The Labun 1912 Duma Voters' List

Those of you who follow this blog may have noticed that I spend a good deal of time researching New York immigrants from the community of Labun (Lubin in Yiddish, and today called Yurovshchina, Ukraine). For several years now I have been methodically researching immigrants whose graves I recorded in the three landsmanshaft plots in cemeteries in New York. The main reason I have been doing this is because there are few records in Eastern Europe for the Jewish portion of this community. Vital and full census/revision lists records from Labun have all been either destroyed or lost (I recently posted about two supplemental revision lists from the community). That's why I was so excited to receive a copy of one of the few records we could find: the 1912 Duma Voters' List from Labun.

It's not much - just a list of names and patronymics. But, I believe that if records are scarce for one's town, one must find ways to love what you can find.

This record is listed among the inventoried Jewish records for archives compiled by Miriam Weiner on her Routes to Roots Foundation website. A few years ago I asked Alex Dunai to get a copy  for me when he was next in the archive in Zhitomyr. He did so in 2014 (and, while I have shared it with other Labun researchers on my mailing list, I have been remiss in not posting this sooner.). The images are of the voter list, followed by transliterations of listed names.

If you had ancestors from Labun and you find family names in the list, please leave a comment and tell us about them.

Russian Empire voters' lists were published in Russian newspapers and identified those who were qualified to vote in Duma elections (voting for representatives to the Russian legislature). Qualifications to vote included being a male at least 24 years old and paying taxes. Within that demographic, those who were professionals or successful merchants or who held membership in guilds were included.

1008 Stanislav Adomovich, son of Benedikt - Russian
1009 Mikhel Averbuch, son of Volko
1010 Mordko Leib Agres, son of Itzko
1011 Itzko Aizenshtejn, son of Leib
1012 Simkha Averun, son of Nakhman
1013 Moshko Agipis, son of Itzko
1014 Itzko Baram, son of Nakhman
1015 Khaim Barinshtejn, son of Meier
1016 Khaim Barlenshtejn, son of Leiser
1017 Borukh Yankel Bokser, son of Volf
1018 Yankel Brotzkiy, son of Khaim
1019 Meilakh Bitbrojt, son of Mojse 
1020 Srul Barinshtejn, son of Lipa
1021 Mikhel Itzek Boiblat, son of Ber
1022 Eizik Vitbroit, son of Itzko
1023 Srul [torn page], son of Nuta
1024 Borko [torn page] lman, son of Falik
 

1025 Yankel Gersh Vorona, son of Shaje
1026 Mendel Vaisman, son of Gersh
1027 Ios Veisman, son of Avrum
1028 Itzik Veitzman, son of Nuta
1029 Khaim Veisman, son of Tevje
1030 Munya Vajnshtejn, son of Yankel
1031 Adolf Grenbetzkiy, son of Peter - Polish
1032 Moshko Goltfarb son of Gedalje
1033 Shmil Duvid Gorenshtejn, son of Borukh
1034 Zus Groiskop, son of Khaim
1035 Mordko Goldenbarg, son of Gedalje
1036 Alter Grobdruk, son of Peisakh
1037 Shmul Gozerman, son of Aron
1038 Mordko Gitman, son of Shmul
1039 Avrum Goltshtejn, son of Nakhman
1040 Moshko Graiskop, son of Khaim
1041 Duvid Gelfman, son of Zelik
1042 Pinkhas Khaim Gelman, son of Tevje
1043 Gershko Grinshtejn, son of Moshko
1044 Anshel Desyatnik, son of Nakhman
1045 Mikhel Aisik Danzker, son of Ber
1046 Meier Diporshtejn, son of Naftuli
1047 Khaim Yankel Dorfman, son of Duvid
1048 Manus Zak, son of Volko
1049 Berko Zabara, son of Shlomo
1050 Shmul Zak, son of Ioino
1051 Yankel Zendler, son of Khaim
1052 Gdal Yankel Zabara, son of Volf
1053 Leizor Zaidman, son of Moshko

1054 Itzko Zukin, son of Shlomo
1055 Gershko Zaidelman, son of Tzale
1056 Ios Zastavkir, son of Ios
1057 Itzko Kutziskin, son of Srul
1058 Itzko Kargman, son of Srul
1059 Srul Kaplan, son of Zelman
1060 Moshko Kuzminskiy, son of Leizor
1061 Kelman Kuzminskiy, son of Leizor
1062 Shmul Kleiner, son of Aron
1063 Alter Katz son of Volko
1064 Shimon Kelman, son of Borukh
1065 Froim Nukhim Kantor, son of Lipa
1066 Avrum Kargman, son of Moshko
1067 Ikhil Kaplun, son of Lipa
1068 Leizor Kutziskin, son of Meier
1069 Shaya Avrum Kalika, son of Itzko
1070 Srul Krasilovskiy, son of Berko
1071 Eizor Kelman, son of Berko
1072 Khaim Bir Kasha, son of Yankel-Iosev
1073 Yankel Keselman, son of Khaim
1074 Mordko Kargman, son of Meier
1075 Gershon Katz, son of Pinkhas

