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You just can't trust nobody no more.
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singhals
Nov 23, 2011, 6:20:38 PM11/23/11
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I was doing one of those RAOKs, looking up in my database and
fleshing out loose-ends for someone.
Dropped by wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com and ran the name. Found several
trees, apparently quoting one another, that appeared to have
conflated two women (mother and daughter) of very similar given
names. One had a death date a good 15 years after anything I had in
my database.
Played further, checking that later death-date.
OK, now I've got a problem. The state's Vital records says she died
9 Oct 1913. But the county newspaper in an issue published in
October 1911 says she died the 8th.
The obit listed surviving children, who can yes indeed be found
where it says they are and who yes-sirree-bob do belong to the woman
I had.
No prizes for guessing which of the two dates I'm keeping (g), but
just for laughs on dreary rainy day 2 ... which would YOU keep and
why?
Cheryl
singhals <sing...@erols.com>
Wes Groleau
Nov 24, 2011, 3:47:59 PM11/24/11
to
> Dropped by wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com and ran the name. Found several
> trees, apparently quoting one another, that appeared to have
> conflated two women (mother and daughter) of very similar given
> names. One had a death date a good 15 years after anything I had in
> my database.
>
> Played further, checking that later death-date.
>
> OK, now I've got a problem. The state's Vital records says she died
> 9 Oct 1913. But the county newspaper in an issue published in
> October 1911 says she died the 8th.
>
> The obit listed surviving children, who can yes indeed be found
> where it says they are and who yes-sirree-bob do belong to the woman
> I had.
>
> No prizes for guessing which of the two dates I'm keeping (g), but
> just for laughs on dreary rainy day 2 ... which would YOU keep and
> why?
>
First, I would look for other hints—gravestone, cemetery records,
funeral home records, probate, real estate, etc.
If that failed to produce a consensus, I'd study the sources for
evidence of sloppiness. Misspelled words, fields blank that
shouldn't be, ... The least sloppy one is the one most likely
correct.
And finally, I might just pick a date and put ABT in front of it.
--
Wes Groleau
Be spontaneous … today
http://Ideas.Lang-Learn.us/BlindDog?itemid=3984
Wes Groleau <Grolea...@FreeShell.org>
knuttle
Nov 24, 2011, 3:54:16 PM11/24/11
to
I probably would have used the obituary, as it is supported by the
fact that newspapers are printed on a periodic basis (usually
daily). This sequentual printing validates the date. ie a
newspaper dated 1911 would not be printed in 1913.
HOWEVER I would maintain the other records on the chance that the
person in the newspaper was the wrong person even though it highly
improbable there were two families exactly the same.
knuttle <keith_...@sbcglobal.net>
Ian Goddard
Nov 25, 2011, 6:11:43 PM11/25/11
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> OK, now I've got a problem. The state's Vital records says she died
> 9 Oct 1913. But the county newspaper in an issue published in
> October 1911 says she died the 8th.
>
Just a thought but is it possible that the paper had overlooked the fact
that they hadn't changed the year for a couple of years?
--
Ian
The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang
at austonley org uk
Ian Goddard <godd...@hotmail.co.uk>
Jim
Nov 25, 2011, 6:17:39 PM11/25/11
to
Check the day of week that the obit says they died on and when the
funeral was, then see which year (1911 or 1913) those days falls on.
also what's the tombstone say?
Jim
Jim <James...@SBCGlobal.net>
Steve Hayes
Nov 25, 2011, 6:19:17 PM11/25/11
to
As others have asked - if the newspaper was so careless as to get
the date of its own publication wrong, I wouldn't trust it as a
source for the date of anything else.
When looking at dates of birth, I usually regard the mother's word
as most reliable, as she would be most likely to remember the date
of birth correctly. I only know my own birthday because I was told
by my mother.
South African death notices ask the informant to state whether they
were present at the death or not.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
Steve Hayes <haye...@telkomsa.net>
J. Hugh Sullivan
Nov 25, 2011, 6:26:20 PM11/25/11
to
> I was doing one of those RAOKs, looking up in my database and
> fleshing out loose-ends for someone.
>
> Dropped by wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com and ran the name. Found several
> trees, apparently quoting one another, that appeared to have
> conflated two women (mother and daughter) of very similar given
> names. One had a death date a good 15 years after anything I had in
> my database.
>
> Played further, checking that later death-date.
>
> OK, now I've got a problem. The state's Vital records says she died
> 9 Oct 1913. But the county newspaper in an issue published in
> October 1911 says she died the 8th.
