Treasure Chest Thursday: Hoda Wilson Death Certificate

Bronx County, New York, Certificate of Death number 9086 (21 November 1930), Hoda Wilson, New York City Municipal Archives, New York.

Hoda Wilson died on 21 November 1930 in the Bronx. She had been living at 2086 Vyse Avenue with her youngest child, Esther, and her grandchildren Winnie and Victor Herman.[1] Her husband Saul had passed away in 1923.

There are a several items of interest in this record. 

Address

2086 Vyse Avenue, Bronx, NY: Hoda and her family moved to this address in 1917 and lived there for the rest of her life.[2] This is significant in that it seemed that earlier the family had moved frequently.[3] So, it's nice to know there ultimately was some stability.

Arrival in USA and NYC

The entries under item 9 indicate that Hoda lived in the United States for 34 years and in New York City for 24 years. The 34 year number is close, since I've located an arrival manifest from June 1897.[4] The 24 is good because it seems to corroborate my findings that the Wilsons moved to New York City from Albany in about 1906.

Parents' Names

Hoda's tombstone indicates that her father's name is Shabtai Yitzchak. This death certificate, however, indicates his name was Israel. Often, one sees that the informant was likely the same person for the death certificate and the tombstone. In this case, however, there is disagreement in the information provided regarding a critica piece of the tombstone inscription: Hoda's Hebrew patrinymic. Of course, in Jewish cemeteries, the tombstone is not set until about a year after death at the unveiling. So, it is certainly possible that the informants were either different individuals or someone who mis-remembered at some point in the process for the death certificate and the tombstone engraver. There is also the possibility that the engraver mad a mistake on the tombstone.

Usually there is a second page for the death certificate. In this case, when I ordered this record, I did not receive it. While I don't think knowing the informant in this case will necessarily resolve the issue, it would be nice to see who acted as informant.

Hoda's mother is identified as Sarah Cohen. Since there is a discrepancy in her father's name, this calls the validity of the mother's name into question. One thing I've noted in my research is that sometimes the name Cohen crops up when the informant knows the family were Cohanim (members of the priestly caste), but cannot recall the actual surname. So, I'm reserving judgement.

Cause of Death

Hoda died in Fordham Hospital after a fall in the street. An autopsy was performed. The Coroner found that Hoda had hypostatic pneumonia and stomach cancer. She also, presumably as a result of her fall, had a broken femur. There may be additional information I can acquire regarding the Coroner's report.

Notes:
1. 1930 U.S. Census, Bronx County, New York, population schedule, Bronx, Enumeration District 3-508, sheet 23A, family 500, Hoda Wilson, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2009), citing Family History Library microfilm 2,341,217.
2. New York County, New York, Certificate and Record of Marriage no. 31607 (31 May 1917), Jos. Wilson and Tillie Libross, New York City Municipal Archives, New York.
3. See Hudson posts for:  8 September 2012,  7 October 2012, 8 October 2012, 9 October 2012, 10 October 2012, 14 October 2012, and 18 October 2012.
4. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 September 2009), manifest, Pisa, Hamburg to New York, arriving 1 June 1897, list 7, Hode Wilensky; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial M237, Microfilm Roll 579.

Tombstone Tuesday: Hoda Wilson

Before I arrived at Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Queens, New York in September 2008, I knew that my great grandmother Hoda Wilson's tombstone had toppled. The answer to my query to the cemetery office regarding family graves told me that. But it was not only toppled, it was a jungle! The stone was face down and nearly impossible to approach. No amount of pruning, such as I did at my great grandfather Saul's grave was going to solve the problem.

Upon return home I contacted the cemetery and paid them to reset the stone and clean up the area. I asked them to send me a photo of the finished work. They did a nice job.

They asked if I wanted them to plant ivy. (All together now:  Noooooooooo!) I have not returned to the cemetery since this photograph was taken, so I'm sure those neighboring plants have once again overtaken the stone.

Hoda Epstein Wilson was born approximately 1867 in the Russian Empire (today's Belarus). I do not know yet the name of the community in which she was born, but I do know that her children were born in Kasan, Russian Empire (now known as Kozyany, Belarus).

The cemetery sent a close up photo of the inscription and I have bee able to translate it.

