That is true. My parents placed birth announcements for all my children, born in this same era in locations far from where my parents lived. Even today, our local paper publishes photos of new babies, and it is often obscure as to what the connection is to our Village. Usually, it is a proud grandparent who provides them. THe same with obituaries, although that is a result of someone going through the family records and publishing notice of the death every place the deceased ever lived. Sometimes the notice explains that connection -- sometimes not.
regardless who placed what—the smoking gun here is the lack of match up to the address..what in the world is going on here.