Of Prague and Clocks

During June my wife and I went on our honeymoon. I didn't mention it here beforehand, or during, as I'm not overly fond of letting the world know that I am not going to be home over a long period of time. But it's time to share some photographs. Many of them are of genealogical or historical interest.

Our first stop was Prague.  And we stopped by the clock tower.

No, not the Astronomical Clock:

We stopped there, too.  Constructed in 1410, with some additions in 1490, it is perhaps the best known clock tower in Prague. But there's another.

Located in the Jewish Quarter, these clocks top the Jewish Town Hall, and were constructed in 1586. The higher two of the three clocks have Roman numerals. The lower one on the left has Hebrew, and it rotates what can only be called 'counter-clockwise' except the term doesn't really make sense, does it?  Whatever direction a clock turns is clockwise for that clock.

Is this 'correct' for a Hebrew clock? How does one define 'correct?' While the language reads right-to-left, this doesn't necessarily require the clock to turn in this fashion.

We would visit Israel later in this trip, and though I saw several Hebrew watches in gift shops, none of them rotated in this fashion. However, wrist-watches are a relatively new invention, and Israel is a modern state.  There aren't many places in the world where one might find a Hebrew clock dating back to the 16th century. Prague may be alone. If it is, how does one decide if Prague's clock is 'correct'?

The Jewish Town Hall stands next to the Alt Neu (Old New) Synagogue.

Constructed in 1270, it is the oldest active synagogue in Europe. According to legend, the golem created by Rabbi Judah Loew sits in the attic, waiting for a time of great need to return.  (As a tour guide suggested to us...that time came, and no golem. There is a story that one Nazi agent died after entering the attic.)

Photo Credits: 
Astronomical Clock - Jenifer Newmark - June 2012
Jewish Town Hall and Altneu Synagogue - John Newmark - June 2012

Central Database of Shoah Victims Names - Part II

Whenever looking at a document, it is important to consider how and why the document was made. This helps to figure out which parts of the document are more likely to be reliable.

For example: on a death certificate, the date, time, and cause of death are all likely to be reliable. Or at least as reliable as the medical profession was at the time. The reliability of the date and place of birth, or information such as the names of the deceased's parents, depends entirely on the informant.

The Central Database of Shoah Victims Names draws its names from three sources:

1.Pages of Testimony. These are one-page forms, submitted to Yad Vashem by survivors, remaining family members or friends in commemoration of people who perished in the Holocaust. The first 800,000 of them were collected in the 1950s, and the rest since. There are currently some 2,600,000 names on Pages of Testimony, written in about thirty languages and four alphabets.


2.Historical documentation from the archives, such as the correspondence of the Nazi bureaucrats and their counterparts throughout Europe; personal documents of the Jews such as letters, passports, diaries and memoirs, as well as the documentation of the Jewish organs and institutions; lists detailing confiscation of assets, deportation lists or lists of victims; legal documentation from proceedings against Nazi criminals and collaborators, and much more. The documentation is in all European languages.


3. Local commemoration projects: There are dozens of local initiatives to record the names of the Jews from a specific region, country, or camp. Yad Vashem has joined efforts with these projects, and their results are integrated into the central database. 

In my searches, most of the results appear to come from pages of testimony.  How reliable are these? Well, consider the circumstances. You are a survivor of the Holocaust. A decade, two, three, or four afterwards you feel compelled to memorialize the names of your relatives and fellow members of your community who perished. The names you are likely to remember well.  Names of parents? If its for a sibling, you will likely get that right. But for a cousin? It might depend upon how old you were at the time. Dates and Places of birth?

In some cases, all the record really provides for certainty is a name. But that is a name you can take to other websites such as JewishGen and see if you can find records to confirm the other pieces of information.

After looking at the records of Almasu/Varalmas I decided to do a search on some paternal ancestors. In particular, the Cantkerts (pronounced: Tsantkerts).

My second great grandparents Samuel and Rose (Cantkert) Newmark lived in Warka, Poland - on the outskirts of Warsaw.  They left Poland in 1893 and after spending 15 years in England, finally settled in America.  All I know for certain about Rose's parents are the names that appear on her death certificate: Hirsch and Bryna.  How well did her son recall the names of his grandparents?  He didn't get Rose's maiden name correct - he wrote it down as Sundberg. Luckily, the London birth records of his younger siblings led me to Cantkert. Are the first names correct?

I conducted a search at the Central Database for anyone with the name Cantkert.  There were only slightly over 60 results, and I created an Excel spreadsheet of information from the records. Here's a table:

