Tombstone Tuesday: David and Rose Cohen, Beth Moses Cemetery, Pinelawn, New York

Last Tuesday I posted about five year old Irving Cohen. This week we discuss his parents. 

COHEN

----------

Here lies

David son of Israel haCohan

DAVID

BELOVED HUSBAND

DEAR FATHER

AND GRANDFATHER

DIED MARCH 25, 1972

AGE 77 YEARS

---------- 

Here lies

Rivka daughter of Meier

ROSE

BELOVED WIFE

DEAR MOTHER

GRANDMOTHER AND

GREAT GRANDMOTHER

AUG. 7, 1982 - AGE 86 YEARS

Owing to their common names, finding and confirming records for David and Rose has not been easy. In addition, as I have been trying to get this post ready for publication, the Amazon Cloud outage seems to have affected a couple of websites I would have liked to search further: FamilySearch and Italian Genealogy Group. So, consider this work in progress.

While I have located Master Death Index (Social Security) records for both David and Rose, New York State laws will not permit me access to their actual death certificates (I am not related, and they died less than 50 years ago). Their Master Death Index records indicate that, for both of them, their last residences were in Brooklyn.[1]

Based on information from the 1930 census, David arrived in the United States in about 1911 and Rose about 1913.[2] Neither of them had completed naturalization or even applied by April 1930. 

In 1930, the family lived at 457 Georgia Avenue in Brooklyn. David was a buyer for a clothing firm. They had a daughter Anna, age 8, and their son Irving, age 4-1/2. It appears that David and Rose married in about 1921. I not yet located a marriage or 1925 New York State census record. There is a possible marriage record indexed on FamilySearch, but there are inconsistencies in expected information. I will have to order a copy of the record.

I have, thus far, not found naturalization records nor manifests for either David or Rose. As a result, I am not sure which if either of these two were associated with the community of Labun, the home community for the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association burial plot.

I believe that I have located the family in the 1940 census enumeration at 282 South 3rd Street in Brooklyn.[3] If this record is for the correct family, then David was a junk dealer in business for himself. David's and Rose's daughter Anne, then 18, still lived with them. Irving had died in 1931. The couple had two children after the 1930 census: Melvin (8 years old in April, 1940) and Ruth (5). The census enumerator did not record whether David or Rose had become citizens.

Melvin Cohen's application/claim for Social Security indicated his mother's name was Rebecca (consistent with the Hebrew name on her gravestone) Kachman.[4] Without seeing a copy of his application (SS-5), it is difficult to know if this is an alternative rendering of his mother's maiden name or a an indexing error. Melvin is buried in the same plot in Beth Moses cemetery.

David and Rose's daughter Anna may have been the Anna Cohen who married Lawrence Roblenski. The Roblenskis later changed their surname to Robbins.[5] They are also interred in the Beth Moses plot.

There are two Israel Cohens in the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plots in Montefiore Cemetery. David is probably the son of one of them, but I am not able to make a definitive statement yet.

David and Rose are located in the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plot in Beth Moses Cemetery, Pinelawn, New York, block 24, Maccabee Road. 

Notes:
1. "U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014," index, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 February 2017); searches on Rose Cohen (111-03-9057), died August 1982 and David Cohen (081-18-5468), died March 1972.
2. 1930 U.S. Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, enumeration district 24-1215, sheet 17A, dwelling 54, family 337, Dave and Rose Cohen family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 February 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1492.
3. 1940 U.S. Census, Kings Co., NY. pop. sched., Brooklyn, e.d. 24-1530, sheet 10B, household 214, Dave and Rose Cohen family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 February 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 2585.
4. Melvin Cohen, 126-26-5326, died July 1984; index, "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 February 2017).
5. Legal Notices, Long Island Star-Journal (Long Island City, NY), 4 September 1963, p. 31; images, Old Fulton NY Postcards (http://www.fultonhistory.com : accessed 27 February 2017).

Tombstone Tuesday: Irving Cohen, age 5, Montefiore Cemetery, Queens , NY

Irving Cohen's short life ended tragically.  His grave stone, shaped as a cut-off tree truck, testifies to this sad fact.

Here lies

Yisrael Meier

son of David

Died 3 Nisan 5691

IRVING

COHEN

BORN

JULY 11

1925

DIED MAR. 21, 1931

DEAR SON

AND BROTHER

On 18 March, Irving was playing in front of his house at 457 Georgia Avenue, Brooklyn, when another child started a bonfire. Irving's clothes caught fire and he sustained third-degree burns on his abdomen and legs.[1]

An article in the Brooklyn Eagle fills in some of the story.[2]

Boy, 5, Burned While

Playing at Street Fire 

Irving Cohen, 5, was severely burned yesterday while playing in front of his home at 457 Georgia Ave. Police say that another youngster lighted a street blaze and that Irving's clothing caught fire. Attracted by the screams of the other children, neighbors called a physician who removed the child to the Knickerbocker Hospital. Irving's parents were not at home.

