[Genealogy] Santa Letter as Proof and Card Comments

Sun May 17 15:24:29 CDT 2026

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Genealogy Update 17 May 2026

** Santa Letter Evidence of Birth Date
** AI for Genealogy
** Card Comments
** 2026 Brick Wall Busters
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Santa Letter Evidence of Birth Date
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A six-year old knows when his birthday is. He knows it because he has been
told it. While his knowledge of the precise date comes from what others
have told him, his general idea of his age does not. If a child is around
other children–as this one apparently is because he attends school–then he
knows approximately how old he is from first hand experience. He knows he’s
older than any three or four year olds that he sees and he’s also
well-aware that he’s not ten or eleven years old. James would provide
primary information for his age based upon his first hand knowledge.

Because the statement made by James comes from a handwritten letter that
was in a newspaper there is always the chance that an error snuck in. The
word “six” is spelled out in James’ letter as it appears typed in the
newspaper and it is reasonable to conclude that he wrote it that way in his
letter as well. If the number “7” had been used instead, the chance of a
potential typographical or transcription error would have been higher.

Realistically speaking, there’s a good chance that James was actually born
on 1 November 1894. Hopefully a researcher doesn’t have to use a letter to
Santa Claus as a source, but it’s always possible. Of course, it should be
cited so that if more contemporary sources for James’ birth are located, a
proper analysis can be conducted.

James provides primary information for his age, but not for his date of
birth based upon how he came to know both those pieces of information.

The letter is the newspaper is a derivative source. The original letter is
the original source. Sources contain information.

And you thought Santa Claus letters were only for requesting genealogical
presents for yourself?

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Card Comments
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 The instructions for these draft cards are probably online somewhere, but
I’m not certain they would even answer the question I have.

The World War I draft card for Bertus Ufkes of Cassia County, Idaho, is
typical of cards for the era. Ufkes signed the front of the card and
included an exemption request based upon his farm operation.

I’ve seen other World War I draft cards where an exemption from the draft
was claimed based upon farm operation, a dependent parent, etc. It’s not
often where I see a registrar questioning the registrant’s answer to
question 12.

The question I have is: did the registrant usually see the comment the
registrar wrote down or did they only see the front of the card? After all
above their signature it does say “I affirm that I have verified above
answers and that they are true.”

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