Surname	First Name	Maiden	Father	Mother	DOB	POB	Spouse	Submitter	Relationship
Cantker	Feiga	Holtzman	Nisan	Pesa	1913	Siedlce Poland	Mendel	Yeshayahu Holtzman	Brother
Cantker	Noakh		Menashe	Braindel	1910	Warka, Poland	None	Yekhiel Vafel	Cousin
Cantkert	Fayga				1895	Warsaw, Poland		Deportation List
Cantkert	Frida				1939	Paris, France		Deportation List
Cantkert	Ita				1927	Paris, France		Deportation List
Cantkert	Paul				1933	Paris, France		Deportation List
Cantkert	Suzanne				1935	Paris, France		Deportation List
Cantkier	Yankiel		Meir	Hudes	1905	Warka, Poland	Tauba	George Cantkier	Son
Cantkier	Symcha				1919	Wolomin, Poland	Teiblum	Yerakhmiel Zholt	Cousin
Cantkier	Leja	Teblum	Leib	Ester	1919	Wegrow, Poland	Simkha	Yerakhmiel Zhulti	Cousin
Cantkier	Unknown		Symcha	Leja	1939	Wolomin, Poland		Yerakhmiel Zholt	Cousin
Feder	Reizl	Tzantker	Hersh	Breina	1885	Warka, Poland	Mordekhai	Tzipora Haus	Niece
Tantker	Josif		Shmuel	Riza	1921	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Sara		Hersh	Breina	1918	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Bronia		Khaim	Reizil	1913	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Khaim		Hersh	Breina	1892	Warsaw, Poland	Khaia	Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Tzipora		Hersh	Breina	1920	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Neha		Khaim Shmuel	Khaia	1917	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Sofia		Khaim Shmuel	Khaia Roza	1915	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Yokheved				1910	Warsaw, Poland	Yaakov	Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Yitzhak		Hersh	Breina	1914	Warsaw, Poland		Tzafrir	Cousin
Tantker	Yaakov		Hersh	Breina	1875	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Yaakov		Hersh	Breina	1910	Warsaw, Poland	Yokheved	Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Reizl		Hersh	Breina	1923	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Zelig		Khaim Shmuel	Khaia Roza	1919	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Khaia Reizl				1897	Warsaw, Poland	Khaim Shmuel	Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Tantker	Zelda		Khaim Shmuel	Khaia Roza	1912	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Zantker	Frida		Khaim Shmuel	Khaia	1918	Warsaw, Poland		Tzipora Haus	Cousin
Zantker	Sara	Lange	Khaim Barukh	Tzina		Bialobrzegi, Poland		Efraim Shafranski	Nephew
Zantker	Wolf					Bialobrzegi, Poland	Sara Lange	Efraim Shafranski	Relative
Zantker	Abraham					Warka, Poland		Efraim Shafranski	Acquaintance
Zantker	Nukha		Wolf	Sara	1930	Bialobrzegi, Poland		Efraim Shafranski
Tzandker	Yisrael		Yosef	Miriam	1907	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh	Brother
Tzandker	Ester		Beniamin	Khava	1906	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Khaia Sara		Yosef	Miriam	1908	Wolomin, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Dvora		Yosef	Miriam	1923	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Asher		Yosef	Miriam	1920	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Meier		Yosef	Miriam	1900	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh	Sister
Tzandker	Tzipora		Yosef	Miriam	1900	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh	Sister
Tzandker	Sabina				1915	Warsaw, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh	Sister-in-Law
Tzandker	Simkha		Yosef	Miriam	1923	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Miriam		Khaim David	Rivka Matilda	1880	Stanislawow, Poland		Hendel Ishlakh	Daughter
Tzandker	Khana		Asher		14			Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	David			Tzipora	15			Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Yoel			Tzipora	13			Hendel Ishlakh
Tzandker	Khaia			Tzipora	10			Hendel Ishlakh
Tzantker	Malka				30	Poland	Shalom	Beniamin Tzantker	Son
Tzantker	Shalom					Poland	Malka	Beniamin Tzantker	Son
Tzantker	Sara Khaia		Asher	Feiga	1927	Wyszkow, Poland		Ester Shmit	Sister
Tzantker	Miriam Doba		Yosef		60	Wyszkow, Poland		Ester Shmit	Granddaughter
Tzantker	Yisrael		Yosef Leib	Miriam Doba	50	Warsaw, Poland		Ester Shmit	Niece
Tzantker	Dvora		Yosef Leib	Miriam Doba		Warsaw, Poland		Ester Shmit	Niece
Tzantker	Asher		Yosef Leib	Miriam Doba	1890	Wyszkow, Poland	Feiga Vengosh	Ester Shmit	Daughter
Tzantker	Beila		Shalom	Malka	7	Poland		Beniamin Tzantker	Brother
Tzantker	Sara Khaia		Yosef Leib	Marise Doba		Warsaw, Poland		Ester Shmit	Aunt
Tzantker	Meir Yekhiel		Yosef	Miriam Doba		Wolomin, Poland		Ester Shmit	Niece
Tzantker	Simkha		Yosef Leib	Miriam Doba		Warsaw, Poland		Ester Shmit	Niece
Tzantker	Khana Lea		Asher	Feiga	1920	Vishkov, Poland		Ester Shmit	Sister
Tzantker	Levi				1907	Otwock, Poland	Tzipora Zilbershtein	Ofra Shaltiel	Daughter
Tzantker					1890	Otwock, Poland		Ofra Shaltiel	Granddaughter
Tzantker	Asher		Yosef	Miriam	1897	Stanislawow, Poland	Feiga Vengosh	Ester Shmit	Daughter
Tzantker	Sara Khaia		Asher	Feiga	1921	Wyszkow, Poland		Shmuel Shmit	Sister
Tzantker	Khana Lea		Asher	Feiga	1918	Wyszkow, Poland		Ester Shmit	Sister

Survivor, Tzipora Haus, remembered several cousins with parents named Hersh and Breina. However, the birth years ranged from 1875 to 1923.  This is unlikely, unless there were at least two couples with the same names.  This isn't impossible. My second great grandmother is thought to have been born in 1865, so only Yaakov (1875) is a likely sibling. [And Tzipora submitted two pages of testimony for a Yaakov son of Hersh and Breina. The other had him born in 1910. Which recollection of hers was correct, or were there two Yaakovs?]

