Genealogy Blog Family History

Social security death index updatedPosted by Administrator on October 26th, 2005

The Death Master File (DMF) from the Social Security Administration (SSA) currently contains over 76 million records. The current update reflects the latest information provided by the SSA as of September 2005. The file is created from internal SSA records of deceased persons possessing social security numbers and whose deaths were reported to the SSA. Often this was done in connection with filing for death benefits by a family member, an attorney, a mortuary, etc. Each update of the DMF includes corrections to old data as well as additional names. [NOTE: If someone is missing from the list, it may be that the benefit was never requested, an error was made on the form requesting the benefit, or an error was made when entering the information into the SSDI.]

Extended Description:
This file includes the following information on each decedent, if the data is available to the SSA:

• Last name
• First name
• Social Security Number
• State issued
• Birth date
• Death date
• Last residence
• Lump sum payment

The absence of a particular person in the SSDI is not proof this person is alive. Additionally, there is a possibility that incorrect records of death have been entered on the DMF. The Social Security Administration does not guarantee the accuracy of the file.

SEARCHING TIPS

When you know the information, be as specific as possible to avoid a large of hits. (Large can be somewhere over a couple hundred or so.) If you are unable to find someone you are looking for, here are some things to try:

• Change dates around (e.g. instead of searching for 5 Oct 1954 [10/5/54], search for 10 May 1954 [5/10/54])
• Change years around (e.g. 1984 becomes 1948)
• Use all other possible spellings of the name (and perhaps some that aren’t so likely)
• Switch last name and first name around
• Try searching for a middle name as a first name
• Even if you know a piece of information, try omitting it (e.g. if you know first and last name and death date, try leaving off the first name).

Read Social Security and Census Instructions – By Leslie NelsonPosted by Administrator on October 12th, 2005

When looking over the SS-5 forms you ordered from the Social Security Administration, check out the instructions your ancestors were given when they filled out the form.

Also, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to use enumerator instructions to help me interpret census entries. I now routinely look for instructions and background for any record or document I have acquired, and it has saved me from some big mistakes. The site for the enumerator instructions has appeared in the Ancestry Daily News before, but it’s probably worth repeating. This is the website.

Check Social Columns in Newspapers – by Karen KrugmanPosted by Administrator on October 8th, 2005

Most people search for obituaries and death notices but never think to look in the social columns. Many of the older newspapers, pre-1940 in particular, carried in their social columns all sorts of things that were going on the community. Many times, family relationships can be defined through these columns. Birth announcements, marriage write ups, photos, and much more can be found. I’ve found death/funeral write-ups in the old social columns, even though there was no obituary or death notice.

Many newspapers carried columns called Vital Records, listings of marriage applications, births, and deaths. This section may not be found on the same page as the obituaries or death notices. I’ve found the columns as early as the early 1900′s in the Detroit papers.