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.
| Last Name | First Name | Born | Died | Primary area of residence | job | SSDI | SSA and Claims |
| Neill | Constance | 1941 | 2015 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Teacher | No—too recent | No—too recent |
| Neill | Cecil | 1903 | 1968 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farmer | yes | no |
| Neill | Ida | 1910 | 1994 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farm wife | Yes | yes |
| Ufkes | John | 1917 | 2003 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farmer | yes | yes |
| Ufkes | Dorothy | 1924 | 2008 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farm wife | yes | No |
| Johnson | Wilbur | 1912 | 1991 | Rock Island County, Illinois
|
Factory worker | yes | yes |
| Johnson | Grace | 1913 | 2000 | Rock Island County, Illinois
|
Housewife and seamstress | Yes | yes |
| Lake | Ola | 1906 | 1969 | Linn County, Missouri and Rock Island County, Illinois
|
Coal miner & janitor | yes | no |
| Lake | Anna | 1913 | 1987 | Linn County, Missouri and Rock Island County, Illinois
|
Hairdresser | yes | No |
| Neill | Charles | 1875 | 1948 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farmer | No | Yes |
| Neill | Fannie | 1883 | 1965 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farm wife | yes | No |
| Trautvetter | George | 1869 | 1935 | Hancock and Adams Counties, Illinois
|
Farmer | Too early | Too early |
| Miller | Ida | 1874 | 1939 | Hancock and Adams Counties, Illinois
|
Farm wife | No—probably too early | No-probably too early |
| Ufkes | Frederich | 1893 | 1960 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farmer | No | no |
| Ufkes | Tena | 1895 | 1986 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farm wife | Yes | No |
| Habben | Mimka | 1881 | 1969 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farmer | Yes | No |
| Habben | Tjode | 1882 | 1964 | Hancock County, Illinois
|
Farm Wife | No | No |
| Johnson | Walter | 1890 | 1941 | Knox and Rock Island Counties
|
Farmer/Factory worker | No | No |
| Fluegel | Eva | 1894 | 1970 | Hancock and Adams Counties, Illinois
|
No | yes | |
| Mortier | Henry | 1885 | 1996 | Rock Island County, Illinois
|
Farmer and city bus driver | Yes | No |
| Mortier | Caroline | 1884 | 1981 | Rock Island County, Illinois
|
Yes—as Coroline | No | |
| Lake | Granville | 1864 | 1946 | Linn County, Missouri
|
No | No | |
| Lake | Clara | 1867 | 1921 | No-too early | No-too early | ||
| Apgar Frame | William | 1888? | Unknown | Cook County, Illinois-maybe others
|
No | No—but further searches need to be done | |
| Williams | Mary Marie | 1895 | 22 Novembe 1961 | Cook County, Illinois | No | no |
One response
I discovered that my Mother HAD been married to a man prior to my father…the Social Security App and Claims listed ALL her names…and Yes, a man I knew to be her boyfriend must have also been her husband!!! Don’t think you would change your name on your SS card if you didn’t have too!!