I’m finding more and more references to people who put the wrong year on their WWI draft cards. I have yet to find a reason why. I can understand the minor discrepancies between various census years, we’re talking about barely literate people. Here are the details:

1917 Draft Card: Raymond Lewis German, 4748 Wisconsin Ave, Streetcar Conductor, born 1890-04-21 in Fauquier County, VA.

1900 Census, Marhsall, Fauquier Co., VA – Head of Household James German, son “Ramey”, 6, born April 1894.

1920 Census: Raymond L German, 4702 Wisconsin Ave in DC, Streetcar Conductor, 27 years old on 1920-01-14.

1930 Census: Raymond L. German, 4849 Wisconsin Ave in DC, different job but same family members, 36 years old on 1930-04-05.

Clearly the draft card is the same person as the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Since the 1920 and 1930 census support an 1894 birthdate, and the draft card indicates a Fauquier County birth in April, that most likely links “Ramey” to this fellow. So I can suppose from that point that James in Fauquier County is my great-great grandfather.