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: 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: Did You Have Fun This Past Week?

Yay!  Randy Seaver gave me the perfect opening to talk about my great genealogy discoveries for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

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

1.  Did you have good genealogy fun this past week?  Did you add to your family tree?  Did you make a great discovery?  Did you try something new?  Did you make family history?

2.  Share your genealogy fun in this past week 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.

I was hoping that whatever topic Randy chose for tonight would be something I could work to my advantage, and it is!  Because I definitely had genealogy fun this past week.

Several months ago (August, in fact), Lara Diamond wrote on her Lara's Jewnealogy blog about Alien Registration forms (AR-2's) from 1940 having been transferred from USCIS to the National Archives.  These were forms that people who had not become citizens — whether they had filed only first papers or had filed no papers at all toward citizenship — had to fill out at the beginning of World War II.

The form asked for all names an alien had used, including maiden names, so you can find a still-unknown maiden name if a woman registered.  If you haven't found someone on a passenger list, that was information the person had to include.  If an individual had filed first papers but not followed through with the petition to finish the naturalization process, that was also requested on the form.

So I've known about these forms since August.  There's a great search form on the NARA site you can use to look for all those relatives of yours who might be in there.  I found my great-great-grandfather Gershon Novitsky (originally Nowicki), his niece (my first cousin 3x removed) Ethel Novitsky (also originally Nowicki, but immigrated under her married name of Perlmutter), my great-grandmother's baby brother Benjamin Brainin, and a cousin named Molly Nowick (originally, you guessed it, Nowicki).

This is the same search form I used when I looked for my sister's significant other's grandfather (boy, is that convoluted), which I wrote about in January.  Gary ordered his grandfather's AR-2, and it arrived only a day or two later, just as Lara described in her blog.  Hooray for NARA!

Well, I finally was able to send in my first AR-2 order.  I requested those for Gershon Novitsky and Ethel Novitsky.

NARA didn't fail me.  The next business day after I had sent my request, I had a response telling me how much it would cost and what to do.  I followed through, and the day after that I had my PDF's, sent electronically.  Hooray for NARA again!

I knew a lot of the information on Gershon's form, but two pieces of data confirmed stories that had not yet been documented.  One was something cousins had told me:  Yes, Gershon had originally immigrated to the United States in 1922, but a few years later he took a trip back to Europe and then returned.  And right there on his AR-2, he said that he had last come to this country in 1926 and provided a different ship name than the one on which he had arrived in 1922.  (I'm still looking for that second passenger list.  I'm wondering if my great-great-grandmother traveled with him and which relative they listed in Europe.)

The second item was something I noticed when I found Gershon in the 1930 census:  He had apparently filed his "first papers", or his Declaration of Intention.  After finding this, I had searched in the immigration database on Ancestry, but I had not found him.  But on the AR-2, he provided a spelling for his name I had not seen previously:  Gershen Navitzky.  And when I searched for that exact spelling, I found his Declaration, which he filed at the age of 72!

Other tidbits from the form were a complete birth date (which I am not taking as gospel, but it's the first time I have seen one for him), his birthplace of Porozowo (which I had hypothesized), and the fact that he signed in Hebrew but apparently could not sign in English.  He also stated that he had four children living in the United States, and I believe I have them all accounted for.

The second AR-2 I received was that for Gershon's niece, Ethel Novitsky.  I have avidly researched Ethel and her family, because there are multiple connections with my branch of the family, but I had never found her on a passenger list.  I had narrowed down the arrival to around 1921 and had determined three of her children whom I thought had traveled with her, but I just could not find them.

Guess what?  Ethel provided the ship name, date of arrival, and port — which was not New York!  Nope, she came into Boston.

Okay, jump onto the computer and start searching.  And yes, I found her this time, and the three children I had surmised should be with her.  She had the correct port and ship name and was only a couple of weeks off on the arrival date.  And now I have the Jewish names for all four of them.  Okay, most of them were easy guesses:  Etta for Ethel, Chane for Anna, and Feiga for Fannie.  But I never could have come up with Kadusz for Karl.  I also learned the name of Ethel's brother, about whom I had never heard even a whisper.  He was her nearest relative back in Europe.  I also know it's the right family because they were going to Ethel's son Louis, whom I have researched a lot.

Other helpful items from Ethel's form are a complete birth date, which I am again not taking as gospel, and her birthplace of Shereshevo, which I had correctly hypothesized.  She said she had six children living in the United States, all of whom I have found.  Ethel, unlike Gershon, was able to sign her name in English.

