My Thoughts On The SSDI

While I fully understand the thinking behind making it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain full SS-5's from the Social Security Administration, in order to prevent identity fraud, I cannot understand eliminating the SSDI [Social Security Death Index].

The SSDI has already been changed to the point that social security numbers have been eliminated from the index when one is researching them online. And I can understand this, while I don't like it, I do understand it. However, part of the process in order to obtain an SS-5, was in providing the participant's social security number, thus making it almost impossible for an individual to obtain copies of this document.

I know for myself that in obtaining an unredacted copy of the SS-5 I have uncovered many, many clients information for their family studies. [I unfortunately lost $27 on the last record I ordered, as between the time I ordered it, and the time it was sent, only redacted copies were being sent back. A nice letter of apology came with the mucked over copy, but no refund!]

Isn't there a much more simpler way to prevent the identy fraud/ theft and still allow family members/ genealogy researchers to obtain necessary information?

I believe the simplest solution of all is simply making sure the individual who requests a copy is identifying themselves. A full copy of their picture ID AND birth certificate, along with a genealogical tree that connects them to the participant should eliminate alot of questions. I know that most states require this for obtaining a birth record today.

It would also help that when a number has been reported through death certificate that an individual is deceased, that when a request has been made, the number would be brought up as deceased when an individual attempts to use it illicitly.

I mean, come on... when the US Government has stopped SS benefits because an elderly person is deceased...why do they then reopen the file allowing someone new to claim the number????

Children's numbers being used by adults??? Come on... when a social security number is assigned at birth, and the deceased child is four or five years of age, how can someone who is an adult have use of it! That should bring up a red flag within the SSA.

I blame all of this nonsense on the SSA being mal-organized and its authority abused. A simple program written for red flagging birth years or dates that do not match could be added to the programming. When personnel don't find, let it be alerted through automaton.

Come on ... when the US Government can flag the Library system's use, listen in to your telephone conversation from space, or red flag your personal blog, why can't they keep track of a simple Social Security number?

Let's keep fighting for our FOIA rights. It is our right to know about our ancestors. Let's not allow ourselves to be denied access to information that should be ours.

And that's where I stand.

Two Civil War Pensions Still Being Paid Monthly

According to an article in US NEWS titled "U.S. Government Still Pays Two Civil War Pensions", by Lauren Fox, the following post is written.

Although the Civil War ended on 09 April 1865, records from Department of Veteran's Affairs show that the children of two Civil War Veterans, as of September, are receiving pensions from their father's service.

Affairs Spokesman Phil Budahn reports the Veteran's Administration last checked on these recipients in September 2011. At that time both were alive, but in poor health, giving one pause to believe the pensions won't last much longer.

As to why these two began receiving these pensions, one can only speculate. Perhaps physical incapacity kept them from ever becoming employable, thus enabling them to receive the pension their life entirety.

The last Civil War veteran, Albert Woolson,

...died in 1956 at 109 years of age. [Woolson had been a Union drummer boy at the age of 17.]

The last widow receiving a pension was Gertrude "Gertie" Grubb Janeway,

who died in 2003, at the age of 93. [Gertie was only 18 when she married 81 year old John Janeway. She became a widow at the age of 28.

The two individuals who are the children of Civil War veterans, and still receive their pensions, have asked for annonymity.

It is with awe that this country continues to pay pensions, on a war that ended almost 147 years ago!

God bless them!

Wordless Wednesday

Floyd Ersatus Beane and Family

Tombstone Tuesday - Lucinda Honaker

LUCINDA

Wife of

S.S. HONAKER

DIED

AUG. 29, 1869

AGED

42 Yrs 7ms __dys

Luinda Honaker was the daughter of William and Rachel Bean. She was born 03 Jul 1817 on Dropping Lick in Monroe County, [West] Virginia. She was the third born of thirteen children to the couple.

Lucinda married Samuel Sams Honaker [1819-1895] on 17 Oct 1836 in Monroe County. The couple had nine children: Thomas Davidson Honaker

Ephraim Styrus Honaker

Martha Isabel Honaker

William Bean Honaker

Henry Austin Honaker

John Jackon Honaker

Floyd Asbury Honaker

James Clark Honaker

Medora A. Honaker

Around 1850, the couple moved up into Kanawha County, and settled there.

