In February of 1940, my father walked out on his wife and eight-month old son in California, never to be heard from again by them or anyone in his family.  He re-surfaced six months later in New Jersey using a different last name, and shortly thereafter met my mother.  They dated, married, and raised my brother and me.  It wasn’t until 37 years after his death that I discovered this on Ancestry.com, and then found my half-brother, who Dad deserted, now living in Texas.  We may never know why he left his family as he did, but I’m hoping the 1940 census will give us some information on where he was that year, before he appeared in New Jersey, and what he was doing.  So many questions…