Aunt Marian’s little white lie

The 1900 census image clearly shows that two-year-old Marion (Marian), the youngest child in the family, was born in August, 1897. Later censuses report her age consistently:

1910, Marian is 12
1920, Marian is 22

Aunt Marian (my grandmother’s baby sister), who always had nail polish and lipstick to share with a curious five-year-old, died in 1974 at age 77.

Except dear Uncle George, who survived her, evidently thought she was younger. From her funeral card:

Was Uncle George confused about her birth date? Or had Aunt Marian fibbed about her age when she met the handsome man who was to become her second husband?

This is a question I may never research further—it is too much fun to imagine Aunt Marian’s little white lie.