This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: sdbloomquist Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.leister/112.2.2.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The John Leister who lived next to the Petry's on that Census was your great-grandmother's brother. Your great-grandmother Elizabeth Leister Petry was born on 28 Dec but the year varies with the record. Her marriage license, church marriage record, and the 1910 Census indicate she was born 28 Dec 1868. I have a prayer card from her funeral which says she was born 28 Dec 1866. Her immigration year also varies with the record cited. The 1920 and 1930 Census say 1889, but the 1900 Census says 1890. As a general rule I tend to trust the oldest record, as it was closer to the actual event and less likely to be distorted by the passage of time. Of course, often times I've found that ancestors lied about their age on marriage records because you could not marry without parental consent until age 21. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.