U.S. Social Security Act
Application for Account Number

157-05-3184
Name: Mamie Ware Garrison
Residence: 37 Arbutus Ave, Pitman, NJ
Employer: Works Progress Administration Project 68-194
Employer address: Itaska Bldg, Pitman, Gloucester Co. NJ
Age: 62
Date of Birth: 7-3-1874
Place of birth: Camden, NJ
Father: George Washington Ware
Mother: Elizabeth Craner
Sex: Female
Color: White
If registered with the U.S. Employment Service, give number of registration card: 3508-5097
Date signed: 5-20-37
[signed] Mamie Garrison

Original Source Citation:
Mamie Ware Garrison, 157-05-3184, 26 May 1937, Application for Account Numbers (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

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.

U.S. Social Security Act
Application for Account Number (SS-5)

155-07-6972
Name: John Dayton Dare
Address: 189 Broad St., Bridgeton, NJ
Employer: Wm. Laning & Son Co., Bridgeton, NJ
Age: 54
Date of Birth: August 18, 1884
Place of Birth: Bridgeton, NJ
Father: John Dayton Dare
Mother: Elizabeth Hildreth
Sex: Male
Color: White
Date: Sept. 30, 1938
Signed: John Dayton Dare

————

Original Source Citation:
John Dayton Dare, 155-07-6972, 30 September 1938, Application for Account Numbers (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

U.S. Social Security Act
Application for Account Number, Form SS-5

163-16-6104
Name: John Alexander Todd
Address: 2075 East Tioga Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Employer: Baldwin-Southwark Corporation, Paschall Post Office, Philadelphia, Penna.
Age at last birthday: 67
Date of birth: August 6, 1870
Place of birth: Govan, Scotland
Father’s full name: James Todd
Mother’s full maiden name: Elizabeth Martin MacBride
Sex: male
Color: white
Date signed: 1-10-38
Signed: John A Todd

 ———–

Original Source Citation:
John Alexander Todd, 163-16-6104, 10 January 1938, Application for Account Numbers (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.

Edward C. Conrad SS-5
transcribed from photocopy by Alexander Conrad

U.S. Social Security Act
Application for Account Number

1. Edward Charles Conrad
2. 2069 E. Clarence Street  3. Philadelphia, Penna  (residence)
4. International Hosiery Co.  5. 1920 E. Venango Street, Phila. PA.  (employer)
6. 31 (age at last birthday)
7. August 5 1905  (birth date)
8. Philadelphia, Penna. (birth place)
9. Nicholas Conrad (father)
10. Sophia Levens (mother)
11. Male  12. White
..
15. Nov. 25 1936
16. [signed] Edward Conrad

——

Original Source Citation:
Edward C. Conrad, 159-01-1645, 25 November 1936, Application for Account Numbers (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.