1076 Shmul Kapsun, son of Mikhel
1077 Leivi Itzko Krasilovskiy, son of Berko
1078 Shmul Khaim Kapsun, son of Duvid
1079 Volko Kargman, son of Tevje
1080 Tevija Kalika, son of Shaje
1081 Gershko Kantor, son of Froim
1082 Ikhil Kopelyuk, son of Moshko
1083 Ios Kargman, son of Moshko
1084 Itzek Leib Kiporshmid, son of Nukhim
1085 Mikhel Kapsun, son of Moshko
1086 Gershko Kapsun, son of Zelman
1087 Shmul Kargman, son of Tevje
1088 Ios Kestelman, son of Naftuli
1089 Aba Kurman, son of Duvid
1090 Martin Kalenskiy, son of Ivan
1091 Mendel Kleiner, son of Aron
1092 Ilya Kargman, son of Tevje
1093 Aron Kargman

1094 Yankel Livak, son of Gershko
1095 Avrum Lerner, son of Simkha
1096 Duvid Lysyi, son of Srul
1097 Froim Lerner, son of Khaskel
1098 Aron Markman, son of Mosko
1099 Avrum Matzevitzkiy, son of Shlomo
1100 Leib Srul Muravskiy, Avrum
1101 Moishe Elya Matzevitzkiy, son of Shimon
1102 Moshe Ios Nuchpalskiy, son of Ber
1103 Ios Novak, son of Itzko
1104 Zkharia Neiman, son of Elye
1105 Gershko Nudelman, son of Shoel
1106 Aron Oksman, son of Shoel
1107 Duvid Oifman, son of Leib
1108 Fishel Polonskiy, son of Yudko
1109 Yankel Polonskiy, son of Leib
1110 Yankel Plishin, son of Aizik
1111 Mordko Potashnik, son of Nekhim
1112 Nukhim Potashnik, son of Nekhim

1113 Itzko Podkidysh, son of Itzko
1114 Benyumin Plishin, son of Aizyk
1115 Simkha Roizenshtejn, son of Khaim
1116 Pinkhas Roizenfeld, son of Usher
1117 Volko Revreba, son of Duvid
1118 Faivel Roizman, son of Yankel
1119 Khuna Rakhman, son of Shmul
1120 Elya Reznik, son of Mordko
1121 Zelman Duvid Roikhman, son of Leib
1122 Yankel Ryfman, son of Leizor
1123 Gershko Roizman, son of Leib
1124 Moshko Roizenfeld, son of Usher
1125 Irion Reznik, son of Mordko
1126 Itzko Yankel Solomyaniy, Ios
1127 Mikhel Sandler, son of Mendel
1128 Mordko Ber Solomyaniy, son of Itzko

1129 Mordko Traibman, son of Duvid
1130Avrum Fertel, son of Leib
1131 Leivi Faishenblat, son of Aba
1132 Yankel Faishenblat, son of Shmul
1133 Ios Gersh Farberman, son of Mendel
1134 Shama Leivi Fershtman, son of Itzko
1135 Shevel Friman, son of Ioel
1136 Volf Finkel, son of Berko
1137 Gersh Mendel Farberman, son of Iosef
1138 Berko Moshko Freinkel, son of Mordko
1139 Yankel Frenkel, son of Ios
1140 Moshko Leivi Chaitman, son of Itzko
1141 Aron Leivi Chaitman, son of Itzko
1142 Gershon Leivi Chaitman, son of Itzko
1143 Berko Leivi Chaitman, son of Itzko

1144 Gershko Sheinkerman, son of Mordko
1145 Leizor Sheinfeld, son of Shlomo
1146 Shmul Shtejn, son of Froim
1147 Yankel Shkolyar, son of Manashe
1148 Shlema Shinkerman, son of Khaim
1149 Pinkhas Shikhman, son of Gedalje
1150 Yankel Shister, son of Shiov
1151 Yankel Shprintz, son of Gershko
1152 Srul Shvartzapl, son of Gershko
1153 Ios Shamis, son of Moshko
1154 Meier Shinkerman, son of Shlomo
1155 Ios Shklyar, son of Tzale
1156 Shaya Shraer, son of Irov
1157 Ios Khaim Shkolyarman, son of Dov
1158 Leib Ber Shvartzapel, son of Gershko
1159 Nakhman Moishe Shnaiderman, son of Aron

