Who Cleaned Up The Eighth Street Yard?

What was the Eighth Street Yard? 

St. Louis Globe Democrat, November 14, 1892

The police of the Third District are constantly annoyed by rows between whites and blacks in what is known as the Eighth Street Yard. This yard,  which covers nearly a half block, is situate on Eighth street, between Carr and Biddle.

St Louis Post Dispatch, January 6, 1895

There are only four blocks in this territory, but within its sacred precincts are located Castle Thunder and the Eighth Street Yard, both of which have done more than their share toward making local history...It is one of the hardest beats in the city, and for one man to walk it alone at night would be an extremely hazardous undertaking.

Where exactly was the Eighth Street Yard? The first clipping above says it covered half a block on Eighth Street between Carr and Biddle. The clipping below provides an address.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 6, 1893

1122 North Eighth. The tenement my 2nd great grandfather, Selig Feinstein, lived in, and owned, according to the 1900 census. The Eighth Street Yard appears a lot in the news between 1890-1895. Then it disappears. 

When and how was the 8th Street Yard, one of the toughest police beats, cleaned up? When did Selig Feinstein purchase the address? What was his role? In the early 1890s he is listed in city directories as residing on Seventh Street, but working as a shoer/blacksmith at 1106 North Eighth. So he would naturally have had an incentive to move to the same block he worked. Once he owned the property, did he just kick out the rowdy residents and recruit new ones?

I hoped to get to the library this weekend to research deeds on microfilm, to pinpoint the exact year he purchased the property, and whether he purchased any other property in the area. There is some family lore that he may have.  I do know that he went into the Real Estate business with his children starting in 1905, but he may have been a landlord of multiple properties before then. It doesn't look like I will get to the library this weekend due to weather and other factors. Maybe next weekend. 

1122 North Eighth Street, 1900

In the 1900 Census my second great grandparents Selig and Annie (Perlik) Feinstein, their seven children, and Selig's mother Gertie were living at 1122 North Eighth Street in St. Louis, Missouri. They were in the front section, and are listed in the census as the owners. In the rear were several families: The Finkelsteins, Buchmans, Portnoys, and Shparbergs.  There were also several individuals - Sarah Freeman, Samuel Feingold, Morris Klingermann, Charles Mutsnick, and Wolf Simon. In total, there were 36 people residing at 1122 North 8th. 10 in the front, 26 in the rear. The country of origin for all adults was Russia.

Over the years I've written several entries on the Carr Square Neighborhood, and on the subsection called Little Jerusalem. Over the last week I decided to start with the families at 1122, and see what I could find out about their descendants. The term FAN Principle (Friends, Associates, Neighbors), credited to Elizabeth Shown Mills, is somewhat applicable. However, my primary intent wasn't to find out more about my ancestors through researching their neighbors. I was genuinely interested in what happened to the families living with my ancestors in the tenement.

Most of the single boarders are difficult to trace. I already knew that Rebecca Portnoy was Selig's sister, and she and her husband were childless. My new database after a week of researching Ancestry Hints is up to 275. A good proportion are the descendants of my second great grandparents, but unrelated surnames include Bernhardt, Buchman, Finkelstein, Friedman, Green, Kanefield, Klayman, Safron, Shcolnik, and Sparberg.

I'm ready to move on to the next address. I will probably move next door on the census, but I might make a detour to North Seventh Street where Selig's brother, Julius, was residing. Why am I interested? Having lived in St. Louis for my whole life I do expect to run across surnames that while not related to me, are still familiar. I'm also interested in fleshing out this community of Little Jerusalem where all of my paternal second great grandparents lived at one time. My Newmark ancestors arrived in 1909 and settled perhaps a block or two outside of the boundaries. The Cruvants, Blatts & Feinsteins all resided within the boundaries at some point.

I have created a secondary blog - Little Jerusalem 1900 to write about discoveries that aren't directly related to my family history. Today I posted a transcription of a news article about a War Between Candy Shops. It's a humorous story about competing businesses, and is a refreshing counterpoint to the disturbing descriptions of the tenement conditions I have read elsewhere. It also suggests that Candy Apples were introduced in St. Louis in 1900, 8 years prior to when they are said to have been invented in New Jersey. Some people might question how these two candy apples compared. Certainly many people confuse Caramel Apples with Candy Apples. But Caramel Apples are said to have been invented by Kraft Foods in the 1950s. It's not clear what was introduced in St. Louis in 1900 and how it may differ from what was introduced in 1908, but the description given in the newspaper article appears to resemble what we know today as Candy Apples. The origin story of the confection may need to be rewritten if Candy Apples were being sold by two candy shops in St. Louis in 1900.

Surname Spelling Variations

The Dutch brothers Myndert & Carsten Fredericksen (sons of Frederick Van Iveren) immigrated to the US in the 1600s. Most if not all with the surname Vanevery are descendants of Myndert. Most if not all with the surname Vanavery are descendants of Carsten. 

My second great aunt, Katie Newmark, married Philip Dzeikops, which he changed to Jacobs. 

My wife has some Wallace and Wallis ancestors who are likely related. 

These spelling variations are slight. Even Dzeikops to Jacobs which appears to me to be an Anglicized Yiddish spelling. 

