This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper Classification: Census Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/3.13.1.3 Message Board Post: I have located what appears to be the 1900 Census record for the family of Verner ROPER: United States Census -- 1900 Justice Precinct 8, Grimes County, Texas (Enumeration District 27), Sheet 6B 09 and 11 Jun 1900 Line 95, Dwelling 111, Family 111, ROPER, Frank B., Head, White, Male, Boarn Apr 1867, Age 33, Married 1 Year, Born MS, Father Born GA, Mother Born MS, Farmer Line 96, ROPER, Nettie, Wife, White, Female, Born May 1876, Age 24, Married 1 Year, 1 Child, 1 Child Living, Born MS, Father Born MO, Mother Born MS Line 97, ROPER, Werner, Son, White, Male, Born Feb 1900, Age 5/12, Single, Born TX, Father Born MS, Mother Born MS The discrepancy between Verner's date of birth as shown in the SSDI, on the Draft Registration Card (08 Jul 1900) and possibly even the death certificate is somewhat inexplicable. While there is usually some variation in reported age within each Census enumeration, very often the ages are BEST for very young children. Here we have an instance when the reported date of birth in other subsequent documents would APPEAR to be LATER than the Census enumeration date (09 and 11 Jun 1900). It does NOT seem possible that he could have been born in July. By contrast, the indicated MONTH and YEAR of his birth shown in the Census (Feb 1900) appears to be reasonably CONSISTENT with his reported age of 5 months. It seems ALMOST CERTAIN that this is the CORRECT Werner/Verner ROPER. The three most reasonable explainations which readily occur to are (a) Werner may have been born within nine months of Frank and Nettie's marriage date and someone decided to push his asserted date of birth BACK to avoid embarassing questions, (b) by moving his age BACK several months he may have AVOIDED being drafted, (c) the asserted date of birth appearing in other later records may actually reflect a Baptismal date. Frank B. ROPER may be the SAME individual shown as "B.F. ROPER" on the draft registration card.