Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Who Is Your Ancestor #50?

This week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver was an interesting exercise, even if I didn't come up with much concrete information.

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible music, please!):

1.  Who is Ancestor #50 in your Ahnentafel list?  What were his birth date and place, his parents, death date and place, spouse's name, and marriage date and place.  How many children did he have, and which of his children do you descend from?
(Note: if you don't know your #50, then choose #25 or #12, or some other number).

2.  Share your information about #50 (or other) ancestor in your own blog post, write a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

Thank you to Lisa S. Gorrell for this week's SNGF challenge topic.

I don't routinely use Ahnentafel lists, so I had to look up how to figure out who #50 is on my list.  I used the reverse method #1 described on the Wikipedia page about Ahnentafels.  If I did it correctly, then #50 is my mother's father's father's mother's father, who is one of my 3rd-great-grandfathers.  It also means that the example using the method isn't accurate, because #1 is yourself.  But since Randy and other people who responded got 3rd-great-grandfather, I think I'm right.

So that means the person I should be writing about is:
mother Myra
grandfather Abraham
great-grandfather Moshe
great-great-grandmother Bela
3rd-great-grandfather UNKNOWN

I don't know Bela's maiden name or anything about her other than her given name.  I have her given name from my great-grandfather's death certificate.  I don't remember who the informant was for that, but it had to be one of his children, because his wife died 17 years before he did.  The older children may have known their grandparents, depending on when the grandparents died, because they were born in Kamenets Litovsk, where the family emigrated from.  So the name Bela might be correct.  My great-grandfather had a niece named Bela, so that lends some support to the name.

Even though I don't have any documented information about my 3rd-great-grandfather, I decided to write this about him to see what I could guess based on information I do have.

My great-grandparents Moshe and Mushe (Morris and Minnie in this country) named their first son Simcha, after Moshe's father.  I know that the second son, Herschel, was not named after Minnie's father, Gershon, or either of Minnie's grandfathers, Abraham or Ruven.  Maybe he was named after Moshe's grandfather, Bela's father.  I know that Moshe's sister Sore also named a son Herschel, so it's not an unreasonable hypothesis.  Moshe and Sore's grandfather was named Zvi, however, which is the Hebrew equivalent to Herschel, so their sons could have been named for him rather than their maternal grandfather.  But both men could have had the same name.  So now my 3rd-great-grandfather has a given name, even if it has a question mark after it.

I don't have a birth record for my granduncle Herschel, but the birth date he used in the United States is January 14, 1905.  So I can guess that my 3rd-great-grandfather had to have died before that date, because this part of my family followed the Ashkenazi Jewish minhag ("custom") of naming children after deceased ancestors.

To estimate 3rd-great-grandfather Herschel's birth year, I have to work from another hypothesized year.  I wrote recently about my great-great-grandfather Simcha Dovid Mekler, for whom I have no documented birth or death dates.  I estimated his birth year to be before about 1862 based on him being at least 21 when my great-grandfather Moshe was born.  Simcha Dovid was married to Bela, the daughter of 3rd-great-grandfather Herschel.  So if I say that Bela was two years younger than Simcha Dovid (just to pick a number), which would make her birth year before about 1864, and use the same logic that her father was at least 21 when she was born, that makes him born before about 1844.

I can estimate 3rd-great-grandfather Herschel's marriage to Bela's mother based on my estimate of Bela's birth year.  Since I made that before about 1864, the marriage year can be before about 1863.  As for whom Herschel married, the only other child I know of from Simcha Dovid and Bela's marriage was a daughter named Sore.  So maybe Bela's mother was named Sore.  I know that Simcha Dovid's mother's name was Esther, so Sore was not named after her.  On the other hand, Simcha Dovid had a sister and a niece named Sore, so the name was used in the Mekler family.

Because a common pattern seen in Ashkenazi Jewish families is that names skip one or two generations, it's possible that 3rd-great-grandfather Herschel's father was named Moshe.  Simcha Dovid's father was Zvi, as mentioned above, so my great-grandfather was not named after him.

Because the only location I have associated with my Mekler family is Kamenets Litovsk, Russia (now Kamyenyets, Belarus), my only guess for where 3rd-great-grandfather Herschel was born, married, and died is there.

I can put together the information from all of these hypotheses thusly:
Herschel (unknown family name), father possibly Moshe, mother unknown; born before about 1844 in Kamenets Litovsk, Russia; died before about January 14, 1905 in Kamenets Litovsk, Russia; married possibly Sore before about 1863 in Kamenets Litovsk, Russia.  I know of only one child, Bela, who is my great-great-grandmother.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: An Ancestor without Exact Birth and Death Dates and Places

I'm posting a little late for this past Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver, but since this topic is practically perfect for Jewish research, I had to weigh in.

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music, please!):

1.  Do you have an ancestor with no defined birth and death dates or places?

2.  This week, please tell us about that ancestor and what clues you used to estimate birth and death dates and places.

3.  Share your ancestor and his estimated birth and death dates and places with us in your own blog post, by writing a comment on this blog post, or putting it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

And here I go.

1.  Do I?  Hoo, boy!  I have at least a dozen just on my Meckler line!  But every single one of my Jewish lines has ancestors like that.

2.  The ancestor I decided to write about is my great-great-grandfather Simcha Dovid Mekler (before about 1862–before about November 16, 1903).  I have his name from the yizkor book about Kamenets Litovsk, former Russian Empire (now Kamyenyets, Belarus).  He was the father of my great-grandfather Moshe Mekler, who went by Morris and Max here in the United States and eventually spelled his last name as Mackler.

I have no original documents about Simcha Dovid Mekler from Europe.  I have his parents' names, Zvi Mekler and Esther, from the yizkor book and from a cousin who was born in Kamenets Litovsk.

I estimated Simcha Dovid's death date based on the birth date that my granduncle chose after he immigrated to the United States.  Simcha Mekler was my grandfather's oldest brother.  He used the name Sam in this country, and Mekler became Meeckler at some point.  He was named after his grandfather Simcha, and because my Ashkenazi Jewish family members followed the minhag ("custom") of naming their their children after deceased ancestors, that means Simcha Dovid had to have died before my granduncle was born.  But because he didn't know his exact date of birth and I have no documents for it, it's a rough estimate.  The birth date he used for his Social Security application was November 16, 1903, and it's all I have to work with.