My kin with ancestors from the town of Kruvandai Lithuania probably have the surname with the most spelling variations in my tree. To date, these are the six variations I’ve found:

Kruvant

Kruvand

Cruvant

Cruvand 

Kroovand

Kroband

These are just the spellings in recorded documents. It doesn’t include additional interpretations by census takers or database indexers.

The most intriguing spelling to me is the last one. Some might try to argue it is almost a name change, not realizing that in Hebrew the V and B sound are made with the same consonant. They are only differentiated by a diacritical mark. Similarly - the O and Oo vowels are differentiated by the position of a diacritical mark. The system of diacritical marks, known as Niqqud, was invented in the Middle Ages. Ancient Hebrew didn’t have them. I don’t know the rules of Hebrew that dictate when the letter Bet is pronounced Vet, or when certain vowels are appropriate, but it is my understanding that the originator of this spelling was trying to Hebraicize the name. 

In genealogy we are taught to ignore spelling, or be creative with spelling, in our searches. Names can be recorded or indexed in multiple ways. But differences in spelling can also sometimes tell us something about our ancestors and why they may have chosen that spelling. 

My great grandfather’s birth record

A few years ago I found the below “birth record” on Ancestry. It is for my great grandfather. However, Ancestry doesn’t have the images, and FamilySearch has the images, but no index. 

The problem with browsing the images is I’m pretty certain this isn’t a birth record. The title of the database is Hungary Civil Registration 1895-1973. 1861 is not in that range. However my great grandparents were married in the late 1890s. The marriage records do provide dates of birth, places of birth, and parent names. I think Ancestry created a birth record from a marriage record. Why they don’t have the marriage record in their database I’m uncertain. It’s possible the record page was damaged in some fashion and the bride’s information was not legible. It’s supposition until I find the record. 

So I browse the marriage records, right? They’re divided by location, naturally. I did look at all the Vitka marriage records. I can’t read the Hungarian, but it’s not too difficult looking for the names on each document. The record wasn’t there, so I suspect my great grandparents were not married in Vitka. So what town were they married in?

I don’t know. That’s the problem. And there are a lot of towns in the database.

My great grandmother was born in Margitta. She doesn’t turn up in the Ancestry search, and there are no Margitta records in the FamilySearch database. I suspect they were married in some town nearby one of their births. 

I did search for the birth records of my grandfather and his siblings - without success. I have a copy of my grandfather’s birth certificate which he had in his records. But I don’t have that for his siblings. I also searched for the record of death for one of his siblings. Browsing through the images I couldn’t find the town of Nagyalmas where they were born. Those records may not have survived. 

It would be really nice if FamilySearch could index this database. 

Or I have a lot of records to browse through. 

Timeline for William Sliver Denyer (1834 - circa 1896)

Earlier this month I wrote about my 2nd great grandfather's brother, William Sliver Denyer. I had found his Civil War Pension file, which mentioned both a widow, Sarah E Denyer, and a guardian of a minor, Nancy Denyer. I identified Nancy as his wife, and wasn't sure who Sarah was - wondering if she could be my second great grandmother, sister-in-law of William.

Since that post I have found the death certificate of Sarah E Denyer in Arkansas, indicating her maiden name was Trapp, and she was a third wife of William.

This is the timeline for William S Denyer I have from the documents

• 1834 - William is born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
• 1840 - William's mother, Elizabeth Sliver Denyer, dies in Gonzales, Texas (5 years before Texas joined the United States)
• 1848 - William's father, William Denyer, dies in St. Martin, Louisiana
• 1861 - William marries Susannah Dilly
• 1861-1862 - William serves for the Confederacy.
• 1863 - William's first wife, Susannah, dies.
• 1864-1865 - William serves for the Union.
• Feb 1865 - William marries Nancy Rhodes
• Nov 1865 - Son Andre Denyer is born
• 1880 - Pension is filed for minor, Nancy as guardian.
• 1880 Census - William is married to Sarah. No child in the household.
• 1886 - William files for a pension as an invalid
• 1896 - Sarah files for a pension as a widow.
• 1900 census - Son Andre has been married for 3 years.

It is a shame that the 1890 census was destroyed. Though hopefully Nancy and Andre can be found in the 1870 or 1880 census. It  does seem that there was a divorce and not a death in their case. Best guess for death of William would naturally be 1896, since I doubt it would take long for Sarah to file for a pension as a widow.

William S Denyer & Danyer - Confederate & Union Soldier

The below Pension Record appeared in my ‘hints’ on Ancestry. 

William S Danyer - Union Soldier in Louisiana Cavalry Scouts

The record identifies a Widow named Sarah E Danyer, who filed from Arkansas in 1896, and a minor with a guardian named Nancy E Danyer, who filed in either 1880 or 1890. The handwriting isn’t clear. I am unsure if the Certificate No. column indicates that the first two applications were successful, and the one for the minor was not.

Could this be William Sliver Denyer, brother of my 2nd great grandfather?

William S Denyer, my great great granduncle, definitely served under the Confederacy 1861-1862 in Louisiana. He was injured in 1862 and his hospital records are the last in the file at Fold3. Both of his brothers Ebenezer and Samuel served under the Confederacy in Texas. However, their father had died in Louisiana in 1848, and William appeared to stay there until the war. (All three sons were born in Bucks County Pennsylvania, and their father was born in England, so traveling was in their blood.)