One thing this search revealed is that most of the names don't have a final 't'.  Even though I conducted the search on "Cantkert" the database was smart enough to realize that "Cantker" and its phonetic variants were synonyms.

When I checked at JewishGen I learned their search engine wasn't that flexible, and a search on Cantker revealed a few more entries my earlier searches missed.  Including a Rajzla (Rose?) Cantker born in Warka in 1870.  If my second great grandmother was actually born in 1870, she would only have been 13 when her eldest child was said to have been born in 1883. That borders on the unlikely, but we don't have a birth certificate for her eldest child. Her second child is supposed to have been born three years later in 1886, and her third child is supposed to have been born in 1889. There is certainly some flexibility here to allow for an 1870 birth.  [Especially if that's just an 1870 registration of birth, and the family waited to register her, as was sometimes the case.] So this is a record I am definitely going to try to obtain.

Happy Independence Day!

image: source

The New Colossus

Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Central Database of Shoah Victims Names

The Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names is a unique international undertaking led by Yad Vashem. It is the endeavor to recover the names and reconstruct the life stories of each individual Jew murdered in the Shoah. It is our moral duty to respect their last behest and remember them. We estimate that the number of Jews commemorated in the database to date is 4 million. The database is comprised of Pages of Testimony, historical documentation and additional sources.

"The online Names Database creates a link not only with the dead but also among the living, within the Jewish people," said Nobel Laureate Prof. Elie Wiesel after filling out a Page of Testimony for his father, Shlomo. "It strengthens the connections between families, between cities, between communities. Furthermore, it brings a heightened awareness and a deepened sense of remembrance."

More information

Yad Vashem is the Israeli Holocaust Memorial and its name derives from the Biblical verse, Isaiah 56:5: "and to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name that shall not be cut off." Yad Vashem means: a memorial and a name.

Their database of names was initially put online in 2004, and has grown since then. It's easy to search.  The basic search function has three input fields.  You can enter data in only one, or all of the fields, though the search results will only provide the first 1000 records, so searching by first name alone is likely only useful for unusual first names.

The Advanced Search provides several more input fields

You're also able to specify the accuracy level of each input field (The defaults are shown above, and the four choices below)

For Year of Birth, or Year of Death, you have an option of +-2 or +-5.

Here's what the results page looks like if you search for every individual born in Almasu. (The town where my maternal grandfather was born.) I didn't specify a country, as it varied depending upon the year. If I specified Romania or Hungary, I'd only get about half the results.  However, the synonyms option yields many variations of the town name (Almasu, Almas, Almasz, Nagyalmas, Varalmas).  For those entries below with a different town, the other town was their residence in 1938.  The actual record indicates Almasu as their place of birth.

My grandfather, Martin Deutsch, was the son of Samuel Deutsch and Helen Lichtmann.  So a few entries in these results were of great interest:

Szeren Serena Deutsch
Laszlo Lichtmann
David Lichtmann

Helen had a half-brother named David, and all the information I have on his birth was "After 1882" as I knew Helen was the oldest. Helen was born in a different Transylvanian town (Margitta), but they're not too far apart. I thought all the Lichtmann children were born in Margitta, but since David was in his 40s by the time of his death, birth place and residence prior to the war could have been confused.


The information on the David Lichtman in the database, unfortunately, doesn't include parents.

Original Record No.:	BU-1/2.
Last Name:	Lichtmann
First Name:	David
Gender:	Male
Date of Birth:	14/08/1892
Place of Birth:	Varalmas, Cluj, Transylvania, Romania
Place during the war:	Buchenwald, Camp
Place of Death:	Buchenwald, Camp
Date of Death:	03/11/1945
Victims' status end WWII:	murdered/perished

Note: Clicking on the magnifying glass image searches by that input field, and clicking on the green image shows you the location on the map.  The links above work, however, the search for all those born in Varalmas, Cluj, Transylvania, Romania yields only 4 results, as it searches for no synonyms.

This could be my great grandmother's half-brother, or someone else with the same name. There's no way for me to be certain yet.

My guess is that the Laszlo Lichtmann in the results was David's son. It doesn't indicate this as a fact, but both are indicated as having died at Buchenwald.  Laszlo on Feb 22, 1945 and David on November 3. (It's important to be careful when reading dates - they are presented in the European Date-Month-Year format.)

***
There are two pages of testimony for Serena Deutsch, which appear to have been submitted by two different daughters.  Scanned images of the testimony are viewable, though the documents are in Hebrew. Szeren appears to have been the daughter of Simon and Betti Tantzos, and she married Mor Deutsch.  I do not know if or how Mor was related to my great grandfather, Samuel Deutsch.
***

I searched for several other family names at the website, and will share some of the results in future posts.