Comparing Gershon's form to Ethel's, I also kind of confirmed one more family story.  I was told many years ago that there was an old Jewish custom, when an older man was widowed, he would often "marry" his niece, who would become kind of his caretaker.  I was told that was the case with Gershon and Ethel.  (I don't know if it really is an old Jewish custom, but I have a second instance of this in my family.)  On their forms, they both said they were widowed, but when I looked at their addresses, they were both living at 1413 44th Street in Brooklyn.  But from what I've heard about Gershon, who was supposedly an energetic old man up until his death at the age of 92, I somehow don't think he actually needed a caretaker.

And I just ordered my next two AR-2's!  I can hardly wait to see what I learn about Benny and Molly.

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: What Were Your Ancestors Doing 100 Years Ago?

Keeping tabs on my ancestors for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver should keep me busy for a while.

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

1.  Every one of your ancestors was doing "something" in their lives in early 1925.  Do you know, or do you have to guess?

2.  Tell us about what your ancestors were doing in early 2025 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.

Well, in 1925, neither of my parents was born yet, so I'm starting with my grandparents.

My paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers (he wasn't Senior yet, because there wasn't a Junior yet), was still with his first wife, Elizabeth Leatherberry Sundermier.  He was 21, and she was 19.  Their first child, Bertram Ezra Sellers, was 18 months old.  My aunt, Dorothy Mae Sellers, was just barely a gleam in their eye, as she wouldn't be born until October.  They were living in Northampton township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  I don't know what my grandfather was doing for work; the first occupation I have for him is from 1930, when he was a textile weaver in the silk mill in town.

My paternal grandmother, Anna Gauntt, may have already separated from her husband, Charles Cooper Stradling; I don't know when that happened.  In 1925 she was 32 and living in Northampton, New Jersey.  She and Charles had an 11-year-old daughter, Ruth Carrie Stradling; I'm pretty sure that she was with her mother.  I don't know if my grandmother was working or if Mr. Stradling was.

My maternal grandfather, Abram Meckler, was 12 years old and living with his parents (my great-grandparents), Morris Meckler and Minnie Zelda (Nowicki) Meckler, and four of his siblings (two older brothers, two younger sisters) in Brooklyn.  Morris was about 43, and Minnie was about 45.  Morris was a carpenter, Minnie was a housewife and took care of the children, and my grandfather was going to school.

My maternal grandmother, Esther Lillian Gordon, was 5 years old and living with her parents (my great-grandparents), Joe Gordon and Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon, and her two older brothers in Manhattan.  Joe was about 33, and Sarah was about 35.  Joe was an operator in the clothing industry, which meant he was involved in production.  He may have been observing Jewish mourning practices, because his father had died on January 26, but this branch of my family was not as observant as my grandfather's (who were very traditional and very Orthodox), so maybe not.  Sarah was a housewife and took care of the children.  I don't think my grandmother was going to school yet.

Anna's parents, my great-grandparents Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane (Dunstan) Gauntt, were living in Northampton, New Jersey.  Thomas was 54 and Jane was 53.  Thomas was probably a farm laborer, as that is what he did for most of his life.  Jane was a housewife.

Minnie's parents, my great-great-grandparents Gershon Itzhak Novitsky and Dora (Yelsky) Novitsky, were living in Brooklyn, possibly with their son Sam.  Gershon was about 69, and Dora was about 67.  They had arrived in the United States in 1922.  I don't know if Gershon was working yet, but in 1930 his occupation was listed as a Hebrew teacher, so it's possible.  Dora was a housewife.

Sarah's parents, my great-great-grandparents Morris Brainin and Rose Dorothy (Jaffe) Brainin, were living in Manhattan.  Morris was about 64 and Rose was about 57.  Morris may have been a rabbi at the time, and Rose was a housewife.

Events in My Family Tree: December 12

The fact that my great-great-grandfather Gershon Novitsky died in 1948, rather than three weeks later in 1949, meant that I was able to obtain a copy of his death certificate much more easily.

