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Big Changes at the U.S. Social Security Death Index

Created in 1936, the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is the repository holding records of individuals who have lived and died in the US.  This resource has been of great importance to many persons interested in researching their family tree. However, in more recent years this free public searchable database has also been misused by those with less honorable intentions. In fact, the recent changes come about due to the stolen identities of deceased infants, from records that were believed to have been accessed at the SSDI public data base.  For this reason the SSDI has made changes that will negatively affect genealogists and family history researchers with U.S. interests.

About the changes

Death records from the Public Death Master File (DMF) will no longer be accessed and added to the database effective November 2011.  In addition the SSDI is also removing 4.2 million of its 89 million records and will be decreasing new records added by about 1 million per year.

The new records added will come from family members, funeral homes, hospitals, Federal agencies, postal authorities and financial institutions. It is solely state death certificates that will no longer be added. The full notice from the NTIS reads:

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: CHANGE IN PUBLIC DEATH MASTER FILE RECORDS

We receive Death Master File (DMF) data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA receives death reports from various sources, including family members, funeral homes, hospitals, and financial institutions.

Q: What change is SSA making to the Public DMF?

A: Effective November 1, 2011, the DMF data that we receive from SSA will no longer contain protected state death records. Section 205(r) of the Act prohibits SSA from disclosing state death records SSA receives through its contracts with the states, except in limited circumstances. (Section 205r link – http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title02/0205.htm)

Q: How will this change affect the size of the Public DMF?

A: The historical Public DMF contains 89 million records. SSA will remove approximately 4.2 million records from this file and add about 1 million fewer records annually.

REMINDER: DMF users should always investigate and verify the death listed before taking any adverse action against any individual.

Genealogist may still be able to research data from their state vital statistics offices; this however will mean more work as these records are not indexed.

How do you feel about these changes? Join us over at the  https://www.genealogybeginner.com/community/genealogy-news-events/changes-at-the-ssdi#p54 forum for more discussion.

A Well-Kept Secret: The Internet Archives is an Amazing Resource for Genealogists

The Internet Archives is front-page news for all beginning genealogists and family historians. Internet Archives is taking a lesson from the lost library of Alexandria.  Alleged to be the greatest repository of knowledge in the known world, the Great Library housed books written by the most renowned scholars and philosophers: but all that was lost when it burned to the ground. In collaboration with the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress, The Internet Archives is actively working to digitize and preserve written records for coming generations. This is great news for genealogists.

The archives has an ever expanding compilation of resources consisting of  items from the National Library of Scotland, The University of Toronto and the Boston Public Library to name a few.

What you will find at the Internet Archives

Some major genealogical resources you can find on their site include Biographical documents, Vital Statistics and books on surname origins. Perhaps most significant to genealogy research is their collection of Old Parish Registers from Great Britain, Canada and the United States. Even better is the fact that accessing this information is easy and free.

How to access records

For beginning genealogists or those new to online research it may seem a little complicated at first.  Do not be intimidated, it is actually effortless to get straight to the information you want in three simple steps.

Because Genealogy Beginner is here to help you, we have put together a little walk through to get you started, just click to Old Parish Registers and scroll to the Record of the parish list of deaths. 1785-1819 – Bentley, William, 1759-1819, Salem Mass.

Step one:

Click on Record of the parish list of deaths. 1785-1819 – Bentley, William, 1759-1819, Salem Mass. and it will take you to http://www.archive.org/details/recordofparishli00bent

Step two:

Click on “editable web page”  at the bottom of the first text box and it will take you to “Open Library”

Step three:

Click “read online” at the top of the right hand column.  Once you are here, you are ready to read.  At the bottom of the page, you can use the page-turner icons or simply drag your mouse to select a specific page. The richness of genealogical information is astounding. For instance, on page 143 of this document you can find entry # 1087 that gives the following account:

“Nov.7. Margaret, widow of Benjamin Nurse. Fever, etc.,  67 years. She was a Welcome in Daniels Street. Married at 26, and lived thirty years in married life. Her husband a baker. Left two children: eldest son in Boston. Her Brother Thomas married a Lambert. A sister Foye only one left. Daniels Street.”

Wrap up

In addition to the main collection, there are also sub collections that cover passenger lists, Military records and books from the Brigham Young University Family History Library. The Internet Archive is a wholly not-for-profit organization. It was founded for the sole purpose of building an internet library that offers unending access to historical collections for researchers, historians, genealogists and the public. The Internet Archives is a site that all genealogists need to bookmark.

Genealogy or Family History?

