For the Love of Pete

This is my rant for today. I get annoyed, no; I get VERY annoyed with people who make changes to files, such as the census, simply to "fit" their particular family.  I'm thinking, if it doesn't make sense and the names are wrong (let alone the sexes being different) it's probably NOT your family. For example, I have a male in my family, Omar Phillip Rosvold married to Isola Curry. Back in 1910 when Omar was still living at home with his parents, Andreas and Ella in Burleigh County, North Dakota. I realize that Rosvold is a fairly common surname in the north, i.e., North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. However, when the 1910 census clearly lists Omar P as being the son of Andreas and Ella, why do you think it's okay to change it to Erma P is the DAUGHTER of ANDREW and Ella? Did you even follow Omar/Erna into adulthood to find that he/she married a woman named Isola in 1930 something? There ARE men named Andrew, maybe Andreas eventually went by the name of Andrew, but in 1910 he was Andreas and his SON was named Omar!

I'll be honest, the census takers throughout history have not been the best spellers in the world (as a matter of fact Isola, is Isola Cory in the 1920 census), but there are other clues to look at to make sure you have the right person before you go changing names and or the sex of people. Sometimes the transcriptionists are the sharpest either, but I know they try and sometimes the handwriting is awful. Just please, please think twice before making changes in something like the census. Your Erna is still wandering around waiting for you to find her. My Omar is back where he belongs.