[SuziQ]

I personally don’t even know who the Connecticut man born in the 1890s was, so I don’t know any relatives...

I don't think any of the SS# stuff will fly. When folks die, or when their dependents die, and are no longer getting SS benefits, it's likely that number is reused in the following generation. More likely than not, that's why the number is the same as the dead guy's.

[ClearCase_guy]

Official word from the SSA is that numbers are not re-used. I found this on the internet:

Population researchers calculate that roughly 300 million people will require new Social Security numbers by the year 2050—about 230 million native births plus 68 million immigrants, give or take 50 million all told. Barring unforeseen circumstances, such as a meteor strike or cloning boom, the current enumeration system should last nearly another century.

[The Sons of Liberty]

According to the Social Security website, which confirms statements made by government officials (if you can believe them) SSNs are not reissused:

Q20: Are Social Security numbers reused after a person dies?
A: No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder's death. Even though we have issued over 453 million SSNs so far, and we assign about 5 and one-half million new numbers a year, the current numbering system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system.