Three things occur to me right off. I'm a bit rushed at the moment, so give me a little time to think. 1. I heard this years ago and made it the third part of my personal credo: "Attempt the goal, and never stop to doubt. Nothing's so hard but search will find it out." Give up? NEVER! 2. The "A" after the social security number may mean only that he was married and his spouse was/had been on his SS/Medicare account; she would have had the same number + "B." That's the way my father's card was done, anyway. I'm posting this to see if another lister can help us out. If not, I would call an SS office or SS hotline and ask them. 3. I suspect that if you were write to the hospital and ask them to clarify the unreadable parts from their copy of the death certificate, explaining to them that you have tried "not to bother" them, but that they appear to be your "only hope," some kind soul may look it up and respond by mail, phone, or--more likely, FAX. Of course, I was wrong on something, once upon a time, and I may be again.... But I think it's worth a try. Do let me know what happens. More, later. --Brian ************************************************************************ Tom & Donna Cino wrote: > > Hello Brian, Thank you so much for your reply. I'm so unfamiliar with how things work in the States. Here in canada > it's harder to find and get records, especially birth and marriage,than it is ti get the ones from Britian. I wonder > why our own countries make it so hard?! > Yes I have a death certificate for Jim, he died May 8, 1968. It is rather confusing to me as to which area Jim lived > in as the certificate has faded out spots. The first line of the certificate has place of death: Palm Beach > Code No: 60.304 > ? Residence (unreadable)State: Florida / County: Palm Beach > >second line > City, town or location: West Palm Beach > Place of ? inside city?:yes > City town or location: Riviera Beach > Is residence inside city limits: yes > >third line > Name of Hospital: St. Mary's Hospital > Street address: 149 East 21st Street > >fourth line: > Name of deceased: > Arthur James Webster > Date of death: May 8, 1968 etc. etc. and widowed > One puzzling piece is on the SSI they show his number as 564-16-9096 and birthday as March 23, 1886 (right parents > etc.) > on the death certificate they show his SSI number as 564-16-9096A and have his date of birth as March 15, 1885. Do > you think they have sent me the wrong certificate? I also notice (isn't it amazing when you are writng.talking to > someone, how you notice things you hadn't taken into account before?) that his SSI form was signed in April 1937 and > his address was San Pedro, Calif. which I guess means he was still living there at that time? > I don't have an obituary of his death and doubt there would be one as he was the only relative there; although > supposedly an Aunt went there to take care of his things and I have heard a story that she brought his ashes back to > Canada. > I have been intouch with Harry's 2 daughters that are still living in Calif. but they don't remember much about Jim > or Lillie except that their Dad went to Florida with Jim to look at the property he had bought. Harry died in 1954 so > I know he must have moved to Florida between May 1937 and 1954. Doesn't narrow it down to much does it? I don't know > if Lillie drove, but understand they were both heavy drinkers, big help that is! Of note, Jim married here in > Victoria in 1912 to an Annie Elizabeth Hawkins. I can find no divorce or death record for her. The 2 daughters of > Harry's remember that Lillie lived seperate from Jim and I did have aCalif. address fro her from a notebook of the > girls mother, but it didn't give a last name. Frustrating! I had found 2 SSI Lillie (Lily) Websters in Florida that > looked promising, but both died after Jim's date of death. > So, do you think there are any possiblities here, or should I give up the ghost? Sorry to have made this so long, but > have tried to answer all questions you brought up. Thanks again and if think you be able to work from this, I'll be > forever in your debt! Hope to hear from you soon, kindest regards....Donna > > > Donna, > > > > If it's the right hit, Jim was born 23 March 1886 and died in West Palm > > Beach. Have you gotten a death certificate or an obituary? Either might > > help narrow your search. Once you have the death cert. and know the > > funeral director and the place of burial, either or both might prove > > helpful. > > > > A city directory search for West Palm Beach could give you an address > > for the 1935 STATE census, and the point at which Lillie is no longer > > listed w/Jim or he becomes a "wid." entry can narrow the search still > > further. (Are you aware that there are a Palm Beach and a West Palm > > Beach as well as Palm Beach County--three different record venues? SSI > > says Jim d. WEST Palm Beach.) > > > > Do you know whether Lillie drove a car? FL driver license records might > > help, depending on a lot of factors, but they're public records. > > > > Have you tracked Harry? Does he have descendants who might know anything > > of Jim/Lillie? SSI lists 8 CA Harry Websters, 2 in LA, one born too late > > (1917). The other was b. 1881, good likelihood on date, but had IOWA SS > > card. Have you any sources to find survivors? Sometimes family letters > > or diaries or Bibles may reveal in-laws' and spouses' deaths, of course. > > > > HELP! ANYBODY IN/NEAR WEST PALM have or know of a cemetery survey or > > index that might help us find Jim & Lillie? > > > > Donna, I'd be glad to try to help w/death records if you can narrow the > > search a bit further. > > > > Yes, there are marriage indexes in each county pre-1927 and statewide > > after 6 June 1927. The marriages statewide are on fiche with the death > > and divorce records. It might also be safe to check for a divorce; many > > "widow" and "widower" listings from earlier, more "sensitive," years > > were the result of divorce, not death. Probably not in this case, but... > > SSI shows one Florida Lillie Webster who d. 1980 and was about correct > > age. > > > > --Brian Michaels > > ********************************************