Social Security Death Index - Warning

As some of you know, I work off of Ancestry RECORD Hints, and find this works very well for me. I then will use the Web Merge feature of Family Tree Maker to get that data from the website, into my database. The REASON I do this is so that my database contains the exact information from that Record. Misspelling and all. When the Data is in my database, then I evaluate the information presented and mark the appropriate Fact as Preferred. Keep in mind, that I have already evaluated the Hint BEFORE I do the Web Merge, to make sure it is my person. This 2nd evaluation is to match this new information against the other information I already have.

Now, the reason for this blog post is to bring to your attention a problem that I have seen in a number of Records, but I will focus on ONE Record Group, the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) from Ancestry.

The issue: The Death Fact information.

I have seen this problem during the Web Merge of an SSDI Record, many times and have reported this as a Bug to Family Tree Maker. But, I wanted to see why the Web Merge was acting the way it was. The Root Cause of the problem (yes, I'll tell you in a minute), is the way that Ancestry handles this Record.

Here is a Hint, in my Ancestry Member Tree (AMT), for an Individual, for a SSDI Record:

This is a Quick Compare, in the AMT, with My information on the Right and the Record information on the Left. I only have the Year of the persons Death. The Record, in this Hint, had the Month and Date (all good) of the Death BUT is has a Death Location.

If I were to just accept that Hint, the Death Location would be Added to that Death Fact.

Here is the Issue:

If you Look at the RECORD, the Record has the Month and Year but NO Death Location. In this example, there is a Last Residence Fact, which is good, it includes the city, county, state, and Zip code. All good. BUT there is NO Death Location on that Record.

What information does the SSDI contain?

The SSDI contains the following information fields:ty number
Surname
Given Name
Date of Death
Date of Birth
Last Known Residence
Location of Last Benefit
Date and Place of Issuance

Note: the Date of Birth, nor the Date of Death items do NOT include the Location / Place. And, in the Web Merge, online or in Family Tree Maker, the Birth PLACE is not included. Only the Death Place (example in a minute)

My understand of the Last Know Residence and the Location of Last Benefit, is the last place someone lived, according to Social Security and where the Last Benefit was sent. Neither of them are noting the Place of Death.

In the Web Merge, in Family Tree Maker, as it the AMT Save Hint we see:

I will NOT accept that Place Name for the Death Fact, I must manually delete the Death Fact PLACE for an SSDI.

I caught this issue a while ago, but chose now to blog about it, when the SSDI claimed that my Grandfather Died in New Jersey. He did not, but the Last Benefit was sent to New Jersey.

My mothers SSDI claimed her last residence correctly, but the Last Benefit was sent to the same Place Name, but a different Zip Code. In this specific case, and the  reason why I enter those other Fact Names into my database, (deleting the Place of Death) is that it gave me a clue as to why my mother's estate did not include any Social Security benefits. It must have been sent to the Long Term Care facility, as part of their Contact. It IS useful information.

It is my opinion, that this is a BUG for Ancestry.com to resolve as well as Family Tree Maker to resolve.

IF the RECORD does NOT Contain the Place of Death, it should NOT be included in the AMT Merge, nor the Family Tree Maker Web Merge Feature.

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Copyright © 2019 by Cousin Russ

Knowledge Base - Web Search Workspace (updated)

Web Search Workspace

• Using FamilySearch in FTM 2017 for Windows (31 Aug 2017)
• Ignoring Web Search Results in FTM 2017 for Windows (01 Sep 2017)
• Merging Web Search Results into a Tree in FTM 2017 for Windows (01 Sep 2017)
• Saving or Printing Images in Web Search in FTM 2017 (01 Sep 2017)
• Starting a Web Search in FTM 2017 for Windows (01 Sep 2017)
• Empty Ancestry Search Results and Missing Categories in FTM 2017 Web Search [Fixed in 23.2] (28 Sep 2018)
• Blank “Edit Search” Window in FTM 2017 Web Search (01 Oct 2018)
• Errors from Ancestry Hints or Web Search Results (11 Nov 2018)
• Search Result Detail Issue in FTM 2017 23.2 (12 Nov 2018)

From this blog:

• Web Search Workspace

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Copyright © 2019 by Cousin Russ

FTM2014 - Merging of Two People

Resolving conflicting information, when the image was verified, the most recent information was not clear, but the review showed that I needed to Merge two people.

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Copyright © 2016 by H R Worthington

FTM2014 - Why I do my Merging of Records in FTM2014 / FTM-3

There are a number or reasons why I do ALL of my merging of data, mostly from Shaky Leaf Hints, into Family Tree Maker from my PC.