Part II

Carnival of Genealogy: 2012 Swimsuit Edition

The 119th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is a return to the "Swimsuit Issue"

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: The 5th Annual Swimsuit Edition! Yes folks, it's that time again. It's time to think of summer and lazy days spent at the pool or beach. Dig out those wonderful swimsuit pictures of days gone by and share them with us!

Here's my 2008 2009 and 2011 contributions to this theme.

Below are my grandparents, Melvin and Sissie (Feinstein) Newmark - 75 years ago - celebrating their honeymoon in 1937. As far as their family was aware, they were married in January of 1937.  However, they were actually married in May of 1936.  I'm not exactly certain when their honeymoon took place, but it was after the second ceremony.

Thoughts on July 1 and July 4

As July 1st (Canadian Independence Day) and July 4th (US Independence Day) approaches, I once again find myself thinking about my Colonial ancestry.

I have several maternal ancestors who arrived on this continent prior to the American Revolution.

[I indicate my web-based sources for the information below, though for most I am relying on the poorly cited research of others.]

1) The Betts and the Stoughtons

My eighth great grandparents, Richard Betts and Joanna Chamberlain were married in Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony - in 1648. It is thought Joanna arrived by 1635, and Richard mid-1640s. [source source]. Joanna Chamberlain was the daughter of Elizabeth Stoughton and Richard Chamberlain, and the granddaughter of Rev Thomas and Katherine Stoughton.

2) Hortons and Langtons

9th great grandparents, Barnabas Horton and Mary Langton are said to have immigrated c. 1630 on the ship "Swallow." [source] - Living in Massachusetts and Connecticut prior to settling in Southold, Long Island.

3) Hallocks

Barnabas Horton's son, Caleb, married Abigail Hallock. Abigail's father, William Hallock, likely arrived in Southold, Long Island ca. 1640. [source]

4) Van Everys

Brothers Myndert and Carsten Frederickse (sons of Frederick Van Iveren) likely immigrated to New Amsterdam in the 1640s or 1650s, with Myndert marrying Catharina Burger (Burghart) in New Amsterdam in 1656. [source]. Most of the descendants of Myndert and Carsten took the surname of either Van Every or Van Avery. Myndert was my 8th great grandfather.

5) Swayzes and Kinges

John Sweezey [Swayze], another eighth great grandfather, immigrated prior to 1650. [source]. He married Catherine Kinge in 1650 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts. He settled in Suffolk, Long Island.

Catherine emigrated with her father, William, prior to 1635

They settled at Salem, Massachusetts. He was admitted a freeman there May 25, 1636. He had grants of land of forty acres on Jeffrey's Creek, now Manchester-by-the-Sea; thirty acres at Royal-side at the head of Bass river, now Beverly, and he located his homestead there. He was a grand juror in 1637. He was a member of the First church at Salem, but in 1637 joined the Antinomians and came under the ban of the Salem authorities. He was requested to sever his connection with the new church or have his arms taken away from him. He remained with the new faith and gave up his gun to Lieutenant Danforth. Later he was banished for a time for sheltering the persecuted Quakers. [source]

6) Rosenbergers and Fretzes

Henry Rosenberger (1685-1745) left Germany and arrived in Franconia, Pennsylvania prior to 1729.

Hans (Weaver John) Fretz (1704-1772) left Alsace, Germany and arrived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania approximately 1720.

Their children, Mark Fretz and Elizabeth Rosenberger, were married on May 11, 1773. [source]

[The above list revised from a post I wrote last year]

***

As for ancestors alive between 1775-1789, the Swayzes and Van Everys ended up Loyalists, and fled to Canada afterwards. The Fretzes and Rosenbergers were Pennsylvania Mennonites, and I've found no evidence that they violated their commitment to peace and took either side.

I still had some Denyer ancestors living in England at the time, though I'm unsure if any were Redcoats.

My paternal ancestors, and half my maternal ancestors were all situated in Eastern and Central Europe (Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Transylvania) and were likely mostly oblivious to the war. Of course, the Polish general, Casimir Pulaski, 'Father of the American Cavalry,' came from Warka, Poland, as did my Newmark ancestors.

I have one branch I haven't yet researched far enough to ascertain where they were in the 18th century, and that is the ancestors of my maternal great great granmother, Sarah (Hartley) Denyer.  So there is still some hope I may someday find a truly Patriotic ancestor.

***

Poem: A Toast to the First and the Fourth of July

Gamer's Guide to Genealogy (repeat)

A repeat of a post from 2009
You may be familiar with just the traditional 6-sided die. And when someone says "dice" that is the image that comes to mind. However, those who play Role Playing Games (RPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons are familiar with a number of other variations:


The common shorthand for each is dX where X is the number of sides, so the traditional 6-sided die becomes known as a d6.

It occurred to me that when I reach a point where I am not sure what to do next in my genealogy research, letting the dice decide might be appropriate, or at least fun. So I came up with a system using a d20, and two rolls. (A d6 doesn't have nearly enough choices.)

