[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] varying dates

[AlbertMuth at aol.com]

I am sure we will find many, many explanations about varying dates and
no single one will account for all of them.  The 12/13 day difference is one 
readily explained by the Julian/Gregorian calendar difference.  Polish 
Catholics modernized the calendar early, but the Russian Empire used 
the old Julian calendar until the Revolution in 1917.  This explanation 
will account for a lot of variation that people have found.

Consider the factor of literacy.  Did people keep family records in a Bible?
If they couldn't read and write, the answer to this is *no*.  Mothers
today may have little difficulty remembering their children's birthdates, but
in the days when women had more than 10 children.....  Most of us know
stories of women who, at stressful chaotic moments, seemingly forget
the name of their kids and need to run through the list till they hit the
right one!  So it does not surprise me that a family could lose track of
a birthdate.


My greatgrandmother Johanna Abraham Muth (1821-1907) lived the last
years of her life with my grandfather's family in Detroit.  My eldest aunts
and uncles told me they thought it was a great joke that she did not know
when her birthday was.  She thought it was around the time when potatoes
were harvested (I am not a farmer so can't even guess when this might be, 
nor do I know the harvesting seasons in Central Poland!).  She knew that 
she had given birth to 16 children, but did she remember the names of 
the 12 that died?  I guess I'll never know the answer to that question.

I believe the 1900 census gives one date (month and year), her death
certificate another one (name of father is WRONG, but this is a different
issue--death certificates do not always give reliable information), and her 
actual birth record yet another, as 10 June 1821 at Lanieta (Chodecz Catholic
parish).  She was buried in an unmarked grave, so there is no tombstone
evidence.  She was the only child of a couple, each who had been previously 
married.  Her dad died when she was 5 years old, and her mother remarried
(I am still looking for that marriage.... :<(

In Margrit's case, she should keep track of each date and its source.  Most
genealogical software now allows you to attach multiple sources to a single
event (birth, marriage, or death).  She will need to select one date for 
display
purposes (I suggest the one on the birth record since it is the one closest
to the event itself), and then, she can record the other, conflicting 
information
in the notes of separate source citations.  

If she writes a book or booklet on her family, well, I guess that paragraph 
is going to be a little wordy!

Cheers,

Al Muth