Amanuensis Monday - December 27

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday: Dave Cruvant and the Bonus Check

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them. 

This week I transcribe a 1920 news story from the St. Louis Post Dispatch which mentions Dave Cruvant, the brother of my great grandmother, Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark.

Merry Christmas from TransylvanianDutch

While I have shared these before on this blog, below are some greeting postcards from the 1930s...a few of them a bit risque...from my maternal grandmother's collection.

Amanuensis Monday - December 20th

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday: Tahiti is Paradise - 1947

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a news story from the Christmas 1947 issue of the Statesville, NC Daily Record.  However, the news story was covered by the United Press Associations (forerunner of United Press International), so it appeared in many newspapers across the country, and this is just one of several copies I have found on newspaper databases.

Surname Sunday?: Blatt

I continue with the Surname Saturday blogging theme, but am posting this a day late-

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Blatt/Blatyta

Blatt as a Jewish surname comes from the Yiddish word Blat, meaning 'Leaf.'  My ancestor, Jacob Blatt, came from the town of Łosice, Poland. 

I may know the names of several of Jacob's siblings, and their father, if some research I've been given is correct.  Family notes handed down directly from Morris's daughters says his first wife was named Belle Wyman, and she died in Poland about 1892.  One of Morris's daughter's, Blanche, married a Wyman, and it was a family joke whether or not she married a cousin.  However, research has found a Morris, son of Jacob Blatyta in Losice, who married a Chaia Beila Boksern.  It's thought that Belle had a first husband before Morris, so that could explain the surname confusion.  Her maiden name could have been Wyman, and her first husband's name could have been Boksern.

Without evidence of Chaia Beila's first marriage, or birth records of Blanche and Anna indicating their mother's name, or some other documentation, I am left wondering whether there could have been two Jacob Blatts in the Łosice area, with a son named Morris. So below I start with Jacob until further evidence confirms the connection to the Blatyta family.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system.
__s indicate a living relative.

6. Jacob Blatt (Poland)

6.1 Morris Blatt (1862-1926) married (1) Belle Wyman (2) Mollie (Kellner) Katz (Łosice, Poland; St. Louis, MO, USA)

6.1.1 Blanche Blatt (1887-1960) married Jacob Wyman (St. Louis, MO; Los Angeles, CA)
6.1.2 Anna Blatt (1890-1965) married Herman Max Feinstein (St. Louis, MO)
6.1.3. Henry Blatt (1898-1968) married Berdye Reisman
6.1.4 Pearl Blatt (1903-1986) married Morris Dankner

6.1.1.1 Joe Wyman (1904-2007)
6.1.1.2 Louis Wyman (1905-1997)
6.1.1.3 David Wyman (1908-1909)
6.1.1.4 Sidney Wyman (1910-1978)
6.1.1.5 ___

6.1.2.1 Bernard Feinstein (1913-1968) married Belle Hoffman
6.1.2.2 Belle Feinstein (1914-2002) married Melvin Newmark
6.1.2.3 Seymour Feinstein (1917-1999) married Leonore Miller

My number is: 6.1.2.2.1.3

Celebrities in Season 2 of Who Do You Think You Are

NBC has announced their celebrity lineup for Season Two of Who Do You Think You Are

Tim McGraw
Lionel Richie
Ashley Judd
Steve Buscemi
Vanessa Williams
Rosie O'Donnell
Kim Cattrall
Gwyneth Paltrow

Potential Spoiler for one of the episodes: 

Nfuyrl Whqq vf n qrfpraqnag bs Gubznf naq Xngurevar Fgbhtugba. Gurl qba'g unir gb vairfgvtngr gung oenapu bs gur pryroevgl'f naprfgel, ohg gur frrzvatyl haraqvat yvfg bs abgnoyr pbhfvaf gb cerfrag gb ure zvtug or gbb grzcgvat gb cnff hc, rira gubhtu gur vasb vf nyernql bayvar. V jbaqre vs gurer jvyy or nal "fhecevfr thrfg fgnef" ba gung rcvfbqr? (Use Rot13 to decode, if you wish to know beforehand.) (source) (more info)

***

I'm looking forward to the opening episode on January 21.  I may end up DVRing it, though, since it is my birthday.

Update: NBC's announcment adds Gwyneth Paltrow to the list, who the other sources didn't name, so I have added her name above.  Also...the premiere seems to have been pushed back to February 4th.  So it's no longer a birthday present for me, but maybe I am less likely to be busy during the premiere.

Family Tree Magazine 40 Best Genealogy Blogs - Voting has begun

Family Tree Magazine has opened voting for their second annual round of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs as chosen by the Genealogy Community.

There are eight categories this year:

• Local/regional history and genealogy
• Heritage groups
• Research advice and how-to
• Cemeteries
• “My Family History”
• “Everything” blogs
• New blogs
• Technology

This blog has been honored with a nomination in the  "My Family History" category.

You can vote here, and have through Monday December 20th to cast your ballot(s).

Amanuensis Monday: Mysteries from the City Directories

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I return to the St. Louis City Directories I have been looking through on Footnote. The 1902 and 1904 directories produced some unfamiliar names.

Amanuensis Monday - December 13th

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Surname Saturday: Cruvant

I continue with the Surname Saturday blogging theme -  

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Cruvant / Kruvant / Cruvand / Kruvand / Kroovand

The Cruvant surname originated in Lithuania, likely named from the town Krūvandai.  The family has been traced back to Čekiškė, which is only 5 km north of Krūvandai.  Over the past two centuries, different branches of the family have chosen different phonetic spellings, the five most common are listed above.  My second great grandfather, Moshe Leyb Cruvant, appears to be the originator of the 'Cruvant' spelling.  Three branches of the family immigrated to St. Louis, though others made their way to New Jersey, Canada, and Israel.

I am indebted to a cousin for a large amount of research on the Cruvant families, and have assured her I will not share her research online.  So while I have a good amount of information on the descendants of four of Moshe Leyb's five brothers, I will not be sharing it below.  I also do not list relatives who I know are still living.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system.

5.
5.1
5.1.3 Moshe Leyb Cruvant (1857-1911) married Minnie Mojsabovski

5.1.3.1 Benjamin Cruvant (1883-1960) married (1) Goldie White (2) Dora Goldstein
5.1.3.2 David Thomas Cruvant (1885-1961) married Anna Ruben
5.1.3.3 Bertha Cruvant (1886-1978) married Barnet Newmark
5.1.3.4 Stella Crvuant (1889-1931) married Louis Julius Stern
5.1.3.5 Flora Cruvant (1892-1971) married Abraham Altman
5.1.3.6 Sol Cruvant (1893-1972) married Ida Waldman

5.1.3.1.1 Clifford Cruvant (1904-?)
5.1.3.1.2 Sarah M. Cruvant (1905-?)
5.1.3.1.3 Cecelia Cruvant (1917-2001) married Morris Markowitz
5.1.3.1.4 Morris Louis Cruvant (1920-1987) married Beatrice Morganstern

5.1.3.2.1 Bernard A Cruvant (1911-1965) married Edith Kenny
5.1.3.2.2 Naomi Melba Cruvant (1918-2000) married Sammie H Brown

5.1.3.3.1 Melvin Lester Newmark (1912-1992) married Belle Feinstein
5.1.3.3.2 Harold Newmark (1915-2003) married (1) Janice Liebovitz (2) Thelma Malpe Millstone
5.1.3.3.3 Mandel Newmark (1923-1945)

5.1.3.4.1 Aaron Cruvant Stern 1908-1981) married Mary Cohn
5.1.3.4.2 Marvyn Stern (1914-1993) married (1) Selma Rosalind Wolff (2) Lieselott Bilewski

5.1.3.5.1 Cruvant William Altman (1914-2008)

5.1.3.6.2 Monroe Leslie Cruvant (1918-1997)

My number is: 5.1.3.3.1.1.3


Photograph of modern day Kruvandai.
Source: photogalaxy.