Here lies

our beloved mother

a modest and important woman

Hoda Wilson

Daughter of Shabtai Yitzchak

Died 1st day of Kislev 5691
May her soul be bound in the bonds of eternal life

------------

HODA WILSON

DIED NOV. 21, 1930

AGE 63 YEARS

------------

MOTHER

------------

Hoda was my mother's paternal grandmother, wife of Saul Wilson. She arrived in the New York Harbor with her three children five and one-half years after her husband, Zelig (Saul) set sail for the United States.[1] During that time, United States manifests did not require a great deal of information regarding passengers beyond name, age, occupation, country of origin, location on the ship (aft) and port of departure (Hamburg).[2] The Hamburg manifest, however, indicates that the family resided in Wilna (today Vilnius, Lithuania) prior to departure.[3] 

Hoda, Nechama, Josef and Benjamin Wilensky left Hamburg on the S.S. Pisa on 19 May 1897 and arrived in Ellis Island on 1 June 1897. The family initially settled in Hudson, New York, about 40 miles south of Albany on the east bank of the Hudson River and became Hoda, Nina Wilson Herman (25 January 1888 - 11 January 1919), Joseph (11 October 1889 - 3 March 1977) and Benjamin Wilson (5 March 1891 - 22 August 1971).[4] Saul and Hoda's only American-born child was born in Hudson on 10 September 1898: Esther Wilson Marwit Warmflash (1898 - 4 December 1973).

In 1905 or 1906 the Wilson family moved to New York City and resided there for the rest of their lives.

I have found evidence of one Hoda Wilson sibling (Moses Epstein, who may have become Morris Epstein) who emigrated to the United States and joined his sister and brother-in-law in Hudson in December 1903.[5] Thus far, I have not been able to trace the Epsteins or the Wilenskys in Belarus.

Hoda's grave is located in Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Glendale (Queens), New York in the United Hebrew Community section: Block F, Section 6, Subsection 5, Line 2, Grave 32. 

I have a particular affinity for Hoda. First off, my middle name is Hoda and second, she was the topic of my first bona fide genealogy blog post: "Cream Puff Daze." 

Notes:

1."New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 October 2008), manifest, Polaria, Stettin to New York, arriving 23 November 1891, passenger number 196, Selig Wilenski; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial M237, Microfilm Roll 579.
2. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 September 2009), manifest, Pisa, Hamburg to New York, arriving 1 June 1897, list 7, Hode, Nachame, Josef and Benjamin Wilensky; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial M237, Microfilm Roll 579.
3. "Hamburgen Passagierlisten, 1850-1934," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 March 2008), manifest, Pisa, Hamburg to New York, departing 19 May 1897, passenger number 1, Hode Wilensky; citing Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Deutschland, vol. 373-7 I, VIII A Band 096; Page 0, Microfilm No. K_1756.
4. In 2012 I visited Hudson, New York and posted several articles about my research there. See Hudson posts for:  8 September 2012,  7 October 2012, 8 October 2012, 9 October 2012, 10 October 2012, 14 October 2012, and 18 October 2012.

5. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 October 2009), manifest, Albano, Hamburg to New York, arriving 22 December 1903, passenger number 357, Moses Epstein; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial T715, Microfilm Roll 422.

Gen Podcasts: Hungarian and Colonial American Jewish Genealogy on the For-Get-Me-Not Hour

A while back (1 March 2013) I profiled the Blog Talk Radio show/podcast The For-Get-Me-Not Hour with Jane E. Wilcox and identified episodes with content likely of interest to Jewish genealogists. This past week (18 September 2013) the show featured Hungarian Jewish genealogy. And on 16 October 2013, it will cover Colonial American period Jewish history and genealogy.

New Episodes of Interest to Jewish Genealogists

Hungarian Jewish Genealogy with Andras Koltai - 19 September 2013
Andras Koltai, a native Hungarian of Jewish descent, has been researching Hungarian Jewish genealogy since 2002. Koltai, a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a featured researcher on British and Australian versions of Who Do You Think You Are?, discusses Jewish Hungarian history, including adoption of surnames in Hungary and available records.  His website is called Hungarian Jewish Roots. 

