New birth certificate search?

Social Security Application Request

I hadn’t been very optimistic when I paid my $27 and sent off a request to the Social Security Administration for a copy of dad’s application for a social security card that had been completed in 1939. Dad was living and working with John Smith at that point and I realized John may have been listed as the father, but I was at a loss for better ideas.

Social Security Application for Hugh Smith

Six weeks later I got the application with the sections for the each parent’s name blanked out and a letter of explanation about the privacy of information act and that I would have to provide some kind of proof of death for each parent before they could release the information.

I filed an appeal explaining that I didn’t know the name of the father — that’s why I wanted to see the application. That Jane was born in 1902 and would be 110 now so she had to be dead so the father also had to be dead. My father and his two half brothers were all dead. No one’s privacy would be violated.

Six weeks later I received notification that my appeal had been rejected so I was back to needing proof of death for a man whose identity I didn’t know.

Tennessee Birth Certificate Search

Tennessee will check birth certificates for a fee and I had sent a request to search for Hugh Smith born September 23, 1920 in Campbell County. Now I wonder if I should try again for Hugh Honeycutt born in Scott County.

I emailed Trulene and she feels 1) if he was illegitimate they probably did not get a birth certificate (that was common practice in the 1920’s) and 2) my best chance of finding out dad’s birth father would be from a female member of the Honeycutt family since they usually know the family secrets. She’s going to do some checking for me.