Bob .. Just a thought .. have you contacted the Social Security folks about getting a copy of the original application? That would have all the data you need on it .. place and date of birth, parents names, etc. They only charge about $10 for these .. I have ordered them for my Gran and her brother .. but they do take about 4 - 6 months to get. Don't contact the lcoal office .. they only act horrified and tell you everything is private! Go to Ancestry.com, search the SSDI, and when you find the exact listing, click on the button to print the form letter, which requests the copy under the Freedom of Information Act. It also gives you the correct amount and address to send your request to. One other suggestion .. in my Gran's case, the Courthouse was burnt and there WERE no birth records, so she must have provided other documentation. I have requested that they copy all documentation in their file for my genealogical research purposes and explained that she is my maternal grandmother. You might want to do the same. I've heard stories of people getting a whole packet of wonderful information this way. Good luck! Maggie in MI