I based my very rough estimate of a birth year for Simcha Dovid on the ages for my great-grandfather Morris in the records I have found for him, including his incoming passenger list and several censuses.  He apparently was born roughly around 1882.  I have no documents with an actual birth date, so it's another estimate (he didn't apply for Social Security, as far as I can tell).  I don't know if Morris had any older siblings, but I figure his father was probably at least 21 years old when he was born, so I backdated it to before 1862.

As for where Simcha Dovid might have been born or died, we have another guessing game.  In his will, Morris Mackler left a bequest for a new tombstone for his father's grave in the cemetery in Kamenets Litovsk.  Morris Mackler was said to have been born in Kamenets Litovsk himself.  So my guess is that Simcha Dovid died in Kamenets Litovsk.  Because I have no other location associated with him or Mekler family members, my guess is that he was also born there.

Maybe someday I will find documents relating to Kamenets Litovsk about my family members, but I'm not holding my breath.  The Nazis were extremely thorough in destroying almost all archival material about Jews in Grodno gubernia, so there's hardly anything left.  I do want to investigate what is there, just in case there's something about my family, but I need to save a bunch of money to have the research done.  So this is as far as I can get for now.

Remembering My Family Members on Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah, the annual day of remembrance commemorating the deaths of the approximately 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust during World War II, falls on 27 Nisan of the Jewish calendar, which measures days from sunset to sunset.  This year it began last night, April 13, at sunset, and ended today, April 14, at sunset.

The following are my known family members I believe died in the Holocaust.  They all are from the Mekler/Nowicki branch of my family and lived in what was fornerly called Grodno gubernia in the Russian Empire (mostly now in Belarus).  I repeat their names every year to ensure that they are not forgotten.  May their memory be a blessing.

Beile Dubiner
Eliezer Dubiner
Herschel Dubiner
Moishe Dubiner
Sore (Mekler) Dubiner
Aidel Goldsztern
Golda Goldsztern
Josef Goldsztern
Pearl (Gorfinkel) Goldsztern
Tzvi Goldsztern
Esther Golubchik
Fagel Golubchik
Lazar Golubchik
Peshe (Mekler) Golubchik
Pinchus Golubchik
Yechail Golubchik
Mirka (Nowicki) Krimelewicz
— Krimelewicz
Beile Szocherman
Chanania Szocherman
Mobsza Eli Szocherman
Perel Szocherman
Raizl (Perlmutter) Szocherman
Zlate Szocherman

Beile Dubiner was my 1st cousin 2x removed.
She was likely named after her grandmother
(my great-great-grandmother) Beile.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Are Your Major Genealogy Research Challenges?

Randy Seaver is back with this week's challenge (a key word this week) for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  What are your major genealogy challenges — the family mysteries that you haven't been able to crack to date?

2.  Tell us about five of your real genealogy challenges with a short paragraph, and links to blog posts if you have written about them.

3.  Share your challenges in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky, or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

Okay, here's my list.

• Who was the biological father of my paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903–1995)?  He was informally adopted by his mother's husband when he was seven months old and used the name Sellers his entire life.  See "I'm Apparently a Sellers via Informal Adoption" and "Looking for Mr. Mundy (or a variant thereof)."

• What happened to my cousin Raymond Lawrence Sellers (1945–?) after his mother put him up for adoption?  I was unable to find anything about Raymond before my aunt passed away, but her other children would still like to know.  See "Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:  Your 2024 'Dear Genea-Santa' Letter."

• All of my Jewish research is a challenge, but the especially difficult lines are those who were living in what was Grodno gubernia in Russia, now mostly in Belarus.  The Nazis were particularly thorough in destroying archival records about the Jews in the area.  So my Meckler (Mekler), Novitsky (Nowicki), and Yelsky lines I'm really, really stuck on.  See "Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:  Your Best Genealogy Research Find in May 2018."

• And speaking of the Jewish part of my family, I had a few cousins who ended up in Cuba when they fled Eastern Europe.  I have managed to acquire only four records from their time there (which ranged from the late 1920's to the early 1960's).  I don't know if going back to Cuba will help with my research on the Szochermans.  See "A Declaration of Intention — from Cuba."

• My ex's father (and therefore the grandfather of my stepsons), Karm Singh, was from Punjab, India, born when it was still controlled by the British.  The British barely bothered with records for their own people in India; they didn't really care about the Indians.  So I've gotten absolutely nowhere so far on finding any records for the family.  I have been told I would have better luck if I could travel there and talk to people in person.  See "'Finding Your Roots' – Margaret Cho, Sanjay Gupta, and Martha Stewart."

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Most Recent No-Name Ancestor

I'm not going to write about the ancestor most people might expect for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music), is:

1.  Sometimes an ancestor or relative has no name at all — not even a given name (for males, we usually can surmise a surname, but . . .).  We all have millions of them.

2.  Tell us about one (or more) of your ancestors that have no given name and no birth surname who has perhaps married an ancestor with a given name and surname from whom you are descended.  (Don't worry, we'll do unknown parents some time soon.)

3.  When was the last time you looked for this no-name ancestor?

4.  Share information about your no-name ancestor(s) in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook comment.

Okay, here's mine.

I'm sure many people would expect me to write about my paternal grandfather's father, whom I usually discuss when it comes to recent ancestors I haven't identified.  But in June I posted that I have decided his last name must be Mundy (or a spelling variant thereof), and I was already pretty sure his given name included "bert" in it.  So he really isn't a no-name ancestor anymore.

I'm going further afield.

The first person who next came to my mind is the father of my great-great-grandmother Beila, who married Simcha Dovid Mekler, possibly in Kamenets Litovsk (now Kamyanyets, Belarus).  I wrote about her in August for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, "Five Questions for an Ancestor."  I know her given name, and I have estimated her year of death to be before 1924.  That's all I know about her.

So it stands to reason that I don't know anything about her father, who I am calling my "no-name ancestor" for the purpose of this post.