In my previous review of Jane's program I noted spotty tech work. In the last few months the program has cleaned up its recording substantially. Unfortunately, the connection from Hungary in this episode fades in and out. I listened to it on my iPod while walking the dog. Considering the sound issue, I would advise listening either in front of one's computer or while sitting with one's iPod so the sound may be adjusted while listening. 
 
Jews in the New World with David Kleiman - 16 October 2013 (live, 9:00 p.m. Eastern)
The Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, is celebrating its 250th anniversary. David Kleiman, historian and Touro Synagogue board member will discuss Jewish history in Colonial America. He will cover migration, social history and resources for research.He will also discuss plans for the Touro Synagogue anniversary celebration.

David was on the show earlier this year (13 March 2013) when he discussed "Pre-Civil War New York Jews."  

Access:

• via Blog Talk Radio - 9:00 P.M. (Eastern time) on the dates mentioned, above.
• via iTunes: One may download individual episodes or subscribe to the show from free on iTunes.  The most recent show is usually available immediately after the live show airs. If you subscribe, new episodes will automatically be delivered to your iTunes podcast folder. The shows may be listened to via you computer or uploaded on an iPod.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Saul Wilson's Death Certificate

Bronx County, New York, Certificate of Death number 6662 (27 October 1923), Saul Wilson, New York City Municipal Archives, New York.

Saul Wilson passed away on 27 October 1923 of pancreatic cancer. Saul and his family has lived at this address (2086 Vyse Avenue in the Bronx) at least since 1917, as evidenced by his son (my grandfather) Joe's marriage and World War I Draft Registration.[1] 

Saul's death record provides a couple of items that I have seen no where else for Saul.

Birth Date: 1 August 1864 

The year of birth is in the ball park (as they say) and comports with estimates from census records. The 1900 U.S. Census, the only one that provides information on month of birth, indicates that Saul was born in March 1865.[2] My sense about the Wilson information on that census page is that it contains many errors. So, I don't give the birth months much credence. At this point there is no way to determine if either record, census or death record, is accurate in this regard.

General Nature of industry, business or establishment in which employed: Salesman - Paint & Varnish

Every previous record for Saul indicates that he was a salesman. Usually he sold dry goods or clothing. In the 1910 Census he is selling brushes.[3] By 1920 he is selling sweaters (probably related to the knitting industry in which both his sons worked).[4] Perhaps toward the end of his life he continued as a salesman, just changed his product.

Notes:  
1. New York County, New York, Certificate and record of Marriage number 31607 (31 May 1917), Jos. Wilson and Tillie Liebross, New York City Municiapl Archives, New York.

"World War I Draft Registration Cards. 1917-1918," digital images. Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 March 2008), card for Joseph Wilson, no. 59,  Kings County Draft Board 28, Roll 1754224.

2. 1900 U.S. Census, Columbia County, New York, population schedule, Hudson, Enumeration District 19, sheet 8A, family 172, Cyrus Wilson [Saul Wilson]; digital image, HeritageQuest (accessed via Maricopa County Library website - http://www.mcldaz.org/ : accessed 10 August 2008), citing National Archives Microfilm Series T623, Microfilm Roll 1019, Page 24.

3. 1910 U.S. Census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Manhattan, Enumeration District 489, sheet 19A, family 403, Saul Wilson; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 February 2008), citing national Archives Microfilm Series T624, Microfilm Roll 1020, Page 37.

4. 1920 U.S. Census, Bronx County, New york, population schedule, Bronx, Enumeration District 372, sheet 4B, family 83, Saul Wilson, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 February 2008), citing National Archives Microfilm Series T625, Microfilm Roll 1140, Page 28.

Tombstone Tuesday: Saul Wilson

Sometimes one has to just get in there and whack the weeds (or the ivy or the hedges). To the left, a before photograph of my great grandfather Saul Wilson's grave at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Queens, New York. 

In fairness, this grave was in an older section of the cemetery and does not have perpetual care. It was a good thing, however, that I'd thought to carry clippers that I borrowed from my sister-in-law before heading off to the cemetery. After visiting this cemetery, I have a firm belief that if a cemetery asks, "Would you like to plant ivy on the grave?" Scream, "No!" 

I'm sure the cemetery maintenance crew was pleased with my work. Here is the after photograph.