Births

William Edward Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt, Jr. and Ann Horner, was born December 12, 1832 in New Jersey.  He is my 3rd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

John Timothy Heath, son of Henry Heath and Eliza Bullock, was born December 12, 1855 in Thurman, Warren County, New York.  He is the great-grandfather of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul and the great-great-grandfather of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Rinaldo Wise Gaunt, son of David Wise Gaunt and Margaret A. Williams, was born December 12, 1902 in Jay County, Indiana.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

David Maxwell Votaw, son of Joseph Willet Votaw and Florence E. Barnett, was born December 12, 1906 in Indiana, possibly in Wabash County.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Mary Udashkin was born December 12, 1915 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  She was the wife of Louis Kardash, son of Dovid Kardish and Etta Gorodetsky, who is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

Frank James Zelley, son of Wilmer Egee Zelley and Emma Pearl Lambert, was born December 12, 1917 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.  He is my 4th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Zelleys.

Bernadette Allen, daughter of Raymond Charles Allen and Elizabeth Ray, was born December 12, 1954, probably in New Jersey.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Brandon Mark Horn was born December 12, 1980.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Marriage

Jay Charles Dubell, son of Charles Barton Dubell and Myrtle Lydle Allen, and Jan Galey were married December 12, 1970 in New Jersey.  Jay is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Deaths

Gershon Itzhak Novitsky (originally Nowicki), son of Abraham Yaakov Nowicki and Sirke, died December 12, 1948 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York at the age of about 90.  He is my great-great-grandfather.

Dustin Tryce Lore died December 12, 2010.  He is my half 1st cousin 1x removed.

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.

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.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Four Things!

Well, I certainly haven't posted in a while!  My last post was January 15 for my blogiversary, and before that it was December 1.  I have nothing but my health to blame, but I've decided I need to start writing again anyway, and what better day to start than on my birthday?  I turned 60 today, and coincidentally Randy Seaver provided a theme for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun that works nicely with a birthday — writing about myself.  So let's get back in the blogging habit!

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

1.  Let's have some genealogy fun tonight and answer some family-history-related questions with four responses (Four Things!).

2.  Share your answers with us in your own blog, in a Facebook or Instagram post, or in the comments on this blog post.  Please leave a link to anything you post elsewhere in a comment.

Okay, here are my answers.

Four Names I Go By
1.  Janice
2.  Jan-Jan (but only for my maternal grandmother)
3.  Bubbie
4.  Amanda Rycroft (Faire character)

Four Places I've Lived (Resided)
1.  Maroubra Junction, New South Wales, Australia
2.  Niceville, Florida
3.  Oakland, California
4.  Gresham, Oregon

Four Ancestral Places I Have Been
1.  Mount Holly, New Jersey
2.  Manhattan, New York
3.  Miami, Florida
4.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Four Interesting Places I Have Been
1.  Athens, Greece
2.  San Sebastian, Spain
3.  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
4.  Tallinn, Estonia

Four Favorite Ancestors
1.  Ann (Ridgway) Gaunt, 1710–1794
2.  Gershon Itzhak Novitsky, ~1858–1948
3.  Minnie Zelda (Nowicki) Meckler, ~1880–1936
4.  Moses Mulliner, 1741–1821

Four Favorite Genealogy Record Collections
1.  Historical newspapers
2.  Religious records (all, not just BMD!)
3.  Probate files
4.  Military pensions and service records

Events in My Family Tree: October 8

Martha Ann named her daughter Martha Ann, and Mary Ann named her daughter Mary Ann.

Births

Emeline Gantt, daughter of John Gantt and Rachel Carl, was born October 8, 1838 in Pennsylvania, possibly in Perry County.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gantts.

Irving Lawrence Gershwind was born Octtober 8, 1911 in Manhattan, New York County, New York.  He was the husband of Frances Perlman, daughter of Louis Perlman (originally Perlmutter) and Jennie Novitsky, who is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Novitskys.

Cecil Thurman Phillips, Jr. was born October 8, 1916 in Anderson County, Kentucky.  He was the husband of Martha Ann Surran, daughter of William Earl Surran and Martha Ann Naylor, who is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line via the Naylors.

Gordon Paul Craig, son of Victor Young Craig and Edith Alice Gantt, was born October 8, 1926 in Denton, Denton County, Texas.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gantts.

Sheryl Berezin was born October 8, 1960 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  She is the wife of Harvey Kardish, son of Israel Kardish and Eva Feldberg, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardishes.

Meredith Annice Thomas was born October 8, 1963.  She is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Laura Turner was born October 8, 1981.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Tara Elizabeth Hewitt was born October 8, 1984.  She is another 5th cousin 2x removed.