>
1. I have found vital records that are incorrect.
2. If the newspaper is not the Crystal Ball I could not accept a
forecast two years in advance.
You can't lose by using the paper and naming the source. You have
eliminated yourself as the cause of any error and somebody,
somewhere, will be pleased to tell you the date is wrong if they can
prove it.
Beyond that there is the Note section in most genealogy programs.
No need to thank me...
Hugh
Ea...@bellsouth.net (J. Hugh Sullivan)
singhals
Nov 26, 2011, 10:12:47 PM11/26/11
to
J. Hugh Sullivan wrote:
> > I was doing one of those RAOKs, looking up in my database and
> > fleshing out loose-ends for someone.
> >
> > Dropped by wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com and ran the name. Found several
> > trees, apparently quoting one another, that appeared to have
> > conflated two women (mother and daughter) of very similar given
> > names. One had a death date a good 15 years after anything I had in
> > my database.
> >
> > Played further, checking that later death-date.
> >
> > OK, now I've got a problem. The state's Vital records says she died
> > 9 Oct 1913. But the county newspaper in an issue published in
> > October 1911 says she died the 8th.
> >
> > Cheryl Singhals<sing...@erols.com>
>
> 1. I have found vital records that are incorrect.
> 2. If the newspaper is not the Crystal Ball I could not accept a
> forecast two years in advance.
Once saw a notice, written by a friend of the family, published on
>
> 1. I have found vital records that are incorrect.
> 2. If the newspaper is not the Crystal Ball I could not accept a
> forecast two years in advance.
the 28th, which claimed that 12-year-old whatsizname died 15th
proxima. Friend was using proxima to mean "nearest" not "next."
> You can't lose by using the paper and naming the source. You have
> eliminated yourself as the cause of any error and somebody,
> somewhere, will be pleased to tell you the date is wrong if they can
> prove it.
> Beyond that there is the Note section in most genealogy programs.
>
> No need to thank me...
Cheryl
singhals <sing...@erols.com>
singhals
Nov 26, 2011, 10:13:47 PM11/26/11
to
> > OK, now I've got a problem. The state's Vital records says she died
> > 9 Oct 1913. But the county newspaper in an issue published in
> > October 1911 says she died the 8th.
> >
> > Cheryl Singhals
>
> Just a thought but is it possible that the paper had overlooked the fact
> that they hadn't changed the year for a couple of years?
>
> Ian Goddard
>
> Just a thought but is it possible that the paper had overlooked the fact
> that they hadn't changed the year for a couple of years?
>
(G) I like the way you think.
But no, the date on the front page was in sequence from the first
issue in 1911 through the last issue in 1912. Yes, I understand I
now need to pull the 1913 October issues as insurance, but while
I've caught the paper with different dates on the front page and one
or more inside pages, I cite the date on the front-page because over
a 50-year span, they didn't muck that one up even once.
Cheryl
singhals <sing...@erols.com>
Wes Groleau
Nov 26, 2011, 10:20:35 PM11/26/11
to
> Check the day of week that the obit says they died on and when the
> funeral was, then see which year (1911 or 1913) those days falls on.
> also what's the tombstone say?
>
> Jim
Either we have several errors on tombstones in Parker Cemetery or we
have had some VERY careless county clerks.
Ian Goddard
Nov 27, 2011, 11:41:23 AM11/27/11
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So, assuming the 1913 Oct issues are dated correctly, you have the
paper reporting the death a couple of years before the official
record says it happened?
In that case either believe the paper or look for a letter in which
she says the report of her death was greatly exaggerated.
singhals
Nov 28, 2011, 12:09:15 PM11/28/11
to
>> Cheryl Singhals
>
> So, assuming the 1913 Oct issues are dated correctly, you have the
> paper reporting the death a couple of years before the official
> record says it happened?
>
> In that case either believe the paper or look for a letter in which
> she says the report of her death was greatly exaggerated.
>
> Ian Goddard
>
> So, assuming the 1913 Oct issues are dated correctly, you have the
> paper reporting the death a couple of years before the official
> record says it happened?
>
> In that case either believe the paper or look for a letter in which
> she says the report of her death was greatly exaggerated.
>
Unless the retraction was printed in 1913, there wasn't one.
I see a trip to the Library of Congress in my future. Which, I
guess, beats Christmas shopping.
Cheryl
singhals <sing...@erols.com>
J. Hugh Sullivan
Nov 28, 2011, 10:31:36 PM11/28/11
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