When I sent away for my grandfather’s railroad retirement files I did not know what to expect. One surprise that provided a neat bit of new information were copies of his Social Security applications (SS-5).

There were two of them: the original one from 1936 and a second one in 1953. It took me awhile to figure out why there was a  second SS-5 form:

Orville W. Garrison 1953 SS-5. Click to see full size.

 Then, I read lines 1 and 2 more closely:

The second application was filed to correct a misinterpretation of handwriting in the original 1936 application. Apparently someone’s v’s looked too much like r’s:

The v is more apparent in his signature on that application:

The neat new bit of information was my great-grandfather’s middle name. I now know his full name was John Samuel Garrison.

Orville W. Garrison’s 1936 SS-5. Click to see full size.

The informant: it is one of the most important sections of a death certificate. It provides an indication  of the  accuracy  of the personal and familial history of the subject. If it was a sister or brother, then the parents’ names are likely, but not always, correct. If it was a parent, then the parents’ names are probably correct and the birth date might be trusted. If it was a spouse, we would like to trust the information  but should be skeptical. If it was someone at the nursing home, hospital or funeral home, then all bets are off.

But what if the informant was the dead person herself?

Here is the name and address of the deceased:

Here is the name and address of the informant:

This is the first time I have come across this. I don’t know how common it is. I imagine that whoever filled out this section must have questioned Annie C. Ogle prior to her death (and not after!)  and used the information she provided.

The information about her parents agrees with other sources. The only new information on this death certificate besides the date and place of death is her birthdate and given the close relationship of the informant to the deceased I’ll accept it. For now.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Registered No. 31515

Place of death: 2306 Adam St, Ward 31, Philadelphia

Full name: Annie C. Ogle
Sex: F
Color or race: W
Single
Date of birth: Aug 27 1845
Age: 72 yrs
Occupation: Retired
Birthplace: Delaware
Name of father: Benjamin N. Ogle
Birthplace of father: Delaware
Name of mother: Clara A. Mathiews
Birthplace of mother: Delaware
Informant: Miss Annie C. Ogle, 2306 E. Adam St.
Date of Death: Dec 31, 1917
Burial: St. Georges Cem. Del, Jan 5, 1918
Undertaker: Wm. H. Eppley, 3200 Fkd ave
——

Original source citation:
Pennsylvania, Department of Health, death certificate 31515 (1924), Annie C. Ogle; Division of Vital Records, New Castle.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Certificate of Death
no. 104381

Place of death: County of Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia, Kensington Hospital
Full Name: Mrs. Catharine Rose Nuttall
Sex: female
Color: white
Date of birth: Sept 19 1892
Age: 25 years 11 months
Occupation: Housewife
Birthplace: Phila., Pa
Name of father: Louis Kober
Birthplace of father: Phila. Pa.
Maiden name of mother: Eliza Todd
Birthplace of mother: Ireland
Informant: Tom Nuttall, 3530 K St
Date of Death: Sep 30 1917
Burial: North Cedar Hill Cem., October 4 1917

——

Original Source Citation:
Pennsylvania, Department of Health, death certificate 104381 (1917), Mrs. Catharine Rose Nuttall; Division of Vital Records, New Castle.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Certificate of Death
no. 119344

Place of death: County of Delaware, Township of Lower Chichester, Market st. Linwood
Full Name: Mrs. Mary C. McNeil*
Sex: female
Color: white
Married
Date of birth: January 7 1881
Age: 29 years, 11 months, 8 days
Occupation: Housework
Birthplace: Linwood, Pa.
Name of father: Andrew Mahla
Birthplace of father: Germany
Maiden name of mother: Eva Horneff
Birthplace of mother: Phila. Pa.
Informant: John McNeil, Linwood
Date of Death: Dec. 15 1910
Place of burial: Lawn Croft Cemetery, Dec 18th 1910

*Note: all other records I have found, including the marriage of Mary C. Mahla and John McNeal, have the spelling of McNeal

——–

Original Source Citation:
Pennsylvania, Department of Health, death certificate 119344 (1910), Mrs. Mary C. McNeil; Division of Vital Records, New Castle.