William S Danyer also has a file on Fold3.  Here is his enlistment record. William S Danyer enlisted in the 30th Regiment of Missouri while in Vidalia, Louisiana in Feb of 1864. He was born in Buck County, Mississippi.  

There is currently no Buck County in Mississippi. I suspect there wasn't in 1864. My 2nd great granduncle was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  This is almost definitely him, and we now have evidence that he fought for both the Confederacy and the Union.  Why he claimed to have been born in Mississippi is a mystery, but that could have simply been a clerical error. Other documents in the Fold3 folder indicate William S Danyer deserted in April of 1865, (Perhaps only a couple days before the war ended.) During his year of service between April 1864-April 1865 he was listed on muster rolls as under detached service in Louisiana, which may be why the pension application indicates he was with the Louisiana Cavalry Scouts.

The pension file indicates William's widow filed from Arkansas. If he is my relative, who are Sarah E and Nancy E? That is a question with a potentially intriguing answer. 

William S Denyer had two known wives - Susannah Dilly (who died in 1863) and Nancy E Rhodes, who he married in February of 1865 in Illinois (shortly before he deserted, and likely the reason he deserted.) They had a son, Andre, 9 months later. He would have been 25 in 1890, so it’s likely the year on the document is 1880. But Nancy should be the widow too. Who is Sarah Denyer?

Could she be the widow of William’s brother -- My 2nd great grandmother, Sarah Hartley Denyer Foster. Her father had died in Little Rock Arkansas in 1840. His children ended up in Texas, but Sarah might have returned after her husbands died. 

I don’t have a date of death for William. He could have been deceased and his widow could have tried to help her sister-in-law draw a Union pension since her sister in law’s first husband, Ebenezer Denyer, served the Confederacy. He died in 1872. I’m not sure when her husband George Foster died but it is likely he died before she did. My great grandfather testified in 1900 in front of the Dawes Commission that she was living with them in 1898 when she died. So in September 1896 she could have been a widow again. But while I have been unable to find her 1898 death records, I have not looked in Arkansas for them. And my primary focus has been searching for the name Sarah Foster. But there’s a chance she returned to the name Denyer.  

I like how these documents indicate that there was at least one Denyer who fought, however briefly, for the Union. Just like my ancestor, David Vanevery, fought in the American Revolution on both the Patriot and Loyalist sides. It also seems to show that there was a close relationship between my 2nd great grandmother, Sarah Hartley Denyer Foster, and her sister-in-law.  If Sarah was living with her daughter's family when she died, as the Dawes Commission was told, she almost certainly died in Texas, but she may have briefly been in Arkansas, and I might be able to find records for her there.

Where my ancestors lived: Losice, Poland

I am writing a series of posts where I provide information about the towns where my ancestors lived. Geography is an essential part of genealogy and family history. We need to know where to look for records, and what we learn about the towns fills in information about how our ancestors may have lived.

My Blatt/Blatyta ancestors are from Losice. My second great grandfather, Morris Blatt, and his daughters Bryna/Blanche and Chana/Anna were likely born there.

Losice (Polish: Łosice; Russian: Lositsy; Yiddish: Loshits).

Province: Masovian Voivodeship / Lublin Voivodeship (before 1939)
GPS: 52.2113° N / 22.7185° E, 52°12'40" N / 22°43'6" E

Jews likely first settled in Losice at the end of the 17th century. On May 30, 1690 the Jewish cemetery was established - a privilege granted by King John III Sobieski. and also allowing Jews to settle in Łosice.

“In 1700, King August the Third [1696–1763] ordered the magistrates of Losice to carefully observe the dealings of Jewish merchants. The historical chronicler of the time reports that the magistrates aligned themselves with the Jews and did not bother them, but instead made things easier for them.”

The community numbered 654 (42% of the total population) in 1827, and 2,396 (71%) in 1897.

There is record of a pogrom in Losice in 1920. The community was liquidated 79 years ago on Aug. 22, 1942, when all the Jews of the town were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp.

Sources and Further Information:

1)Losice

2)Yizkor

3) Jewish Virtual Library

4) Shtetl.org.pl

5) IAJGS

6) Wikipedia

Where My Ancestors Lived: Varalmas, Hungary / Almasu, Romania

I am writing a series of posts where I provide information about the towns where my ancestors lived. Geography is an essential part of genealogy and family history. We need to know where to look for records, and what we learn about the towns fills in information about how our ancestors may have lived.

Váralmás / Almașu (Transylvania)

Latitude: 46.950
Longitude: 23.133

In 1907 my maternal grandfather, Martin Deutsch, was born in Váralmás (or Nagy-Almás), Hungary - which is now Almașu, Romania. The photographs on this page were taken in 2012.

The Jewish population, as recorded by census, was 11 in 1880, 51 in 1900, 35 in 1910, and 30 in 1930. As long as the census recorded all ages, my grandfather's family of 8 may have accounted for the entire drop between 1910 and 1930, if there were only a handful of births. While the Jewish population was small, nearby towns had larger populations. 

9 miles away in Huedin (where the train picked up my great grandfather and his family when they left) the Jewish population was 1,073 in 1900. 

Historic sights include a castle, and a citadel.

In May of 1944, the remaining Jewish population was moved 49 miles away to the Cehei ghetto, then to Șimleu Silvaniei. They were deported to Auschwitz between May 31 and June 8.

