Readers know that I’m not a big fan of “activities” just for the sake of having an activity.

I decided to search the  “Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007″  and the “Social Security Death Index” at Ancestry.com for my children’s deceased ancestors through their great-great-grandparents. This was done partially because the index was new and I had not used it before and partially to try and get a better understanding of what type of individuals tend to be in the  “Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007″ as the description at Ancestry.com really isn’t all that helpful.

The names in the chart that are from my families are the ones who lived in Hancock County, Illinois. I didn’t think they were the best random sampling of names as they all were self-employed farmers (with the exception of my mother whose death is too recent to even have her be included). I was surprised that my great-grandfather Charlie Neill (1875-1948) was in the database as I really wasn’t expecting him to have a number.

My in-laws (those with locations outside Hancock County) were a little more occupationally diverse, but I made no grand discoveries other than Eva Fleugel’s entry in the  “Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007″ did not list her mother’s maiden name (the failure to include it was not a surprise).

Consider looking for your own immediate ancestors in this database even if you haven’t already.