little is known about his early life until about 1920 where the us federal census finds him living in salem, kenosha, wisconsin with his mother, sister, brother and uncle. his father is believed to have died a year earlier. in 1925 the iowa state census finds him living newell, buena vista, iowa with his sister helen. the whereabouts of his mother are unknown at this point. the 1930 us federal census finds him renting a room in newell, buena vista, iowa.