Round Numbers

I've been seeing a milestone approach for a few weeks, and I wondered how to observe it.  Back in May of 2009 I posted a photograph from the first Indianapolis 500.  I had been blogging genealogically for two years.  The past year and a half I've increased my pace a bit.  This is my 1000th post.

In 1993, in his debut album, Moby released a track simply titled, "Thousand."  Named for the number of beats per minute it attains.  Coincidentally, Moby's name begins with the letter, M - the Roman numeral for 1000.  So I decided the video would be a 'grand' way to observe the milestone.



In other Round Number news:

Congratulations to Jasia at  CreativeGene!

The 100th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted, and Jasia achieved her goal of over 100 submissions.  She divided the submissions into four separate posts. Parts:  One Two Three Four.

Amanuensis Monday - December 6th

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday: 1892-1893 St. Louis City Directories

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I look at the St. Louis City Directories from 1892 and 1893 for my second great grandfather Selig Dudelsack, who changed his surname to Feinstein shortly after arrival in America.

Surname Saturday: Van Every

I continue with the Surname Saturday blogging theme -  

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Van Every 

The Van Every surname originated in either Holland or Germany as a place name, possibly Everinghe, Holland or Jever, Germany.  The surname has been traced (by others) back to Frederick Van Iveren.  Two of his sons, Myndert and Carsten, immigrated to America in the late seventeenth century.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system.  I've only listed my direct ancestors for several generations until I reach my great grandfather, even though I do have more names in my database. Otherwise, this list would get way too long.

4. Frederick Van Iveren
4.1 Myndert Fredericksen (1636-1706) married Catherine Burger
4.1.2 Burger Van Iveren (1660-?) married Elizabeth Meyer
4.1.2.1 Martin Van Iveren (1685-1760) married Judith Holmes
4.1.2.1.1 McGregory Van Every (1723-1786) married Mary Jaycocks
4.1.2.1.1.3 David Van Every (1757-1820) married Sarah Showers
4.1.2.1.1.3.9 Andrew David Van Every (1798-1873) married Nancy Lucellas
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1 Samuel Van Every (1820-1888) married (1) Cordelia Hitchcock (2) Abigail Stuart (3) Margaret Watkins [24 children]
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12 Melvin Elijah Van Every (1863-1929) married (1) Margaret Jane Denyer (2) Josie Thetford

4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1 Minnie Ray Van Every (1884-1969) married August Albert Benold
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.2 Samuel Ophan Van Every (1886-1933) married (1) Esther Dahlin (2) Amy C. Johnston
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.3 Abigail Van Every (1888-1888)
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.4 Delbert Van Every (1890-1890)
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.5 Willa Van Every (1890-1916) married Lexington Roberts
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.6 Evelyn Syvela Van Every (1892-1982) married (1) William Campbell (2) IT Herrin (3) W. J. Crabtree
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.7 Melvin Theodore Van Every (1898-1899)
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.8 Myrtle Ethel Van Every (1900-1951) married (1) Dale Ridgely (2) Martin J Deutsch

4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.1 Marguerite Benold (1906-1998) married (1) Roswell Spear (2) Robert Spencer
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.2 Shirley Ruth Benold (1908-2000) married (1) Virgil Riddell (2) Leonard Lafay Griffith
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.3 August Wilson Benold (1911-1977) married Eva Etta Reiley
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.4 Charles Benold (1913-1913)
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.5 Elsa Louise Benold (1913-2002) married Marcus Lester Waltermire
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.6 Ruby Benold (1916-2006) married George Seager
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.7 Evelyn Benold (1918-1938) married John Ellis Lanier
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.1.8 Francis Lucille Benold (1922-1996) married Harley Hugh Searcy

4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.2.1 Everet Clarence Van Every (1906-1924)

4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.3.1 Agnes Lee Roberts (1910-1987) married Phil Gates

4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.4.1 Elizabeth Dribel Campbell (1914-1996)
4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.4.2 William Venable Campbell (1916-2004)

4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.3.1.1 Phyllis Lee Gates (1932-1985) married Clinton William Johnson

I am number: 4.1.2.1.1.3.9.1.12.8.1.3

Notable Van Everys

Dale Van Every - Third cousin, twice removed - author of the screenplays for Captains Courageous, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and other films, as well as the author of several historical novels. Our shared ancestry begins with David Van Every and Sarah Showers.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

In the process of transcribing several family audiotapes, there have been several times I've rewound the tape and questioned what I had heard.

The first time it happened, my great uncle Ted was talking about an experience in Transylvania in the early 1900s. He was mentioning how his father stored bread and cookies when he left the house. I didn't understand the word he used to describe the container. English teachers always say if you can't spell a word, look it up. But this advice is difficult enough when you *think* you understand how to pronounce the word. I was completely at a loss except for the vague sense of the word from the audiotape. (I thought it sounded like souvenir, which didn't make any sense.)

What did I do? I asked Roget for help. Roget's Thesaurus, that is. I went to the section on Containers, and just started reading through the list, until I found a word that looked like it could sound like the word on the tape. It turned out to be Chiffonier. It was a completely new word to me, but now I knew what one was.

I also struggled with the Hungarian and Romanian words they used for place names, foods, and other things.  Those were harder to look up, but I figured many of them out.

You'd think it would have occurred to me that when my grandfather, and his siblings began talking about their aunts, uncles, and cousins that the names I was writing down might be incorrect, not just because their memories were getting foggy, but because I was writing the names down wrong.

So when my great Aunt Bert mentioned the "Goodman boys" and "Honie Goodman" as the daughter of an uncle, David Deutsch, that's the surname I searched for them under, without success. Several months ago, my mother in a conversation with one of her older cousins learned the last name was Guttman. Finding Hani Guttman, with five sons in the Chicago census took seconds, and finding her death certificate at the Cook County Genealogy website didn't take much longer, and her father is recorded as Leopold Deitch. (David Deutsch had the middle name Leib. I suspect Leopold could be an Americanization. However, he could be a different brother. Theoretically it could be a coincidence of names, though the odds are against it.)

