How I Found My Great-Great Grandparents Using A Social Security Application

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After searching for over 6 months I finally found the names of my great-great grandparents! I did it using a Social Security Application linked from an index that I searched on Ancestry. To make it even more amazing, these were the names of the parents of my immigrant ancestor who had never set foot in the US and therefore were going to be super challenging to find.

The index record I found was in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 database on Ancestry. The funny thing is that I did not search this database directly but was searching for a completely different relative within Wills & Probates and ‘lo and behold’ this record of my great-grandfather was sitting there at the top of the results!

On the index were the names of his parents, my great-great grandparents. Cue lottery-winning noises!

Such is the craziness of the Ancestry search algorithms that we’ve all experienced! The even crazier part is that when I go back and search directly into the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 records, his record still doesn’t show up!!! Oh my twisted Tuesday! Go figure that one.

I don’t know how he got there but I’m blessed that he did – it’s a paradox for sure.

Ok, for y’all looking for that Social Security Application file for your ancestor, there can be a lot MORE information on the form that they filled out than is indexed on Ancestry. Here’s a link to the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index on Ancestry; I’d recommend reading through the description.

The indexes show basic information but will often leave out the mother’s maiden name, address, place of work, middle names, and other vital bits of genealogical gold that we are all hunting for. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page it will shuttle you to an “online request form,” that’s where you can get a copy of the Social Security form like I did.

how-i-found-my-great-grandparents-using-a-social-security-application-1 — Screen shot showing SSA info and request form link

I followed the link to the Social Security Online site which handles their online Form SSA-711 “Request for Deceased Individual’s Social Security Record[s].” I read the instructions thoroughly, filled out the request form online, paid my $27 and within 2 weeks I had a copy of my great-grandparent’s Social Security form that he filled out himself complete with his signature and the names of my great-great grandparents.

What makes a form like this invaluable to researchers and family historians is the fact that without researching another country through another language, I was able to identify the names of my great grandfather’s parents. That is the research gold, that’s the genealogical windfall. I was also, through this form, able to corroborate his identity on other documents because of his address and SSN, that’s also huge for other future research interests.