Farm Livin' Is the Life for Me

I've blogged before about the longevity studies of Drs. Leonid and Natalia Gavrilova. Their latest conclusions were drawn from World War I Draft Registration Cards.

In their study, Gavrilov and Gavrilova first used Social Security data to locate 240 men born in 1887 who lived to be at least 100.

In 171 of those cases, the men's physical and social attributes at age 30 were recorded on their WW I draft cards -- giving the researchers a snapshot of their lives at the time.

The Chicago team then compared that data against draft card information for a randomly selected group of American men who were also born in 1887 but who did not reach 100. [Link]

They concluded that trim farmers with more than three children were more likely to live to see 100 than overweight city boys without kids. In fact, living on a farm "more than doubled a man's odds of living into the triple digits."

Steve's Colorful Family History

I've always thought that World War I happened in black-and-white, but Steve Danko has proved me wrong.

Now I can't help but wonder what color the original census schedules are. Chartreuse?

Three More Days to Bring Your Soldiers Home

Just a reminder that the Ancestry.com U.S. Military Collection is free until Wednesday.

Here's the World War I Draft Registration card of the guy my great-grandmother dumped her husband for and eventually married. It proves that he had not yet entered the service at the time my grandfather was conceived. Hmmm....

Non-Essential Sites: WWI Draft Registration Cards of the Rich and Famous

As the World War I Civilian Draft Registrations Database at Ancestry.com slowly grows toward completion, one cannot help but wonder: What color were Jack Benny's eyes?

The answers to this question and others may be found at World War I Draft Registration Cards of the Rich and Famous, another Ancestry.com preview provided by Michael John Neill. Those interested should also check out Neill's 2004 article "World War I Draft Cards of the Rich and Famous".

Some other celebrities whose cards may be viewed:

• Babe Ruth - Back when he still played for my beloved Red Sox (sigh).
• Gabby Hayes - Already employed as an actor, but not yet as a sidekick.
  
• George M. Cohan - Who apparently was "born on fourth of July."

More Reading:

• 24,000,000 Men Feel a Draft
• Non-Essential Sites: Famous Folks in the US Census

24,000,000 Men Feel a Draft

From the New York Times of Aug. 18, 1942:

1918 RECORDS GOOD AS PROOF OF BIRTH
Census Officials to Provide Basis for Certificates

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17— Americans who have had trouble proving that they were actually born and where and when will have no further trouble if they happen to have been among the 24,000,000 men who signed draft registration cards in 1917 and 1918.

These cards have been transferred from the War Department archives to the Census Bureau, where they will be available as a source of evidence on age and place of birth for individuals who have no birth certificates.

[snip]

Good advice in 1942, and still good advice now. If your male ancestor was living in United States in 1917-18, and was born between 1872 and 1900, there's a good chance he registered for the draft. The World War I Civilian Draft Registrations Database at Ancestry.com so far includes records from Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, and Nevada, with "good representation" from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York City, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Vermont.