"alive & Dead" - ??

[Minnymouth]

Sinkingfast was talking about her daughter sharing a SS# with someone else....... and how hard it was to straighten it out.....

Well, I got ANOTHER GOOD ONE FOR YA..............

I have 4 birth certificates, 1 death certificate, and my name is now only on one of them.................figure that one out!!!! And I can finally prove WHO I AM................

SO FOLKS, check your paperwork real close, especially you older folks born at home, or before everything went computer...... because it can really mess your life up if you ever need documentation..............

HERE'S MY STORY OF BEING DEAD AND ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME!!! AND TRYING TO PROVE WHO I REALLY AM!!

About 1990 I needed a copy of my birth certificate, which I had never seen, mom had it and a copy of my social security card (which I had). She said she didn't know where it was as it had gotten misplaced over the years. So I applied for a duplicate birth certificate.....

TO MY AMAZEMENT........ a week later I received 2 birth certificates in the mail - neither with my name on it...... all it said was "baby girl Doe" on both of them....

Okay, this is what happened-------------- I am one of a set of twin girls. We were not given names before I left the hospital, and my sister died right after birth and was not named till later. Our names were never put on our birth certificates. So when the doctor filled them out he just put "baby girl Doe" in the name slots on both of the birth certificates and on the death certificate of my sister.

So as far as vital statistics go - I HAD NO NAME......... and had two birth certificates - but which one was mine???? Social Security said "I didn't exist"!!!!! Well, I'd had a SS# all my life...... what was the problem??? I had to produce a birth certificate with my name on it.............. DUH - DIDN'T HAVE ONE!!

SO IN ORDER TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT - I had to apply for a death certificate for me also....... and it too had "baby gril Doe" name on it"...............

It took 3 years and lots of legal papers and sworn statements from people who knew me all my life to "prove who I am"!!!!!!!

NOW I HAVE - 2 birth certificates with "no name" - 2 birth certificates with my real name and my sister's real name on them, AND a death certificate with my sister's name on it...... in order to MAKE ME LEGAL............

Social security told me I was very lucky I had discovered this, because years down the road it could have caused me a lot of grief, kept me from drawing SS benefits, etc. and if I had died it would have caused my family a "terrible time" trying to get insurance claims paid, etc because they couldn't get a birth certificate with my name on it.

SOOOOOOO....... I'm dead and alive at the same time so too speak.......

I could have changed my name if I had wanted too on the new papers, but gosh - I've had this one so long now, its a part of me.....

So if you don't think paperwork isn't IMPORTANT - wait till you need it and don't have it.......

A WORD OF CAUTION - check all your legal paperwork, birth certificates, ss#, insurance policies, etc..... make sure they have all the correct information on them...... IF NOT, get them corrected NOW...............

THAT'S MY STORY..................things happen we don't know about.............

[Granny]

One of my uncles was named Gerald Dean, but his birth certificate indicates a baby girl named Geraldine. he he he

He had to take some of his siblings to the local authorities to get the document corrected.

[lrprn]

Wow, Minny....amazing story! I'm glad that you finally got everything worked out. We're lucky to have you here..."alive & dead"!

[SinkingFast]

Our daughters were Baby Girl Doe A and Baby Girl Doe B when they were born, before we got their names assigned and the Birth Cert info filled out. At least if there had been a goof at the hospital then, you'd just have to prove you were A or B.

My Dad didn't have a Birth Cert. The Court House burned down and all the County Records went with it. When Dad went to enlist for WWII, he had to get affidavits from several people attesting to who he was and when he was born. Back then, people didn't always jot down the exact date kids were born. They recalled it was spring. That there was what ever weather event going on at the time. Settled on the year, month, and date, and that's what they picked for Dad's birth day.

[Bandit]

Goodness Gracious Minnymouth. And I thought my birth certificate experience was rough. I have twin brothers and they are very close. I am sorry about your twin.

You could have told them "baby girl Doe", is you other name...then maybe they would have believed you

A WORD OF CAUTION - check all your legal paperwork, birth certificates, ss#, insurance policies, etc..... make sure they have all the correct information on them...... IF NOT, get them corrected NOW...............

This is the truth. I had an employer put my SS# in the computer wrong years ago and it took two months for them to figure out why I was not in the system and why the insurance was not being accepted.

[AMISLANDER]

My mom doesn't have a birth certificate at all, born back in 1925 and moved around in the family for some reason or another...I can't yet get the whole story.

I don't think she could even get a passport?

When I got divorced, I lost my SS# with my married name, but use the one I have now with my maiden name...same #?!

What a wild story, Ms. M....only in America!

[SinkingFast]

When I got divorced, I lost my SS# with my married name, but use the one I have now with my maiden name...same #?!

It should be the same number, Amis. Mine was. From when I was single to when I changed my name when I got married.

Some States,.......... When you get Divorced,........... You can go back to using your Maiden Name. If that's the case where you live, and that's what you chose to do, then you should be OK with your original SSN Card.

If you're still using your "married" surname, then all you'd have to do is order a duplicate card. No big deal really. If you have a local Soc Sec office, all you have to do is tell them your SSN, show photo ID, and answer a few "security" type questions. Info that comes off your Birth Certificate. Just went thru it last week with Daughter.