Use the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) to Document Your Relatives

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Tom Kemp

Keep your research simple. Knowing the first step to take when doing your family history searches can save you time and effort.

Here’s one good genealogy search tip to keep in mind: target your relatives using GenealogyBank’s online Social Security Death Index.

What if you know that your family has lived in a certain county for a long time, but you don’t know all of their names?

A good first step to take: use the Social Security Death Index as a quick way to survey death records about your family from that county.

In the following example, this easy search finds all of the deaths in Fairfield County, Connecticut, for everyone surnamed “Carlucci.”

GenealogyBank’s SSDI search form for Carlucci family in Fairfield County, Connecticut

This is a simple way to pull back records for many of your relatives with one easy search.

Search results in GenealogyBank’s SSDI for the Carlucci family in Fairfield County, Connecticut

Use this direct survey approach to gather the records for multiple relatives with one search. This approach will save you time and get you the documentation you need.

Then go on to the next simple step: search in GenealogyBank’s newspaper archives and find the obituaries and other newspaper articles about these people.

GenealogyBank newspaper articles about the Carlucci family in Fairfield County, Connecticut

By approaching the SSDI with clear, brief searches you can find your relatives, save time and get the best results.

Social Security Death Index Comparison across Genealogy Sites

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Tom Kemp

The Social Security Death Index is available on so many genealogy sites—are they all alike?

You might think so—but on looking closer, they aren’t all the same. In fact, there are many differences in the Social Security information they provide, as this article will show.

Here’s an important question to ask when comparing various genealogy websites: how many SSDI records are on each site?

SSDI Search Websites Comparison Chart

GenealogyBank and Ancestry update their SSDI records every week and have 91.4 million records.

In contrast, FamilySearch.org has 90.7 million SSDI records and Mocavo has only 88 million SSDI records.

So—just in numbers of Social Security records available—you can miss millions of records depending on which genealogy website you visit.

Let’s look deeper and see what information is in the SSDI record on each site.

For this Social Security record comparison we’ll use Tracy Kemp as our target person, who died in 2010.

GenealogyBank.com (Free SSDI)

Tracy Kemp death record from GenealogyBank's Social Security Death Index

GenealogyBank gives his name and tells us that the Social Security card was issued in New Jersey. Importantly, the record also gives complete dates of birth and death, adding the day of the week. The Social Security record also gives a complete and accurate age at death, giving the age in years, months and days.

GenealogyBank also includes the extra information that the Social Security Administration has validated this information, giving it the “Proven” designation—telling genealogists that it is accurate information.

Ancestry.com (Pay site, no free SSDI)

Tracy Kemp death record from Ancestry's Social Security Death Index

Ancestry gives the basic facts in the Social Security record: first name, last name; birth date; death date; noting that the Social Security card was issued in New Jersey in 1979.

Archives.com (Pay site, no free SSDI)

Tracy Kemp death record from Archive's Social Security Death Index

Archives.com gives his name, birth and death dates, and notes that the Social Security card was issued in New Jersey in the online SS record.

The Social Security death record also adds that he was age 39 when he died.

FamilySearch (Free SSDI)

Tracy Kemp death record from FamilySearch's Social Security Death Index

The FamilySearch website repeats this same basic information in the SS record: his name, dates of birth/death, and place of issue of the Social Security card are all the same.

FamilySearch incorrectly gives his “estimated” age at death as 40.

Mocavo.com (Free SSDI)

Tracy Kemp death record from Mocavo's Social Security Death Index

Mocavo gives the core facts in the SS record: name, dates of birth/death, and gives the age at death as 39 years old. This site gives the Social Security number. The other sites have all removed the SSN for security concerns.

Mocavo has no SSDI records for 2011 or 2012.

AmericanAncestors.org (Free SSDI)

Tracy Kemp's SSDI record from AmericanAncestors.org

AmericanAncestors.org gives the first name, last name; birth date; death date and Social Security number. It has records from 1937 to 2011.

It is quickly apparent that all SSDI sites do not contain the same number of records or display the same amount of information. Clearly GenealogyBank.com has the edge, offering the most complete and accurate SSDI information available online.

I am looking for my family tree. Can you tell me how to find it in GenealogyBank?

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank – is an online library of resources – millions of them. Like a library it has an index – in our case an index on every word making it easy to find references in each of the issues of the newspapers, books etc. It has over 1 billion names.

(Illustration: Wikipedia Commons)
Documenting your family tree is a lot like putting up the family Christmas tree. You have the bare tree and now you need to look in the boxes of Christmas decorations and put up each one.

It takes time to pick out and put the items in just the right place on the tree – but when you’re done – wow – it always looks great.

So – let’s get started on putting together your “family tree”.

What do you know about the family?

Who are you looking for?

For example – what are your grandparents or great-grandparent’s names?

When and where were the born?
When, where were they married?

So – you’ll see who you are looking for and with the when/where of their birth, marriage and death – you can decide where in GenealogyBank will I be likely to find that information.

If they died in say, 1982 – then look in the Social Security Death Index and in the America’s Obituaries section.

If they served in the Revolutionary War – then we’ll look in the early newspapers for articles and in the Revolutionary War Grave Index in the “Historical Documents” section.

Tell me more about your family and we’ll start researching in GenealogyBank to discover the original sources that document their lives.

Taking the time to gather together the facts to document your family tree is worth it – just like it is to take the time to put together the family Christmas tree each year.