I admit I have never looked for him.  To be honest, I have barely looked for Beila.  I'm pretty sure both were born in the Russian Empire.  I think Beila was probably born in what was Grodno gubernia and is now part of Belarus.  Her father might have been born there, or possibly in what is now Lithuania.

If I could find a marriage record for Beila, it might include her father's name on it.  But because of the dearth of records for Jews in the former Grodno gubernia (most having been deliberately destroyed during World War II, to eradicate the history of the Jews in the area), it is unlikely I will ever find that marriage record.

If I could find a tombstone for Beila, it might have her father's name on it in Hebrew.  But the Jewish cemeteries in that area were also pretty thoroughly destroyed during World War II, and it is unlikely I will find that tombstone.

If I could find the family in a Russian revision list, perhaps the 1897 list, it would probably list her father's name and maybe even a maiden name.  Even a Russified version would be helpful.  I actually have tried searching for her, Simcha Dovid Mekler, and the two children I know of in the revision lists as transcribed on JewishGen.org, but I have not found them.  I know that many of the revision lists did not survive.  Perhaps one day a page with my family on it will be found in an attic or tucked inside the wall of a house.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Five Questions for an Ancestor

Randy Seaver went way over his allotment of five questions in his post, so maybe I'll do the same for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music) is:

1.  If you could go back in time to interview one of your ancestors, what questions would you ask him or her?  Tell us your selected ancestor's name, birth and death years/locations, and spouse's name and marriage date/location.  List at least five questions to ask that selected ancestor.

2.  Tell us about your selected ancestor and your questions for that person in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook comment.

Ah, so now I see that Randy allowed for more than the allotted five questions by saying "at least five" in the more detailed instructions.  I can work with that.

I'm going to choose my great-great-grandmother Beila, who was married to my great-great-grandfather Simcha Dovid Mekler.  As her given name is pretty much the only fact I have for her, I'm going to start with much more basic questions.

1.  When and where were you born?  What were your parents' names?  What was your full name before marriage?  Do you remember when your parents died?  When and where did that happen?

2.  Did you have siblings?  What were their names?  When and where were they born?

3.  What were the names of your grandparents on both sides?  Did you know them?  Do you remember when they died?  When did that happen?  What did the family do at that time?  How did you commemorate them?  What are their yahrzeiten?

4.  Did you have aunts and uncles?  What were their names?  Do you know when and where they were born?  Do you remember when they died?

5.  When and where were you married?  Was it a civil marriage as well as a religious marriage?  Who attended the wedding?  After you were married, where did you and my great-great-grandfather live?  What did my great-great-grandfather do for a living?

6.  How many children did you have?  When and where were each of them born?  How many survived to adulthood?  Which of them married during your lifetime?  Did you get to know any of your grandchildren?

7.  What was everyday life like for you and your family?  Were there other Jewish families where you lived?  What was the community like?

8.  What do you remember about the end of your life?  Do you remember how old you were?  Did you become ill?

I can think of so many more questions!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Tell Us about the Fathers in Your Tree

Tomorrow is Father's Day, so we knew that fathers would be the topic in some way for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music), is:

1.  It's Father's Day on Sunday.  This week, tell us about the fathers in your tree — their names, their birth and death years and locations, their occupations, the number of spouses, the number of children, etc.  Go back at least four generations if possible through your known second-great-grandfathers.

2.  Share your father list information in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky, or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

I can handle this!  Well, except for the chart.  Family Tree Maker and I could not agree on producing that, so I'm omitting it.  I'll try to figure out how to beat FTM into submission at a later date.

• Father:  #2 Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935 New Jersey to 2019 Florida), automobile mechanic, 3 spouses, 4 children (3 girls, 1 boy)

• Grandfather:  #4 Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903 New Jersey to 1995 Florida), civil engineer, 3 spouses, 5 children (3 girls, 2 boys)

• Grandfather:  #6 Abraham Meckler (1912 New York to 1989 Florida), taxi driver, 1 spouse, 3 children (1 girl, 2 boys)

• Great-grandfather:  #8 Mr. Mundy, unknown everything else except at least 1 child (1 boy)

• Great-grandfather:  #10 Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870 New Jersey to 1951 New Jersey), farmer, 1 spouse, 10 children (5 girls, 5 boys)

• Great-grandfather:  #12 Morris Mackler (about 1882 Russian Empire to 1953 New York), carpenter, 1 spouse, 7 children (3 girls, 4 boys)

• Great-grandfather:  #14 Joe Gordon (about 1892 Russian Empire to 1955 New York), furrier, 1 spouse, 4 children (1 girl, 3 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #16 Mr. Mundy, unknown everything else except at least 1 child (1 boy)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #18 Joel Armstrong (1849 New Jersey to maybe 1921 New Jersey), laborer, 1 confirmed spouse, 3 confirmed children (2 girls, 1 boy)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #20 James Gauntt (1831 New Jersey to 1899 New Jersey), wheelwright, 1 spouse, 10 children (4 girls, 6 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #22 Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840 Lancashire to 1873 Lancashire), file grinder, 1 spouse, 6 children (3 girls, 3 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #24 Simcha Dovid Mekler (unknown Russian Empire to before 1903 Russian Empire), unknown occupation but carpenter would be a good guess, 1 known spouse, 2 known children (1 girl, 1 boy)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #26 Gershon Itzhak Novitsky (about 1856 Russian Empire to 1948 New York), wood turner, 1 official spouse, 7 known children (3 girls, 4 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #28 Victor Gordon (about 1863 Russian Empire to 1925 New York), furrier, 2 spouses, 8 children (4 girls, 4 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #30 Morris Brainin (about 1861 Russian Empire to 1930 New York), shoemaker, 1 spouse, 8 children (4 girls, 4 boys)

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Who Are Your 32 3rd-great-grandparents?

I'm not sure how many names I'll be able to come up with for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music), is:

1.  Who are your 32 3rd-great-grandparents?  List them (with birth names).  Tell us when and where they were born, married, and died.  [NOTE:  This is easily done in your genealogy software program or online family tree by making an Ahnentafel or Ancestors report from yourself as #1, then copy and paste.]

2.  Share your list of your third-great-grands on your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, or BlueSky post.  Leave a link on this blog post to help us find your post.