I've also learned that another daughter of David Leib, who I had recorded as Celia Palmer, may really be Celia Pomerantz. My initial online searches have found some possibilities, but nothing certain. I'd like to find a descendant of Hani or Celia and share information.  I know very little about my great grandfather's siblings.

***

Footnote had a 50%-off CyberMonday sale, so I took the initiative and re-upped my subscription.  One of the things I wanted to do was search their collection of City Directories, especially those for St. Louis and Chicago.  They don't have any Chicago directories past 1923,  but a few Guttmans appear in that year.

One thing this city directory clipping does is confirm the 1930 census in that Samuel Guttman's eldest son was named Samuel Jr.  I had wondered if the census taker misheard, as this is an uncommon naming practice in European Jewish families, but it's clear Samuel and Samuel Jr. are both living at 1415 North Maplewood Avenue, along with Edward.  Samuel and Edward are the two eldest children listed in the 1930 census for Samuel and Hani, so I am fairly certain this is the same family.

I have no clue if any of the other Guttmans on the page are related.

There's One in Every Family II: Home, sweet home!

Jasia needs more submissions for the 100th Carnival of Genealogy and another "One in Every Family" came to mind. There are more exceptions to this choice than the last, and at this time of year many churches, synagogues, schools, and fraternal organizations raise money and collect items for those families without. However, most families have a home.

I've shared photographs of several homes on this blog in the past.  Below is my great grandmother, Margaret (Denyer) Van Every in front of, I believe, the family home in Fabens, Texas (outside of El Paso). I'm fairly certain the year was between 1920-1923.

Below is my great uncle, Mandel Newmark, outside of his 'home' while serving during World War II.

However, I know from the war diary he kept he didn't consider that home.  Home was where he hoped to return, but never did.  Below is Mandel's mother, Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark, looking out the window of what I assume is the family home.  However, since I don't know the year, I don't know the address.

Several authors have attempted to define 'Home.'

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." -- Robert Frost wrote in "Death of a Hired Man"

Tess Slesinger wrote, "Home is where you hang your hat, and drop your skirt, my dear." (The Unpossessed, 1937) The proverbial "Home is where you hang your hat," may well date back further, but this is the earliest usage I have been able to find in an internet search.

Edgar Guest wrote:

It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.

and John Howard Payne, in the opera "Clari, the Maid of Milan" (1823), wrote

MID PLEASURES and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble there's no place like home
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.

Home! home! sweet, sweet home!
There 's no place like home!

Happy Khanike!

Hanuka begins at sundown tonight.  It's an 8-day celebration starting on the 25th day of the first month of Winter on the Hebrew calendar, marking the Maccabean revolt in 166 BCE.

There are only two ways to properly spell the name of the holiday: חנוכה or חנכה (The one on the left being more common today according to Wikipedia)

If you use any other alphabet, it is entirely phonetic, resulting in many options, none of them being more 'correct' than the other.  However, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research did decide that 'Khanike' most closely approximates the pronunciation.  Their spelling is one of the least used in America, though, even if it has the most academia behind it.






There are more videos in my post last year at this time.

Amanuensis Monday - November 29

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday - Real Estate Listings - November 1907

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week my transcription is very short.  An entry from a listing of real estate transactions from the St. Louis Post Dispatch in November of 1907.

Surname Saturday: Dudelsack or Dudelczak

I continue with the Surname Saturday blogging theme -  

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Dudelsack / Dudelczak


The origin of the surname is a bit unclear.  There is a German bagpipe called a Dudelsack.  However, the word 'Dudel' is a diminutive for "David" in Yiddish, so there's a strong possibility the surname is patronymic in origin.  Spelling of the surname varies.

Four Dudelsack siblings immigrated to America in the late 1800s.  My great great grandfather Selig, a brother Yidel, a sister, Toba, and a sister Zlota.  Toba had married Aaron Oberman prior to immigration.  Selig and Yidel both changed their surnames upon arriving in America.  Yidel Americanized his given name to Julius, Toba went with Tillie, and Zlota chose Lottie.  Family lore says there were four siblings who remained in Russia. Nothing beyond their names are known.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system.  I've emboldened my direct ancestors. It's currently unclear what town in Russia the family originated.  It was most likely in the region of Volhynia. The four families started in America in St. Louis.  Most of the Odelsons moved to Chicago, and the Goodmans moved to Tulsa.

3. Samuel Zvi “Harry” Dudelsack married Gitel Slupsky

3.1 Belle Dudelsack
3.2 Gershon Dudelsack
3.3 Selma Dudelsack
3.4 Sprinsa Dudelsack
3.5 Toba Dudelsack ( - 1935) Married Aaron Oberman - Poland, St. Louis
3.6 Yidel “Julius” Dudelsack ( - 1917) married Jennie - Poland, St. Louis, Chicago
3.7 Selig Dudlesack (1860-1915) married Anna Perlik - Poland, St. Louis
3.8 Lottie Dudelsack (1861-1939) married Aaron Getz and Judal Goldstein - Poland, St. Louis, Tulsa

3.5.1 Manuel Harry Oberman (1886-1946) married Rose Askuvich
3.5.2 Samuel Oberman (1890- ?)
3.5.3 Minnie Oberman (1893-1974) married Louis Felman
3.5.4 Ben Oberman (1898-1969) married Geraldine Rosenthal
3.5.5 Joseph Oberman (1900-1967) married Fannie
3.5.6 Oscar Oberman (1904-1969) married (1) Lassie Brown (2) Anna Brodak

3.6.1 Samuel Odelson (1877-1954) married Rose Gordon
3.6.2 Pearl Odelson (1884-1957) married Morris Feldman
3.6.3 Louis Odelson (1886-?)
3.6.4 Sarah Odelson (1894-1987)
3.6.5 Harry Odleson (1896-1971) married Sonia Blak

3.7.1 Harry Feinstein (1884-1933) married (1) Dora Servinsky (2) Grace - Poland, St. Louis
3.7.2 Herman Feinstein (1886-1963) married Anna Blatt - Poland, St. Louis
3.7.3 Benjamin Feinstein (1888-1952) married Nevada Rowe Amacker - Poland, St. Louis
3.7.4 Pearl Feinstein (1890-1967) married Edward Louis Oxenhandler - Poland, St. Louis
3.7.5 Morris Feinstein (1893-1926) married Edna Frager - St. Louis
3.7.6 David Feinstein (1895-1896) - St. Louis
3.7.7 Aaron Feinstein (1898-1988) - St. Louis
3.7.8 Joseph Feinstein (1899-1901) - St. Louis
3.7.9 Rose Feinstein (1901-1985) married Abe Gold - St. Louis

3.8.1 Samuel Getz (1881-1943) - St. Louis
3.8.2 Sarah Getz (1890-1980) married (1) Frank Goodman (2) Theodore Kallmeyer - St. Louis, Tulsa