Sources and further information:

• Almasu, Salaj County - IAJGS Cemetery Project (which actually contains a link to one of my earlier posts.)
• Varalmas Castle
• Castelul Csaky, Almasu
• Almasu Citadel

Where My Ancestors Lived: Warka, Poland

I am beginning a series of posts where I provide information about the towns where my ancestors lived. Geography is an essential part of genealogy and family history. We need to know where to look for records, and what we learn about the towns fills in information about how our ancestors may have lived.

I am beginning with Warka, Poland, where my Newmark and Cantkert ancestors resided in the late 19th century, leaving in 1893. Either branch may have at one time resided nearby in Warsaw, but that is not certain. I believe my great grandfather, Barney Newmark, was born in Warka. While a small town, it was apparently a heavily Jewish town.

Warka, Poland 

Warka is a town in central Poland, situated in Grójec County, currently in the Masovian Voivodeship, but in the Warsaw Voivodeship prior to 1939. Latitude: 51°47'00 Longitude: 21°12'00 

Warka obtained its city charter in 1321. A village called Winiary, which today is part of Warka, was the countryside residence of the Pulaski family where General Casimir Pulaski spent his childhood. Pulaski is known for his assistance in the American Revolution, and there is a Casimir Pulaski Day on the first Monday of March in Illinois, celebrated mostly in areas of large Polish population, such as Chicago. Warka has also been known for its famous brewery since the 15th century. 

Jews settled in Warka in the second half of the 18th century. In 1800, 339 Jews lived in Warka, which was 51.5% of the total population. In 1921 the percentage had held with 50.5%. Warka is known for a Hasidic dynasty, and its founder, Isaac Kalish (1779–1848), became one of the most noted ẓaddikim in central Poland in the first half of the 19th century. After the outbreak of World War II, many Jews escaped Warka, seeking refuge in the Soviet occupation zone. In 1940 many died of disease in the ghetto. In February 1941, Jews were deported from Warka to Treblinka. Few survived.

Sources and more info: 

• Warka Hasidic Dynasty (Jewish Virtual Library)
• The Wooden Synagogue of Warka (Avotaynu)
• Warka and the Holocaust (JewishGen)
• The Jewish Cemetery in Warka (IAJGS Cemetery Project)
• Wikipedia

Amanuensis Monday: Declaration of Intention for Philip Jacobs (1889-1954)

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.

Today I share the Declaration of Intention to Naturalize for Phillip Jacobs, the husband of my great grandfather's sister, Kate Newmark Jacobs. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

NORTHERN ILLINOIS DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

My full, true, and correct name is PHILLIP JACOBS, formerly known as PHILLIP PINONZEIG

My present place of residence is 5808 N. Kenmore Avenue

My occupation is Tailor

I am 51 years old

I was born on Dec 10, 1889 in Lomza, Poland

My personal description is as follows: Sex male, color white, complexion fair, color of eyes blue, color of hair brown, height 5 feet 4 inches, weight 160 pounds, visible distinctive marks mole on left arm, race White, present nationality Polish.

I am married; the name of my wife or husband is Katie; we were married on 2-6-1913 at St. Louis, Mo. he or she was born at London, England Sept 19, 1896; and entered the United States at New York on about 1910 for permanent residence in the United States, and now resides at with me.

I have two children; and the name, sex, date and place of birth, and present place of residence of each of said children who is living, are as follows:

Nettie, F, born Dec 15, 1914

Harold, M., born July 27, 1916; both born and reside in Chicago, Ill.

My last place of foreign residence was Lomza, Poland.

I emigrated to the United States from Bremen, Germany

My lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was New York under the name of Dzeikops (Jacobs) Philip on Dec 4, 1911 on the SS Prinz Frederich Wilhelm

Since my lawful entry for permanent residence I have not been absent from the United States, for a period or periods of 6 months or longer, as follows:

I shave not heretofore made declarations of intention.

Philip Jacobs (Signature)

Subscribed and sworn to (affirmed) before me in the form of oath shown above in the office of the Clerk of said Court, at Chicago, Illinois the 17th day of June, anno Domini 1941. I hereby certify that certificate No. 11-283115 from the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization showing the lawful entry for permanent residence of the declarant above named on the date stated in this declaration of intention has been received by me, and that the photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness to the declared.

Hoyt King

Clerk of the US District Court

(Illegible Signature) Deputy Clerk

Notes: 

1) I have seen surnames spelled in interesting and unusual ways. Dzeikops for Jacobs might take a prize, but it makes sense. The is no J sound in the Hebrew or Yiddish alphabet. Biblical names that normally begin with J in English (like Joseph, Jacob, Jonathan) actually start with the Y sound in Hebrew. For someone to try to spell Jacobs phonetically without a J, Dzeikops is fairly accurate. 

2) As I indicated last week, the date of birth for Kate is incorrect. Philip had the year of birth for their daughter Nettie/Natalie off by a year. It appears that after Philip filled out his forms, Kate's forms were "corrected" to match his on both Natalie's birth and their marriage year. Even though Kate likely was correct on both counts.

Amanuensis Monday: Declaration of Intention for Kate Newmark Jacobs (1894-1960)

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.

