While researching the history of my grandmother's family, I encountered a significant discrepancy - perhaps even a controversy - regarding the ages of my grandmother and her siblings.
Most of the people I spoke with, who had some knowledge of the family, agreed that my grandmother was the eldest of the five siblings. However, information found on the tombstones and in printed document suggests otherwise.
According to the tombstone, my grandmother was born on is 13.8.1913. Yet, the tombstone of Dungko lists his birth date as 9.9.1895, and a booklet compiled by student researchers records Rampas's birth year as 1907. Although the birthdates of the remaining two siblings, Gomingo and Kundipoi, are unknown, it is clear from the available dates that Lotimboi (my grandmother) could not have been the eldest, as previously believed.
Secondly, the order of Rombis's children as listed in the publication on Gomorun's descendants, is as follows: Dungko, Gomingo, Rampas, Kundipoi and Lotimboi. Whether this sequence reflects the compiler's understanding of their birth order or is merely coincidental, it is notable that Lotimboi's name appears last among the five siblings.
Thirdly, my sister recalled a past conversation with our late mother, in which she mentioned that our grandmother was indeed very young when she married my grandfather. If 1913 is accepted as her birth year, She would have been just 14 when she married in 1927 - a year before our mother was born. However, if we were to accept 1894 as her birth year (which would make her older than Dungko who was born in 1895), she would have been in her thirties at the time of her marriage, which contradicts the family narrative.
I hope to shed more light on this discrepancy by locating the descendants of Gomingo - my grandmother Lotimboi's sister - to determine Gomingo's date of birth. Until then, I will continue to consider 1913 as my grandmother's year of birth, which, interestingly would make her the youngest, not the eldest, of the siblings!
Thirdly, my sister recalled a past conversation with our late mother, in which she mentioned that our grandmother was indeed very young when she married my grandfather. If 1913 is accepted as her birth year, She would have been just 14 when she married in 1927 - a year before our mother was born. However, if we were to accept 1894 as her birth year (which would make her older than Dungko who was born in 1895), she would have been in her thirties at the time of her marriage, which contradicts the family narrative.
I hope to shed more light on this discrepancy by locating the descendants of Gomingo - my grandmother Lotimboi's sister - to determine Gomingo's date of birth. Until then, I will continue to consider 1913 as my grandmother's year of birth, which, interestingly would make her the youngest, not the eldest, of the siblings!
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