First Roll - Selecting an Individual

To come up with 20 options, I started with the 16 Great-Great Grandparents, numbers 16-31 ahnentafel. So if 1 through 16 are rolled I allow myself to choose the ancestor listed, collateral descendants, or one of their ancestors.

I've listed mine below, along with their Ahnentafel numbers (binary and decimal)

1 Samuel Newmark (10000 – 16)
2 Rose Cantkert Newmark (10001 – 17)
3 Moshe Leyb Cruvant (10010 – 18)
4 Minnie Mojsabovski Cruvant (10011 – 19)
5 Selig (Dudelsack) Feinstein (10100 – 20)
6 Annie Perlik Feinstein (10101 – 21)
7 Morris Blatt (10110 - 22)
8 Beila Wyman Blatt (10111 - 23)
9 Abraham Deutsch (11000 – 24)
10 Sarah Weiss Deutsch (11001 – 25)
11 Israel Lichtman (11010 – 26)
12 Betty Adler Lichtman (11011 – 27)
13 Samuel Van Every (11100 – 28)
14 Abigail Stuart Van Every (11101 - 29)
15 Ebenezer Denyer (11110 - 30)
16 Sarah Hartley Denyer (11111 – 31)

I rounded out the 20 with four remaining categories:

17 Paternal Grandparents
18 Maternal Grandparents
19 Parents
20 Myself

Roll 2: Action

(I came up with ten actions, so I repeated each one. But a d10 could be used. Or maybe you can come up with ten more.)

1. Google Search (google.com ; books.google.com; news.google.com; groups.google.com)
2. Subscriber Site Search (e.g. Ancestry, Footnote, GenealogyBank)
3. Search for online databases in related locales that are new, or you may have missed.
4. Check Source Citations (Verify all data on individual in your database has a cited source.)
5. Interview someone about the individual (or write down your own recollections)
6. Write to a cousin descended from the individual
7. Transcribe a letter/document from, to, or about individual
8. Research the time/place the individual lived.
9. Scan photos/documents related to individual
10. Blog about the individual
11. Google Search (google.com ; books.google.com; news.google.com; groups.google.com)
12. Subscriber Site Search (e.g. Ancestry, Footnote, GenealogyBank)
13. Search for online databases in related locales that are new, or you may have missed.
14. Check Source Citations (Verify all data on individual in your database has a cited source.)
15. Interview someone about the individual (or write down your own recollections)
16. Write to a cousin descended from the individual
17. Transcribe a letter/document from, to, or about individual
18. Research the time/place the individual lived.
19. Scan photos/documents related to individual
20. Blog about the individual

Naturally, if you roll a combination that results in an impossible task (e.g. You don't have any letters to transcribe relating to X) roll again.

If you don't know where the closest store is where you can find a set of dice, you can find them online. Gamer's dice are usually sold in sets of 7: a d4, d6, d8, 2 d10s, a d12 and a d20. (the 2 d10s are numbered 1-10 and 10-100). You may be able to find many uses for these die for things in your life you are willing to randomize a bit.

Example, with a d6:

1) Do laundry
2) Clean bathroom
3) Feed dog
4) Feed kids
5) Check Email
6) Hit the snooze bar

If you feel 20 choices isn't enough, they do sell d100s.

What to expect if... (repeat)

A repeated, and slightly revised post from 2007
What to expect when your favorite genealogical conference merges with a local SF convention.

1) Possible panel/seminar topics:
a. Homer Simpson’s Family Tree
b. Genealogy references in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: from Nature's Nobility to graveyard visits.
c. Did your great grandparents read science fiction? An introduction to First Fandom for Young Adults.
d. Did your ancestors get eaten by Grendel? Where would they be buried if they were?
e. Making whoopee in the 17th century, were there any differences? (midnight panel)
f. Podcasting for the Genea-blogger.
g. Heraldry – What your local branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism has to offer your local genealogy society – and vice versa. With a potentially lively discussion on their 'accuracy.'
h. The 1891 and 1901 England Census are online? Is HG Wells listed? (Yes - ancestry.co.uk, image)
i. Which cancellation resulted in a greater loss to television: Who Do You Think You Are (US) or Firefly?

2) Genealogy Guest of Honor: (live via time machine) Alex Haley. Huge line for autographs, but a smaller subset of attendees will turn their nose up, claim the writer was a hack, and refuse to get in line, even if they’ve read all his books.
3) Media Guest of Honor: LeVar Burton - (Geordie LaForge on ST:TNG; Kunta Kinte on Alex Haley's Roots)
4) There will be a masquerade. A chance to dress up like your ancestors – or your future descendents! Prizes will be awarded.
5) Art Show will have new categories for Coats of Arms and family photographs.
6) Free alcohol in the room parties after hours will lead to genealogists logging on to OneWorldTree and adding entries to prove they are descended from Isaac Newton or Beowulf.

Surname Saturday: Cantkert

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

Cantkert is a surname for which I am uncertain of its origin. I believe it to be the maiden name of my great-great grandmother, Rose.  She married Samuel Newmark in Poland in the late 19th century. The last Polish town of record I have for the Newmark family is Warka, Poland, and JewishGen lists Cantkert in their Warka Surname List.  However, my great great grandmother's surname has appeared differently in several documents. The names of her parents are known only through her death certificate.

