There are many, many reasons why you may not find someone listed. Some additional ones that I have run into: My father who died in 1970 is not listed -- but he was a federal government employee. His "death benefit" did not come from social security, but from the federal retirement system. My father's sister is not listed -- she married a doctor and he didn't want or need the $255.00 benefit. My uncle that I always knew as Uncle Phil Recher shows up as H. Recher in the death benefits. It turns out his full name was Henry Phillip Recher -- and I never knew that while he was living. Jack Keller