Let's see how well I do.

32.  Unknown.

33.  Unknown.

34.  Unknown.

35.  Unknown.

36.  Franklin Armstrong:  born about 1825 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; married Unknown before 1849, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey; died September 13, 1870 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.

37.  Unknown:  born before 1832 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; died before October 8, 1850, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.

38.  Abel A(mos?) Lippincott:  born about January 26, 1825 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; married Rachel R. Stackhouse before 1846, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey; died May 28, 1888 in Florence, Burlington County, New Jersey.

39.  Rachel R. Stackhouse:  born about 1825–1826 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; died November 15, 1890 in Chester Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.

40.  Hananiah Selah Gaunt:  born about January 25, 1795 in Burlington County, New Jersey; married Abigail Atkinson 1826–1829, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey; died April 15, 1852 in Burlington County, New Jersey.

41.  Abigail Atkinson:  born about August 19, 1804 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; died February 1883 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.

42.  John Gibson:  born before 1814 in New Jersey; married Mary before 1832, probably in New Jersey; probably died in New Jersey.

43.  Mary:  born before 1814 in New Jersey; probably died in New Jersey.

44.  Richard Dunstan:  born about June 9, 1813 in Manchester, Lancashire, England; married Jane Coleclough December 25, 1833 in Manchester, Lancashire, England; died after April 7, 1861, probably in Lancashire, England.

45.  Jane Coleclough:  born about 1811 in Lancashire, England; died April 12, 1865 in Chorlton, Manchester, Lancashire, England.

46.  Thomas Winn:  born about 1792 in Lambrook, Shropshire, England; married Mary Parr(?) about 1812, possibly in Shropshire; died in England, possibly in Lancashire.

47.  Mary Parr(?):  died before June 7, 1841, probably in Lancashire, England.

48.  Zvi Mekler:  born before 1854 in Russia; married Esther before 1872 in Russia; died before 1903, possibly in Kamenets Litovsk, Russia.

49.  Esther. born before 1854 in Russia; died in Russia.

50.  Unknown.

51.  Unknown.

52.  Abraham Yaakov Nowicki:  born before 1839 in Russia; married Sirke before 1857 in Russia; died before 1896 in Russia.

53.  Sirke:  born before 1839 in Russia; died before 1893 in Russia.

54.  Ruven Yelsky:  born before 1841 in Russia; married Frieda Bloom before 1859 in Russia; died about 1898 in Russia.

55.  Frieda Bloom:  born before 1841 in Russia; died about 1898 in Russia.

56.  Gersh Wolf Gorodetsky:  born before 1823 in Russia, probably in Orinin or Kamenets Podolsky; married Etta Cohen?/Kagan? before 1840; died after 1905 in Russia, possibly in Kishinev, Bessarabia.

57.  Etta Cohen?/Kagan?:  born before 1823 in Russia; died before 1891, possibly in Kamenets Podolskiy, Ukraine.

58.  Joine Schneiderman:  born before 1841 in Russia; married Anna Ida (Chane Etta?) Kortisch? before 1868 in Russia; died before 1893 in Russia.

59.  Anna Ida (Chane Etta?) Kortisch?:  born before 1841 in Russia; died before 1891 in Russia.

60.  Solomon (Zalman?) Brainin:  born before 1846 in Russia; married Yetta before 1864 in Russia; died in Russia.

61.  Yetta:  born before 1846 in Russia; died in Russia.

62.  Joseph Jaffe:  born before 1854 in Russia; married Anna Binderman before 1872 in Russia; died in Russia.

63.  Anna Binderman:  born before 1854 in Russia; died in Russia.

Not anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be.  Seven totally unknown names, and for one of those I do have a small amount of hypothesized information.  For the 27 with names, only four are missing surnames.  It could have been much worse.

Yom HaShoah: May Their Memory Be for a Blessing

Yom HaShoah is the annual day of remembrance commemorating the deaths of the approximately 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust during World War II.  It falls on 27 Nisan of the Jewish calendar, which measures days from sunset to sunset.  If 27 Nisan falls adjacent to Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, the observation is shifted one day forward or back.  This year 27 Nisan falls on a Friday, so Yom HaShoah has been moved one day earlier, beginning at sunset today, April 23, and ending at sunset on April 24.

The following is the list of my family members I believe died in the Holocaust.  They are all from the Mekler/Nowicki branch of my family and lived in what was Grodno gubernia in the Russian Empire (mostly now in Belarus).  I repeat their names every year so that they may not be forgotten.  May their memory be for a blessing.

Beile Dubiner
Eliezer Dubiner
Herschel Dubiner
Moishe Dubiner
Sore (Mekler) Dubiner
Aidel Goldsztern
Golda Goldsztern
Josef Goldsztern
Pearl (Gorfinkel) Goldsztern
Tzvi Goldsztern
Esther Golubchik
Fagel Golubchik
Lazar Golubchik
Peshe (Mekler) Golubchik
Pinchus Golubchik
Yechail Golubchik
Mirka (Nowicki) Krimelewicz
— Krimelewicz
Beile Szocherman
Chanania Szocherman
Mobsza Eli Szocherman
Perel Szocherman
Raizl (Perlmutter) Szocherman
Zlate Szocherman

Sore (Mekler) Dubiner was the sister of
my great-grandfather Moishe Mekler

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: The Occupations of My 2nd-great-grandfathers

I'm sure I have most of the information for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver, but I don't know if I have it memorized.  I'm going to test myself.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Our ancestors had to work to support themselves and their families.  Do you know what occupations your 2nd great-grandfathers had?  Tell us about them.  If one intrigues or mystifies you, ask a free artificial intelligence tool to tell you more about the occupation in that place and time.

2.  Tell us about the occupations of your 2nd-great-grandfathers (and any AI created descriptions of those occupations) in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Okay, let's see how I do.