1160 Duvid Shikhter, son of Pante
1161 Leib Tzap, son of Evshi

The nice thing about this list is that it is dated late enough (1912) that we may be able to directly link to some of these names. Some of these people later became emigrants (Although, names on this list probably indicate that the individuals had the wherewithal to stay in Labun, rather than emigrate). Some had relatives who immigrated in the United States within a decade of this list (earlier or later). Many of these surnames are represented within the First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association landsmanshaft burial plots in Montefiore and Beth David Cemeteries in Queens and Long Island, NY.

For me, the names that stand out are Keselman and Kestelman (1073 and 1088), which was my great grandmother, Ida's (Chaie Sura's) maiden name, and Mazevitzkiy (1099 and 1101), the surname of two of my great grandparents [my grandparents, Jack Garber and Dora Morris (Mazevitzky) were first cousins]. So, far I have not been able to link ancestors or relatives to the Keselman and Kestelman on this list.


With regard to Mazevitzkiy, my cousin Hal Blatt once told me that my great grandparents, Khana Mazevitzkiy Garber and Isidor Mazevitzkiy (Morris), had brothers named Monia and Moishe who remained in Labun. Isidor's father's name on his death certificate was Solomon. On his gravestone, his father's name is shown as Shlomo (the Hebrew equivalent of Solomon). It appears that Avrum Monia (1099) was my great grandparents' brother. Moishe Elya Matzevitzkiy's (1101) father's name was probably erroneously listed as Shimon and should have been Shlomo. If so, then he was my great grandparents' brother Moishe Mazevitzkiy.

Members of my Mazevitzkiy were discussed further in a previous post.

Happy Mothers' Day Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup H7e!

A couple of years ago I posted a Mother's Day homage to my mother's mother's mother's line (mitochondrial haplogroup L2a1l2a). This year let's talk about my father's mother's mother's mother's line (mtDNA haplogroup H7e).
 
Happy Mother's Day to my late grandmother Dora, great grandmother Sarah, great great grandmother Ida (Chaye Sura) and my great great great grandmother Devora!

I do not know Devora Kesselman's maiden name (if she had one). Nor do I know if she and her husband Baruch Yisrael Kesselman had any children beyond my great great grandmother Chaya Sura. 

Morris family: (l-r) Jeannette, Max, Sarah, Murray, Esther and Dora; inset is Saul

Chaye Sura adopted the name Ida after she arrived in the USA with her husband David Malzmann (later Myers) in 1913. She was born about 1844 in the Russian Empire and died in the Bronx on 16 November 1926. David and Ida had six children: Myer, Sarah (my great grandmother), Rebecca, Louis, Joseph and Harry. It would seem to me that some member of the Myers family must have some photos of David and Ida Myers. But, so far, I have not located anyone with a family archive.

My great grandmother Sarah was born about 1876 in Labun, Volhynia Gubernia, Russian Empire and married Itzig Mazewitsky. She died on 9 August 1956 in the Bronx. Itzig adopted the name Isidor Morris upon immigration to New York City in 1906. Sarah followed with their children in 1910. She and Isidor had six children: Dora (my grandmother), Jeannette, Max, Murray, Esther and, their only US-born child, Saul.

Isidor and Sarah's eldest child was my grandmother, Dora. She married her first cousin (Isidor Morris' sister's son) Jack Garber in New York City in 1916. Dora  (originally Dvora) was born in Labun about 1897 and died in Brooklyn in 1954. Jack and Dora had three children: Leah, Bernard and Leonard.

Two of my cousins tested to identify this line's mtDNA haplogroup. One is a grandchild of Sarah Myers Morris and the other is a great grandchild. Interestingly, they are each other's only exact matches for mtDNA. There are 45 matches at a genetic distance (mutation) of 1; 39 at 2 and 6 at 3. This indicates the possibility of a fairly recent mutation separating this line from others in the haplogroup. If we ever find another previously unpredicted exact match, we'll likely have a cousin.

My DNA Arboriculture

Commons.Wikimedia.org

Recently many genealogists have jumped on a bandwagon started by blogger J. Paul Hawthorn. He created a chart using Excel to show where ancestors on his family tree were born. Then some genealogists, including Lara Diamond, thought to show their Y-DNA (father's father's father, etc.) and mitochondrial DNA (mother's mother's mother, etc.) haplogroups. 

Using this tool for DNA results is a terrific way to see how well one has applied DNA testing to one's tree. It really shows where the holes are and gives one an idea which relatives to approach next for further testing. 

