Robert and Julia were placed in foster care. Robert was subsequently transferred to Lapeer State Home, while Julia would eventually be returned to Anna. Robert remained in this institution until the age of 21.
More on Robert’s time in Lapeer State Home can be found in Robert Cynowa’s 1940 census.