My eight 2nd-great-grandfathers and their occupations are:

Joel Armstrong (about 1849–?), laborer

James Gauntt (1831–1899), wheelwright

Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873), file grinder

Simcha Dovid Mekler (?–before 1904), possibly carpenter

Gershon Novitsky (originally Gershon Nowicki, about 1856–1948), wood turner, Hebrew teacher

Victor Gordon (originally Avigdor Gorodetsky, about 1863–1924), businessman, furrier

Morris Brainin (originally Mendel Hertz Brainin, about 1861–1930), shoemaker, peddler, rabbi

And that's only seven of them, because I still don't know who my biological great-grandfather was on the Sellers line, so I can't know who his father was.  If I include Sellers, my adoptive line:

Cornelius Godschalk Sellers (1845–1877), printer

I actually did very well from memory.  I did not remember the birth years of James Gauntt, Frederick Dunstan, and Cornelius Sellers or the earlier occupations of Gershon Novitsky and Morris Brainin.  Everything else I knew.

I still don't know when Joel Armstrong died.  I've seen it listed in a few family trees as 1921, but I have seen no documentation of his death (I don't think I've seen a complete date).  I keep looking.

Simcha Dovid Mekler never came to the United States.  I'm happy to know his name.  My guess for carpenter as his occupation is because his son, my great-grandfather Morris Mackler, was listed as a carpenter when he immigrated here, and many sons follow in their father's occupations.

And I just noticed that all eight men had different occupations!

I know that a carpenter and a wood turner are not the same thing, but I decided to search for the difference to clarify what they each do.  Google now automagically returns an AI synopsis at the top of the results page most of the time.  It said:

"a wood turner focuses on creating symmetrical, rotational objects using a lathe, while a carpenter focuses on structural and functional wood construction [such as] framing [and] trim, and installing fixtures."

So Randy can be happy that I did an AI search for my post.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Did Your Grandparents Know Their Grandparents?

We have a really fun challenge today for Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Marie Cooke Beckman on her blog, MarieB's Genealogy Blog--Southeastern USA, asked and answered this question, and it is right up the SNGF alley:  Did your grandparents know their grandparents?  Thank you for the idea, Marie!

2.  Tell us about your grandparents and their grandparents in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

This is a really cool topic!  I love it!

My maternal grandparents were Abraham Meckler (1912–1989) and Lillyan "Lily" E. Gordon (1919–2006).

• Abraham Meckler's maternal grandparents were Gershon Itzhak Nowicki (c. 1856–1948) and Dube Yelsky (c. 1848–1936).  Gershon and Dube immigrated to the United States in 1922 and lived in Brooklyn.  They changed the spelling of their family name to Novitzky, and Dube used the name Dora.  My grandfather knew both of them.  My maternal uncle Gary Meckler, who was born in 1951, was named after Gershon.

• Abraham's paternal grandparents were Simcha Dovid Mekler and Beila (birth and death years unknown for both).  They both died in Europe, almost definitely before my grandfather was born, and he never met them.

• Lillyan Gordon's maternal grandparents were Mendel Hertz Brainin (c. 1862–1930) and Ruchel Dvojre Jaffe (c. 1868–1934).  The immigrated separately to the United States in 1906 and lived in Manhattan.  They used the secular names Morris/Max and Rachel Dorothy, and my grandmother knew both of them.  She was born in their house.

• Lily's paternal grandparents were Avigdor Gorodetsky (c. 1863–1925) and Esther Leah Schneiderman (c. 1867–1908).  Esther Leah was my grandmother's birth name, following the Ashkenazi tradition of naming after a deceased ancestor (my grandmother changed her name as an adult).  Esther Leah's death was what precipitated the chain migration of this branch of my family to the United States.  Avigdor came in 1914 and changed his name to Victor Gordon.  My grandmother knew him, and I have a big family photo with the two of them in it.

My paternal grandparents were Bertram "Bert" Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903–1995) and Anna Gauntt (1893–1986).

• Anna Gauntt's maternal grandparents were Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873) and Martha Winn (1837–1884).  They both died in England before my grandmother was born, and she never knew them.

• Anna's paternal grandparents were James Gauntt (1831–1899) and Amelia Gibson (c. 1831–1908).  Everyone lived in Mount Holly, New Jersey and the nearby vicinity.  Since Anna was born in 1893 and James died in 1899, there's a reasonable chance she knew him.  Amelia died when my grandmother was 15 years old, so I'm pretty sure she knew her.

• Bertram Sellers' maternal grandparents were Sarah Ann Deacon Lippincott (1860–aft. 1904) and Joel Armstrong (c. 1849–c. 1921).  I don't know if he knew them.  I don't have documented dates of death for either person or confirmation that they were divorced, which I believe to be the case.  I suspect he might have known his grandmother; I'm pretty sure she's in the household with Grandpa's mother in 1900, so his mother was apparently on speaking terms with her mother.  If I have researched the correct person, his grandfather remarried and had a second family, so maybe he didn't know them, but I really don't know.

• Bert's biological paternal grandparents are still unknown to me, as I have not yet determined his biological father.  His adoptive father's parents were Cornelius Godschalk Sellers (1845–1877) and Catherine "Kate" Fox Owen (1849–c. 1923).  As Cornelius died so young, none of his grandchildren knew him.  Kate had a second husband, George W. Moore (1840–1920).  Bert did know Kate, and we have a photo of her.  In fact, she's the person who paid for his father's funeral, as he also died very young.  It's reasonable to believe that Grandpa probably knew George Moore, even though we don't have a photo of him, as Grandpa's brother was named after George.  I was told that Grandpa's father loved his stepfather so much that he named his second son George Moore Sellers after him.  That certainly suggests he was around the family.

And I am proud to say that I didn't need to look up any of the above information except some of the birth and death years.

Events in My Family Tree: December 28

When I saw Lynden B. the first thing I thought of was LBJ, but since Lynden was born in 1915, I guess he wasn't named for the former president.

Births

John Gaunt, son of Jacob Gaunt and Hannah Holmes, was born December 28, 1795 in Salem County, New Jersey.  He is my 1st cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Anna Eliza Zelley, daughter of Joseph Ridgway Zelley and Sarah R. Eacritt, was born December 28, 1869 in Southampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 3rd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Zelleys.

Harold Edwin Dunn, Jr. was born December 28, 1935 in Canton, Stark County, Ohio.  He was the husband of Ruth Clara Ellis, daughter of Levi Ellis and Carrie Florence Gauntt, who is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Lynne A. Runkle, daughter of Floyd Daniel Runkle and Elizabeth Ilene Gaunt, was born December 28, 1952 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  She is my 6th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Joel Richard Kent, Jr. was born December 28, 1956 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.  He was the first husband of my half-sister Laurie Sellers.