For many beginning genealogists, the line between the concrete facts of genealogical research and the personal lore of family history are easily blurred.  This article by Genealogy Beginner’s resident genealogist, Ramona Hartley clearly demonstrates the difference between the two related but separate fields of study. Do you know the difference between genealogy and family history? When you are a beginning genealogist; taking those first tentative steps in researching your ancestry, it can be difficult to distinguish the difference between them.

The terms genealogy and family history refer to two separate but equally significant approaches to exploring your roots. The fundamental difference between the two methods lies in the sources of information used to conduct the research. These sources consist of primary, secondary, and tertiary information.

Genealogy

The study of Genealogy refers to the fact based inquiry into your ancestry. It is the concrete process of searching for your genetic origins by gathering and documenting the names, dates and locations of your predecessors. Genealogy requires adherence to the precise information presented within public record to provide irrefutable evidence of your lineage.

A genealogist’s tools are the source materials such as Statutory Index Records for marriages, births, deaths, and baptisms, although at times family bibles and Census Records can be primary sources. To correctly conduct genealogy research you would want to use only primary source information, which means using any record showing a first hand account of an event and containing the signature of a witness.

Family History

Family History refers to the study of the unique details and personal events in your ancestor’s lives; it is their story as told by you, their descendant. Family history research fleshes out the full account that gives life and character to your family tree by including the private details of your generations past; these being the fine points of lives lived that are not found solely within public records. A family historian can use secondary and even tertiary information such as, old photographs, diaries, letters and family lore.

Tying it together

That is not to say that you can not use primary sources for family history research. The study of family history often requires the need to read between the lines of public documents and dig a little deeper to find the tale that lies within. Some truly wonderful opportunities for family history stories are hidden in genealogical data.

Using a fantastic clue found in an Old Parish Record, I will show you how the two can work together.

Genealogy Data + the Family Historian = A Great Story

OPR Extract:

Parish of Carstairs, County of Lanark. Dated May 2nd. 1790

“May 2nd, this day Alexander Gibson in Longflush and Christian Weir had a daughter {Begot in Fornication}. Baptized, Named Janet Gibson.”

The Family History element

This baptismal record from Scotland 1790, tells us that the child being baptized was “begot in fornication”. Even so, both father and mother were listed in the parish record.

Sensing a good family history story, I researched what the term “Begot in Fornication” would have meant to the lives of these individuals in 1700’s Scotland.

What I found was that, the community was very narrow-minded in those days, quick to bring transgressors before the sessions. In this case the father of the child came forward and admitted his liabilities. Due to this he was listed in the record even though he did not marry the mother. The parents of the child being from “good church going families” would have been brought to task publicly and admonished for their sin, this over a period of three Sundays at normal services. Having then been deemed publicly humiliated they would be, so to speak, brought back into the fold and the child baptized.

Wrap up

The short and sweet answer to the question; do you know the difference between genealogy and family history is… You are a genealogist when: you are searching for and documenting records from primary sources and your concern is for factual, proven accounts of births, baptisms, marriages and deaths. You are a family historian when: you are using those facts in addition to reported events that although probable, may not be substantiated by first hand account in the available records; for the purpose of telling the story of your family’s unique and very personal past.

No matter what your method, don’t be surprised if when rediscovering their lives’, you gain a better understanding of your own.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ramona_Hartley

My heritage: The Family Friendly Search Engine

Guest Post by Nick Capallero

Anyone involved in genealogical research knows about the difficulty in tracking long lost family members, in obtaining and organizing official records and placing them in an easy-to-use family tree for all the family. Although nowadays one can get help online, a good and trustworthy genealogy research tool, specializing in finding ancestors and advancing our family research, is essential.

Continue reading “My heritage: The Family Friendly Search Engine” »

Family Tree Research – The First Steps

Some folks are asking about family tree research and if we could offer some ideas/assistance with how to actually find your ancestors. We’ll spread the ideas out over several posts so you can digest things in small chunks (at least my mind works that way).

 

 

 

That said, I’m going to assume …

• You have a family tree template and understand how to fill out a family tree.

• You’ve got the passion to create a family tree that will make you and your family proud.

• You’re having a little trouble researching your family history.

• Your biggest challenge…? I’m going to assume you simply don’t know where to start.

The first step is to organize your paperwork. Some people like to get a special notebook or pen for notes. Something to make it special. With this in place, you need to write down everything you know about your family. But focus just on you, your parents, and their parents. This “family brainstorming” will be critical to help guide your initial research. (More on this later.) The initial research starts with your living parents and grand-parents. Getting information from them and, more importantly, getting permission to rummage around their attics. These will be your first (and best) research resource.