Today I share the Declaration of Intention to Naturalize for my great grandfather's sister, Kate Newmark Jacobs. She is the only female kin for whom I have naturalization papers. All other women who were immigrants either received derivative citizenship through their husbands, prior to 1922, or didn't become citizens. Kate and Phillip married early enough to have gone through the process prior to 1922, but for some reason didn't become citizens until 1941. Once women received the right to vote, legislation was passed requiring them to go through the process of naturalization on their own.

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

My full, true, and correct name is KATE JACOBS 

My present place of residence is 5608 Kenmore Avenue

My occupation is Housewife

I am 45 years old

I was born on Sept 1896 in London, England

My personal description is as follows: Sex female, color white, complexion fair, color of eyes brown, color of hair black, height 5 feet 2 inches, weight 195 pounds, visible distinctive marks none, race White, present nationality Polish.

I am married; the name of my wife or husband is Phillip; we were married on 2-6-1912 (1913) at St. Louis, Mo.; he was born at Lomya, Poland on Dec 1889; and entered the United States at New York on about 1910 for permanent residence in the United States, and now resides at with me.

I have two children; and the name, sex, date and place of birth, and present location of each of said children who is living, are as follows:

Natalie, F., Dec 16, 1913 (1914)

Harold, M., July 27, 1916 both born and reside in Chicago, Ill.

My last place of foreign residence was London, England

I emigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England.

My lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at New York under the name of Newmark, Kate on March 21, 1909 on the SS Campania.

Since my lawful entry for permanent residence I have not been absent from the United States for a period or periods of 6 months or longer, as follows:

I have not heretofore made declaration of intention

[...]

Katie Jacobs (Signature)

Subscribed and sworn to (affirmed) before me in the form of oath shown above in the office of the Clerk of said Court, at Chicago, Ill. this 26th day of September anno Domini 1941 hereby certify that Certification No. 11-318136 from the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, showing the lawful entry for permanent residence of the declarant above named on the date stated in this declaration of intention has been received by me, and that the photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of the declarant.

Hoyt King, Clerk of the US District Couret

By (illegible signature) Deputy Clerk

Notes: 

1) Contrary to what she states in this document, she was born on November 27, 1894, according to her birth certificate. Fibbing about the year of birth isn’t an uncommon occurrence, but I’m not sure the cause of the month/date variation.

2) It's not clear from this document why 1914 is written over the year of her daughter, Natalie's birth. Natalie's birth certificate confirms 1913 is correct. This leads me to believe that 1912 is also correct for their marriage, though I have not yet found their marriage records. I will share the naturalization form for Kate's husband next week. It appears he provided the inaccurate years, and after he filled out his forms, Kate's were 'corrected.' There are no marks on his forms to indicate alternate years. 

Amanuensis Monday: Intention of Myer Wolf Newmark

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.

Today I share the Declaration of Intention to Naturalize for my great grandfather's brother, Myer Wolf (Max) Newmark (1892-1931)

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United States of America

Declaration of Intention

Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof

United State of America, Eastern District of Missouri

In the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern Division of the Eastern Judicial District of Missouri

I, Myer Wolf Newmark, aged 25 years, occupation Tailor do declare on oath that my personal description is: Color White, complexion dark, height 5 feet 8 1/2 inches, weight 135 pounds, color of hair black, color of eyes brown, other visible distinctive marks none.

I was born in Warsaw, Russiaj on the 20th day of August, anno Domini 1892; I now reside at 1919 Carr Street, St. Louis, Mo.

I emigrated to the United States of America from Liverpool, England on the vessel Campania; my last foreign residence was London, England. I am married; the name of my wife is Dora; she was born in Austria and now resides with me,

It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to The Present Government of Russia, of whom I am now a subject; I arrived at the port of New York in the state of New York, on or about the 21st day of March, anno Domini, 1909; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to permanently reside therein; SO HELP ME GOD.

Myer Wolf Newmark (signature)

Subscribed and sworn to before me in the office of the Clerk of said Court at St. Louis, Mo., this 10th day of November anno Domini 1917.

Notes: 

1) I do find it interesting that even though he immigrated to England at the age of 1 years old, and was 17 when he arrived in the United States, it was Russia that he had to declare no oath of allegiance to. I understand this is because the family did not become citizens of the United Kingdom, it just seems he'd be more likely to have some loyalty to where he spent the majority of his life.

2) He is the only sibling of my great grandfather who used their Hebrew/Yiddish name on the Declaration of Intention. It's on his tombstone, so it's not the only record of it.

Memorial Day 2021

 Below is my annual post for Memorial Day.

A post on what Memorial Day is for, besides barbecues.

The above image comes from a past version of 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

I have many ancestors and kin who served in their nation's armed forces during war-time. I honor them on Veterans Day.

However, the closest relative who was killed in action was my grandfather's brother, my great-uncle, Mandell Newmark.

Mandell was born Jan 31, 1923. He was almost certainly named after his great-grandfather Mandell Mojsabovski. He enlisted in the army on Feb 22, 1943, and served as a Sgt. Technician Fifth Grade, in the 163rd infantry. He was killed in action on April 15, 1945. Less than a month prior to VE day

My grandfather also had a second cousin, Arnold Kruvant, who was killed in action during the D-Day invasion.

Amanuensis Monday - The Death of Joseph Blatt (1894-1895)

 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.

Today I share a newspaper account and death certificate for Joseph Blatt, the infant half-brother of my great grandmother, Anna Blatt. The newspaper account is in German, but I took an OCR (optical character recognition) transcript and input it into Google Translate. The translation is likely not exact, but close.

