"Janey Joyce" <jejoyce@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > If he was employed in the 1940s and 1950s he definitely had a > Social Security number. Not true. The person in question died in 1950 and thus was working in the 1930s and 1940s, as noted in the original query. At that time only a relatively small percentage of the U.S. population was under Social Security, principally those with jobs in larger companies engaged in commerce and industry. Not covered in 1950 were self-employed persons, including farmers and farm workers, at that time still a significant portion of the population. Also not covered were government employees - local, state and federal, including everyone employed in public on. Then, as now, this was also a significantly large portion of the population. Coverage was broadened in the 1950s, but before then SS covered but a relatively small portion of the population. The chances are higher than 50-50 that a person dying in 1950 did not have SS#. However, it is still worth checking! Regards, Richard "Richard A. Pence" <richardpence@pipeline.com>