• Easier control of WHAT data is included in the Merge and how each Fact is handled
• Easier to Add Facts from data in the record, what is not included in the merge
• Easier to add Citations to the manually entered Facts
• Two links directly back to the original Record on Ancestry
• A copy of the image, when the record includes an image

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Copyright © 2016 by H R Worthington

FTM2014 - Web Merge from the Find A Grave website

How I handle the Web Merge feature from the Find A Grave website.



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Copyright © 2016 by H R Worthington

FTM2014 - Person ID - Merge Duplicate People

People Workspace, Tree View

While working on my file, I saw, what looked to be, a duplicate person, David Ridgely Howard. I selected the first appearance of him, and see that there is a link to his father, and from his father to his Grandfather, John E Howard. In the right panel, there wasn't any way to compare the two David Ridgely Howard's. Except, at the bottom of the Right Hand Column is a Customize View options.

 

When I click on that link, a Customize View window opens. What I want to display is the Person ID number. That way, I can tell the difference between the two, guessing that I will need to Merge this duplicate entry.

I selected Person ID from the Left Panel, and click on the Right pointing arrow. That will put the Person ID into the Right Panel.  

 

Looking at this person, John E Howard, the Person ID is Blank.

 

I change the person that I think is the duplicate with the same result, but wanted to show the Family View chart. No Person ID Reason: I haven't turned it on yet, in the file, in FTM2014. 

  

 

Clicking on Tools, then selecting Options:

 

 

In the Tools Menu, selecting the Preferences Tab, put a check mark in the Use individual reference numbers. In this case, I am only going to be using Numbers Only. 

 

Going back to the People Workspace, Tree View, the hi-lighted person now has a Person ID number. David Ridgely Howard Person ID of 8663  This entry is selected but has the more complete relationship, to both of his parents.

 

Selecting the 2nd entry, the Person ID is 8279. You will see that this entry is only attached to his father. 

 

Going back to Person ID 8663, clicking on Tools, then Merge Two Specific Individuals is the task I want to do. I want the data from Person ID 8279 merged INTO Person ID 8663

  

 

As with all merging, you are offered to back up your file. Note the "Don't show" again, I do NOT put a check mark. I want to be asked every time. Other users may choose not to. I want the option to see this window. Clicking Yes  

 

I am going to Back Up onto my External Drive. Selecting Custom Directory, I have already chosen my G Drive, which is my Family Tree Maker Back Up drive, and I have selected a specific Folder on that Drive. Each of my Family Files has a Folder, and each back up for that file is in that specific folder, on the External Drive. 

 

After the file is backed up, a screen is presented where I select the person I want to Merge into the selected person. 

 

Note that I can see the Per ID of 8279, which is the right person, as shown above.

We are then presented with the normal Individual Merge Screen.  The default was "Alternate". That means that the Merge will Add an Alternate name in the Person View. 

 

Looking at the Right and Left hand entry, they are the SAME. I don't want that so, I use the Pull Down menu in the upper right corner of that screen and select Discard.

 

 

The merge is complete and it was successful. 

 

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Copyright © 2013 by H R Worthington

File Sharing and Brick Walls - Part 17 - Merge Clean Up

In File Sharing and Brick Walls - Part 15 - Merge Files


I mentioned an issue that needed to be addressed. When merging files, that have a common source, there may be duplication of information in the Notes section for a person. (People Workspace, Person View, Notes Tab.

The two files that were merged in Part 15, came from a common source, that is Randy's main file. A review of the Notes of each person, I found this. (as an example)

The information in Red is a duplicate of that in Blue. So any one that was in both files and have notes, may have this duplication of information in those notes.  Each of these notes will need to be edited to remove the duplication.

A Custom Report for everyone with Notes can be created to identify people with Notes. The problem in the custom report is that Fact Notes and Person Notes are included in that Custom Report.

Going back to that Merge Screen, talked about in Part 15: (below, left column, either To Review or Merged), a review of each of them against the Custom Report will show whose Notes need to be reviewed for duplication.

This is not a new issue when Merging files.

Lesson Learned: Review the Notes for each person involved in the merging of two files.


Copyright © 2011 by H R Worthington

File Sharing and Brick Walls - Part 15 - Merge Files

Continuing this File Sharing and Brick Wall theme, Genea-Blogger Randy sent me an Email with a GEDCOM file attached, of the Ancestor's of William Knapp's wife, Sarah Cuter. I had spend the afternoon on a road trip to where William and Sarah where married, and many Cutter's are buried.

As is my practice, I do not JUST merge files. I take a little time to "get a handle" on the new file. I did the same "clean up" on this new file as I did with the first file, documented in this series.

The next thing, in preparation for Merging of these two files, is to do a File, Back Up on both files. From the Plan Workspace, I clicked on the More button to get the Statistics on both files.

This is new New file.

