A great new resource is now available at ancestry.com.
The U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, provides access to a huge amount of information for research, though it does not include all deceased people whose records exist.
Applications for a Social Security number have been available for a fee, and still are. These began in 1936 and provide a wealth of data, especially people you might have a hard time tracing. You can search this new database by name, parents and Social Security number, if you know it.
Remember, self-employed people such as farmers did not necessarily sign up. My grandfather, who died in 1940, did sign up and his widow got benefits at his early death, but his application, which I have a copy of, does not appear in this database.
The information here is typed, meaning someone else interpreted what they wrote. If you don’t find a person quickly, search by initials, surnames only, cities, parents or potential misspellings. Read carefully the introduction that appears at the bottom of the search page, because at the end it tells how you can order (for $29) a copy of the actual application (SS-5) from the Social Security Administration.
In this database, everyone who registered had to be alive in 1936 when the system began, or afterward. Also, all people represented by these records are deceased, and it only includes people who died by 2007.
Conyers workshop
A genealogy workshop is being held 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1275 Flat Shoals Road, Conyers. It’s free, but reservations are requested via Pamela Hiatt at FHCL2015@gmail.com. Topics will include the Freedman’s Bureau, Rootsmagic, DNA, using FamilySearch and basic genealogy.
Oral history tips
Some tips on how to properly conduct oral interviews: Always prepare your questions ahead of time, have a release form that gives you permission to archive the interview or use it later as a reference, and be sure you have backup batteries on hand.
For more tips from the Oral History Association, see oralhistory.org.
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