You never really know how something works until you go to use it. I figured that with not being able to find the Siffrinns in courthouse records for naturalization that I would just turn to the NARA for military information. Previously I have been asking for records on Civil War veterans, both their service and in some cases have requested information on their pensions. The very first set of records I had ordered came back with military service and even a copy of the marriage license of that individual; he had died in the service and left his daughter an orphan.
This time I was going to request information on World War I. I had already viewed the draft record on line at ancestry.com. There is a bit of a problem with some of the records that they have posted; the front of my grandfather’s record is presented with the back of someone else’s. For the most part there isn’t tons of information on the form. Peter had been married, so that killed finding verification on parent’s names. It wouldn’t have had his father’s name on it; my assumption is that the man was already deceased. On this form he claimed to be a naturalized citizen. It did show where he was living at the time of the draft, in Olean, Cattaraugus, New York.
I did manage to find him on ancestry.com listed for the World War II draft at the age of 60. From that record I now know he was born it Stolburg, Germany. I am pretty sure he never was called to serve at that age.
Logging on to I started the process of filling out the form. When I got to the drop down for year served, World War I wasn’t there. I backed out and looked again at the list of available information. For World War I the only thing that you can request for research is the draft registration that is posted on ancestry.com. It’s back to the drawing board for this guy, again.