Irving was moved to Trinity Hospital and died there three days after the accident.

Irving's parents were David and Rose Cohen, both immigrants from Russia. Rose's maiden name, as written on Irving's death certificate, was Karchman. 

In 1930, the family lived at the same address, 457 Georgia Avenue, Brooklyn. In addition to Irving, David and Rose had an elder daughter, Anna, who had been born about 1922.[3]

Dave and Rose may have had two more children after Irving's death: Melvin and Ruth.[4] 

It appears that David Cohen, Rose Cohen and Melvin Cohen  are buried in another First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plot in Beth David Cemetery, Pinelawn, Long Island.

Irving's grave is located in gate 156N, block 89, line 2R, grave 4, Montefiore Cemetery. 

Notes: 

1. Kings County, New York, death certificate no. 7465 (1931), Irving Cohen, 21 March 1931; Municipal Archives, New York City.

2. "Boy, 5, Burned While Playing at Street Fire," Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), 20 March 1931, p. 3, col. 2; image, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed 19 February 2017).
3. 1930 U.S. Census, Kings County, population schedule, Brooklyn, enumeration district 24-1215, sheet 17A, dwelling n/a, family 337, Dave and Rose Cohen family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 February 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1492.
4. 1940 U.S. Census, population schedule, Brooklyn, enumeration district 24-1530, sheet 10B, household 24, David and Rose Cohen family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 February 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 2585.

 

Tombstone Tuesday: Morris and Rebecca Berman, Montefiore Cemetery, Queens, NY

Last week I documented Anna Chalewsky. She was the mother of Bertha Myers and, one of this week's subjects, Rebecca Berman.

BERMAN

Here lies

Moshe Aharon son of Naftali

May his soul be bound in the bbonds of the living

MORRIS

DIED APRIL 30. 1988

AGE 100 YEARS

Here lies Votah daughter of Meier

May her soul be bound in the bonds of the living

REBECCA

DIED JAN. 17, 1972

AGE 83 YEARS

REST IN PEACE 

Rebecca, born Votah Chalewsky, came the the United States in 1907 with her widowed mother, Henie, and her sister, Taube (who became Bertha).[1] The town of residence on this manifest is not clear, but it may have been the community where Henie's family resided, rather than where Rebecca and Taube were born. Additional information be required before town(s) of origin may be ascertained.

In 1912, Rebecca married Morris Berman, who worked in ornamental iron.[2] They gave their address as 207 E. 100th Street in Manhattan - the same address given by her sister Bertha and her husband Jacob Myers when they had married in 1911.[3]

They had two sons, Nathan (born about 1912) and Meyer (born about 1918). By 1920, the family lived at 218 146th Street, New York, New York.[4]

In 1925 they lived in the Bronx at 2162 Valentine Avenue.[5] They were in Yonkers by 1929, living in their single-family home at 141 DeVoe Avenue. The 1930 census indicates that they owned their house.[6] According to Zillow.com this home was built in 1927.

The Great Depression was probably not kind to this family. After 1931, they are no longer listed in Yonkers City directories. The 1940 census enumeration found Morris, still providing ornamental iron for the construction industry, renting a room from Louis and Celia Cohen in the Bronx.[7] I have not yet found the rest of the family. Morris' World War II Draft Registration card from 1942 indicated that the "person who would always know" his address was Celia Cohen - not his wife Rebecca.[8] Morris worked for Town Iron Works in the Bronx.

It appears that neither Morris nor Rebecca naturalized until the 1940s. I have not yet ordered their records.

Rebecca and Morris are likely interred in one of the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association burial plots in Montefiore Cemetery because Rebecca's sister, Bertha Myers, marred a Jacob Myers, who was related to people from the community (and may have lived there, a some point, himself).

As noted in the previous post about Rebecca's mother, the family may have lived in Staro Konstyantiniv - a larger community, not far from Lubin/Labun.

Morris' and Rebecca's graves are located in Montefiore Cemetery, Queens, NY, Gate 567W, Block 5, Line 4L. There appears to be a mistake in the Montefiore Cemetery online index. Morris' grave is identified as grave 1 and Rebecca's as grave 21. My guess is that Rebecca's is actually grave 2.