Here lies

 My beloved husband and our beloved father

A man of integrity and uprightness

Zelig Chayim son of Nachum  WILSON

Died 17 Marcheshvan 5684  May his soul be bound in the bonds of the living
---------

SAUL WILSON

DIED OCT. 27, 1923

AGE 59 YEARS
----------

FATHER

Saul Wilson was my mother's paternal grandfather. He is my earliest ancestor to make the permanent move to the United States, arriving as Selig Wilenski in New York Harbor on 23 November 1891.[1] The Polaria's manifest provided information that Selig was a 28 year old upholsterer from Kasan, Russian Empire (today, Kozyany, Belarus).

Thus far, I have been unsuccessful in tracing Saul's movements during the five and one-half years prior to the arrival of his wife Hoda Wilensky and his children Nechama (Nina Wilson Herman, 25 January 1888 - 11 January 1919), Josef (Joseph Wilson, 11 October 1889 - 3 March 1977) and Benyamin (Benjamin Wilson, 5 March 1891 - 22 August 1971) in 1897.[2]  I do know that, upon arrival in 1897, the family headed almost immediately for Hudson, New York and stayed there until at least 1904.[3] During that time Saul sold dry goods.

Saul and Hoda's only American-born child was born in Hudson on 10 September 1898: Esther Wilson Marwit Warmflash (1898 - 4 December 1973).

In 1905 or 1906 the Wilson family moved to New York City and resided there for the rest of their lives.

I have not yet found evidence of any siblings (if Saul had them) who may also have emigrated to the United States. And, while I know Saul's father's name from his tombstone and death certificate, I do not yet know his mother's name. 

Saul's grave is located in Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Glendale (Queens), New York in the United Hebrew Community section: Block F, Section 6, Subsection 5, Line 1, Grave 33.

Notes:

1."New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 October 2008), manifest, Polaria, Stettin to New York, arriving 23 November 1891, passenger number 196, Selig Wilenski; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial M237, Microfilm Roll 579.
2. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 September 2009), manifest, Pisa, Hamburg to New York, arriving 1 June 1897, list 7, Hode, Nachame, Josef and Benjamin Wilensky; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial M237, Microfilm Roll 579.
3. In 2012 I visited Hudson, New York and posted several articles about my research there. See Hudson posts for:  8 September 2012,  7 October 2012, 8 October 2012, 9 October 2012, 10 October 2012, 14 October 2012, and 18 October 2012.

ItalianGen Launches a New Look

For those immersed in New York City genealogy there is no greater website than ItalianGen.org (IGG) and its sister site the German Genealogy Group (GGG).[1] While there are some differences in the databases they host, for the most part they share the glory as the go-to places for indices of NYC vital and naturalization records. A few days ago I noticed some changes on the GGG. But, I use the IGG most often. So, I didn't linger on the GGG changes. This morning, however, I noticed that IGG has also changed (they must be using the same web designer) for the better. Change can be difficult, but in this case, I'm already smitten.

The redesign is clean and clear and not too far removed from the previous version (we are, after all creatures of habit). Click on Database Searches and options drop down to reveal record sets. 

When one selects a record set, one is presented with some of the same search choices available previously as well as some improvements that address (for me) some previous annoyances. 

For example, previously with naturalization records, one could only select one court at a time.[2]  Now, one may search all the naturalization indices at once, if one chooses.

The results pages provide improvements for determining the correct record and for acquiring it:

• Results may be sorted by clicking data in columns. One may sort results by year, first name, last name, volume, etc. This is very helpful when trying to ford though many records for people with a common name. I did notice; however, that in the naturalization index there were some format variations with dates (see example below) that would make sorting by date problematic.
• When results are many, one may now scroll through rather than click though pages. A huge improvement.
• Links to forms for ordering records, which have been broken for some time, are now fixed. Now one may relatively painlessly order New York naturalization records from the National Archives branch in New York City or vital records from the Municipal Archives.
• Hundreds of diligent volunteers (including me) have worked to prepare these indices and mistakes (and fuzzy copies of the original) happen. Now, one may click one button to send in corrections to the IGG.

One thing to note: the conventions for wild card searches have changed. Now instead of the more standard * or ?, one must use % or _ .