Lucinda died on 29 Aug 1869. She is buried at Sissonville, Kanawha County at the Humphrey's Memorial Church.

Amaneunsis Monday - Andrew Gastin Death Record

Monroe County, [West] Virginia

1856/ Line 39

Andrew Gastin - Slave - Owner: William Been [sic]- Male - Location: PottsCreek - Cause of Death: Hooping Cough [sic] - Age: 3months - Place of Birth: Monroe County - Reported by: William Been [sic] - Relationship: Owner

It is believed that Andrew was the son of Caroline, one of William Bean Sr.'s slaves. According to family legend, slaves were buried at the perimeter of the family cemetery, located on the Bean Farm on Potts Creek, near present day Waiteville. And, there are clearly defined graves along the old fence line that are not marked by stones. It is presumed that Andrew Gastin is buried here.

Since this death was reported at the same time as William Bean reporting the death's of his aughter Nancy [d. 11 Oct 1856] and his wife Rachel [d. 07 Nov 1856], although an exact date is not noted, we presume that his death was in close proximity to these two. [The three are listed on the same page in the register, on lines 37-39.]

Another Brick Wall Down!

I have been working on both my family tree as well as my husband's for many years. And there are a number of brick walls we have yet to break through. [DH works on his tree when the "mood" hits... and in the past few years... that's pretty seldom!]

Well, routinely I will throw out feelers in search engines and see if something will turn up that might assist us. Yesterday, I looked through online family trees to see if any one else had found some info. And... bless my soul... someone had. However, that someone did not have a single source listed... and so I discounted the info until I could find proof.

Don't ya know... after several hours, I was able to locate just the sources necessary to provide substantial proof to theory of this line?

Yep... another brick wall...

...comes tumbling down!

We knew that Emma Louise Pettie's father was Timothy Martin Pettie. This information we had obtained from the FOIA on Emma's Social Security Application [today we can't get that information!].

Emma Louise Pettie Henry's SS-5 Application

And we had found Timothy on the 1880, 1900 and 1910 Census records. But where was he before that?

From a family tree posted on Ancestry.com we were able to get a clue as to who Timothy's father was. In searching for him, Balaam Petty, we found the missing years of Timothy's census records. These matched up to his age for each of those years, as well as other known facts about him.

In so finding, we also discovered proof of Timothy's second wife, as well as who his mother was. Searching back a bit farther, we discovered Balaam's parents, and their subsequent marriage record in Wake County, North Carolina in 1811.

Balaam Petty and his family on the 1870 Census at Ballard County, Kentucky

Timothy is listed here, as well on the Census records for 1860.

While copies of the Census records, marriage records, birth records, and burials are found, today is being spent recording all of this lovely information.

What an exciting day for us here at Mountain Genealogists to break through this brick wall, and be able to say with certainty who Texican's gr-gr-grandfather is. Even more exciting, we can say with certainty who his gr-gr-gr-grandfather is, too!

Yep... we're doing the happy dance here!

Lesson learned?

Never give up. Online sources, are of course, only a drop in the bucket to what can be found offline and on site! However, keep going back to those online sources. They are constantly being updated, and you never know when something will cause you to have a break through!

One of the reasons we had been unable to locate Timothy Petty prior to 1880, is that his name was being indexed as "Thim." I'm sure someone thought that was a good abbreviation for Timothy...but it sure wasn't coming up in indexes appropriately! But once we found his father's name...there he was! How wonderful for us!

Keep checking back periodically to those old search sites and search engines. You may find yourself suddenly.... on the other side of the brick wall!

Sentimental Sunday - All Those Orphan Photos

I am sure I am not alone when I say I collect the photographs of my family. I have, literally, thousands. And, of course, along the way, there have been those photographs which were unidentifiable. Oh, they came from numerous sources. They were, perhaps, found in a box of grandmother's old photographs; or Uncle's tobacco box after he passed away; or tucked in some distant cousins Bible.

I cannot bear to part with any of them, thinking that perhaps one day I will find the identity of these individuals. And so, for the next few weeks, I will be posting some of this collection on Sentimental Sunday's. I can't think of a more appropriate title!