In a message dated 10/25/2005 6:12:38 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, TNSMITH-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: I would go with the family records and put in my notes field what census, etc. states....A census about birth date can be as much as 2 to 5 years off, depending on what the census taker heard.....generally folks will go with the tombstone, but then my grandmother's birth date is wrong...because the stone cutter made an error....Census reports are one of the greatest tools available to locate your family....start with 1850 and work this way.....that was the first census to tie relationships. I'll bet when you check the 1860, 70, 80 (if Henry were still living) you may not find the birth years matches either). Recently I found a fellow who for 30 years the census had his age perfect...that is a first. I love teaching the use of the census records...when you get into them you develop stories without having ever met those folks. Fun but time consuming but worthwhile. Melba In regards to the above.. I had a great uncle whom I knew as a little girl.. He often boasted that he only had a birthday every 4 years, as he was born February 29, 1880. My aunt (and census records) showed his age reflecting 1880. Fortunately my aunt bought him a tombstone with the correct date before her death.. BUT... some of the family said he was born in 1882 and even challenged me with that info.. showing me some old records with the date of 1882.