Using SS Records to Find Family

And as you go further back into your family history, you will find that you go on many different dead end paths. This is the reason why it is a better idea to use a site that has all inclusive records rather than trying to write for records from different counties as it can be very time consuming and costly.

It helps, naturally, to know as much about your starter relative (this is the name that I made up to give to the person who you use to begin your search) as possible. The more you know, the better off you are. You can also use this information to narrow down your search field when you are searching for them online through the records.

Glean as much information from the social security records as possible. They may have information such as spouse name, birth date and other information. Social security records only go back as far as the 1930s, at which time when social security was adopted. Anyone who died before the 1930s will be difficult to find from these records. But that does not mean that you cannot find them. There are many other public records that the social security records can lead you to after you have located your starter relative on them. For example, my grandfather’s death certificate was of interest to me. Why? Because it gave me information as to his family. So the next step was to get a copy of that death certificate and find out just what the name of his mother was.

Social security records are easy to find and can be discovered for free for any deceased
individual. You cannot get social security records for living persons for obvious reasons. They are your first step in finding out your ancestors, but remember, they are one step of many that you need to take in order to find out your family history.