3.6.1.1 Anne Odelson (1900-1978) married Jack Kaplan
3.6.1.2 Harry Odelson (1902-1974) married Ida Taitel
3.6.1.3 Jacob Odleson (1904-1986)
3.6.1.4 Ida Odelson (1906-1994) married Harry Berz
3.6.1.5 Oscar Odelson (1908-1978) married Betty
3.6.1.6 Joseph Odelson (1910-1985)
3.6.1.7 Ben Odelson (1912-2006) married Bernice Bernstein
3.6.1.8 Irving Odelson (1915-2010) married Esther Siegel
3.6.1.9 Meyer Odelson (1916-2001) married Minnie Novey
3.6.1.10 Julius Odelson (1918-1966) married Jennie David
3.6.1.11 Belle Odelson (1919-?) married Irving Epstein
3.6.1.12 Sidney Odelson (1921-2010) married Sylvia Fox
3.6.1.13 Emanuel Odelson (1922-?)
3.6.1.14 Roy Odelson (1924-2001)

3.7.1.1 Sidney Feinstein (1906-1975)
3.7.1.2 Adeline Feinstein (1908-1966) married (1) Arthur Meyer (2) Sam Robinson
3.7.1.3 Alvin Feinstein (1910-1934)
3.7.1.4 Willard Feinstein (1912-1965) married Shirley Fogel
3.7.1.5 Robert Seymour Selig Feinstein (1915-2008) married Mary Margaret Cedillo

3.7.2.1 Bernard Feinstein (1913-1968) married Belle Hoffman
3.7.2.2 Belle "Sissie" Feinstein (1914-2002) married Melvin Lester Newmark 
3.7.2.3 Seymour "Babe" Feinstein (1917-1999) married Leonore Miller

3.7.3.1 Benjamin Feinstein, Jr. (1915-2000) married Dorothy Creighton
3.7.3.2 Ruth Feinstein (1921-2004) married Earl Jacobs

3.7.4.1 Willard Oxenhandler (1914-1995) married Sarah Steinbaum
3.7.4.2 Selig Seymour Oxenhandler (1916-1987) married Joyce Schmuckler
3.7.4.3 Sigmond Oxenhandler (1919-1987)

3.7.5.1 Marvin Feinstein (1919-1963) married Marilyn Steinberg
3.7.5.2 Dolores Feinstein (1920-2001) married Paul Zigler
3.7.5.3 Seymour Feinstein (1924-2002) married Dorislee Blank

3.8.2.1 Harry Goodman (1906-1975) married Dorothy Werbner
3.8.2.2 Gertrude Goodman (1908-?) married Jerome Naron
3.8.2.3 Frances Goodman (1910-1992)
3.8.2.4 Edrea Ann Goodman (1923-2010) married Julian Jack Appleton

My number is 3.7.2.2.1.3 

Happy Thanksgiving

A Song of Thanks
by Edward Smyth Jones

FOR the sun that shone at the dawn of spring,
For the flowers which bloom and the birds that sing,
For the verdant robe of the gray old earth,
For her coffers filled with their countless worth,
For the flocks which feed on a thousand hills,
For the rippling streams which turn the mills,
For the lowing herds in the lovely vale,
For the songs of gladness on the gale,—
From the Gulf and the Lakes to the Oceans’ banks,—
Lord God of Hosts, we give Thee thanks!

For the farmer reaping his whitened fields,
For the bounty which the rich soil yields,
For the cooling dews and refreshing rains,
For the sun which ripens the golden grains,
For the bearded wheat and the fattened swine,
For the stalled ox and the fruitful vine,
For the tubers large and cotton white,
For the kid and the lambkin frisk and blithe,
For the swan which floats near the river-banks,—
Lord God of Hosts, we give Thee thanks

For the pumpkin sweet and the yellow yam,
For the corn and beans and the sugared ham, 
For the plum and the peach and the apple red,
For the dear old press where the wine is tread,
For the cock which crows at the breaking dawn,
And the proud old “turk” of the farmer’s barn,
For the fish which swim in the babbling brooks,
For the game which hide in the shady nooks,—
From the Gulf and the Lakes to the Oceans’ banks—
Lord God of Hosts, we give Thee thanks!

For the sturdy oaks and the stately pines,
For the lead and the coal from the deep,
dark mines, For the silver ores of a thousand fold,
For the diamond bright and the yellow gold,
For the river boat and the flying train,
For the fleecy sail of the rolling main,
For the velvet sponge and the glossy pearl,
For the flag of peace which we now unfurl,—
From the Gulf and the Lakes to the Oceans’ banks,—
Lord God of Hosts, we give Thee thanks!

For the lowly cot and the mansion fair,
For the peace and plenty together share,
For the Hand which guides us from above,
For Thy tender mercies, abiding love,
For the blessed home with its children gay,
For returnings of Thanksgiving Day,
For the bearing toils and the sharing cares,
We lift up our hearts in our songs and our prayers,—
From the Gulf and the Lakes to the Oceans’ banks,—
Lord God of Hosts, we give Thee thanks!

Thanksgiving Poetry -- Gratitude - by Edgar Guest

GRATITUDE - by Edgar A. Guest (©1917)

Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way;
Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day;
Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do,
For round about you there are men less fortunate than you.

Be grateful for the growing trees, the roses soon to bloom,
The tenderness of kindly hearts that shared your days of gloom;
Be grateful for the morning dew, the grass beneath your feet,
The soft caresses of your babes and all their laughter sweet.

Acquire the grateful habit, learn to see how blest you are,
How much there is to gladden life, how little life to mar!
And what if rain shall fall to-day and you with grief are sad;
Be grateful that you can recall the joys that you have had.

Amanuensis Monday - Thanksgiving 1942

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a letter my maternal grandfather, Martin Deutsch, sent home Thanksgiving, 1942.

Amanuensis Monday - November 22

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

There's one in every family

"There's one in every family!" Bring your stories of colorful characters, unique heirlooms, mouth-watering recipes, most dearly beloved pets, whatever! Interpret as you like.

I knew I wanted to participate in this Carnival of Genealogy family reunion, but I pondered on what I would choose to write about. I don't like discussing living relatives, and while there are a handful of ancestors I could discuss under the topic of blacksheep, I'd rather not. However, the theme wasn't limited to people. Jasia specifically suggested family heirlooms, recipes, and other objects. I've discussed a couple of heirlooms before, and could think of a few more, but the topic didn't appeal greatly to me at this time. So I pondered some more. Something or someone every family has. After a few weeks of sorting through the possibilities, a new idea came to me. Something almost every family indeed does have. Most European nations began requiring them in the 18th and 19th centuries.

A family name (or surname)

Most of my personal experience with surnames comes from Western European culture, though I know other cultures handle surnames differently. The origins of surnames are sometimes sorted into five categories, which I have listed below, and provided examples from my ancestors. I looked up surname origins at both Ancestry  and the Surname Database.

1) Derived from a Given name (aka 'Patronymic')

• My distant maternal ancestor, Myndert Fredericksen, and his brother, Carsten Fredericksen, were the sons of Frederick Van Iveren. (The children of Myndert and Carsten returned to the Van Iveren surname, or changed it to either Van Every or Van Avery.)

• My paternal grandmother's original ancestral surname was Dudelczak. While the surname is possibly derived from the German bagpipe, Dudel is also Yiddish for "David." The odds are this surname was patronymic in origin.