For my family, I had to remake the chart to take into account the fact that my paternal grandparents (Jacob Garber and Dora Morris) were first cousins. Jacob's mother and Dora's father were siblings.

Holes in the Chart:

Morris (Mazewitsky) Y-DNA: I have not pursued this line yet, but I do have more than one Morris male relative to approach.

Wilson (Wilensky) Y-DNA: Soon to be accomplished. My cousin (a Wilson male) has just sent in his cheek swab test to FamilyTree DNA. Yes!

Liebross Y-DNA: I have asked some of my Liebross male cousins to test and have not yet received a yes (sigh).

Hoda Epstein Mt-DNA: I know of only one person I could approach on this (I missed my chance to ask her late mother to test). Right now I do not think the daughter is interested.

The other blanks cannot be pursued, at this point, unless I determine some additional collateral relatives on my tree.

Yom HaShoah: Remembering

I really did not anticipate this when I started my genealogical research, but the greatest benefit, by far, has been discovering and honoring the memory of those whose lives were cut short by hateful people. 

I recall asking tentative questions of my parents. They seemed fuzzy, themselves, on who had been left behind in Europe and who had succumbed during Hitler's rampage.

For some who died, all I have is names. For others, there are bits and snatches of recollections from other family members or information I have gleaned from records. For just a few, we have recollections of those who knew and loved them.* 

My relatives did not die in concentration camps. Some were removed from their homes and sent to ghettos in nearby towns. How long each lived before being shot and dumped into a ditch is unknown.

Today is Yom HaShoah. We honor their memory on this day. I have yet to find all of my family members with connections to the Holocaust. I hope my research continues to uncover their stories.

Killed in/near Labun, Ukraine (ca. July-September, 1941):

• Perl Garber Zabarsky (born about 1888, age 53 at death), daughter of Avraham Garber and Chana Mazewitsky. Sister of my grandfather Jack Garber.
• Chana Zabarsky (b. 1 August 1926, age 15) , daughter of Perl Garber and Isseck Zabarsky.
•  Shmulik Mazewitsky (b. ca. 1915, age ca. 26), son of Monia Mazewitsky and Tzipa. Monia was (likely) the brother of my great grandfather Isidore Morris. 
• Sonia Weisman Mazewitsky (b. ca. 1916, age 25), wife of Shmulik and daughter of Liba.
• Aron Mazewitsky (b. ca. 1935, ca. age 6), son of Shmulik and Sonia. 

Died during service in the Russian military:

• Leib Bebik (Ber) Zabarsky (b. 8 December 1916, d. 17 January 1941) 
• Motel (or Mark) Zabarsky (b. 19 December 1918, d. 7 June 1943)

Both men were the sons of Perl and Isseck Zabarsky.

Died near Tluste, Ukraine (July 1943):

• Jutte Ett Barath (b. 21 January 1894), daughter of Hersch Leib Ett and Perl Wenkert. Perl Wenkert was my great grandmother's sister. 
• Moshe Efraim Barath, husband of Jutte Ett.

May their souls be bound in everlasting life.

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

* Records include:

• pages of testimony on the Yad Vashem website;  
• digitized documents (accessed via the Steve Morse One-Step webpage) for Russia's Fallen website; and
•  Kniha Skorboty Ukraine, Khmel'nyt︠s′ka oblast, volume 2, 2002.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Isidore Morris' Alien Registration

After years of family history research the thrills come less frequently, but are no less enthralling. A couple of days ago the mail brought a gift from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Genealogy Program: my great grandfather Isidore Morris' Alien Registration Form. For some time, but to no avail, I'd been trying to locate any of his naturalization records. With this new record I was able to finally locate his declaration of intention to become a citizen.

Information from census records indicated that Isidor had filed some naturalization papers but it was likely that the process had never been completed. 

The census records I have for Isidore indicate the following:

alien - 1915 New York State Census
alien - 1920 U.S. Census
alien (1st papers) - 1925 New York State Census
Pa - 1930 U.S. Census
Pa - 1940 U.S. Census[1]

Isidore's 1918 World War I draft registration shows that he had not declared his intention to naturalize.[2]

So the question remained: had Isidore ever completed the naturalization process before he passed away on 22 December 1947? It appears he did not.

