Genealogy Blog Family History

Social Security Index A Useful Search Tool – by Vince SummersPosted by Administrator on September 30th, 2005

The Social Security Index (SSDI) is a great help when researching 1960s forward.
Suppose you have the maiden name of a woman, and only a couple of bits of information, but not her married name. Can you find her husband on SSDI? Quite possibly:

In Craig County, Virginia, I showed a Ruba LEFFEL. She was born 9 January 1891. That was all that I had. Craig is a fairly small county. The time period was likely to be in the right range for a social security record, assuming she lived an average or slightly longer life.

I tried entering “Ruba and Craig County,” in the SSDI. Then I realized the name Ruba was likely a mis-transcription for Ruby. I took the plunge and entered Ruby and Craig County and the birth date. Got one!

Ruby OHMER. Could be her, might not be. I saw a zip code listed, and so tried again, simply entering the zip code and the surname OHMER. Two entries: Ruby and Herbert. Yes, I found dates, locations, etc., even the mate . . . maybe. Would this prove to be valid? I checked other resources, and found it was.

Not only that, but I found dozens of other bits of data on other persons using such search techniques on SSDI, in which I did NOT use the surname. I did this all in one session, on one day.

Not in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)?Posted by Administrator on August 24th, 2005

Perhaps in your search for vital records, your deceased answer is not included in the SSDI? Maybe they died prior to 1962, or their death was not reported to the SSDI? It is still possible that they may have, at some time, applied for a Social Security Card? If they did, then you may be able to obtain a copy of their SS-5? The SS-5 forms were first introduced in 1936. You will need to provide the Social Security Administration with proof of death. For details refer…. … The Social Security Administration’s Guide to Freedom of Information Act Requests

Note: Social Security payments were first instituted around 1940. As a result the Social Security Administration has virtually no information about people who died prior to this time. The majority of the SSDI vital records cover the period 1962 to 1988. There are some entries of people who died between 1940 and 1961. This data base is a rich source of information for those involved in geneology.

(You will need to search state listings for death indexes for pre 1962 deaths.)

Social Security Death Index ( SSDI)Posted by Administrator on August 4th, 2005

What is it? Containing around 65 million names and vital information of mainly deceased Americans, the SSDI is an extremely large and important data base, especially for geneology enthusiasts.

What sort of details are kept? For information to be archived in the SSDI, a death needs to have been reported, or, for example, a surviving relative may have contacted the Social Security Administration (SSA) seeking to stop the Social Security Benefits (SSB) of a parent.

Social Security Death Records (SSDR) contain the following data on a deceased person:

• Last name
• First name
• Date of Birth
• Date of Death
• Where the last SSB was sent
• State of residence
• Where the SSN was issued
• Last known address

A Search Tip: When doing a search in the SSDI, do not include the middle initial. Middle names were not indexed. Use first and last names only.

What period is covered by these records? Most of the birth dates recorded are from the early decades of the last century: 1900 to 1930 Death dates are mainly from the period 1962 to 1988. It was in the early 1960’s that the SSA commenced using computer technology to store and archive vital records.

Although there are birth dates as far back as the 1850’s (about 1856), and death dates prior to the 1960’s, not all earlier data has been included in the current SSDI.

A SSDI Search Tip: Use maiden names when searching for females.

SSDI is a valuable genealogy tool. The SSDI can assist your geneology research by providing data that will help you locate birth certificates and death certificates. By providing the names of parents, a female’s maiden name, people’s places of residence and their occupation, it may also assist in the search for marriage certificates and other vital records.

A SSDI Search Tip: Start your search on the SSDI with just a few facts. This facility allows you to search on any combination of data. A last name and known possible birth period may do for starters? If the results are very large, then add additional data and search again.

Note: There is a very useful feature, “Soundex Search” which assists where names may have been misspelled.