2) Occupational Name

• My maternal great grandmother's surname, Lichtman, is considered occupational for a chandler from the Yiddish 'likht' for 'candle.'

3) Location/Topographical

• My surname, Newmark, likely is derived from the German/Polish area known as Newmarch.
• My paternal great grandmother's surname, Cruvant, came from the Lithuanian town, Kruvandai.
• My maternal grandmother's surname, Van Every, is likely derived from a Dutch or German town with a similar name -- though there is some debate over which town that is. (Possibilities include Everinghe, Holland and Jever, Germany.)

4) Nickname - names based on physical appearance, temperament, or personality

• The surname Denyer is considered by many a nickname for a poor or insignificant man, from the name of a very small medieval coin, Middle English, Old French denier

• The surname Lipman, as a Jewish surname, probably comes from the Yiddish for "Beloved man." (As a Dutch surname, it is thought to be a patronymic of the given name, Phillip.)

5) Ornamental Name - A name chosen by the family as an ornament.

• My paternal grandmother's surname, Feinstein, means "fine stone." Selig Dudelczak adopted the surname upon his arrival in America.

• My paternal great grandmother's surname "Blatt" is ornamental for most Jewish families, originating from the German and Yiddish word for "leaf." However, the non-Jewish German Blatt surname is considered to come from the German word "Blate" meaning a flat surface or plateau, and likely topographical.

• My maternal great great grandmother's surname "Adler" means "Eagle." 

On Going Home For Christmas - Edgar Guest

Edgar Guest's sentimental poetry is perfect for the season.  Many people object to the mention of Christmas prior to Thanksgiving, but the earlier the below poem gets posted, the more likely it will have any impact on holiday plans.  And I subscribe 100% to the message. 

On Going Home for Christmas - by Edgar Guest

He little knew the sorrow that was in his vacant chair;
He never guessed they’d miss him, or he’d surely have been there;
He couldn’t see his mother or the lump that filled her throat,
Or the tears that started falling as she read his hasty note;
And he couldn’t see his father, sitting sorrowful and dumb,
Or he never would have written that he thought he couldn’t come.

He little knew the gladness that his presence would have made,
And the joy it would have given, or he never would have stayed.
He didn’t know how hungry had the little mother grown
Once again to see her baby and to claim him for her own.
He didn’t guess the meaning of his visit Christmas Day
Or he never would have written that he couldn’t get away.

He couldn’t see the fading of the cheeks that once were pink,
And the silver in the tresses; and he didn’t stop to think
How the years are passing swiftly, and next Christmas it might be
There would be no home to visit and no mother dear to see.
He didn’t think about it — I’ll not say he didn’t care.
He was heedless and forgetful or he’d surely have been there.

Are you going home for Christmas? Have you written you’ll be there?
Going home to kiss the mother and to show her that you care?
Going home to greet the father in a way to make him glad?
If you’re not I hope there’ll never come a time you’ll wish you had.
Just sit down and write a letter — it will make their heart strings hum
With a tune of perfect gladness — if you’ll tell them that you’ll come.

Legacy's ObitMessenger Service now *Free*

I just received an email from Legacy.com.  (The date in the first paragraph says 11/16, but I received the email today, 11/18)

Dear ObitMessenger Subscriber,


We are very pleased to announce that on 11/16/2010 we will launch an upgraded version of our ObitMessenger^TM service. One of the biggest changes: ObitMessenger^TM will be free with no sign-up or annual fees. Here are some of the other exciting upgrades:


* Select up to five keywords and we'll search both the deceased's name and the obituary text.
* Search as many or as few newspapers as you like, and update your newspaper list at any time.
* To streamline your results e-mail, we will now include four lines of text per obituary with a link to access the full obituary.
* You will now be able to choose a secret question for account security. As a current subscriber, your secret question will default to your mother's maiden name. You will have the option to leave as-is or select a new question.


Your current account information (including login, password, keywords and newspapers) will be carried over to the upgraded ObitMessenger^TM service. In other words, no action is necessary on your part.


You can visit your account here.


If you have any questions, please contact us at obitmessenger@legacy.com.


Thank you,
Legacy.com

Legacy handles the obituaries for hundreds of newspapers across the US and Canada, so this is a great way to retrieve obituaries mentioning a particular surname regardless of what newspaper they happen to appear in.

Previously, you could search for five surnames in every newspaper they managed, but it would only find an obituary if it was the surname of the deceased -- not if the surname appeared in the text as a relative, etc.  And this cost $40/year.

You could also search for five keywords/phrases in one newspaper.  It wouldn't matter where the words appeared in the text of the obituary.  This cost $15/year.  (And they prohibited words such as "funeral" or "flowers" preventing it from being used as a means to get every obituary from a single newspaper emailed to you.)

The local newspaper stopped updating their RSS feed about a year ago, and I'm not pleased with the online interface, so I've been fiddling around with the $15/year option for a little over a month trying to find the perfect combination of keywords to get the most local obituaries sent to me via email.  I was more than happy to pay the $15 if I was comfortable I was receiving most of the obituaries that were important to me. The maximum I've achieved is somewhere between 25-40% of the total, depending upon the day. I was satisified with the results.  (I was using the names of three funeral homes, the word 'mortuary', and the word fragment 'cremat'.)

Since each 'account' is tied to an email address only, I have several email addresses, and the Terms of Service don't appear to prohibit setting up multiple accounts, it shouldn't be difficult to now set up a few different accounts with the names of all the major funeral homes in the area, and in this fashion get close to all of the obituaries emailed to me.

I've also set up an account that searches for five of my more uncommon surnames across their network. 

My only complaint?

I paid $15 a little over a month ago for a full year account.  And now it's free.


One other note: I do not use my mother's maiden name as a security passcode anywhere.  I maintain a genealogy blog where anyone who wanted to could look it up. I'm not silly.

UPDATE : The emails now contain adverts for flowers and genealogy services.  I see nothing wrong with this.  I am more than happy to see these daily adverts in place of an annual fee.

Update 2: Legacy added a comment, and as they state, and I hadn't noticed, it is possible to create multiple searches on one email address, so multiple email addresses are no longer necessary. 

NBC's birthday present for me

NBC has announced they're giving me a birthday present!

Season 2 of Who Do You Think You Are is returning to the air on Fridays, starting on January 21, which just happens to be my birthday.  It's so thoughtful of them.

There's no word yet on who the celebrities will be.

Amanuensis Monday: Obituary for Harold Newmark (2003)

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe the obituary of my great uncle, Harold Newmark. He was brother to my grandfather, Melvin Newmark.

Amanuensis Monday - November 15, 2010

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.

Surname Saturday: Deutsch

I continue with the Surname Saturday blogging theme -  

Discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

Deutsch

Deutsch is a common surname.  The name, in German, means, "German." One might assume this suggests a family with this surname originated in Germany. That's not necessarily the case. 