Wild Card - With this option you can replace part of the surname with a % to match any number of letters, or _ to match a single letter. So for example, Sch% will return all names starting with Sch. Similarly, Schl_tz might return results such as Schlitz or Schlotz.

Congratulations to John Martino and the group at ItalianGen.org for some improvements that will be greatly appreciated by users. Now we just need to continue to provide our donations of time and money so they can continue putting new and expanded indices online.

----------------------------------------------------------

Notes:
1. OK, maybe Steve Morse's One-Step website, but I'm talking here about the sites that actually host the databases.

2. As of this morning (14 Sep 2013), Steve Morse's access to this site has not yet caught up with this change and still requires selection of specific court of naturalization. Of course his also includes one index not included on the IGG, "Kings County (Brooklyn) Supreme Court 1907-1924" which is hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of New York.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Harriet Garber (1927-29) Death Certificate

Both of my grandfather Jack's older brothers, Nathan Garber and Max had the unfortunate experience of losing small children. Sarah Garber, daughter of Nathan and Yetta was discussed in an earlier post. Harriet Garber was born to Max and Mary Garber on 2 August 1927 and died at home of lobar pneumonia on 5 October 1929. 

Like her cousin Sarah, Harriet's short life missed being recorded in the 1925 New York State Census and the 1930 United States Federal Census. And similar to my experience with Sarah, I was not aware of her existence until I'd recorded the grave stones in the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plots at Montefiore Cemetery, Queens, New York.

Kings County, New York, Certificate of Death no. 20134 (5 October 1929), Harriet Garber, New York City Municipal Archives, New York.

Harriet was the fourth child and fourth daughter of Max and Mary Garber. She was about twelve years younger than her eldest sister Ruth.

Lobar pneumonia may be caused by any of several organism. These days appropriate treatment may involve antibiotics. In 1929 these treatments were likely not available.

Max and Mary and their family lived next door to the Jack and Dora Garber family. Having support of family was likely comforting. Two years after Harriet's death Max and Mary had their last child, Joan.

Max Liebross: Black-ish Sheep

I wasn't surprised when I learned that Max Liebross had been indicted for Grand Larceny. After all, he'd been the family black sheep for quite some time. He'd left his wife and children, been a persona non grata among his siblings and wound up buried, away from the rest of the family, in a grave charitably paid for by the Hebrew Free Burial Society. In fact, I'd been looking for just such a case, figuring that there had to be more to his story.

I found the following piece in The Standard Union, Brooklyn, New York, 7 January 1910.

The Standard Union (Brooklyn, New York), 7 January 1910, page 1, Column 5; digital image, Old Fulton, New York Postcards (http://www.fultonhistory.com : accessed 19 March 2013).

JURY INDICTS 40; 

ONE FOR MURDER

-------

Paul Gebauer, Who Admitted to

Police He Killed Wife,

Pleads Not Guilty.

-------

DEFIANT AND UNCONCERNED

-------

Arson and Blackmail is Charge
Against Silver.

-------

  The Grand Jury, in making its weekly return to County Judge Fawcett, to-day submitted to the court about forty indictments, the majority of which charged minor offenses. Those prisoners who pleaded guilty to the accusations were remanded until Monday for sentence, while the others were held for trial. Two cases attracted more attention than the rest, mainly that of Paul Gebauer, who was indicted for murder, and Jacob Silver, against whom the Grand Jury found indictments of arson in the second degree and blackmail.

------------------------------

Max Liebross, thank goodness, was associated with one of the "minor offenses." He appears several paragraphs down in the article.

-------

Pleas of not guilty were entered by the following prisoners: Michael Stella, assault; Henrietta Fason, assault; James Howard, selling cocaine; Lario Bombardt, assault; Charles Gregory, grand larceny; Max Hyman, burglary; Giovanni Perrino, burglary; William J. Sweeney and Michael F. Toomer, grand larceny; Max Liebross, grand larceny; Carl Hayes, grand larceny; Frank Tony, assault; Barney Lutsten, grand larceny; victor Golden, grand larceny, and Richard Moffatt, grand larceny.