Notes:
1. Manifest, S.S. Vaderland, 3 July 1907, stamped p. 18, lines 28-30, Henie [indexed as Henri] (age 55), Votte (21) and Taube (19) Chalewski; images, "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017).
2. New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 6428 (5 February 1912), Moris Berman and Beckie Cholawsky; Municipal Archives, New York City.
3. New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 29954 (20 December 1911), Jacob Myers and Bertha Goldman; Municipal Archives, New York City.
4. 1920 U.S. census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Manhattan, enumeration district 1449, sheet 15B, dwelling 26, family 400, Morris and Rebecca Berman family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 November 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1225.
5. 1925 NewYork State census, Bronx County, NY, enumeration of inhabitants, assembly district 8, election district 27, page 4, lines 12-16, Morris and Rebecca Berman family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 February 2015); citing New York State Archives, Albany.
6. 1930 U.S. census, Westchester County, New York, population schedule, Yonkers, enumeration district 60-381, sheet 2B, dwelling 44, family 44, Morris and Rebecca Berman family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 November 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1668.
7. 1940 U.S. census, Bronx County, New York, population schedule, Bronx, enumeration district 362, sheet 3B, household 66, Morris Berman; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 2469.
8. Morris Berman, World War II draft card, New York, fourth registration, serial number U 894"U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2017).

Know Them at a Glance: Immigrants at Castle Garden

Without a doubt the most common myth in immigrant genealogy is the name change at Ellis Island. Family stories usually include the notion that staff at Ellis Island could not communicate effectively with confused immigrants. When asked for their names, the immigrants might say something odd and the Ellis Island staff member, not knowing any better, would say, "That will be your name from now on!" 

The immigrant, not knowing any better, would keep the newly assigned name in perpetuity [I do find it interesting that the communication was bad enough to generate new names, but good enough that immigrants understood they had to keep their new American names!].

I cannot count the times I have had to try to dispel this myth with those who heard it from their grandmother or grandfather. I am never quite sure I have been successful. Many people just do not want to believe that Zeidie did not tell the truth about how and when the family name was changed.

We do know that passenger manifests were created by shipping company clerical staff at ports of embarkation and that information for each immigrant was provided when tickets were purchased - whether in the United States, in the immigrant's hometown, or at the port of embarkation. 

Ellis Island staff were told to check information with the immigrant. They were not authorized to change any information on the manifests provided by the shipping companies. I have read that about 45 languages were represented among the Ellis Island staff. And since the staff knew which ships from which ports were to dock on a particular day, the processing center would have had staff with the appropriate skills on hand. 

A couple of days ago I searched for historic articles about immigration on some newspaper websites and located the following 1889 article from the Beverly Citizen on Genealogy Bank.

This article talks about Castle Garden, the precursor to Ellis Island (which opened in 1892). Castle Garden, run by authorities in New York, was known as chaotic place. Ellis Island, a federal facility, was designed to remedy some Castle Garden short-comings as a processing center. So, it is safe to assume that Ellis Island actually improved the processing and experience of immigrants as depicted in this article.

Citizen (Beverly, Massachusetts), 30 November 1889, p. 3; image, Genealogy Bank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 29 January 2017).

Tombstone Tuesday: Anna Chalewsky, Montefiore Cemetery, New York

I have been documenting gravestones from the three First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plots in New York cemeteries. Most of the people interred were from the organization's home community of Labun/Lubin, Volhynia gubernai, Russian Empire. And most of those not from Labun can be linked to those who were. Such is the case with Anna Chalewski.

Here lies

Our beloved mother

A modest and important woman

Hentsya daughter of Avigdor

Died

28 Nisan 5686

At the age of 85 years

May her soul be bound in the bonds of the living

Anna Chalewsky

Died April 12, 1926

Age 85 Years 

One would think that with a surname like Chalewsky, that finding her would be a snap. But, I have been unable, thus far, to locate her death record in New York City records. [Update (21 April 2017): With the help of commenter Anonymous, I located and ordered Ann'a death record from the New York City Municipal Archive. Kings County (1926) 9302. An unnamed son of Anna was the informant for her death certificate. Anna was identified as a widow who had come to the USA 19 years before (1907 - check!). Her parents were identified as Wolf Sherlesky and Bessie Cohen. Of course, "Sherlesky" would have been her married name. So there is an immediate problem with this information. In addition, the father's name does not seem to match what is on the tombstone. Although it is possible that Avigdor was also known as Wolf.]

Two of her daughters are also in the First Lubiner plot at Montefiore Cemetery: Rebecca Berman and Bertha Myers.

Rebecca's marriage record on 5 February 1912, shows Becky Cholawsky marrying Morris Berman.[1] Her mother is identified as H. Cholawsky and her father, M. Cholawsky. Her gravestone indicates that her father's name was Meier.[2] She was born about 1891.

Bertha's marriage record is a bit confusing. She married Jacob Myers (my great grandmother's first cousin) on 20 December 1911 and identified her parents as M. Goldman and Anne Cholewska.[3] Bertha's maiden name is listed as Goldman. She was born about 1892.

There are a variety of scenarios in which Bertha might have become Goldman. But, so far I have no proof pushing me toward any one of them.

