If I have my grandparent's SSN #, how can I find out who their parents were?

Question:I am looking for records on my biological great-grandparents (paternally).

As far as I know, they were all residents of Alabama.

My grandfather, Julian Warren Speegle, Jr. (b. 1945, d. 1999), married Ginger Diane Bowman (b. 1948, d. 1998 -- "Bowman" is her adopted name, as she was adopted by my step-great-grandfather...no idea what her original last name was). Her mother's married name was Frances Bowman, and her biological father's first name was Howard. Her adopted father's first name was Ted (possibly Theodore), and he died somewhere between 1996-1999, I think. Looking for Howard's last name, his birth and death dates, and Ted's birth and death dates.

I'm also looking for the birth and death dates of Julian Warren Speegle, Sr., who married a woman first name Earnestine, middle name Nellie (maiden name unknown)...she later re-married to an Earnest Welborn (b. 1909, d. 1996).

I have my grandparents' SSNs, so is there any way I can use those to find out this missing info?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am looking for records on my biological great-grandparents (paternally).

As far as I know, they were all residents of Alabama.

My grandfather, Julian Warren Speegle, Jr. (b. 1945, d. 1999), married Ginger Diane Bowman (b. 1948, d. 1998 -- "Bowman" is her adopted name, as she was adopted by my step-great-grandfather...no idea what her original last name was). Her mother's married name was Frances Bowman, and her biological father's first name was Howard. Her adopted father's first name was Ted (possibly Theodore), and he died somewhere between 1996-1999, I think. Looking for Howard's last name, his birth and death dates, and Ted's birth and death dates.

I'm also looking for the birth and death dates of Julian Warren Speegle, Sr., who married a woman first name Earnestine, middle name Nellie (maiden name unknown)...she later re-married to an Earnest Welborn (b. 1909, d. 1996).

I have my grandparents' SSNs, so is there any way I can use those to find out this missing info?

There's a widespread belief that getting someone's SSN will open every door for genealogy research. It's not true, contrary to common belief. Given the timeframe when he lived and when his SSN was applied for, it's more than doubtful that they'd have asked for his parents' names on the application. They only did that on children's applications. You can get his date of birth and date of death from Social Security...and even the address where he lived when he applied for his card.
Name Birth Death Last Residence Last Benefit SSN Issued
JULIAN W SPEEGLE 09 Sep 1945 05 Aug 1999 (V) 35127 (Pleasant Grove, Jefferson, AL) (none specified) 421-58-2887 Alabama

Where you CAN find the information on his parents, though, is his marriage license application, death certificate and military service records. The marriage license application is not sent with a marriage license unless you ask for a copy of it. Because the record is not certified, it's usually only $1-5 to get it and it's chock full of information on both people, usually coming straight from their birth certificates. If you can find out the county where they were married, then contact the Clerk of the Court in that county and you can have them send the record to you. Given a choice between the marriage license and the license application, I take the application every time.

From the information I've found so far, this is very possibly his father and grandparents. The obituary index says his parents were Julian W and Earnestine Speegle. You just need to get the record from the court to prove it:

Name: Julian Speegle
Home in 1920: Trimble, Cullman, Alabama
Age: 5 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1915
Birthplace: Alabama
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's Name: K L
Father's Birth Place: Alabama
Mother's Birth Place: Georgia
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Sex: Male
Image: 796
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
K L Speegle 38
Casper Speegle 17
Manuel Speegle 13
Mary Speegle 11
Donue Speegle 8
Julian Speegle 5

Loads of info here:
http://members.aol.com/rechtman/ssafaq.h...

Yes, you can use the SSNs and request their original SSN applications. You can now do this online:

https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps7/efoiassa/i...

You can look for them here:

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-b...

if they are there, with an exact birth date, you can try for an obituary. That failing, if it is worth $27 to you, you can click on "SSA-5", print it off, send it in and wait 6 - 8 weeks. If they knew their biological parents' names, and used them on their SSN applications, they will be there.