-----------------------------

My handy CD-version of Black's Law Dictionary includes the edition from 1910. [1]

Larceny. In criminal law. The wrong or fraudulent taking and carrying away by one person of the mere personal goods of another from any place, with felonious intent to convert them to his (the taker's) use, and make them his property, without the consent of the owner... [page 697]

They further discuss Grand larceny as a statutory offense in a few states. They identify the essential element in determining elevation to "Grand" as the value of the goods stolen, which, in 1910, varied from $7 in Vermont to $50 in California.

In 2013, Article 155 of the New York Penal Code indicates that Grand larceny in the fourth degree (the lowest level) involves taking another's property valued in excess of $1,000. I do not know the threshold for Grand larceny in 1910 New York. 

I emailed the New York City Municipal Archives to ask whether they had Max's case file. I wanted to know the disposition of the case. Was he found guilty? Did he go to jail? They answered back quickly that it would take a few days to find the file. Within a couple of weeks, they'd sent me the case file via snail mail. 

Turns out the case was not as bad as I'd feared nor as interesting as I'd hoped.[2]

The Grand Jury found that on 6 November 1909, Max Liebross had provided a worthless check with the purported value of $75 to August J. Milkin (or, possibly, Milknen or, as in his deposition, Milkun). Milkin accused Max of knowing that the check was worthless when he offered it. Max was indicted on Grand Larceny, Second Degree.[3]

In 23 December 1909, Max was brought before the City Magistrates' Court. The following day, his father, Louis Liebross, provided $1,000 bail.

In the above document, both Max and Louis are identified as tailors. Louis says he is worth $20,000 and offers his home at 171 Melrose Street, Brooklyn, valued at $8,300, as collateral for the bail. He has a mortgage of $4,300 on the property.

Max was tried on 22 January 1911 and found guilty. Based on his record of no previous convictions, he received a suspended sentence on 26 June 1911 for passing a bad check.

I was curious about August J. Milknen/Milkin/Milkun. What was his name and what type of business did he own? In his deposition for the case, August Milkun is identified as a 45 year-old tailor living at 38 Union Avenue, Brooklyn. 

His name (outside of the court records) is fairly consistently listed as Milkun. In the 1910 U.S. Census he, his wife Adeline (whom he married in 1890), and his daughters are identified at 38 Union Avenue.[4] He is a tailor and immigrant from Russia. Possibly a German speaker. In the 1900 U.S. Census he is listed as being from Poland Russia.[5]

His Hamburg manifest (I have not located his Ellis Island manifest) indicates that August Milkuhn departed Hamburg on 9 May 1885. He had resided in Nemonzen, Russia.[6] Checking with the JewishGen Communities Database, I believe this would be Nemencine, Lithuania, at one point in the Vilnius Gubernia of the Russian Empire. The German name for the town was Nementschine. He naturalized in 1893.[7]

A 1906 city directory lists August J. Milkun with a business location, separate from his home, at 452 Rodney, Brooklyn.[8] I do not know his business location when Max gave him the bad check. Considering that Max and Louis were also tailors at the time, and considering the relatively large sum involved, I wonder if the check wasn't part of a business to business dealing. The records do not elucidate on this issue.

August lived until 20 January 1917. As reported on Find A Grave.com, he is buried in Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens County, New York.

Notes: 
1. Black, Henry Campbell, M.A., A Law Dictionary Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases of American and English Jurisprudence, Ancient and Modern..., Second Edition (St. Paul, 1910); digital edition on Compact Disc, Archive CD Books, USA.
2. Kings County, New York, New York City Magistrates' Court, Second Division, Court File No. 13, 458/36-280, The People vs. Max Liebross, Filed 7 January 1910, New York City Municipal Archives, New York. 
3. Today Grand Larceny, Second degree in New York State would involve property valued at $50,000.
4. 1910 U.S. Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, Enumeration District 294, sheet 13A, dwelling 16, family 59, August J. Milkun; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 September 2013).
5. 1900 U.S. Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, Enumeration District 326, sheet 13B, family 309, August Milkun; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 September 2013).
6. "Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 September 2013), manifest, Sprite, Hamburg to Hull, departing 9 May 1885, August Milkuhn, citing Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Volume 373-7 I, VIII B 1, Band 061, page 478; Microfilm number S-13145.
7. Kings County Court, Brooklyn, New York; Petition for Naturalization, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 September 2013), August J. Milkun, 5 October 1893. Citing Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Record Group 85. National Archives at New York City, New York.
8. Trow Business Directory of the Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York, 1906 (Brooklyn, New York: Trow Publishing Company, 1906), page 746, entry for August J. Milkun; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 September 2013).