I am uncertain if there is any relationship to Ida Cantkert, or her siblings, memorialized in Serge Klarsfeld's French Children of the Holocaust.

The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system. The first digit represents the order surnames make their first appearance on my ahnentafel.  The information in the first two generations is based on some records I have found online and some assumptions noted below.

I've emboldened my direct ancestors.

9. Szmul Cantkert (? - 1894)

9.1 Hirsch Cantkert (?-?) married Bryn __
9.2 Manas Cantkert
9.3 Szmerek Cantkert

9.1.1 Rose Cantkert (1865-1943) married Samuel Newmark (1862-1940)

Follow the descent of Rose and Samuel at 1.1.

My number is 9.1.1.2.1.1.3


Research Notes

In the 1907 Warka voter lists (available on both JewishGen and Ancestry) there were three apparent Cantkert brothers: Hersz, Manas, and Szmerek - all listed with the father Szmul.  The first two generations above are based on the good possibility that Hersz was the father of my great great grandmother, though it is not certain.  It appears to be an uncommon surname, and a small village, so the matching given name is a good indicator.

Records in the JewishGen databases for which I have recently contacted the Polish State Archives seeking copies:

• 1894 death record from Warka for a Szmul Josek Cantkert
• 1893 marriage record for a Manas Cantkert to a Brandla Siniawer
• 1860 birth record for a Szmerek Cantkert
• 1887 marriage record for a Szmerka Cantkert to an Ajdla Wortman

A New Surname List

Below are the ancestral surnames for my wife, Jen, alphabetized, and organized by generational distance.  Similar to how I organized my ancestral surnames in a 2008 post.

1-4 Generations

Baldwin, Bauer, Blackman, Dexheimer, Fulkerson, Gober, Harrison, Mouldon, Olson, Schrock, Sheer, Taylor, Volk, Wallace

5-8 Generations

Abernathy, Armstead, Boyd, Bradley, Campbell, Cowsert, Davenport, Findley, Floyd, Hargrave, Jackson, Jernigan, Langenstein, McGinnis, Matheny, Meekin, Miller, Rolliston, Ruffert, Volckertson, Wentz, Whittmer, Wilkinson

9-12 Generations

DeWitt, Goode, Van Lieuvin, Massingale, Norgraves, Routt, Sharp, Shuttleworth, Wentworth

***

If you share one of these surnames, especially some of the rarer ones, we'd be interested in hearing from you.  The more surnames you share, naturally, the closer you are likely to be related.

For the first four generations, the geographical location is mostly Missouri.  Then it starts to disperse, ultimately arriving in French Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, and England.

Surname Saturday: Denyer

It's been a year since the last installment, but I return with the Surname Saturday blogging meme.

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

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).  My Denyer ancestors immigrated to America from England in the 1800s.


The numbering below follows the d'Aboville system, slightly modified to account for multiple spouses.
The first digit represents the order surnames make their first appearance on my ahnentafel.  With this installment, I conclude the 8 surnames of my great grandparents.

I've emboldened my direct ancestors, and __s indicate living, or potentially living, relatives. I've added some italicized geographical notes for my direct ancestors.

8. William DENYER (1770- ) Farlington, Hampshire, England married Jane GOLDFINCH (1770- ) Portsea, Hampshire, England

Marriage Allegation: Denyer, William, of Farlington, lime-burner, 21, b., & Jane Goldfinch, of Portsea, 21, sp., at P., 22 Oct., 1791.

8.1 Georgiana DENYER (1793- ) Hampshire, England
8.2 William DENYER (1794-1848) Hampshire England married Elizabeth SLIVER (1798-1840) New Britain Twp, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania
8.3 John Henry DENYER (1795- ) Hampshire England
8.4 James DENYER (1798- ) Hampshire England
8.5 Barnard Goldfinch DENYER (1800- ) Hampshire England
8.6 Charles DENYER (1802- ) Hampshire England
8.7 Jane DENYER (1804- ) Hampshire England
8.8 George DENYER (1807- ) Hampshire England

William Denyer was baptized July 15, 1795 in Farlington, Hampshire, England. Family histories say he was born in November of 1794. According to the same family histories, William and Elizabeth were married in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 31, 1821.

8.2.1 Samuel Jennings Sliver DENYER (1822-1861) Baltimore, Maryland married Zerelda Ann SINGLETON (-1867)
8.2.2 Elizabeth Ann Sliver DENYER (1825- ) Bucks, PA, married John PRATT (1806-1871)
8.2.3 Ebenezer Opham DENYER (1828-1872) Bucks, PA, married Sarah Ann HARTLEY (1836-1898)
8.2.4 Jane Goldfinch DENYER (1831- ) Bucks, PA, married Henry JOHNSON
8.2.5 William Sliver DENYER (1834- ) Bucks, PA, married (a) Dilly Susanna CORLEY (-1863) and (b)Nancy Emeline RHODES
8.2.6 Leonidas Ross DENYER (1837-1837) New Albany, Indiana

