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Archiver > OHCRAWFO > 2000-01 > 0949326886


From: "Jim Lewis" <>
Subject: [OHCRAWFO] Calculating Birth Dates
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 07:54:46 -0600


Everything Patty says about the pitfalls of calculating birth dates from
age, was also true when someone, long ago, calculated the age at time of
death. Neither one is any more than a research starting point, since there
might have been a mistake in both calculations.

Jim Lewis, Seguin TX

-----Original Message-----
From: pasmith <>
To: <>
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2000 10:22 AM
Subject: Fw: [OHCRAWFO] 8870


>Okay, so I thought I had posted a helpful thing the first time around. (It
>sounded good to me at the moment :-) This morning there was ANOTHER post
>about the 8870 and I am now forwarding IT to all of you!
>
>Patti in Delaware, OH
>
>1, The 8870 system works only part of the time - in particular, only when
>the date of death is greater than the number of days old or the month
>preceding the month of death has 30 days. In all other instances it will
>provide a wrong answer. I am sorry to see it has been revived.
>
>2. In any event, calculating day of birth from age at death is a risky
>business no matter how it is done - using a system, working it out the long
>way or using a program developed for that purpose. No matter which you use,
>you are likely to be wrong more times then you are right (for a variety of
>reasons). You should calculate the birth date only for research purposes
>(i.e., comparing birth records for persons with the same name). Enter only
>estimated birth dates into your data base. Reason: The next guy will take
>you at your word if you say a person was born on such and such a date with
>the result spread of bad information.

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