Tombstone Tuesday: Perl Garber Zabarsky

There is no tombstone for Perl Garber Zabarsky. In fact, we are not entirely sure where she is buried. Perl was the eldest of three daughters of Avrum and Chana Garber, my great grandparents. She was their second child, likely born in 1888. Perl, along with her youngest child, her only daughter, Chana, was murdered during the German occupation of Labun during World War II. 

Thanks to my visit to Ukraine this past June, I have photographs of memorial plaques placed at the two mass murder sites where Labun Jewish residents were killed. I did two posts during my trip (here and here) regarding my visits to these sites.

First murder site in the forest south of Trojeshchina

Trojeshchina Forest memorial to Jewish Labun victims (photo by author, June 2013)

--------

Cherished

memory

to the Soviet

citizens

victims 

of Fascism

                       July

                       August

                     1941

 --------

This and the second memorial (shown below) were erected about 1970 by the local Ukrainian town's people. The memorials are in Ukrainian. I am indebted to several volunteers (whom I have already thanked personally) who responded to my post on JewishGen's ViewMate application and translated the first word. It literally means "light." However, in this context, it reflects the sentiment that their neighbors will not be forgotten.

As is typical of this time period and its war memorials, there is no mention of the fact that the victims were killed because they were Jewish.

This first site is about 1.5 miles from town in the forest to the south of Trojeshchina (the town adjoining Yurovshchina). The second site is in the forest on the road toward Polonne. On the map, below, the red oval represents the first site. The blue oval, the second.

Approximate locations of two mass murder sites outside Labun/Yurovshchina. Base map from Google Maps, accessed 9 September 2013

Velyka Berezna Forest memorial to Jewish Labun victims (photo by author, June 2013) 

The second memorial is similar to the first and only omits the reference to "Soviet citizens." 

--------

Cherished memory

to the victims of Fascism

August-September

1941

--------

On 13 September 1911 in Labun, Perl married Isseck Zabarsky of Gritsev.[1] They had four children: Usher (20 August 1914 - 26 April 2004), Leib Ber (8 December 1916 - October 1941), Motel/Mark (19 December 1918 - June 1943) and Chana (a August 1926 - ca. 1941). Isseck emigrated to the United States in 1935.[2] He was unable to successfully arrange passage for his family and they remained in the Soviet Union. He died in Boston on 4 August 1971.

The best information I have regarding Perl comes from Kniga Skorbatyi (The Book of Sorrows) published in Ukraine in 2003. As I understand it, this book in one in a series of volumes compiled based upon archival research regarding victims of the Holocaust in Ukraine. I first saw this volume in the Labun Museum and photographed several pages that had family surnames. According to this book, Perl and Chana were shot to death in Labun in 1941.[3]

Notes:
1.  Petition for Naturalization for Isseck Zabarsky, 4 May 1942, Brooklyn, New York, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, National Archives and Records Administration, New York City.
2. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com
 (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 September 2009), manifest, Berengaria, Cherbourg to New York, arriving 8 October 1935, list 12, line 8, Aizik Zabarski; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial T715, Roll 5717.
3. Книга скорботи України, Хмельницька область (Book of Sorrows, Ukraine, Khmelnitskiy Oblast),volume 2, Kmelnitsky, 2003, pp. 95-96. The Family History Library  lists this book in their catalog - one of the few places in the United States that seems to have this volume.

FamilySearch displays Jewish BMD and census records from Mantova, Italy, 1770-1899

As of today, 8 September 2013, FamilySearch.org has added Italian Jewish records to its ever growing list of digitized records online.

 

Italy, Mantova, Mantova, Jewish Records, 1770-1899  (Italia, Mantova, Mantova, Registri Ebraici, 1770-1899)

 

These include Jewish birth, marriage, death and census records from the Archive for the Israelite Community of Mantova (Archivio della Communità Israelitica di Mantova).

 

The 304 images in the collection are browsable. They have not been indexed.