This is the file that I have been using for my research:

I kept this working file (GEDCOM for Blog) file open and clicked on File, Merge.

 The next screen is a suggestion to Back Up your file.

Since I had just backed up both files, I clicked on No. But I suggest that if you are merging files that you Back Up your file using the YES on this screen. Then you will see the files starting to be merged. They HAVE NOT been merged yet. You must select the file that you want merged into the currently open file. The File is selected.

The next screen is asking if you want to Merge the two files, OR Append this 2nd file to the currently open file. I chose to Merge the files.

The next screen is the MERGE WIZARD screen. What is important on this screen is to completely review each entry in the Right Hand Panel, for each Person in the Left Hand Panel.

In the RH Panel, you will have three choices, Select the Preferred Fact, you can Discard an item, or you can choose the item to be set at an Alt. Fact. You select the Preferred fact like the Birth Fact, below, where I selected the Birth Date and Place. That made the Birth Date become Discard but I changed that to Alt.

The LH Panel, has three sections: For Review, Merged, and New. Each person SHOULD be selected and the data reviewed BEFORE the Merge Button is selected. The Merge Button on this screen is to Merge everyone in the LH Panel. I do NOT recommend that you do you that until you have reviewed all of the data.


.

Clicking on the Merge button will cause the two files to be merged.

The Plan Workspace, MORE button shows that some new people have been added, as expected.

A quick review of the file does not show too many issues, so I did a SyncNow to update the Ancestry Member Tree.

What was really nice is that ALL of the Tasks that I had entered into the new file came through into the Merged File.

Lesson Learned: Back Up your files before any Merge and check the results before moving one.

There will be a follow up post on one issue that w.s observed.


Copyright © 2011 by H R Worthington

Which Template for an Index

In an ongoing dialog with Genea-Blogger, Randy Seaver, I mentioned to him that I followed a Hint on his Brick Wall, William Knapp. He posted what he found here: Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 27: Doing a Web Search - Case 1 - Source Citations

Randy did a great job of documenting what he did and why. The end result is that he had actually seen the microfilm that had the information on it.

For me, I was having difficulty in selecting the most appropriate Template, within Family Tree Maker that would point me to find that Microfilm, or to the original document that was found. 

I did a websearch and found this entry.

I viewed the information in that link:

Confirmed that this was the right person, and noted two things. 1) the Source Information:

Ancestry.com, New Jersey, Deaths and Burials Index, 1798-1971 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), www.ancestry.com, Database online.and 2) what listed next:

"New Jersey Deaths and Burials, 1720–1971." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


Ancestry's entry in an Index of information, which is where I found it, but that is an Index from FamilySearch.org. I am gussing, that if I go to FamilySearch that I will find the same record, or index.

BUT, this isn't the record, only an index. The record was in a book in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey, was transcribed and sent to the New Jersey Archives. I may get there, so I would want to see the record itself, if it still exists. Randy has seen the Film. I am not looking at the Film, so that isn't the Template I want to use.

After I did the merge, I went to the Sources Workspace, selected the Source that the merge provided, and Clicked on the Pencil ICON to Edit that Source. That will bring up the Edit Source screen. In this case,  I wanted to Change the Source to a Template.

Clicking on Change and started to type Death (dea), as a keyword, so see what templates would be available. What seemed to be obvious was that this is a Local Record, from a Vital Record Register. So, I selected that template.

That brings up a screen for me to fill out.

Notice that as you tab through the fields, you will be prompted as to what goes in that field.

New Jersey, Sussex County, Local Jurisdiction would be Newton, etc.

So far, this looks good. But then I looked at the Reference Note for this new Citation:

Newton, Sussex, New Jersey, "New Jersey Deaths and Burials Index, 1798-1971", Database online.;  www.ancestry.com.

To me, that Reference Note is what I would "like to be looking at" directly (wishful thinking) and NOT the "Index" that I am actually looking at. So, that isn't the right Template.  Had I seen the actual register when I visited Newton last week, that is what I would have selected.

I then went back to Change and didn't use the Keyword but did the manual selection process for an Artifact and Archives, selected Archived Material, and Digital Archives.

Clicking OK brings up this screen;

What that gave me for a Reference Note was:

"New Jersey Deaths and Burials, Index 1798-1971", Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com), Online Database.

I'll keep that one. Like Randy, I am not sure that is enough information, but the Citation does tell me that it IS and Index, the name of the Document, and that I was looking at Ancestry.com when I found the information.

At this point, I can now check, since FamilySearch was mentioned, that I could go there to do further searches, especially for the MicroFilm Randy mentioned, or to the New Jersey Archives in Trenton, where this record should be located.

Thank you Randy.


Copyright © 2011 by H R Worthington