| p>If you are an amateur genealogist, researching | | | | Administration. This database is also called the |
| your family tree, you already know that you | | | | Social Security Death Index. |
| start with yourself, and then your immediate | | | | This database is not a complete set of all deaths |
| family. You will want to use a blank family tree | | | | in the United States, but it is the largest single |
| and pedigree chart to record information about | | | | database of deaths. While the data goes back to |
| your immediate family members. | | | | 1937, most of the records are from 1962 |
| For each person, you record key information like | | | | onwards, which is when the SSA computerized |
| full name, date and place of birth, date and place | | | | the process of keeping records. |
| of death, spouse, children, and parents. You also, | | | | The SSAMDF contains the following information: |
| of course, record, any other important | | | | -full legal name |
| information that is compelling about your relative. | | | | -social security number |
| As you reach beyond your parents and | | | | -date and place of death |
| grandparents, however, you will need to use | | | | -date and place of birth |
| secondary documents and records to gather the | | | | -names of parents |
| information you seek. | | | | -place of birth of parents |
| The usual places to look for data include birth | | | | -cause of death |
| records, marriage records, divorce records, | | | | -burial place |
| immigration records, military records, criminal | | | | Even if you know where and when someone |
| records, census records, and death records. | | | | died, this database can give you more information, |
| Of course, you will also need to search for these | | | | as for example, it gives you parental names and |
| records outside the United States as you go | | | | places of birth, and it gives you a social security |
| further back with your family. | | | | number (if it existed). Knowing the number, you |
| You might also find some branches of your family | | | | can ask the SSA for the social security application |
| tree have been maintained by other relatives, as | | | | which can give you more information you may |
| you search in the genealogical centers such as the | | | | not have had. |
| one maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ or | | | | Unfortunately, this database is not available |
| ones you find on the internet through sites like | | | | directly from the SSA, but is made available to a |
| RootsWeb.com, Ancestry.com, | | | | large set of vendors who provide the information |
| WorldVitalRecords.com, and | | | | to the public. The sites mentioned above, all |
| One fruitful place to look for documents is the | | | | provide searches of the SSAMDF. They will all |
| Social Security Administration Master Death File | | | | charge a membership fee, but for most of them, |
| (SSAMDF). This is a database maintained by the | | | | the fee covers access to all of their other |
| US Social Security Administration, which records all | | | | databases as well. |
| deaths that are reported to the Social Security | | | | |