One reason for the frequency of German names among Jews is related to a misunderstanding of a 1787 Austro-Hungarian law. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, which controlled a substantial part of Europe, was the first country in Europe that required Jews to register a permanent family surname. At the same time, they required Jews to register a German given name. The decree was widely misinterpreted as requiring a German surname, so the overwhelming majority of Jewish surnames created for that registration were German ones. (source)

My most distant-known Deutsch ancestors were from Transylvania when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.  So there is a very good chance the surname was created in 1787, and my ancestors were among those who thought they needed to choose a German language surname.  If this is the case, they either didn't have very much imagination, or they had a very dry sense of humor.  (I can hear them now: "Our surname must be 'Deutsch'?  OK, it's 'Deutsch.'")

There are two common pronunciations of the surname.  There's the German fashion which sounds like Dyche or Ditch, and the Austrian fashion which sounds like Doytch.  My grandfather pronounced it in the Austrian fashion, though there is evidence some of his cousins pronounced it in the German fashion.

A lot of the information I have on the early generations below comes from family lore, passed down orally on an audiotape my grandfather and his siblings recorded in the 1970s, pieced together with documents I've found online.  Since Deutsch is a common surname, the odds I have made some mistakes in the patchwork increase.  I will make corrections/additions as they are discovered.

The numbering follows the d'Aboville system.  I've emboldened my direct ancestors. Since I'm less certain on geographical locations for many of the names, I've left them off this descent.  The family originated in Transylvania, and lived in several cities there including Turda, and Varalmas.  Many of the branches that immigrated to America settled originally in Chicago, Illinois.

2. Abraham Deutsch - married Sarah Weiss

2.1 David Leib Deutsch – married Edith Markowitz
2.2 Albert Deutsch
2.3 Samuel Deutsch (Dec 20, 1861 – Jan 21, 1938) - married Chava Leah (Helen) Lichtmann
2.4 Sarah Deutsch (1877-?) married Adolph Rosenblum

2.1.1 Bertha Deutsch – married Frank Newman
2.1.2 Herman Deutsch
2.1.3 Celia Deutsch
2.1.4 Hani Deutsch – (1880-Nov 10, 1943) married Samuel Guttman

2.2.1 Joseph Deutsch – (1887-?) married Eva Wurtenberg
2.2.2 Regina Deutsch (1890-?) married Nathan Greenfield
2.2.3 Herman Deutsch (1897-?) married Dora Diamant

2.3.1 Jean Deutsch (1889-?) - married Bernard Kamerman
2.3.2 Armon Deutsch (1900-1908)
2.3.3 Theodore Deutsch (Oct 22, 1902 – Sept 1980) married Frances Levy
2.3.4 Edward Deutsch (Oct 6, 1904 – May 15, 1973)- changed surname to Kameran
2.3.5 Martin Deutsch (Feb 28, 1907 – Mar 19, 1991) married (1) Myrtle Van Every (2) Marjorie Shelp
2.3.6 Maurice Gerald Deutsch (Jun 18, 1909 – July 30, 1950) married Dorothy Arkin
2.3.7 Berta Deutsch (Apr 6, 1911 – Feb 22, 2003) married Herman Freed
2.3.8 Allen Deutsch (Jan 24, 1914 – Jun 13, 1988) married Jean Collier

2.4.1 Daniel Rosenblum
2.4.2 Pauline Rosenblum (Jul 31, 1903 – June 1984) married Edward Kohl
2.4.3 Esther Rosenblum
2.4.4 Frances Rosenblum
2.4.5 Julia Rosenblum - married David Mittleman
2.4.6 Lillian Rosenblum - married Eli Greene

2.1.1.1 Henry Newman
2.1.1.2 Nathan Newman
2.1.1.3 Lydia Newman

2.1.4.1 Samuel Guttman (Mar 28, 1905 – Dec 1968)
2.1.4.2 Edward Guttman (May 28, 1906 – Sept 1973)
2.1.4.3 Joe Guttman (Jun 4, 1907 – July 1982)
2.1.4.4 Emil Guttman
2.1.4.5 Nathan Guttman (Jul 5, 1913 – Sept 1, 1981)

2.2.1.1 Albert Deutsch
2.2.1.2 Sigmund Deutsch (Nov 20, 1914 – Aug 8, 1995) married Margaret Smick Sept 26, 1942

2.2.2.1. Bella Greenfield – married Hugh Roth
2.2.2.2 Gertrude Greenfield – married Harry Schrenkel
2.2.2.3 Milton Greenfield
2.2.2.4 Irving Greenfield

2.2.3.1 Sarene Deutsch (July 29, 1914 – Jan 20,1990) married David Lipton
2.2.3.2 Pearl Deutsch (June 2, 1921 – July 17, 1997) married Burton Zoot
2.2.3.3 Albert Deutsch (Dec 31, 1922-Nov 30, 1998) married Ida Rosenwald
2.2.3.4 Lillian Deutsch (May 21, 1924 – Dec 15, 2004) married Morrie Isaac

2.4.2.1 Darwin L Kohl (June 1925-Oct 2, 1971)

My number = 2.4.5.1.3

Friday Five

Possibly jumping the gun on this one by a couple weeks, but I thought I'd get in the spirit, and it's been awhile since I did a "Friday Five." 

Names on a theme from various databases

1. May Flower - 1920 census - age 36 - Montgomery, Pennsylvania
2. P. L. Grim - 1910 census - age 43 - Eel River, Allen, Indiana
3. Water Turkey - 1920 census - age 45 - Lee, Florida
4. Butterball Mantooth - Texas Death Index - 1998 - Lubbuck, Texas
5. Cranberry Goble - Iowa Deaths and Burials Index - 1904 - Villisca, Montgomery, IA

All five names found at FamilySearch

Veterans Day, 2010

Caption for photo to left: Human Statue of Liberty. 18,000 Officers and Men at Camp Dodge, Des Moines, Iowa. Colonel William Newman, Commanding. Colonel Rush S. Wells, Directing. Mole & Thomas, 09/1918. (source)

In honor of Veterans Day/Remembrance Day, below are the names of ancestors, and their siblings, who I know served their nation's military, either in a time of war, or in a time of peace.  Several have been added to the list from last year.

I am including my Loyalist ancestors; their nation was Great Britain. I am including my Confederate ancestors too, despite their desire to form a separate nation.




