Amanuensis Monday: What a Tangled Tree We Weave

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, newspaper articles, 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.

I began this project back on February 16, 2009.  Since I began, many others have joined in on the meme. I am thrilled that this meme I started has inspired so many to transcribe their family history documents. Why do we transcribe? I provide my three reasons in the linked post. You may find others.

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This week I share the obituaries of David and Anna (Rubin) Cruvant.  David was the brother of my great grandmother, Bertha (Cruvant) Newmark.

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State Times Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
Saturday, August 5, 1961 (Page 5)
Cruvant, David F.
Died at 9:10 a.m. Saturday at Baton Rouge General Hospital. Age 76, a native of Russia, a residence of 1643 Richland, a retired merchant and a resident of East St. Louis, Ill., for 30 years, until he moved to Baton Rouge 10 years ago. Was a member of Temple B’Nai Israel. Services at Welsh Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Monday couducted by Rabbi Walter G. Pleser. Burial in Jewish Cemetery. Pallbearers are Archille Goetschel, W.I. Washauer, Pat O’Leary, John R. Sheets, Sammie H. Brown, Phil Washauer, Jay Washauer and Rabbi Marvin Reznikoff. Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Anna Rubin Cruvant; one son, Dr. Bernard A. Cruvant, St. Louis, Mo.; one daughter, Mrs. Sammmie H. Brown, Baton Rouge; two sisters, Mrs. Barney Newmark and Mrs. Flora Altman, both of St. Louis; one brother, Sol Cruvant, Miami, Fla., and five grandchildren.

State Times Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
Friday March 26, 1965 (Page 12)

Cruvant, Mrs. Anna R.
Died 3:30 a.m. Friday, March 26 at her residence, 1643 Richland Ave, Age 75, she was a native of London, England. Religious services at Welsh Funeral Home 5 p.m. Friday, conducted by Rabbi Walter Pleser. Interment in Jewish Cemetery, North Street. Survived by one sons, Dr. Bernard Allan Cruvant, St. Louis, MO., one daughter, Mrs. Sammie H. Brown, Bataon Rouge; four sisters, Mrs. J.M. Liebowitz, Mrs. G.B. Barken, Mrs. I.D. Newmark, all of St. Louis and Mrs. W.I. Washauer, Baton Rouge; five grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She belonged to B’nai Israel Temple.

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Notes:

1. Both obituaries were found in the newspaper archives at GenealogyBank

2. I believe David's middle name was Thomas, so the middle initial 'F' was either a newspaper error, a mistake by whoever wrote the obituary, or an implication that my understanding is wrong.

3. Within the names of Anna's sisters lies a tangled story.  There were five sisters, but I will focus on three of them.

Anna Rubin married David Cruvant
Clara Rubin married Israel David Newmark
Nellie Rubin marred Joseph Liebowitz
Bertha Cruvant (David's sister) married Barney Newmark (Israel David's brother)
Harold Newmark, the son of Bertha and Barney, and brother of my grandfather, married Janice Liebowitz, daughter of Joseph and Nellie.

So while I am not related to any of the Rubins, if there was a Rubin Reunion, several of my Newmark and Cruvant cousins would be there.