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Morris Blatt, who lives in house 2312 Franklin Ave, visited family friends who lived in house 1213 North 7th St. yesterday afternoon with his 18 month old son Joseph Blatt. While the child looked out of the window, he lost his balance and fell deep into the courtyard. He hit his head and suffered a broken skull and a concussion. Dr. Friedman, 809 Carr Str. And Dr. Frumson, 905 North Broadway were called, but could do nothing more for the child, who died about an hour later from the injuries suffered.

Anzeiger des Westens (Scoreboard of the West)
St. Louis, Missouri
20 Sep 1895, Fri - Page 8

City of St. Louis
Health Department
Certificate of Death

This Certificate must be fully and accurately filled out in ink as provided by Section 392 Revised Ordinance, 1893

Name of Deceased: Joseph Blast
Age 1 Years 6 months
Male, White, Single
Place of Birth St. Louis
Residence in St. Louis 2312 Franklin Ave
Place of Death: 1233 N. 7th Street
Exact Locality of Death
Ward No. 4
Date of Death Sept 19 / 95
Cause of Death: Fracture of Skull, Account of Fall (Accident)

I Certify that the person above named died of the disease stated on the dat above named.
(Illegible)

Burial Permit
Office of Health Department
St. Louis Sept 20, 1895

I CERTIFY that the intended place of burial for the body of the above named person is Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery - D. Goldberg

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Notes: 

1) The newspaper says the house the Blatts were visiting was 1213 North 7th Street. The Death Certificate states 1233 North 7th Street. Without any other evidence I would go with the death certificate, but either could be wrong. I will try to figure out who was living at both residences and see if I recognize the names. Of course, if the child falls off a balcony and dies in a courtyard, the courtyard could be for both addresses. 

2) I have retrieved the exact plot location for the burial from the cemetery. There was no marker, and the child was buried in a charity section for infants. I will try to locate the plot on my next visit to the cemetery.  David Feinstein (1895-1896), the infant brother of my great grandfather, Herman Feinstein, is buried nearby in another unmarked grave. He died of pneumonia.

3) I am reminded of this news story from October 1904. Pearl Cruvand, the wife of my great grandmother's first cousin, witnessed a 6 year old fall off a balcony and rushed the child to a hospital.

Amanuensis Monday: Passport Application of Mala Blatt - May 1898

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.

Today I share the passport application for Mala (Mollie) Kellner Katz Blatt the second wife of my second great grandfather, Morris Blatt. She claimed citizenship based on his naturalization. 

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FORM FOR PERSON CLAIMING CITIZENSHIP THROUGH NATURALIZATION OF HUSBAND OR PARENT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MAY 18, 1898
STATE OF Missouri
CITY OF St. Louis

I, Mala Blatt, a NATURALIZED AND LOYAL CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, hereby apply to the Department of State, at Washington, for a passport for myself.

I solemnly swear that I was born at [Wisniewitz?]. Russia on or about the 10 day of March 1864; that my husband emigrated to the United States, sailing on board the Steamer [Marsala?] from Hamburg on or about the 12th day of June 1888; that he resided 10 years, uninterrupted, in the United States, from 1888 to 1898, at St. Louis, Mo; that he was naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the St. Louis Court of Criminal Correction at St. Louis on the 14th day of May 1898, as shown by the accompanying Certificate of Naturalization; that I am the wife of the person described in said Certificate; that I have resided in the United States, uninterrupted, for 11 years, from 1887 to 1898, at St. Louis, Mo; that I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence being at St. Louis in the State of Missouri, where I follow the occupation of none; that I am about to go abroad temporarily; and that I intend to return to the United States within one year with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein.

Oath of Allegiance

Further, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I take the obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; SO HELP ME GOD

Sworn to before me this 14th day of May 1898
[Signature - Mala Blatt]
[Illegible Signature of Notary Public]

DESCRIPTION OF APPLICANT
Age: 34 Years
Stature: 5 feet, 6 inches, Eng.
Forehead: low
Eyes: Brown
Nose: Small
Mouth: Small
Chin: Oval
Hair: Dark Blonde
Complexion: Fair
Face: Oval

Identification:

I hereby certify that I know the above named Mala Blatt personal, and know her to be the wife of the person referred to in the within-described Certificate of Naturalization, and that the facts stated in her affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

A. Jacob, 526 Pine St., St. Louis, Mo

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Notes:

1) I do not know why she intended to leave the country, and for how long besides it being less than a year. She gave birth to a son 6 months later. It might be possible she wasn’t aware yet that she was pregnant and postponed/canceled the trip. 

2) This record does indicate my second great grandfather was naturalized, and provides the details necessary to obtain a copy of his records. Since it predates the 1906 statutes standardizing the process, it is unlikely the record contains much more than a signature, date, and origin country. But I have located it in a Missouri Archives database, and will request a copy.

It also provides a date for when he immigrated. I had not been able to find his ship information yet, and it is difficult to read the name of the ship provided on this application, It looks like Marsala. There was an SS Marsala that made the trip from Hamburg to NY on May 2 of 1888, which seems like a good match since he might have arrived in New York about June 12 - the average crossing was 43 days, so it's spot on. I have not found him in any passenger manifests at Ancestry.com. I will try to get creative with the spelling in the search index since I am pretty certain I have zeroed in on the ship.

