The search for individual and family information may often focus on birth, marriage, and death records, but documents related to work and retirement also provide helpful data. Social Security and private sector pension records can provide or verify things you need for comprehensive genealogy research. They offer legal names, birth and other dates, work history, and more. They can help you pinpoint career changes and relocations that may lead you to other research avenues.
Social Security Documents and the Data They Provide
Since Social Security is such an important and official thing, it’s less likely that the records were destroyed or deleted in any way. This makes them a reliable source of data for individuals born and alive in the 20th or 21st centuries. The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is one of the most common research sources for genealogists. You can request records directly from the official administrative offices with the U.S. government. There are also historical records available online.
When searching for a specific name, you may find their SS-5 or Social Security number application form. All U.S. citizens as well as permanent and temporary residents probably filled this out if they lived after 1935, when the Social Security Act was signed into law. This little document provides full name, address, date of birth, parents’ names, and potentially details about their career.
Often handwritten, they can even help you match different documents to the same individual even if they changed their name, such as in the case of a married woman taking her husband’s surname or the adoption of a nickname.
Private and Military Pension Information
While there was no official government requirement to file this information for private workers, some of these pension records still exist. Most date back to the early 20th century only. The best places to find them are related to specific occupations, company names, or unions. Government and railroad workers’ pension information and work history is often easier to find. Pensions from large corporations come next, with smaller companies less likely to keep any of these details for long after the person receiving the pension has passed on.
If a person has retired from the armed forces, the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) can include information about their pension. Besides name, date of birth, and similar basic data points, these documents also include military branch, length of service, rank achieved, and final duty assignments. These determine the eligibility and level of pension benefits. Related details like where the person lived during their service and when they retired and who their beneficiaries were can help your research, too.
The information you find in Social Security, private business, or military retirement and pension documents depend on so many factors. Different time periods included different details, and things like whether they served during wartime or peacetime service also mattered. While it is more difficult to locate and get data from private pensions, they can still open some doors you may not have noticed before.
Genealogy researchers can find more than basic data in Social Security and pension records. They provide a look back in time at the careers and working lives of family members long gone. While limited to the late 19th and 20th centuries, they can still fill in gaps or help verify details found in other resources. With the convenience of MyHeritage searches, you can transform your family tree from a collection of names to a really rich history of lives well lived.
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Source: My Heritage
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