Bertha's death certificate tells a different story. Her father was identified as Meyer Chale and her mother as Anna Chale.[4] Her son, Fred Myers, was the informant. Ordinarily, one would think that Bertha's word was worth more than her son's when it came to her maiden name. But, I am not so sure.

But, back to Anna! She arrived in New York City as Henie Chalewski, age 55, on 3 July 1907.[5] She was a widow accompanied by her two daughters, Votte (age 21) and Taube (age 19). 


In most Jewish genealogy we find that adopted American names usually start with the same sound as the original Hebrew and Yiddish names. That's a tradition, however, not a rule. And neither of Anna's daughters followed convention.  

Rebecca Berman's Hebrew name on her tombstone was Votah (the same as entered on her passenger manifest). Bertha Myers' Hebrew name on her gravestone is Tova. The Yiddish equivalent of that name was Taube (the same as her passenger manifest). Both sisters' gravestones identify their father as Meier. 

Bertha Myers' naturalization record confirms that she was the Taube who arrived with Henie (Anna) Chalewski and sister Votte in 1907.[6]

The 1925 New York State census found Annie Chalewsky living with her son, glazier Isidor Chalewsky, his wife Sarah and their children at 235 East 103rd Street, New York, New York.[7] I believe Anna had one or two other sons who also became glaziers in New York City.

The Chale name, I believe, comes from some of Anna Chalewsky's sons (and their offspring) who, after a time, shortened their surname to Chale.

Isidore's arrival in the United States is recorded in a U.S. border crossing in October 1909 in Quebec, Canada.[8] His name was Itzik Chalewski and he was going to his mother Ensy Chalewski in New York City. 

He had sailed on the S.S. Laurentic from Liverpool on 14 September 1909.[9] His name is crossed off the Laurentic's passenger list with the note "Erased by purser - changed destination to Canada." The crossed-off entry also included this tidbit: Itzik was planning to join his mother Hensya Chalewski c/o Morris Mohlman, 118 W. 3rd St., New York. 

118 W. 3rd Street is significant in my family because it was the address, starting about 1909, of my great grandfather Isidore Morris' and his business partner (and likely relative ) Benjamin Molthman's glass store, called Morris Molthman Glass. So, I think the "Morris Mohlman" on Itzik Chalewsky's passenger manifest was actually not a person, but my great grandfather's store and home address. 

Isidore Chalewsky's death record identified his parents as Meyer Chalewsky and Anna Shukart.[10] The informant for this record was Isidore's daughter, Bessie Taffel.

The town of origin for the Chalewsky family is unclear. A couple of the sons identified Staro Kostyantiniv as their town of birth on manifests. Naturalization documents identified "Volin" - the gubernia, rather than the town name. Staro Kostyantiniv is about 25 miles south southwest of Labun. 

On Sarah Chalewsky's naturalization petition, she identified her husband Isidore Chalewsky's town of birth as Scharovka [11]. The town, today called Sharivka, is located south of Khmelnitsky (Proskurov).

Anna Chalewsky's grave is located within the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association plot in Montefiore Cemetery, Queens, NY: block 89, gate 156N, line 3L, grave 5.

Notes:

1. New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 6428 (5 February 1912), Moris Berman and Beckie Cholawsky; Municipal Archives, New York City.

2. Rebecca Berman, gravestone, died 17 January 1972, Montefiore Cemetery, Queens County, New York.

3. New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 29954 (20 December 1911), Jacob Myers and Bertha Goldman; Municipal Archives, New York City.
4. Kings County, New York, death certificate no. 1421 (19 January 1954), Bertha Myers, Municipal Archives, New York City.
5. Manifest, S.S. Vaderland, 3 July 1907, stamped p. 18, lines 28-30, Henie [indexed as Henri] (age 55), Votte (21) and Taube (19) Chalewski; images, "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017).
6. Bertha Myers, petition for naturalization (1943), naturalization file no. 393317, Eastern District of New York; Record Group 21: Records of the District Courts of the United States; National Archives - Northeast Region, New York City. 
7. 1925 New York State census, New York County, New York, enumeration of inhabitants, Manhattan, assembly district 18, election district 15, p. 29, Isidore and Sarah Chalewsky family; images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 April 2014).
8. "U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1956," images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 January 2017); passenger list, Dominion, October 1909, sheet 3, line 1, Itzik Chalewski, age 34.
9. Manifest, S.S. Laurentic, 23 September 1909, p. 9, line1, Itzyk Chalewsky (age 35); images, "Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935," Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 January 2017).
10. New York County, New York, death certificate no. 10535 (3 May 1944), Isidore Chalewsky; Municipal Archives, New York City.
11. Sarah Chalewsky petition for naturalization petition (1943), naturalization file no. 431566, Southern District of New York; Record Group 21: Records of the District Courts of the United States; National Archives - Northeast Region, New York City.