Researching Nathan Sandler (1853-1931)

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I recently found an entry at FindaGrave for a Nathan Sandler (1853-1931). Is he the father of Sarah Sandler/Sarah Nathan - the wife of Sol Newmark, and sister-in-law of my great grandfather Barney Newmark?

1901 and 1911 London census records suggest the Nathan Sandler I am looking for was born in 1856, but census records can be off by a few years. So can death records. All records depend upon the accuracy of the informants. I requested a photograph of the tombstone through FindaGrave's volunteer network. This is what was found. (The photographer took four photographs, which all can be viewed at the link above.)

Not much is left of the surface. This is surprising for a 1931 tombstone. Being in London, I wonder if the damage was related to WW2 bombing. Nearby tombstones don't appear to be similarly effected.

That said, there is a fragment of Hebrew left. What does that fragment tell us.

Here Lies

Reb (Mr.) N......Moshe the Levite.

One of the genealogically wonderful things about the standard format of Hebrew tombstones is that the name of the father is usually provided and easy to spot. For almost the entire surface to be gone, but for the father's name to remain, is incredible. There is a lot of space between where Nathan's name begins and his father's name begins, suggesting Nathan's last name was probably engraved (this is often skipped, especially when English is also on the tombstone, but we don't know if this was the case or not.) Nathan's father may have also had two Hebrew names engraved. The tombstone also indicates that the family believed themselves to be members of the Tribe of Levi. (This does not indicate they were Cohenim/Priests. Cohenim are a subset of Levites, and would be specified.)

The tombstone provides no information for me to base any decision on whether this is Sarah's father. So I ordered the death certificate from the UK General Records Office. Back in 2007 I ordered Sarah and Sol's marriage certificate and the birth records for my great grandfather's younger siblings who were born in London, and not Poland. Back then it cost 7 pounds, and the rate of exchange was 2:1, costing $14 each. Today the cost is 11 pounds, but the rate of exchange still comes out to about $14. If one wants a paper certificate. However, if one is happy with an electronic PDF, they only charge 7 pounds, which is slightly under $10.

This certificate provides an address I could compare against the 1921 census when it is released next year, and the 1931 census in 10 years, but I don't want to wait that long. The occupation says he was a Street Trader. The 1911 census states Sarah's father was a Green Grocer. But someone who sells food on the street could be described in both ways. And perhaps a store in 1911 no longer existed in 1931. The Great Depression impacted the United Kingdom as well. The informant wasn't his wife, but a daughter named B. Rubenstein. The 1901 and 1911 census records mention a daughter Bessie. Some online family trees indicate that the Nathan Sandler in my tree had a daughter Bessie who married a Rubenstein. But if there are two Nathan Sandlers it would be easy for that mistake to be made. The obituary for Sarah's brother Lewis, who also immigrated to St. Louis, mentions a sister Bessie Robbins. Robbins would be a likely Americanization of Rubenstein. (I wonder if she immigrated after 1931?) It's not definitive proof, but I think it is very likely that this is Sarah's father. Unfortunately, the UK death certificate doesn't provide a place for parent names, so I am unable to confirm my reading of the tombstone. That leaves the marriage record for Nathan and his wife Fannie to be the most likely place to find it. Unfortunately, that would be in Kaunas, Lithuania. I've researched Kaunas Lithuania records before. That is where my Cruvant ancestors come from, though I think the Sandlers were from the actual city, and my ancestors were from the rural outlying area. My initial searches at JewishGen have not been fruitful.

Amanuensis Monday - Heirlooms Taken July 31, 1969

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.

Today I share a memo my grandfather wrote on July 31, 1969 and saved in his files.

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From Melvin L. Newmark

Heirlooms taken from residence of Melvin L. Newmark, 701 Payson, Olivette, Mo. on 7/31/69, 7:00 to 10:00 P.M.

Gold locket about size of silver dollar - initials B.N. on one side and B/C on the other side in old English script on gold necklace chain.

Gold watch presented to Herman Feinstein by Flint Laundry 1937 on double strand antique necklace c hain.

Love bird charm on gold necklace chain - 50th Anniversary - Herman & Annie Feinstein.

Gold charm bracelet with 7 gold charms - one says SIS - 50th Birthday - one has pictures of ___, Steve, __ & Mel in little gold book, others commemorate special occasions.

[I edit out names of living individuals]

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Notes:

1) My assumption is that there was a burglary while my grandparents were out, as opposed to a burglary while they were home. It was a Thursday night. The heirlooms taken were a gold locket belonging to his parents (my great grandparents) Barney Newmark and Bertha Cruvant Newmark; a gold watch belonging to my grandmother's father, Herman Feinstein; A love bird charm, possibly belonging to my grandmother's mother, Annie Feinstein; and I assume my grandmother's gold charm bracelet, with a charm I'm guessing my grandfather gave to her on her 50th birthday (1964), and with pictures of my grandfather and their kids.

I don't believe these heirlooms were ever found. While it's painful to consider what was lost, we treasure what remains.