Fifth Great Grandfathers
McGregory Van Every (1723-1786) Loyalist/Butler's Rangers
Michael Showers (1733-1796) Loyalist/Butler's Rangers

Fourth Great Grandfather
David Van Every (1757-1820) Loyalist/Butler's Rangers (served briefly as a Patriot in the NY militia)

Fifth Great Uncle
Benjamin Van Every (1759-1795) Loyalist/Butler's Rangers(served briefly as a Patriot in the NY militia)
William Van Every (1765-1832) Loyalist/Butler's Rangers
Peter Van Every (1771-bef 1816) Loyalist/Fifth Lincoln and Second York regiments (War of 1812)

Fourth Great Uncles
David Van Every Jr. (1782-1847) Loyalist/Second York regiment (War of 1812)
Michael Van Every (1790-?) Loyalist/Fifth Lincoln and Second York regiments (War of 1812)

Second Great Grandfather
Ebenezer Denyer (1828-1872) (Confederate Army)

Third Great Uncles
Samuel Jennings Denyer (1822-1861) (Gonzales County Minute Men - Republic of Texas -1841)
Samuel T Hartley (1830-1920) (Confederate Army)

Great Grandfather
Samuel Deutsch (1861-1938) (Franz Josef's Austro-Hungarian Army)

Grandfathers
Melvin L Newmark (1912-1992), WWII
Martin J Deutsch (1907-1991), WWII

Great Uncles
Jerry Deutsch (1909-1950), WWII
Allen Deutsch (1914-1988), WWII
Harold Newmark (1915-2003), WWII
Mandell Newmark (1923-1945), WWII
Bernard Feinstin (1913-1968), WWII
Seymour Feinstein (1917-1999), WWII

Uncle
Stevan J Newmark (1942-1997) Army Reserves

Wordless Wednesday: Romanian villagers dancing the Hora

1938. Photographer: John Phillips 
Villagers dancing the Hora in the hills near Cluj, wearing traditional peasant clothing and headscarves. (source)

Schicksalstag - November 9

Schicksalstag is a German word meaning, “Day of Fate.” It is used by Germans to describe November 9. Apparently it was first used by some German historians after WWII, but it picked up in popularity after 1989. There are several major events in German history that occurred on this date, with conflicting emotional baggage. However, when you look at a list of events for November 9, you realize this Day of Fate doesn’t stop at Germany’s borders.  (Some refer to this date as the "European 9/11" since Europeans write dates with the month after the slash.)

Here’s a partial list:

1494 - Medicis expelled from Florence, Italy
1799 - Napoleon overthrew the French government in the coup d’etat of 18 Brumaire
1918 - Kaiser Wilhelm steps down, and Germany’s Republic begins
1923 - Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch
1938 - Kristallnacht/Pogromnacht - German pogrom viewed as the start of the Holocaust
1953 - Cambodia declares its independence
1989 - Berlin wall comes down

Amanuensis Monday - November 8, 2010

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.

Amanuensis Monday: Obituary for Dora (Goldstein) Cruvant

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe the obituary of Dora (Goldstein) Cruvant. Her husband, Ben Cruvant, was the brother of my great grandmother, Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark.

Surname Saturday: Newmark

Another weekly genealogy meme? I've been thinking about participating in this one for awhile, and the initial post below has been ready to go for several months, as I awaited some further information.  I stopped waiting.

Surname Saturday.

To participate in Surname Saturday, simply create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research.

I'll start with the most obvious surname to begin with - my own.

Newmark

From my research it appears there are a handful of "Newmark Clans" in the United States that originated in either the Neumark/NewMarch region of Germany, or near enough in Poland to raise the question of where those Polish ancestors actually came from. (The clan to which I belong being part of the latter.) These clans also seem to often share something else besides geographical origin - a Jewish religious background. Whether or not we are all related would likely require a Y-Surname DNA study, but it wouldn't be surprising to learn that at least some of us are. It's doubtful though we'll ever be able to trace the exact lineal connections.

The first known progenitor of the Clan from which I descend is Israel David Newmark. Below is a limited descendant chart utilizing the D'Aboville numbering system, including the locations the individuals lived, and their birth, marriage and death dates. I could extend it further, but I can't do a complete list of the next generation without deciding which information to leave out for living relatives.

[Key: * = no vital record has been found to back up this information, but this is the date either claimed by the individual, or recorded by the family.]

1. Israel David Newmark (?-?) Poland  - married Leah (?)
1.1 Samuel Joseph Newmark (1862 - July 20, 1940) Warka, Poland; London, England; St. Louis, MO, USA - married Rose Cantkert
1.1.1 Solomon "Sol" Newmark (*Dec 4, 1883 - Dec 4, 1934) Warka; London; St. Louis
- married Sarah Nathan, Aug 31, 1902
1.1.2 Barnet "Barney" Newmark (*March 17, 1886 - Nov 25, 1956) Warka; London; St. Louis
- married Bertha Cruvant, *Aug 27, 1911
1.1.3 Nellie Newmark (*March 8, 1889 - Mar 22, 1959) Warka; London; St. Louis
- married Morris Fudemberg, Jan 30, 1910
1.1.4 Bella Newmark (*March 4, 1890 - Dec 2, 1976) Warka; London; St. Louis
- married Coleman Charles Cohen, Jan 30, 1910
1.1.5 Meyer "Max" Newmark (*Aug 16, 1892 - Jan 31, 1931) Warka; London; St. Louis; East St. Louis, IL, USA - married Dora (?)
1.1.6 Kate "Katie" Newmark (Nov 27, 1894 - March, 19, 1960) London; St. Louis; Chicago, IL, USA
- married Phillip Jacobs
1.1.7 Cecile "Cissie" Newmark (Aug 16, 1896 - Sept 12, 1973) London; St. Louis; East St. Louis; New Orleans, LA, USA; Falls Church, VA, USA - married Hyman Gold
1.1.8 Israel David "Buddy" Newmark (Apr 3, 1903 - Oct 16, 2004) London; St. Louis
- married Clara Rubin

My number is 1.1.2.1.1.3

Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November

If there are any British readers of this blog, Happy Guy Fawkes Night

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up the King and Parli'ment.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

And what should we do with him? Burn him!

There are many videos online of the above.  Here's one of them:





I wonder if my British Denyer ancestors, who immigrated to America in the early-1800s, observed Guy Fawkes day in any fashion after arriving in America.  I wonder if my Newmark ancestors who lived in London for fifteen years from the mid-1890s to 1910 got into the habit of celebrating it with their neighbors.

If you are reading this on November Fifth, the Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Day is Gunpowder. Clearly in honor of November Fifth. However, they don't store archives, so you can only see the current Word of the Day.  (Or you can subscribe to their free email edition, like I do.)

Words that Hurt, Words that Heal

This post has nothing to do with genealogy.  A lot to do with blogging, and socializing on the internet.  (And off the internet.)  Some people will see perhaps connections to other blog posts elsewhere.  However, I am making this post generic so that I can direct people in the future to this post, and say, "Read this - these are my thoughts."  They will apply today; They will apply in the future.  This way I don't have to retype them.  If you think these thoughts match yours in a future instance, feel free to direct people here as well.

I first started participating in internet discussions in college back in 1988, when the internet was still called "Bitnet."  I particularly enjoyed the political discussions, so I am well used to the heated arguments that tend to develop.





I'm also still amazed at how often people resort to insults and name-calling.  The ad hominem attack isn't new.  We see it a lot on what passes for television commentary today, but poet, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), was a master at the ad hominem.  (Two poems about a politician named Richard Tighe, with whom Swift disagreed.) Still, it may be old, but it's not a very useful type of argument.  It only serves to make the individual you're arguing with either angry at you, or depressed about themselves, or both.

I like to put a little twist on the schoolyard chant:

Sticks and stones

may break some bones

but the hurt from words

lasts longer.

There's a poem, Incident, by Countee Cullen (1903-1946) that makes this point well.

