SSDI or SS application? Which is the better source?

+6 votes
210 views
I have a birth year difference of two years for an Aunt. It's 1912 on the SSDI and 1914 on her SS application. Which source would be considered more reliable?
WikiTree profile: Beulah Beckett
in Policy and Style by Lori Zukerman G2G6 Pilot (151k points)
Marriage record says 1913.
Thanks. Now I have three different birth years! LOL Which do I chose?

I mean, I don't know that they had to show birth certificates for marriage licenses and folks have lied...
Oh, and which marriage? She was married 7 times.

Maybe call the library in Seminole

http://www.seminole-oklahoma.net/library.html

and see if the librarian can check for a notice of her birth in the local newspaper ?

That is an idea! I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!
Most newspapers in the early years did wedding, birth, death etc in the Sunday social pages.
The marriage record doesn't say she was born in 1913, it says she was 73 in August of 1986.  This would support the birth date of being born in October 1912.
I was going to add sources but the profile is locked.
I can unlock! Appreciate any & all help!
I started working on her father(my Grand Dad) and am trying to make sure everything is correct as I write his bio but it's like a can of worms. I intend to do the same for his kids but it's taking me quite a bit longer to research and get everything right on his.
By the way, her first marriage she lied because she was under age. Her birth year on that one is 1911. LOL

2 Answers

+1 vote
Interesting puzzle.  You need to make sure that all the records pertain to just one woman named Beulah, which I think they do.

I think she was born in 1913.

I originally thought 1914 was most likely, but this is impossible if her brother Henry was born on 9 September 1914.

She started lying about her age when she got married 1929 to James Mahoney and gave her age as 18 when she was really only 16.  The 1920 census says she was age 6.  The 1930 census says she was 17 (her husband James is called nephew of the head of house hold and she is called niece - another lie),  When she marries for a second time in Feb. 1932 to Walter Timmons, she is still only 18 years old.

When she married the 64 yo Howard Lee Smith she gave her age as 73  (to make herself younger again?).

At least that is what I got with some quick poking around.  I do think she lied about her age depending on the circumstances.  The most trustworthy date is the 1920 census which says she was aged 6 in February 1920.
by Joe Cochoit G2G6 Pilot (257k points)
edited by Joe Cochoit
My cousin and I have been discussing that fact that she lied about her age when it was convenient. LOL Guess Lots of women do. LOL

I would tend to agree with your logic about the census. I think that's the best we can do unless my cousin can find Beulah's birth certificate.

Oh, and the whole family is kinda like this as far as ages. LOL

Call it what you will.  The date she gives as her birth date changes multiple times on multiple different documents.  And I do to call it lying when when a guy knowing gives a false birth date; I have run into this several times on WWI draft cards.

Wow, Lindy! Where's your sense of humor?

Lady in question was MY aunt and I DO know she lied on her first marriage license because she was underage.
Joe- yes, she was married to Jay Boyd. I just added that to her list of marriages. However, check this out: She's listed in Jay Boyd's household as his wife in the 1940 census yet we only have the 1943 marriage record. Did she possibly marry him twice like she did Alden? Or were they living together but not married in 1940?
How do you know SHE gave that information, Lori?
Gee Lindy, I guess you got me there because I didn't witness it.
0 votes
In a way, this is the wrong question. You need to find documentation closest to the time of the event in question to be the most confident of its information's accuracy. See if you can locate birth or baptism records.
by anonymous G2G6 Mach 1 (19.0k points)
By the way, I had this driven home recently. One of my ancestors has the birth year of 1856 on his gravestone. Multiple death records repeat this year. But I found his baptism record, and it says 1857. This is the more authoritative source since it was created on the same day, or the day after, he was born. Census records closer to his birth date also affirm the 1857 date.
My cousin is looking for her birth certificate. I agree, the source as close to the actual birth date is the best to go with but sometimes that just can't be found. At this point, the 1920 census is the closest I can get.
You can't order it from the clerk of whichever county in which she was born?
I can but if my cousin has a copy she can scan & send it to me.

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