ALIEN REGISTRATION FORM

1. (a) My name is Isidor Morris

    (b) I entered the United States under the name of same 

2. (a) I live at Perrineville Monmouth New Jersey

    (b) My post-office address s R.D. #1 Hightstown New Jersey

3. (a) I was born on May 18 1874

    (b) I was born in (or near) Lubin Volin Russia

4. I am a citizen or subject of None, Last Citizen Czarist Russia 

5. (a) I am male

    (b) My marital status is married

6. I am 5 feet, 6 inches in height, weigh 165 pounds, have Black hair and Brown eyes 

7. (a) I last arrived in the United States at New York, N.Y. on Jan. 3, 1906

    (b) I came in by S.S. Carpathia

    (c) I came as a passenger

    (d) I entered the United States as a Permanent resident

    (e) I arrived in the United States on January 3, 1906

8. (a) I have lived in the United States a total of Thirty Four years

    (b) I expect to remain in the United States Permanently

9. (a) My usual occupation is Glazier

    (b) My present occupation is None

    (c) My employer is Retired

10. I am, or have been within the past 8 years, or intend to be engaged in the following activities:

   In addition to other information, list memberships or activities in clubs, organizations, or societies

Member of the First Lublin Progessive Benevolent Assn.

First Hebrew Farmers Assn Perrineville N.J.

11. My military or naval service has been None

12. I Have applied for first citizenship papers in the United States. Date of application 3/3/21

  First citizenship papers received Mar. 3, 1921, number 244425, New York, N.Y. 

  Filed petition for naturalization [blank] 

13. I have the following specified relatives living in the United States:

  Parent(s) None   Husband or wife Yes  Children Six 

14. I Have Not been arrested or indicted for, or convicted of any offense (or offenses).

15. Within the past 5 years I Have Not been affiliated with or active in (a member of, official of, a worker for)  organizations devoted in whole or in part to influencing or furthering the political activities, public relations, or public policy of a foreign government.

AFFIDAVIT FOR PERSONS 14 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER

I have read or have read to me the above statements, and do hereby swear (or affirm) that these statements are true and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

                              /s/ Isidor Morris  

                                                       [stamped] Oct 28 1940 

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

Actually, Isidor did not enter the United States as Isidor Morris (as shown in item 1b). He traveled as "Iczik Maczevizcki." If his surname had been Morris, his manifest would not have been so difficult to locate. Mazewitsky was his surname in the old county.

Under item 10, the correct name of the first group in which Isidore was a member is First Lubiner Progressive Benevolent Association. The town assocated with this landsmanshaft (countrymen's group) was Lubin (aka Labun, Volhynia Gubernia, Russian Empire).

I did not know that my great grandfather was a member of the First Hebrew Farmers Association of Perrineville, N.J. I will put this on my list of groups to check on in future research.

Item 12 provided the information I needed to finally locate Isidor's declaration of intent. Armed with the date of the declaration and the number I browsed through the New York County naturalization records (specifically, the declarations) now online at FamilySearch.org.

New York County, New York, Supreme Court, Declaration of Intention no. 244425, Isador Morris, 3 March 1921; "New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 22 Oct 2014), New York > Declarations of intention 1921 vol 496, no 244236-244735 > image 97 of 253.

Isidor stated on this record that he'd emigrated from Trieste. His manifest says the ship left from Fiume, which today is known as Rijeka, Croatia.

Fiume is about 75 kilometers from Trieste, but definitely not the same place.

It's interesting that in 1921 when Isidor filed his Declaration of Intention, he did not sign his name (the document shows he left his mark as an X). On his 1918 World War I draft registration card he did sign his name.

The surname looks very similar to the signature on the Alien Registration card, above. I imagine that Isidor, like most Jewish men in Eastern Europe, could write in Yiddish, but was not comfortable signing his new name in Latin letters. It is difficult to tell from his manifest, but it appears that he was recorded there as illiterate. 


Notes:
1. 1920 U.S. Census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Manhattan, Enumeration District 1262, sheet 6B, dwelling 14, family 134, Isadore Morris; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 February 2008); NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1219.
1925 New York State census, Bronx County, New York, enumeration of inhabitants, Bronx, Assembly District 5, Election District 40, page 19, entries 27-32, Isidore and Sarah Morris family; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 August 2012), New York State Archives, Albany. 
1930 U.S. Census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Manhattan, Enumeration District 31-816, sheet 4B, dwelling 234, family 92, Isadore Morris; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 March 2008); NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1571.
The Minnesota Population Center IPUMS website, which carries instructions issued to census enumerators for each census, indicates that if an alien had filed their first papers (i.e., their declarations of intention) then the enumerator was to indicate this by entering "Pa" in the space provided for citizenship information. The 1930 census instructions are here. The 1940 instructions, here.
2. "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 March 2008), card for Ididore Morris [Isidore Morris], no. 31-38, New York City Draft Board 160, New York; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 and FHL microfilm 1,786,852.