Documents

Mother’s Day was always a time of year I would wonder about my biological mother. When I was younger I knew I was adopted but didn’t know details, like my parents’ names or birthdays, so Hallmark Holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day usually were what would trigger reflection for me. Growing up, when I would think about my mother (biological) I would wonder many things. What did she look like? What did her voice sound like? Did she think about me too? Did she remember my birthday? Did she still love me? Did she regret the choice she made? There was a point in my life that I even went as far as writing a fictional story about… [more]

When using the Social Security Death Index and viewing the field “last residence” try to remember that this is the address of record. It does not mean that this is the place of death. A perfect example is an elderly couple who had a summer home in the Northeast and a winter home in the south. The husband had passed on while residing in Florida but in the search results of the Social Security Death Index last residence is listed as a northern state. Many people have two official addresses especially if summer and winter home is involved. Another thought to keep in mind when using the Social Security Death Index is that the zip codes shown are those that… [more]

When searching the Social Security Death Index you can search b y date of birth and date of death as well as where a person lived and applied for their social security number. This is often times where the office that issued the Social Security number was located. You can also search using the residence at time of death which is the address of record but not necessarily where they lived or died and finally where the burial allowance or death benefit was sent. According to the Social Security Administration a Social Security Number is composed of three parts totally nine digits. The first three digits is called the area number, the second set of two digits is called the group… [more]

President Franklin Roosevelt said in a radio address on the third anniversary of the social security act on August 14, 1938 “"Long before the economic blight of the depression descended on the Nation, millions of our people were living in wastelands of want and fear. Men and women too old and infirm to work either depended on those who had but little to share, or spent their remaining years within the walls of a poorhouse. The Social Security Act offers to all our citizens a workable and working method of meeting urgent present needs and of forestalling future need”. Some of you may or may not realize this but the first Social Security card was issued December 1, 1936 and on January 1, 1937… [more]

If you were born in OH you may be able to access copies of certain documents in your adoption file. To be specific, section 3107.38 of the Ohio Revised Code provides that an adopted person whose birth occurred in OH and whose adoption was finalized prior to January 1, 1964 may request in writing to receive copies of the contents of an adoption file. In order to request these documents you must complete a form called “affidavit for adopted person”. This form can be obtained at http://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/legalinfo/adoptpri.aspx In addition, two forms of identification and a $20 fee that became effective October 25, 1996 is required to be attached to the request. This fee should be made payable to Treasury, State… [more]

On May 12, 2004 Senate Bill 335 became NH law with an effective date of January 1, 2005. The legislation passed, allows adult adoptees (18 years of age or older) who has had an original birth certificate removed from vital statistics records due to an adoption. The registrar will issue a non certified copy of the unaltered, original certificate of birth of the adoptee with procedures, filing fees, and waiting periods that are the same as non adopted citizens of the state. In order for an adoptee to obtain a copy of the original birth certificate he or she must be born in NH. This legislation also allows natural parents to fill out contact preference forms that describe… [more]

As I have mentioned before DE is one of the few states that permits an adoptee to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate if their natural parent has not filed a disclosure veto. What this means for the adoptee is that if there is a disclosure veto on file, the adoptee will not be able to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate. The adoptee who is requesting would be notified accordingly. How the disclosure veto works is when the adoptee files an application for their original birth certificate Vital Statistics sends out a notice to the natural mother to the best address they can find. Vital Statistics checks voter registration and driver’s license records. As you… [more]

Marriage records are open to the public, as well as divorce records. If you know either of your natural parent’s names you can go to the Marriage License office in the local court house and a clerk will assist you in checking for a marriage license. You need only the first and last name of the person you are searching for since most localities are indexed by both parties’ names who are applying for the license. Ask for a 10 year search of records after your birth. If you can't find records for your natural parents, check for possible relatives. You always want to do your own research. It may be beneficial to ask the clerk to show you how to use… [more]

The group number is not related to geography. It is the order in which social security numbers are issued for a particular area. Before 1965 half the group numbers were used. Odd numbers were used below 10 and even numbers were used above 9. After 1965 the group number assignments changed so they continued with the low even numbers and high odd numbers. Group numbers for each are assigned in the following order: Odd numbers, 01 to 09 Even numbers, 10 to 98 Even numbers, 02 to 08 Odd numbers, 11 to 99 All possible numbers are assigned with each group number before using the next group number. The group numbers can be used to find a chronological ordering of social security… [more]

A social security number consists of nine digits separated by a hyphen. The first three digit field is called the area number. The middle two numbers is called the group number and the final four numbers are called the serial number. The area numbers (the first three digits of a social security number) are assigned to geographical locations. They were originally assigned the same way that zip codes were later assigned. The area numbers increase from east to west across the United States like zip codes do. The area numbers are assigned according to state boundries with the exception of railroad workers whose area numbers are 700-729 regardless of location. The railroad workers series of numbers was discontinued… [more]