Marriages

Blaze Vinton Alexander, son of Phillip Charles Alexander and Jessie Ozley Easlick, and Daria Ann Sigler were married Octrober 8, 1977 in Maryland.  Blaze is my 4th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Alexanders.

Jason Christoher Ellis and Raquel Margot Francis were married October 8, 1995.  Jason is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Deaths

Mary Ann Gantt, daughter of Joseph Gantt and Mary Ann McGowan, died October 8, 1909 in Center Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania at the age of 76.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gantts.

Jack Garfinkel, son of Yikusee'ael Koifman Gorfinkel and Sora Rivka Mekler, died October 8, 1978 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the age of about 69.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers.

Caroline Catherine Ludeker died October 8, 1996 in Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana at the age of 83.  She was the wife of Norman Henry Hoyer, son of Rollin Henry Hoyer and Bessie Floreen Schwier, who is my 6th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line via the Schwiers.

Kathleen Anne Easlick, daughter of Vinton Thompson Easlick and Beaulah Anna Elizabeth Bozarth, died October 8, 2016 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 88.  She is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Events in My Family Tree: August 16

Since Louis Perlman and Jennie Novitsky were1st cousins once removed, does that make Frances Perlman her own cousin?

Births

Hannah Davis was born August 16, 1834 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  She was the wife of John Gaunt, son of Benjamin Gaunt and Mary Sheets, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Robert Price Yount was born August 16, 1916 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.  He was the husband of Catherine Allean Hutson, daughter of Earl Morris Hutson and Catherine Corenne Utley, who is my 6th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Edna Louise Flynn, daughter of Roscoe Sherman Flynn and Edna May Gauntt, was born August 16, 1921 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 1st cousin once removed on my Gauntt line.

Marriages

Robert Barclay Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt, Jr. and Ann Horner, and Harriet Prickett were married August 16, 1862 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Robert is my 3rd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Isaac Krebs, son of Simon Krebs and Dorothea Schiffer, and Frederika Weiss, daughter of Simon Weiss and Gütel Goldmann, were married August 16, 1871 in Peiskretscham, Obersilesia, Prussia.  They are the great-grandparents of my aunt Mary McStroul.

Jeffrey David Gordon and Beverlee Kaye Berry were married August 16, 1986 in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.  Jeff is my 2nd cousin once removed.

Death

Frances Perlman, daughter of Louis Perlman and Jennie Novitsky, died August 16, 1994 in Great Neck, Nassau County, New York at the age of 80.  She is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Novitskys.

Events in My Family Tree: July 28

Eber Votaw died on the 110th anniversary of his father's birth.

Births

Millard F. Votaw, son of Daniel W. Votaw and Louisa Gaunt, was born July 28, 1869 in Wabash County, Indiana.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Clarence Thomas Dunstan, son of Frederick Dunstan and Anna Wlatz Horner, was born July 28, 1894 in Westhampton, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Dunstan line.

Robert M. Barnett, son of Millton Barnett and Ethyl May Votaw, was born July 28, 1912 in Indiana, probably in Wabash County.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Glendora Nelson was born July 28, 1924 in Indiana.  She was the wife of Darrell Paul Gaunt, son of Edward Lee Gaunt and Ethyl Fay Davison, who is my 5th cousin once removed via the Gaunts.

Raymond Henry Wickham, son of Charles E. Wickham and Jane Lochrie, was born July 28, 1932 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.  He is the 2nd cousin once removed of my half-sister Laura Sellers on her Bowen line through the Wickhams.

Catherine Uboldi, daughter of Frank Albert Uboldi and Verna May Gauntt, was born July 28, but damned if I can find the year or place.  It was probably between 1941–1945, possibly in Pennsylvania.  She is my 5th cousin once removed via the Gauntts.

Alan Ross Hutson, son of Roscoe Freeman Hutson and Bessie Leone Scifert, was born July 28, 1947 in Brookston, White County, Indiana.  He is my 7th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Gail Ellen Padgett was born July 28, 1948 in Glen Ridge, Essex County, New Jersey.  She was the wife of Wayne Eugene Ellis, son of Russell Oliver Ellis and Irene Elise Crater, who is my 2nd cousin on my Gauntt line through the Ellises.

David C. Runkle, son of Floyd D. Runkle and Elizabeth I. Gaunt, was also born July 28, 1948, but probably in Allen County, Indiana.  He is my 6th cousin once removed via the Gaunts.