Here is what you’re looking for… the full name, birth date, marriage date, and date of their death.

Check future posts on where to go from here.

New Magazine for Genealogy Beginners

All of a sudden there seems to be a run on posts related to magazines. Here is another one I came across this morning. Discovering Family History is a new magazine geared toward the beginning genealogist. You can download a free (no sign-up required) preview at the link above. The publisher writes: “Welcome to Discovering Family History, the latest magazine from the publishers of Family Chronicle, Internet Genealogy and History Magazine. This new bi-monthly magazine is targeted at people who are starting their genealogy, need a refresher course or are tackling a new aspect of genealogy.

 

Discovering Family History articles are being written by some of the most respected book and magazine authors ­ and many of them have extensive experience of teaching genealogy courses, either face-to-face or online.

Even if you have been conducting your genealogy research for many years, you may want to take a look at what Discovering Family History has to offer: as you get more and more into your family history, you will find the need to investigate resources that are completely new to you. Discovering Family History can help.”

I love this free preview. The articles appear to be exciting and well written. Some article titles include:

• A Few Fantastic Free Family History Websites
• Let Obituaries Speak to You (<– With an Excellent Graphic)
• Who Else is Researching Your Name
• What is a Vital Record

Good stuff!

 

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Where to Next?

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Social Security Death Records

Another great article by Leo Talbot:

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) contains the names and vital information of around 65 million deceased Americans. It is an extremely large and important database for genealogy enthusiasts. Information is archived in the SSDI when a death has been reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA), such as when a family member stops the Social Security Benefits (SSB) of a person, or applies for survivor’s benefits.

 

In the early 1960’s, the SSA began using computer technology to store vital records. Therefore, most records included in the SSDI have death dates of 1962 or later, and birth dates from the early 1900’s. Although there are a few birth dates as far back as the 1850’s, and death dates prior to 1960, not all earlier data has been entered into the current SSDI.

Social Security Death Records

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

• 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

SSDI Search Tip #1: Use maiden names when searching for women. SSDI is a valuable genealogy tool. The SSDI can assist your genealogy 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.

SSDI Search Tip #2 : Start your search on the SSDI with just a few facts. You can search on any combination of data. A last name and known possible birth period may be a good place to start. If the results are too large, add additional data and search again. Also, do not use middle initials – middle names are not recorded in the SSDI.

Soundex Search is a very useful feature that can assist where names may have been misspelled.

Leo Talbot writes genealogy articles such as the social security death index and others

(A Genealogy Beginner Sponsor)

 

Family Ancestry

Tracing your family ancestry is a great way to connect with family members around the world. One of the best ways to get started with the process is to find a brief introductory guide in genealogy. You don’t have to become an expert on the subject, but you do need to know some basic tips for sorting through the tremendous amount of data available online and in public records. The Basic Beginner’s Genealogy Guide from Genealogy Beginner provides you with the basic skills you need to trace your ancestry, dating back hundreds of years. One of the first things you’ll discover when you read this guide is how to simplify the process.

 

For example, the first chapter of the guide provides you with tips for tracing your closest relatives and working backwards from there.

Many of the people who have purchased The Basic Beginner’s Genealogy Guide from Genealogy Beginner have reported finding more information on their ancestors than they ever imagined possible. If you’re approaching your genealogy research like a fun hobby, the guide offers several suggestions for planning fact-finding activities. One of the most popular activities involves incorporating a family reunion into your genealogy research efforts.

Like most family reunions, the genealogy family reunion takes place at a central location, preferably near a popular tourist attraction or outdoor recreational facility. The guide offers suggestions for planning your family reunion and also offers practical advice for gathering information about your ancestors. A genealogy family reunion is a great way to gather old photos, newspaper clippings, stories about relatives, and even video footage.

8th Annual SLC Trip: April 13-20, 2008

Any opportunity you have to get to Salt Lake City and the LDS Library, you should consider it.  The LDS (Later Day Saints) is the single largest collection of genealogy records in the world.  Below is a short post about an upcoming organized trip.  Kathryn Doyle writes:

“It’s not too early to sign up for the 8th annual CGS Salt Lake City Research Tour, April 13-20, 2008. Jane Lindsey, CGS President, and Nancy Peterson, CGS Research Director, return again as volunteer leaders of this very popular trip to the Family History Library. The trip registration form gives a full description of cancellation and refund policy.

 

Accommodations are at the Shilo Inn, located three blocks from the Family History Library. The Shilo Inn has free high-speed internet access in every room.

The cost is $625 (airfare not included.) A deposit of $200 holds one space.”

Click here to read more about this trip.

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Where to Next?

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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