The dates of birth and death are from his gravestone, which says “Father, “Doc”, John Ervin Reed, Dec 6, 1891 - Apr 25, 1930”. He does not appear in the Kentucky death records.

Many family trees online at Ancestry.com attach this John Ervin Reed as a son of Andrew Jackson Reed, either by an unknown mother, or as a son of Jack and Genella “Nella” June Ginter.

If John’s mother was indeed Nella June Ginter, then he was probably raised in the same household as their daughter Bessie, who was also not with Nella’s parents in the 1900 census..

There was a Dock Reed whose WW I draft registration, filed 5 June 1917, recorded Dock Reed, age 25, residence Childress Co., Texas, born 6 (or 5) Dec 1891 in (illegible town or county name) Tenn, farmer, self employed, married supporting a wife and child. (The image on Ancestry.com is a poor scan and hard to read.) That Doc Reed, however, was enumerated in the 1920 census in Childress, Texas, with a wife Annie age 25 and son D. J. Reed age 4 1/12. So apparently the match of name and birthdate are a coincidence.

There was also a Dock Reed whose WW I draft card, filed in Breathitt Co., Ky on 5 June 1917, recorded his age as 23, born 1884 in Menifee Co., Ky, residence Calla, Ky, occupation farming & railroading, employer Taylor & Crosblatt, Welhurst, Ky, married supporting wife & two children. Note that the age and birthdate recorded on this card are inconsistent by an entire decade. An age of 23 in June 1917 would imply a birthdate in the last half of 1893 or the first half of 1894.

The tentative birthplace I’ve entered of Menifee Co. is based on that draft card.

The 1920 census (24 in January) suggests a birthdate of 1895, and the 1930 census (33 in April) suggests a birthdate of late 1896 or early 1897. Considering this large variation, the date on his gravestone may be incorrect. It is even possible that someone found a birthdate record for the Dock Reed from Childress Co., Texas, and made a mistaken identification, as it appears likely this Dock Reed did not know his birthdate.

I have not found him in the 1900 or 1910 censuses. I suspect that he was probably listed under a different surname, perhaps that of his mother.

(There is a John E. Reed in Lewis Co., son of Chancy and Rhoda Reed, but later censuses and draft registrations indicate that his middle name was Elwood and he moved to Hancock Co., Indiana.)

1920 census of Breathitt Co., Ky, precinct 4, enumerated 9 Jan, lists on p. 2B as family #21:
Read, Dock, 24, farming; Barb, wife, 21; Arrettie, dau, 6; Cecil, son, 2. All born Ky Ky Ky.

1930 census of Powell Co., Ky, Rosslyn precinct, enumerated 9 April, lists on p. 4A as family #66/69:
Reed, John I., 33, age at first marriage 19, b. Va U.S. U.S., laborer on general farm; Barbara W., wife, 30, age at first marriage 16, b. Ky Ky Ky; Cecil, son, 12; Miona, dau, 8; John, son, 7; Meda L., dau, 5; Andrew, son, 3 1/12; Louis R., son, 11/12. All children are listed as born Ky Ky Ky, although that conflicts with John’s reported birthplace of Virginia.