Ebenezer and Sarah were married in Gonzales County, Texas on May 14, 1854

8.2.1.1 Herminie Aurelia DENYER (1850-1866)
8.2.1.2 Amanda Jane DENYER (1853-1936) married Walter Thomas BRANNON (1852-1930)
8.2.1.3 Robert C.H. DENYER (1854-) married M. Jennie WILDMAN (1860-)
8.2.1.4 Albert Sherwood DENYER, (1856-)
8.2.1.5 Ida Elizabeth Sammie DENYER, (1859-1899) married Lewis Lamar GREEN
8.2.2.1 Minerva PRATT (1846- ) married Joseph McAfee COULTER (1846- )
8.2.2.2 Emily PRAT (1848-1853)
8.2.2.3 Maria Denyer PRATT (1852-)
8.2.3.1 Mary Susan DENYER (1860-1860)
8.2.3.2 Samuel Wiliam DENYER (1866-1928) married Alice C. GOLLIHAR
8.2.3.3 Margaret Jane McAlpin Monteroy DENYER (1868-1923) married Melvin Elijah VAN EVERY (1863-1929)
8.2.3.4 Ezekiel DENYER (1870-1870)
8.2.5b.1 Andre J DENYER, (1865-) married (a) Sophronia GARDNER and (b) Mary __

According to family records, Margaret was born in Kyle, Hays, Texas. She and Melvin were married in Buda, Hays, Texas, Aug 29, 1883.

8.2.1.2.1 Geneva Ella BRANNON (1875-1962) married Howell PERKINS
8.2.1.2.2 John Samuel BRANNON (1877-1970) married Carrie GIRLINGHOUSE
8.2.1.2.3 George Rely BRANNON (1879-1888)
8.2.1.2.4 Lauretta Ann BRANNON (1882- )
8.2.1.2.5 James Archibald BRANNON (1884-1983) married Henrietta CLIFTON (1888-1973)
8.2.1.2.6 Walter Clifford BRANNON (1886-1906)
8.2.1.2.7 Irving Cornelius BRANNON, (1889-1967)
8.2.1.2.8 Henry Luther BRANNON, (1891-1941) married Irene Maude DROST (1889-1970)
8.2.1.3.1 Lulu Lee DENYER (1882- ) married I. E. KNIGHT
8.2.1.3.2 Minnie May DENYER (1884- )
8.2.1.3.3 Samuel Arthur DENYER (1886- )
8.2.1.3.4 Thomas Hilliard DENYER (1888- )
8.2.1.3.5 Elsie DENYER
8.2.1.3.6 Myrtle DENYER
8.2.1.4.1 Jessie DENYER, (1883-)
8.2.1.4.2 Charles DENYER
8.2.1.5.1 Ida GREEN (1884-)
8.2.1.5.2 Lewis Lamar JR GREEN (1886-)
8.2.1.5.3 Ola GREEN (1887-)
8.2.1.5.4 Gussie Denyer GREEN (1894-1996) married Percival Clayton WOOD
8.2.2.1.1 Emma COULTER (1869-1873)
8.2.2.1.2 Mary Mazilla COULTER (1871-)
8.2.2.1.3 Joseph McAfee COULTER (1874-)
8.2.2.1.4 Morrison John Scott COULTER (1877-)
8.2.2.1.5 Iola May COULTER (1880-)
8.2.2.1.6 Minerva Ann COULTER (1883-)
8.2.2.1.7 Arrena Elizabeth COULTER (1886-)
8.2.3.2.1 William Ebenezer DENYER (1885-1889)
8.2.3.2.2 Alfred DENYER (1886-1946) married Dollie CRAWL (1890-1922)
8.2.3.2.3 Arthur Luther DENYER (1888-1946)
8.2.3.2.4 Addie E DENYER (1890- )
8.2.3.4.5 Zenovie DENYER (1891- )
8.2.3.2.6 Lee C DENYER (1894-1943) married Ida Mae WANECK
8.2.3.2.7 Samuel Drake DENYER (1896-1964) married Georgina ANDERSON
8.2.3.2.8 William George DENYER (1898-1972) married Thresia Jane OLIVER (1909-2005)
8.2.3.2.9 Melvin Edwin DENYER (1900-1956) married Inez HALLIBURTON (1907-1985)
8.2.3.3.1 Minnie Ray VAN EVERY, (1884-1969) married August Albert BENOLD (1883-1942)
8.2.3.3.2 Samuel Ophan VAN EVERY (1886-1933) married (a) Esther Othillia DAHLIN (1886-1968) and (b) Amy C Johnston (1898- )
8.2.3.3.3 Abigail VAN EVERY (1888-1888)
8.2.3.3.4 Willa Ann VAN EVERY (1890-1916) married Lexington ROBERTS
8.2.3.3.5 Delbert VAN EVERY (1890-1890)
8.2.3.3.6 Evelyn Syvela VAN EVERY (1892-1982) married (a) William CAMPBELL ( -1925) and (b) I.T. HERRIN and (c) W.J. CRABTREE
8.2.3.3.7 Melvin Theodore VAN EVERY (1898-1899)
8.2.3.3.8 Myrtle Ethel VAN EVERY (1900-1951) married (a) Jack and (b) Alfred H. CONNEVEY and (c) Dale Bowlby RIDGELY and (d) Martin Joel DEUTSCH (1907-1991)
8.2.5b.1b.1 Floyd F DENYER (1899- )
8.2.5b.1b.2 Daisy DENYER, (1910- )
8.2.5b.1b.3 Pearl DENYER, (1912- )
8.2.5b.1b.4 Earl Thomas DENYER (1914-1984) married Helena Amoret NEBLOCK (1923- )
8.2.5b.1b.5 Silas DENYER (1917- )

According to family records, Myrtle was born in Maxwell, Caldwell, Texas. She and Martin were married in Springfield, Illinois, December 31, 1936.  They were living in St. Louis, Missouri.