1911 UK Census for Nathan and Fanny Sandler

I've written before about Sarah Nathan who married Sol, the brother of my great grandfather in London in 1902. Her parents were Nathan and Fanny Sandler. On many documents Sarah went by Sarah Nathan, following the Jewish naming convention of using her father's given name as her surname, but without using the Bat/Ben Daughter/Son prefix. On other documents she used Sandler. Sarah, Sol, and their children immigrated to America with the rest of the Newmark family in 1909. In the 1910 census, one of Sarah's brothers, Sam Nathan, is  in the same household as Sarah and Sol. It appears he, too, was using his father's given name as a surname, but if Sarah was the informant on the census, she may have given him the surname. I have not been able to track him later than 1910 under either possible surname.

In the 1901 UK Census, Sam, born in 1891, is indicated as having been the first Sandler child born in the UK, though I have not yet located the family in the 1891 census, or his birth record. I have also found the Sandler family in the 1911 UK Census. I find the 1911 UK census interesting in that each household seems to have gotten their own page.

Census of England and Wales - 1911

• Nathan Sandler - Head - Age 55 - Married - 30 years married - 9 children - 7 still living - 2 dead - Green Grocer - Working at Home - Birthplace Russia - Nationality Russian
• Fanny Sandler - Wife - Age 50 - Married - Birthplace Russia - Nationality Russian
• Joseph Sandler - Son - Age 18 - Single - Birthplace London
• Rebecca Sandler - Daughter - Age 11 - Single - Birthplace London
• Leon Sandler - Son - Age 7 - School - Birthplace London

I'm not sure how a green grocer works at home, but they may have lived above the grocery. I have possibly located Nathan Sandler on FindaGrave. The 1901 and 1911 census records suggest a birth year of 1856, and not 1853 as the FindaGrave profile suggests, but it's close. I've submitted a request for a researcher to photograph the tombstone, as well as to check if Fanny is buried nearby. Fanny is very possibly a nickname. If I can find some birth records of the younger children they might contain a given name I can use to find her death record.

There are two pages to the 1911 UK Census, which might be easy for some to miss. But of course, whenever looking at records online (or offline), it is always important to page forward and backwards just to make certain you aren't missing anything. The primary piece of information on this page is the address. It appears to be 1 Genter Street N, though I am unable to identify a street with that name. There appears to have been multiple families residing at that address in the census.

I'm looking forward to next year's release of the UK 1921 Census, as well as the 1950 US Census.

Checking the Calendar

A summary of past posts on this topic.

(The above video was created from a still wedding-day photo colorized and animated using MyHeritage software)

My Great-Grandfather, Barney Newmark, was born in 1886, 135 years ago. He celebrated his birthday on March 17th, and claimed to have been born in Dublin, Ireland. It's significantly more likely that he was born in Warka, Poland - on the outskirts of Warsaw. The dates of March 25th and April 14th also appear on some documents as his date of birth, but no birth records have been uncovered, so anything is possible.

There may be some significance to the fact that there are 20 days between March 25th and April 14th. 12 days adjustment between the Gregorian and Julian calendar, and 8 days between birth and circumcision. Due to a superstition against celebrating birthdays, it was common for Eastern European Jewish males to celebrate the dates of their circumcision instead. I have uncovered several instances in my tree where there are birth records, that the observed birthday was 20 days later.

There is another possibility with Barney. There are also 8 days between March 17th and March 25th. And April 14 is exactly 1 lunar month after March 17. What’s the importance of a lunar month? Not much I can find - except when converting to the Hebrew calendar, Barney was born in the 2nd leap month of Adar. In leap years on the Hebrew calendar there are two months of Adar. Those born in Adar II are *supposed* to observe their birthday in Adar in non-leap years. But some people born on Feb 29 observe their birthday on the 28th and others on March 1. If Barney decided to adjust forward a month it would explain all three dates. It would also make March 17 his actual date of birth, which would make several in my family happy. In this scenario none of the dates are Julian. Without being able to ask Barney directly, though, this is all supposition.

This just illustrates when there is some conflict between dates in records, check the calendars. Plural. In some cases, more than 2.

In 2007 I wrote a blog post about Barney for St Patrick’s Day and a friend sent me a census record they found online. My eyes were opened to internet genealogy and the rest is Family History.

Amanuensis Monday - Affidavit of a Nickname - Belle Sissie Newmark

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.

Today I share an Affidavit my paternal grandmother signed in front of a notary to prove that her nickname, that everyone knew her by, belonged to her. And that the name that appeared on all government documents was hers too. I am not sure what prompted the affidavit - what agency, business, person first questioned her identity. I also do not know how often she had to present the affidavit.

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AFFIDAVIT

I, Sissie Newmark, being duly sworn on her oath says that she was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 14, 1914, and that she was given the name of "Belle" by her parents Herman and Anna Feinstein. They registered her birth under the name "Belle" and she attended school in Clayton, Missouri under the name of "Belle."

Affiant further states that she was known by all of her class mates, friends and family members as "Sissie" and has continued to this date to use the name "Sissie". Belle and Sissie Newmark are one and the same person.

_______

Affiant

Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of October 1986.

____________

Notary Public

My commission expires: 

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Notes:

1) This unsigned copy was saved by my paternal grandfather in his archive folders. I am sure my grandmother retained the signed copy

2) Letters indicate she spelled her nickname Sissy early on, but at some point changed the spelling. Many friends abbreviated the nickname to Sis, which of course is the etymology of the name her older brother gave to her. Her younger brother ended up with the nickname "Babe."