We can do this.
Tell me more about your family.

Tom

Michael Jackson (1958 -2009) You’ll Only Find Him on GenealogyBank’s SSDI

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Tom Kemp

If you’re looking for Michael Jackson in the SSDI – you’ll only find him on GenealogyBank‘s copy of the Social Security Death Index.

Why?

Because GenealogyBank is the ONLY site that updates the SSDI every week.

Be a part of GenealogyBank – Sign up Now.

Find and document your ancestors in GenealogyBank – the best source for old newspapers on the planet.

Period!

Thank you to Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak for alerting me.

GenealogyBank.com Celebrates Second Anniversary Online — Reports 67% Growth in Family History Records

Posted on October 29, 2008 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank has added over 80 million historical newspaper articles, recent obituaries and other vital records in the past two years – growing 67% – going from 160 million records to over 240 million articles, records & documents.

To celebrate its expansion and success, GenealogyBank is now offering a 30-day trial for only $9.95 along with membership savings up to 50% after the trial period.

GenealogyBank, a leading provider of historical and recent newspapers for family history research, is celebrating its second anniversary online.

GenealogyBank has added over 80 million historical newspaper articles, recent obituaries and other vital records added in the past two years, GenealogyBank is the fastest growing newspaper site for family history research and an ideal resource for exploring the real stories behind the lives of past generations.

“We now have 67% more family history information online today than when we launched and we only plan to continue growing, with new documents digitized every month.”

GenealogyBank‘s 3,600+ newspapers provide a firsthand glimpse into the everyday lives of millions of Americans who lived from 1690 to the present day. In addition to names, dates, places and events, newspapers offer real-life stories of the triumphs, challenges and turning points that formed communities and shaped lives. GenealogyBank‘s exclusive newspaper content — from all 50 states — can help family history researchers dig deeper into their family’s past.

“Most importantly,” adds Kemp, “GenealogyBank provides substantial runs from big-city dailies, regional weeklies and small-town papers from across America. There is literally coverage from every day of the week across a 300-year span.”

“And with the most complete Social Security Death Index available–as well as government documents, rare books, military records and more — GenealogyBank has truly become the ‘go-to’ source for family history information.”

Special Anniversary Savings – Save up to 50% on memberships
To celebrate its expansion and success over the past two years, GenealogyBank is now offering a 30-day trial for only $9.95 along with membership savings up to 50% after the trial period.

Subscriptions to GenealogyBank include access to more than 240 million records including an estimated one billion names from all 50 states, each of which can be viewed as a single document and printed.

Millions of additional records are added monthly.

SSDI – Free on GenealogyBank

Posted on September 10, 2008 by Tom Kemp

GenealogyBank has the most comprehensive; the most complete version of the SSDI online and now it is free online for genealogists to search.

We are celebrating Ida May Fuller’s birthday – she would have been 134 years old this year – and we’re getting a jump on celebrating our own birthday – GenealogyBank will be two years old – next month – on October 18th.

Ida May Fuller was the nation’s first Social Security benefit recipient and was a native of Vermont and lived all of her life there. In fact she lived for many years in nearby Ludlow, VT – a neighboring town to Chester, VT where GenealogyBank has its offices.

To celebrate both events we are giving back to the genealogical community and putting the most complete and up-to-date version of the SSDI free online.

So – here’s to a happy birthday to Ida May Fuller (1874-1975) – who was born September 6, 1874 and to GenealogyBank – born Oct 18th, 2006!!

GenealogyBank has not only the most complete SSDI online – it has expanded & enhanced the data – adding the day of the week when the person’s birth or death occurred and the GPS coordinates that many genealogists like to have for their records.

No other site updates the SSDI weekly.
Give it a try – search it right now – click here!

SSDI – By the Numbers

Social Security Death Index has:
82,637,474 – Death records
17,125,521 – Persons born in the 19th Century
1,040,516 – Persons that died between 1937 – 1962
5,983,919 – Persons who died in New York
191,268 – Persons named “Ida” in the SSDI
1 – Person who died in Palau

It’s a great day for genealogy!

Virginia is 401 years old today!

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Tom Kemp

Happy Birthday to Virginia!
The first colonists arrived in Jamestown, Virginia on May 14, 1607 and with ups and downs the Commonwealth has prospered ever since.

GenealogyBank.com is packed with early Americana – including millions of Virginia items go back to the 1700s.

Newspapers
GenealogyBank has more than 100 Virginia newspapers – containing more than 2.3 Million articles. There are multiple titles going back to the 1700s and early 1800s.
Click here for a complete list

Also – GenealogyBank has more than 4 Million Virginia obituaries and death records in the America’s Obituaries and Social Security Death Index (SSDI) sections.

Other Virginia Resources in GenealogyBank

Search for Virginia documents in:
American State Papers and US Serial Set in the Historical Documents section.
There are thousands of Virginia documents in the Historical Books section that are unique to GenealogyBank.

For example – here is a petition to Congress signed by the local Virginia residents south of the James River that were seeking improved conditions on the Turnpike to Richmond.

Here is an example of an early Virginia funeral sermon – for Mrs. Ann Boyd who died 1819.

Terrific sources.

Beyond GenealogyBank – here are other useful sites for Virginia research
Virginia Census Records
1850, 1880, 1900 – Free Online – FamilySearchLabs

Virginia Digital Books Online
American Memory Project
Documenting the American South
Google Books
Making of America