8.2.3.2.2.1 William Lee DENYER (1915-1967)
8.2.3.2.9.1 Melvin Edwin JR DENYER (1927-1996) married Gladys Marion POHLER (1934-1995)
8.2.3.3.1.1 Marguerite BENOLD (1906-1998) married Roswell SPEAR (1905-1974) and Robert E SPENCER
8.2.3.3.1.2 Shirley Ruth BENOLD (1908-2000) married Virgil RIDDELL(1899-1969) and Leonard Lafay GRIFFITH (1907-1940)
8.2.3.3.1.3 August Wilson BENOLD (1911-1977) married Eva Etta REILEY
8.2.3.3.1.4 Charles BENOLD (1913-1913)
8.2.3.3.1.5 Elsa Louise BENOLD (1913-2002) married Marcus Lester WALTERMIRE (1910-2006)
8.2.3.3.1.6 Ruby BENOLD (1916-2006) married LEWIS
8.2.3.3.1.7 Evelyn BENOLD (1918-1938) married John Ellis LANIER (1914-1938)
8.2.3.3.1.8 Frances Lucille BENOLD (1922-1996) married Harley Hugh SEARCY (1917-1986)
8.2.3.3.2a.1 Everett Clarence VAN EVERY (1906-1924)
8.2.3.3.4.1 Agnes Lee ROBERTS (1910-1987) married Phil GATES (1907-1986)
8.2.3.3.6a.1 Elizabeth Dribel CAMPBELL (1914-1996)
8.2.3.3.6a.2 William Venable CAMPBELL (1916-2004) married ______

My number is 8.2.3.3.8d.1.3

On Memorial Day

The above image comes from the Memorial Day page at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, explaining that Memorial Day is a day for remembering those who died in the service of their country.  [Read the full text of the poem.]

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action. [source]

[More on the history of Memorial Day]


Unnamed Remains the Bravest Soldier - by Walt Whitman (From 'Specimen Days')

OF scenes like these, I say, who writes—whoe’er can write the story? Of many a score—aye, thousands, north and south, of unwrit heroes, unknown heroisms, incredible, impromptu, first-class desperations—who tells? No history ever—no poem sings, no music sounds, those bravest men of all—those deeds. No formal general’s report, nor book in the library, nor column in the paper, embalms the bravest, north or south, east or west. Unnamed, unknown, remain, and still remain, the bravest soldiers. Our manliest—our boys—our hardy darlings; no picture gives them. Likely, the typic one of them (standing, no doubt, for hundreds, thousands,) crawls aside to some bush-clump, or ferny tuft, on receiving his death-shot—there sheltering a little while, soaking roots, grass and soil, with red blood—the battle advances, retreats, flits from the scene, sweeps by—and there, haply with pain and suffering (yet less, far less, than is supposed,) the last lethargy winds like a serpent round him—the eyes glaze in death—none recks—perhaps the burial-squads, in truce, a week afterwards, search not the secluded spot—and there, at last, the Bravest Soldier crumbles in mother earth, unburied and unknown.

The cartoon above is by John T. McCutcheon - published circa 1900

NBC Cancels the US adaptation of WDYTYA

NBC has chosen not to renew the television series: Who Do You Think You Are? after it's third season.

From Ancestry.com:

We want to thank NBC for their support of this terrific series, which over the last three years has inspired many viewers to follow their passion to learn more about who they are and where they come from," said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com. "We have a great partnership with the show's producers, Is or Isn't Entertainment and Shed Media, and we look forward to exploring other avenues of distribution.

It's important to note that Ancestry implies they as well as the show's producers are interested in finding another  "avenue of distribution," - that is, another network willing to air the show.  So this might not be the end of WDYTYA in America.  Of course, it definitely isn't the end of WDYTYA. The original British show, and the Australian adaptation both seem to be active, if not other adaptations as well.

Amanuensis Monday: Incorporation of Famous Laundry Company by Selig Feinstein

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 three years ago, 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.

***
This week I transcribe a series of news briefs that appeared in an issue of the journal, Iron Age, in 1912. My second great grandfather is mentioned in one, which I have emphasized. I discuss where and how I found this journal article in the notes.

Blog Update

In the list of top ten visited pages on my blog consistently over the past few years has been a handful of blog posts where I have listed and linked to indexes for obituaries from various St. Louis area newspapers.  The indexes, to the benefit of all researchers, keep growing so I have written several posts updating the information.

Instead of creating a new post, I have created what Blogger calls a 'page': St. Louis Area Obituaries

You will find a permanent link to this page at the top of my blog, along with links to several other pages I have created in the past.