Marriage

John Miller Gaunt, son of George Horner Gaunt and Emily A. Miller, and Emma A. Steward were married December 28, 1882 in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey.  John is my 4th cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Deaths

Lynden B. Gaunt, son of Elmer Boone Gaunt and Edna L. Wright, died December 28, 1915 in San Joaquin County, California at the age of 5 1/2 weeks.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Amanda Virginia Easlick, daughter of Jonathan Easlick and Susannah Sever, died December 28, 1945 in New Lisbon, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 62.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

George Wendel Votaw, son of Millard F. Votaw and Ida May Fisher, died December 28, 1959 in Los Angeles County, California at the age of 52.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

William Ellsworth Thackeray, son of Thomas B. Thackeray and Phoebe A. Miller, died December 28, 1960 in Rural, Franklin County, Indiana at the age of 84.  He is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Morris Garfinkel, son of Yikusee'ael Koifman Gorfinkel and Sora Rivka Mekler, died December 28, 1969 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the age of about 69.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers and the father of my dear cousin Esther Garfinkel.

Events in My Family Tree: December 16

I am always so sad when I see very young children in the deaths in my lists.

Births

Jack Allen, son of Clifford Freid Allen and Florence V. Hendrickson, was born December 16, 1952 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Cynthia C. Blevins was born December 16, 1963 in Shasta County, California.  She was married to Lawrence Matthew Gordon, son of Victor Gordon and Betty Lorraine Ellett, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gordon line.

Paul B. Lavin, Jr., son of Paul B. Lavin and Mary E. Murray, was also born December 16, 1963, but in Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey.  He is the half 2nd cousin of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Jay Alan Grobler was born December 16, 1967.  He is my 4th cousin.

Lisa Allen was born December 16, 1969.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Marriage

William David Brainin, son of Benjamin Brainin and Yetta Braunstein, and Beatrice Horowitz were married December 16, 1945 in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.  William is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Brainin line.

Deaths

Bessie May Gaunt, daughter of James Knox Polk Gaunt and Sarah Naomi Boone, died December 16, 1878 in Indiana at the age of 2.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Elizabeth G. Miller died December 16, 1912 in Lawrence County, Tennessee at the age of 70.  She was the wife of Ner Gaunt, son of Ner Gaunt and Agnes Corwin, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Martha Freedman died December 16, 1987 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the age of 80.  She was married to Jack Garfinkel, son of Yikusee'ael Koifman Gorfinkel and Sora Rivka Mekler, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers.

Events in My Family Tree: December 14

I'm starting to suspect that Elizabeth Atkinson might be related to the Atkinsons in my cousin Albert Lore's father's side of the family.

Births

Mary Gaunt, daughter of David Gaunt and Pamela Plummer, was born December 14, 1825 in Pennsylvania, possibly in Philadelphia.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Selector Thackeray, son of Joseph Thackeray and Mary Dubois, was born December 14, 1844 in Union County, Indiana.  He is my 3rd cousin 4x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Beulah Susannah Easlick, daughter of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, was born December 14, 1847 in New Jersey, possibly in Burlington County.  She is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Patrick Aaron Thomas was born December 14, 1971.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Jason Rothwax was born December 14, 1987.  He is my 3rd cousin.

Joseph Randell was born December 14, 1989.  He is the 3rd cousin 1x removed of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Marriages

Samuel T. Gaunt, son of James Gaunt and Amelia Gibson, and Elizabeth S. Atkinson were married December 14, 1894 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  Samuel is my great-granduncle.

Robert Gaunt, son of Walter Clayton Gaunt and Lulu May Sherman, and Mary Evelyn Westbrooks were married December 14, 1946 in Allen County, Indiana.  Robert is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

David Nathaniel Preisner and Tasha Weeks were married December 14, 2002.  David is the nephew of my aunt Mary McStroul, the son of her sister Anna McStroul, and the 1st cousin of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Deaths

Reuben Cooper Gaunt, son of Reuben Lewallen Gaunt and Jane Weatherby, died December 14, 1874 in New Jersey at the age of 29.  He is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Sophie Garfinkel, daughter of Yikusee'ael Koifman Gorfinkel and Sora Rivka Mekler, died December 14, 1974 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the age of about 66.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers.

Adeline E. Pearson died December 14, 1980 in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas, at the age of 62.  She was the wife of Oren Wilson Clark, Jr., son of Oren Wilson Clark and Anna G. Gaunt, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Events in My Family Tree: December 4

Janet Eileen Gaunt was born on her mother's 25th birthday.  That's a lovely birthday present!

Births

Charles R. Gaunt, son of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Elizabeth K. Frazer, was born December 4, 1840 in Medford, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Louisa Gaunt, daughter of Uz Gaunt and Sarah Ann Whitacre, was born December 4, 1843 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Rachel Anna Armstrong, daughter of Joel Armstrong and Sarah Ann Deacon Lippincott, was born December 4, 1878.  She is my great-grandaunt.

Scott Selvidge was born December 4, 1903 in Springtown, Parker County, Texas.  He was married to Lenore Corinne Gaunt, daughter of Charles Gaunt and Pearl E. Cory, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Marjorie Ellen Salisbury was born December 4, 1921 in Sacramento County, California.  She was married to Nolan Sidney Gaunt, son of Walter Everett Gaunt and Norma Marguerite Prusso, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., son of Bertram Lynn Sellers and Anna Gauntt, was born December 4, 1940 in Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey.  He is my father.

Janet Eileen Gaunt, daughter of Nolan Sidney Gaunt and Marjorie Ellen Salisbury, was born December 4, 1946 in Santa Clara County, California.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Marriage

Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., son of Bertram Lynn Sellers and Anna Gauntt, and Virginia Ann Daugherty were married December 4, 1980 in Niceville, Okalossa County, Florida, because that way my father would remember his wedding anniversary, as it was the same day as his birthday.  This was my father's third marriage, and it lasted longer than the first two combined.

