July 2007

Elaine Turk NELL
Means Family Historian
emturk1976@hotmail.com
Member of the
NC Chapter Association of
Professional Genealogists

© Elaine Turk Nell 2008

Social Security Death Index (SSDI)

Many genealogists use the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) to locate birth and death dates, but fewer are aware of the treasures that may be found in your ancestor's application for a social security number (SS-5 Form). These include items such as the applicant's name, address, name & location of employer, date & location of birth, parents' names (including mother's maiden name), and the applicant's signature.
To order this form, go to the following website to locate your ancestor's record: http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi. Then click on "SS-5 Letter" to print a request letter generated by Rootsweb. Complete this form and mail it with the required $27 in the form of a check or money order payable to the Social Security Administration. Be patient because it often takes several months for the SSA to fulfill requests.
While Social Security officially began in 1937, the SSDI is a computerized index only for those deaths occurring 1962 or later, although a few pre-1962 deaths may be found in the index. In addition, while many of our ancestors who died after 1962 are included in the SSDI, some are not because of their occupations or because their deaths were not reported to the Social Security Administration.
For more information about using the SSDI in genealogical research, see the following website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson10.htm
Happy hunting! :)

August 2007

Elaine Turk NELL
Means Family Historian
emturk1976@hotmail.com
Member of the
NC Chapter Association of
Professional Genealogists
www.ncapg.com
© Elaine Turk Nell 2008

Were Your Ancestors Employed by the RailRoad?

Did your ancestor work for the railroad after 1936? If so, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board may have records on him/her that could assist in your genealogical research. In order to request these records, you will usually need to provide the railroad employee?s social security number, which is often found on his/her death certificate and/or through the Social Security Death Index (see July 2007 column). For more information on requesting records from the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, see the following website: http://www.rrb.gov/mep/genealogy.asp
Happy hunting! :)

November December 2007

Elaine Turk NELL
Means Family Historian
emturk1976@hotmail.com
Member of the
NC Chapter Association of
Professional Genealogists
www.ncapg.com

© Elaine Turk Nell 2008

A Wonderful Gift for your Family

At this time of Holiday get-togethers, don't forget to interview your relatives about not only their lives but also any memories they have of ancestors or other relatives. In doing so, you may learn interesting and helpful information for your genealogical research as well as add "flesh" to your family tree. It is helpful to record these interviews (with their permission, of course) but also to jot down notes as you listen. Afterwards, be sure to transcribe these interviews. Transcriptions and copies of the recordings make great Christmas gifts for family members!
While interviewing relatives, you may find that they are very open to showing you family heirlooms and photographs. Take your camera with you for the interviews because you never know what treasures they may have to share. You may even be able to borrow old photographs and make color copies from them at a local print shop (once the photos are out of copyright, of course). Put them all together, and you'll have a nice photo album of your ancestors and other relatives to share. Those also make great gifts!
Happy hunting! :)