My DH's grandpas name was John Thomas Brown. He was born around 1921. (Records state he was but I am not sure of this.) he said he was born in Missouri. His social security card was registered in Kansas, so he was there for at least a short time.
The story goes that he ran away from home when he was 12. We know he had sister, but we don't know much more than that. He at one point saw a lady(on tv or newspaper or something)who was running for an elected position of some point. My father in law can't remember details but said that his dad told him that it might be his sister.
We also have been told that he maybe ?? Lived with a police officer or something like that at some point after he ran away.
He met and married his wife, Virginia Pickelsimer in Oregon.

ANY INFO on either Pickelsimers or on John Brown would be helpful. We have a huge dead end that is not going away! We have no leads at all.

I personally thing he took the name John Brown from someone he knew, or made it up, being he was a runaway, I doubt he kept his actual name.

Thanks for anything you can help me with! (Seriously, even if you just know someone who knew Virginia and remembers John might help!)

This is something you are going to have to "spend money" to figure out I think. Purchasing a copy of his application for a social security number SHOULD have his parents/birth place. If you can obtain a copy of the application for a marriage license in Hood River,as opposed to the marriage license,should have vital info. as well.
(Woe is the searcher of "Browns"--have more than one "John Brown" myself.)
There is is a volunteer here that will look up obits-might get lucky there:
http://www.orgenweb.org/hoodriver/hrlookup.htm#1
Doesn't help you with John Brown, but if you are unaware of it, Virginia's birth certificate is online here-with her surname misspelled:
http://genealogy.az.gov/
PICKLESINMER, VIRGINIA MAY

I’m not related to any member of this family.

1940 is the last available census at this time.


Vinginia Pickelsimer does not appear on any census.
NO marriage record for her either

NEED her DOB + birthplace.


Looking at the SSDI, I don't see a John T. Brown [b. 1921, KS]. WHERE & WHEN did he die??????????????

John Thomas Brown and Virginia Mae Pickelsimer were married may 6, 1949

Virginia was born in Avondale, Arizona Feb 23, 1929

John Thomas brown (according to him) was born in Missouri on October 2, 1921. They both died in hood river.
John died August 29, 1990
Virginia died Feb 14, 1993

Hood River, Oregon
They were also married in Hood river

Thank you! I printed it off for my Mom-in-law, she said that it was one item that they were not able to find!

The SS Administration now BLACKS OUT parental information on the SS-5 application claiming ID-theft possibilities.

So, it's not worth ordering.

Order a death cert from the county od death clerks office.
Parents names & their should be listed. You will need the date of death.

I was looking at the web site for ordering one yesterday. It sounded like if the parents were over a 100 yrs old and had died, they would release the info. We don't know how old they were obviously since we have zero info on them. But since John was born in 1921.. And we know he had at least one older sibling.. We are fairly certain that the parents have passed. And would be over 100 years old if they were still living. If John was still living he would be 91. I was looking in Kansas since that is where he obtained his SS #.
Do you think that where he does would be able to obtain the same info? They should.. I mean how hard is it to email someone and stuff. Should be easy. Since he was married and died in Hood River County.. Should I be able to just call up county records and see what they say?

Privacy laws are making genealogy very difficult...were I you, I would try the county-sometimes you get an obliging clerk; if you can figure out which funeral home handled his services-try them; if they will, they can supply you with much information. I've not ordered an SS application in several years, so don't know how hard and fast their rules are with information NOW, but one might try them in desperation and pray like crazy they let the information through to you. Present day, it takes a lot more digging and creativity to find clues!

Oregon Vital Records -
Death, Marriage, Divorce, Domestic Partnership, & Dissolution of Domestic Partnership Certificates

Access to death, marriage, divorce and Oregon registered domestic partnership records filed in the State Vital Records office is restricted for 50 years after the date of the event. During the first 50 years the following persons may order: family members and their legal representatives, persons or organizations with a personal or property right, government agencies, and persons licensed in Oregon under ORS 703.430.