Deaths

Emma J. VanKirk died December 4, 1900 in Franklin County, Indiana at the age of 34.  She was the wife of Sherman Tecumseh Hutson, son of Thomas Hutson and Ruth Thackeray, who is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Hilda Cantor died December 4, 1991, probably in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, at the age of about 65.  She was the wife of Oscar Garber, son of Zelig Garber and Ida Mekler, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers.

Thomas Franklin Gauntt, son of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, also died December 4, 1991, but in Sarasota County, Florida, at the age of 83.  He is my granduncle.

Vera Vanaman daughter of Charles Milton Vanaman and Julia Ann Gaunt, was another cousin who died December 4, 1991, in Los Angeles County, California, possibly in Long Beach, at the age of 75.  She is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Beatrice Fannie Allen, daughter of William Daily Allen and Fannie Goldsboro Brown, died December 4, 1995 in Medford, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 87.  She is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Elsie Grace Hoyer, daughter of Rollin Henry Hoyer and Bessie Floreen Schwier, died December 4, 2000 in Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana at the age of 84.  She is my 6th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Schwiers.

Events in My Family Tree: November 25

I am related to both Louis Perlman and Jennie Novitsky, who were 1st cousins 1x removed and who were married 64 years.  When I wrote this post, I realized for the first time that they both died on November 25.  But that's on the Christian calendar.  They were Jewish.  So the important dates for their deaths are the ones on the Jewish calendar, because that's when the yahrzeit is observed.  Amazingly, the yahrzeit is the same for both of them:  Louis died 19 Kislev 5733, and Jennie died 19 Kislev 5744.

Births

Amanda Virginia Easlick, daughter of Jonathan Easlick and Susannah Sever, was born November 25, 1883 in Pemberton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Dean Roger Allen, son of Clarence Allen, Jr. and Grace L. Stagnato, was born November 25, 1955, probably in New Jersey.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Steven Craig Garfield, son of Irwin Garfield and Lenore Schachter, was born November 25, 1964 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  He is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Garfields.

Edwin William Townsend, Jr. was born November 25, 1969.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Paul David Cucinotta was born November 25, 1970.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Jamie Gennifer Freitag was born November 25, 1983.  She is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Stacy T. Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt and Achsah Taylor, and Ruth Townsend were married November 25, 1829 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  Stacy is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Larry Dean Walworth and Shirley Hunt, daughter of John F. Hunt and Lois Adele Weaver, were married November 25, 1968 in Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida.  Shirley is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Weavers.

Robert Lewis Newman, son of Clarence Robert Laverne Newman and Ruth Anne Appleton, and Lisa Jayne Roth were married November 25, 1992 in Casper, Natrona County, Wyoming.  Robert is my half 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Appletons.

Deaths

Abigail S. Allen, daughter of George N. Allen and Ada E. Mason, died November 25, 1904, probably in New Jersey, at the age of 6.  She is my 4th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Margaret Katherine Winstel died November 25, 1951 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio at the age of 70.  She was the wife of Clayton Emmert Gage, son of James W. Gage and Mary Rosella Hutson, who is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

John Gaunt, son of Walter Clayton Gaunt and Lulu May Sherman, died November 25, 1957, probably in Indiana, at the age of 52.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Louis Perlman (originally Leiser Perlmutter), son of Maishe Eli Perlmutter and Ethel Nowicki, died November 25, 1972 in Miami, Dade County, Florida at the age of about 85.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line.

Jennie Novitsky (originally Zlate Nowicki), daughter of Gershon Itzhak Novitsky and Dora Yelsky, died November 25, 1983 in Long Beach, Nassau County, New York at the age of about 98.  She is my great-grandaunt on my Nowicki line.

Janet Sauder died November 25, 1988 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the age of about 64.  She was the wife of Edward James Garber, son of Zelig Garber and Ida Mekler, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers.

Thomas Herbert Gauntt, son of Thomas Franklin Gauntt and Anna Marie Stayton, died November 25, 2001, possibly in Mannington, Marion County, West Virginia, at the age of 62.  He is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Events in My Family Tree: November 24

Viola Votaw died on her sister Phoebe's 15th wedding anniversary.

Births

Claudia L. Githens, daughter of Thomas G. Githens and Emma D. Runyan, was born Novembe 24, 1899 in New Jersey.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Githenses.

John Oren Clark, son of Gilbert Lewis Clark and Helen Opal Abbott, was born November 24, 1946 in Indiana.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Clarks.

Zachary Berkowitz was born November 24, 1989.  He is my 3rd cousin.

Amber Lynn Hutchison was born November 24, 1992.  She is my half 1st cousin 2x removed.

Marriages

John Gaunt, son of Hananiah Gaunt and Ann Ridgway, and Jean Satterthwaite were married November 24, 1756, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  John is my 5th-great-granduncle via the Gaunts.

William Augusta Heath, son of Henry Heath and Eliza Bullock, and Mary Codner were married November 24, 1879 in Thurman, Warren County, New York.  William is the great-granduncle of my aunt Mary McStroul and the great-great-granduncle of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

William Lewis Baldwin, Sr. and Phoebe Elizabeth Votaw, daughter of Daniel W. Votaw and Louisa Gaunt, were married November 24, 1910 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Phoebe is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Howard Bruce Chesler and Sheryl Debra Gordon, daughter of Sidney Gordon and Beatrice Roll, were married November 24, 1974 in Flushing, Queens, New York.  Sheryl is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gordon line.

Deaths

Effie F. Gaunt, daughter of Charles R. Gaunt and Anna B. Folwell, died November 24, 1895 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 26.  She is my 3rd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Albertine P. Gaunt, daughter of Henry Plummer Gaunt and Emma Smith, died November 24, 1913, possibly in Gloucester, Camden County, New Jersey, at the age of 58.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Viola Votaw, daughter of Daniel W. Votaw and Louisa Gaunt, died November 24, 1925 in Wabash County, Indiana at the age of 50.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Lulu Harris, daughter of Robert Miller Harris and Blanche Gaunt, died November 24, 1959 in Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana at the age of 65.  She is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Ida Mekler, daughter of Eliezer Mekler and Esther Baila, died November 24, 1959 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the age of about 75.  She is my 1st cousin 3x removed via the Meklers.