About 12 years ago I read a book that made an incredible impression on me.  "Words that Hurt, Words that Heal" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin.  He talks about the power of words, mixing religious quotes, with anecdotes from the newspaper and history.  He covers a lot of ground from malicious (and non-malicious) gossip to criticism to public humiliation.  He also discusses how to use the power of words for good.

Telushkin begins by arguing that the tongue is the most difficult muscle in the body for most people to control.  If you think you can control your tongue, he suggests attempting to go 24 hours without saying something negative about anyone.  To their face, or behind their back. And if we can't do that, we have to admit we have a problem, because if we can't go 24 hours without drinking, or without smoking, we know we are addicted. And we know we need help. [And I'm not referring to negative things about politicians.  I'm referring to negative things about your neighbor, your postman, your cousin, your co-worker, or even your friend.]

It should be noted that Telushkin admits he struggles with it at times.  I do, too.  All of humanity does.  But the point is to struggle with it, and reduce the hurt we cause from our words.

A few quotes

Whoever shames his neighbor in public, it is as if he shed his blood.”—(Babylonian Talmud. Bava Mezia 58b)

***

 Before you criticize somebody, ask yourself three questions:

1. How do I feel about offering this criticism? Does it give me pleasure or pain?

If part of you is looking forward to it, hold back. Your motives are probably at least partly insincere (you don’t so much wish to help this person as relish cutting him down to size) and your listener will probably respond defensively and reject your critique.

If the thought of critiquing another pains you, yet you feel impelled to speak up, do so. Your motives are probably sincere; your concern for the other person will shine through, making it likely that he or she will be able to accept, or at least hear, your criticism.

2. Does my criticism offer specific ways to change?

3. Are my words non-threatening and reassuring?

***

When offering criticism …remember the three sugestions of Moses Maimonides, the medieval Jewish philosopher and Rabbi

1. Administer the rebuke in private.
2. Speak to the offender gently and tenderly
3. Point out that he is only speaking for the wrongdoer’s own good.

If you'd like to read more about what Rabbi Telushkin has to say:

The 99th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been Released

The 99th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been released 

with several discussions on how religious rites have impacted our family histories.

And not only has the theme for the 100th edition has been announced, CreativeGene has declared she wants at least 100 submissions from at least 100 past participants in the CoG. 

"There's one in every family!" Bring your stories of colorful characters, unique heirlooms, mouth-watering recipes, most dearly beloved pets, whatever! Interpret as you like. Every family has "special" individuals, you know, the ones with a green thumb, the black sheep, the lone wolf, the blue-ribbon cook, the story-teller, the geek! I know you have treasured recipes and amazing heirlooms you've yet to share! Tell us about them and become a part of history in the 100th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy! The deadline for submissions is December 1st.

Wordless Wednesday: A Monument to Fascism?

It's amazing the bits of history one can find online.  The below article appeared in Life Magazine, March 8, 1948 - p. 113. 

(move mouse over images for additional comments)

Schrödinger the Cat’s Election Theorem

For those of you who haven't met him before, observe - my cat, Schrödinger.  (He used to belong to a friend of mine, and I started taking care of him "temporarily," and that temporary status lengthened.  His registration officially changed hands on October 31.  Appropriate, perhaps, for a black cat. I wish I could take credit for his name, but alas, I can't.)

Schrödinger knows a thing or two about elections.

Schrödinger the Cat's Election Theorem: You can’t know whether your candidate has won or lost until the votes are counted. Until that moment, your candidate is half a winner, and half a loser.



If you don't understand the humor in the theorem, or the cat's name...

Amanuensis Monday - November 1, 2010

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.

Amanuensis Monday: Running for State Rep

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

In honor of election day tomorrow, this week I transcribe some election results from a 1932 primary for State Representative in the fourth district of St. Louis.  This comes from the Official Manual of the State of Missouri.  The volumes from 1878 to 2000 are online, and searchable, at Missouri Digital Heritage.

Pardon me as I also praise the Secretary of State who oversaw the creation of Missouri Digital Heritage - Robin Carnahan.  It is my fervent hope she earns a seat in the Senate tomorrow, but she has already left quite a legacy here in Missouri.

Religious Rites: Weddings

The topic for the 99th Carnival of Genealogy is:  

Religious Rites: Organized religion played a large part in many of our family histories. Virtually all religions have their rites/ceremonies. Has your family participated in any of these rites?

There were several things I considered discussing - or, in most cases, discussing again.  I've written a lot about how religion has intersected with my family history.  At the bottom of my blog's sidebar is a poem I wrote in 2008.  The second stanza:

As I research ancestral lines I discover

some ancestors celebrated Hanuka,

others Christmas, and still others

the Green Corn Ceremony;

Jewish, Methodist Episcopalian,

Puritan, Christian Scientist, Mennonite,

Choctaw, and Cherokee.

Weddings are perhaps the most joyous of all religious rites.  If my recollections are correct, across four decades I have attended twelve, including seven involving family members. I have had a role in several of them - I've read from a prayer book, been a chuppa (canopy) pole holder, witnessed a Ketubah (marriage contract), and was a groomsman more than once. The wedding location has usually been at a church or synagogue, but two have been held outdoors.  All twelve of the ceremonies reflected the religious beliefs of the bride and groom in some fashion.

As it is I suspect with most.  Perhaps, sometimes the ceremony reflects more the religious beliefs of the parents.  When there are differences, some will bow to the dictates of family harmony.  Most of my European Jewish immigrant ancestors were Orthodox in their faith, but their children moved towards Reform in the early 20th century.  For example, I know that my great grandparents Herman and Annie (Blatt) Feinstein were married by the Chief Orthodox Rabbi of St. Louis, but they raised their children at United Hebrew Temple, a Reform congregation.

My other paternal great grandparents, Barney and Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark raised their children in the Reform tradition as well, at B'nai El.  I haven't located their marriage certificate yet. (I believe they were married in East St. Louis)  However, I know the Cruvants were Orthodox, and I also know where Barney's older brother, Sol was married.

I wrote about his marriage to Sarah Nathan in a post three years ago. August 31, 1902. Sol and Sarah were married in the Great Synagogue of London, England.  Here's a copy of their marriage certificate, retrieved from the British General Register Office:

In the post I wrote three years ago I researched every name and other piece of information I could find on the certificate.  I won't detail everything I learned -- you can read the original post.

One of the signatures is that of the Cantor, or Hazzan, Marcus Hast.  He likely led the ceremony.  He was born in Warsaw, Poland, not far from where the Newmark family originated.  I believe Sol's parents may have been familiar with Hast while he was still in Poland.  In 2007 I wrote:

The scores of Hast's compositions are available for download, and there is a section devoted to wedding music, so the music that was likely played at the ceremony could be duplicated.

I provided the link, but the scores are in the public domain, so here they are for two traditional songs welcoming the bride and groom underneath the chuppa.




Translation of the lyrics for Mi Adir:

He who is mighty above all, He who is blessed above all, He who is great above all, He who is distingui​shed above all, may He bless the groom and the bride.