Orville James Gage, son of James W. Gage and Mary Rosella Hutson, died November 24, 1975 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio at the age of 78.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

William Hymell Kelley, son of Joseph Kelley and Martha W. Lawrence, died November 24, 2006, possibly in Seminole, Pinellas County, Florida, at the age of 80.  He is the 2nd cousin 1x removed of my 1st cousin Albert Lore on his Eckman line through the Lawrences.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Share Something You Learned from a Probate File or Will That You Wouldn't Have Otherwise Known about

It's amazing what you can learn from probate files, isn't it?  I definitely have a couple of good stories for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Today's challenge is "Share something you learned from a probate file or will that you wouldn't have otherwise known about."

2.  Tell us about your probate or will discovery on your own blog post, in a comment here, or on your Facebook page.  Be sure to leave a link to your report in a comment on this post.

[Thank you to Linda Stufflebean for suggesting this topic!]

So I'm posting a day late.  It's still the Saturday Night challenge, just being reported on Sunday.

Two of the more interesting things I have learned from probate files:

* My grandaunt told me the wrong given and married names of her father's sister.  I used to have the names she told me in my family tree program as a comment, but I can't find it since having upgraded Family Tree Maker.  When I obtained her father's (my great-grandfather's) probate file, I learned she was wrong and that the sister's name was actually Sore (Mekler) Dubiner.  In fairness to my grandaunt, she never met her aunt and I asked her about this several decades after her aunt had died, plus I don't know if my grandaunt ever met any of her cousins.

* When I finally had the complete probate file for my ex's father (which ran to almost 600 pages!!), in the list of heirs I discovered the married name and address of my ex's half-sister.  Even though I had the file more than 20 years after the probate had closed, she was living at the same address, so I was able to meet her and learn more about her.  She even lent me her wedding photo album so I could scan all the photos, which I shared on my blog for a Wedding Wednesday post in 2019.

Yom HaShoah: Remembering the Lost

Yom HaShoah falls on 27 Nisan of the Jewish calendar, which measures days from sunset to sunset.  This year on the Christian calendar it began at sunset today, May 5, and will end at sunset on May 6.  It is the annual day of remembrance to commemorate the fates of the approximately 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust during World War II.

The following are my family members I have been told died in the Holocaust.  All of them are from the Mekler/Nowicki branch of my family and lived in what was Grodna gubernia in the Russian Empire (now in Belarus).  May their memory be for a blessing.

Beile Dubiner
Eliezer Dubiner
Herschel Dubiner
Moishe Dubiner
Sore (Mekler) Dubiner
Aidel Goldsztern
Golda Goldsztern
Josef Goldsztern
Pearl (Gorfinkel) Goldsztern
Tzvi Goldsztern
Esther Golubchik
Fagel Golubchik
Lazar Golubchik
Peshe (Mekler) Golubchik
Pinchus Golubchik
Yechail Golubchik
Mirka (Nowicki) Krimelewicz
— Krimelewicz
Beile Szocherman
Chanania Szocherman
Mobsza Eli Szocherman
Perel Szocherman
Raizl (Perlmutter) Szocherman
Zlate Szocherman

Mirka Krimelewicz's name on the passenger list for my
great-great-grandparents Gershon and Dobra Nowicki, as
their nearest relative in the country they emigrated from in 1922.
She was their daughter and the sister of my great-grandmother.
This is the only documentation I have of her name and of her existence.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Where Were Your 16 2nd-great-grandparents Born, Married, and Died?

This week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun exercise from Randy Seaver had me looking up a lot of information!

Here is your assignment, should you decide to accept it (you ARE reading this, so I assume that you really want to play along; cue the Mission:  Impossible! music!):

1.  Where did your 16 2nd-great-grandparents live and die?  What are their birth, marriage, and death dates and locations?

2.  Write your own blog post, leave a comment on this post, or write something on Facebook.

I can write about only twelve of my great-great-grandparents.  I may have their names committed to memory, but not all that other data.

• James Gauntt:  born June 18, 1831 in New Jersey; married February 1, 1851 in Westhampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey; died February 16, 1889 in Rancocas, Burlington County, New Jersey

• Amelia Gibson:  born June 1831 in Burlington County, New Jersey; died June 19, 1908 in Lumberton, Burlington County, New Jersey

• Frederick Cleworth Dunstan:  born January 18, 1840 in Deansgate, Manchester, Lancashire, England; married October 18, 1858 in Manchester, Lancashire, England; died September 21, 1873 in Hulme, Lancashire, England

• Martha Winn:  born August 12, 1837 in Manchester, Lancashire, England; died November 26, 1884 in Manchester, Lancashire, England

• Simcha Dovid Mekler:  unknown when born, possibly in Kamenets Litovsk, Grodno gubernia, Russia; married before 1885 in Russia; died before 1904, possibly in Kamenets Litovsk, Grodno gubernia, Russia

• Bela <unknown maiden name>:  unknown when born, in Russia; died before 1924, possibly in Kamenets Litovsk, Grodno gubernia, Russia

• Gershon Itzhak Novitsky:  born about 1858, probably in Porozowo, Grodno gubernia, Russia; married about 1875 in Russia; died December 12, 1948 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York

• Dora Yelsky:  born about 1858, probably in Porozowo, Grodno gubernia, Russia; died February 9, 1936 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York

• Victor Gordon:  born between 1864–1868, probably in Kamenets Podolsky, Podolia, Russia; married before 1891 in Russia; died January 25, 1925 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York

• Esther Leah Schneiderman:  born between 1868–1874 in Russia; died December 10, 1908 in Kishinev, Bessarabia, Russia

• Morris Brainin:  born between 1860–1863, probably in Kreuzburg, Russia; married before 1883, possibly in Kreuzburg, Russia; died February 13, 1930 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York County, New York

• Rose Dorothy Jaffe:  born between 1866–1871 in Russia; died November 9, 1934 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York County, New York

As fuzzy as some of the information is for my great-great-grandparents on my mother's side, at least I have something, which is more than I can say for my paternal grandfather's paternal side.  I'm still hunting for that biological father.