Jane Armendariz was born July 28, 1962.  She is the second wife of Elliot Kushner, son of George Kushner and Ruth Rebecca Segal, who is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Kushners.

Marriages

Edwin McMakin and Mary Rebecca Gaunt, daughter of William B. Gaunt and Fannie Rebecca Hall, were married July 28, 1900, probably in New Jersey.  Mary is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

George V. Gaunt, son of Benjamin Gaunt and Mary Elizabeth Sever, and Minnie M. Harris were married July 28 1904, probably in New Jersey.  George is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Seth Hartley Feller and Kristie Mackie were married July 28, 1996.  Seth is my 3rd cousin.

Shane Sheridan Herber and McKenna Elise Gordon were married July 28, 2012.  McKenna is also my 3rd cousin.

Deaths

Frank Evert Gaunt, son of Lewis Cass Gaunt and Mary A. Kindlesparger, died July 28, 1932 in Richvalley, Wabash County, Indiana at the age of 55.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

John Francis Gaynor, Jr., son of John Francis Gaynor and Josephine O'Connor, died July 28, 1972 in Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida at the age of 68.  He is the granduncle of my half-sister Laura Sellers.

Eber Votaw, son of Millard F. Votaw and Ida May Fisher, died July 28, 1979, probably in Indiana, at the age of 76.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Rubin Perlman, son of Louis Perlman and Jennie Novitsky, died July 28, 2002 in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego County, California.  He is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Novitskys.

Clifford Edmund Hutson, son of Earl Morris Hutson and Catherine Corenne Utley, died July 28, 2009, possibly in Brookston, White County, Indiana.  He is my 6th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Events in My Family Tree: June 9

Because I just wrote about it yesterday, I noticed that Wilhelmina Atkinson died one day before her 75th birthday.

Births

Lenore Corinne Gaunt, daughter of Charles Gaunt and Pearl E. Cory, was born June 9, 1904 in Richvalley, Wabash County, Indiana.  She is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Wilhelmina Atkinson was born June 9, 1907, possibly in New Jersey.  She was the wife of John Edward Lawrence, son of Alfred Lawrence and Harriet Rebecca Eckman, who is the 1st cousin 2x removed of my cousin Al Lore via the Eckmans.

George Trombulak, Jr. was born June 9, 1922 in Aliquippa, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  He was the husband of Elizabeth Ann Funk, daughter of Earl G. Funk and Hazel Pauline Gauntt, who is my 3rd cousin once removed via the Gauntts.

Claire Calvin Mowry was born June 9, 1939.  He was the husband of Gail Carol Dubell, daughter of Charles Barton Dubell and Myrtle Lydia Allen, who is my 5th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Michael Albert Leonard, son of Louis Mark Leonard and Elsie Meckler, was born June 9, 1953 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.  He is my 1st cousin once removed via the Mecklers.

William Thomas Guy, Jr., son of William Thomas Guy, Sr. and Patricia Claire Gauntt, was born June 9, 1956.  He is my 5th cousin once removed via the Gauntts.

Michael Jarzyk was born June 9, 1960.  He is my 5th cousin once removed.

Jacob Isaac "Jake" Socherman was born June 9, 1969.  He is my 4th cousin once removed.

Sandra Nicole Farrier was born June 9, 1977.  She is my sister-in-law.

Emma Lynn Baker was born June 9, 2007.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed.

Marriage

Irving Lawrence Gershwind and Frances Perlman, daughter of Louis Perlman and Jennie Novitsky, were married June 9, 1937 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Frances is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Novitskys.

Deaths

Mary Rosella Hutson, daughter of Thomas Robert(?) Hutson and Ruth Thackeray, died June 9, 1934 in Franklin County, Indiana at the age of 78.  She is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Harold Levi Ellis, son of Levi Ellis and Carrie Florence Gauntt, died June 9, 2003 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia at the age of 84.  He is my 1st cousin once removed via the Gauntts.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: How Many Children Did Your Ancestors Have?

I'm playing catch-up to an older Saturday Night Genealogy Fun post that I intended to comment on at the time, so no, you are not in a time warp.  That's why my topic doesn't match what's on Randy's blog today.

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

(1) Thinking about your ancestors back through 2nd-great-grandparents — in other words, ancestors #2 to #31 on your pedigree chart — how many children did they have?  How many lived long enough to marry?  How many died before age 10?

(2) Tell us all about it in a blog post of your own, in comments on this blog post, or in a post on Facebook.  Be sure to link to them in a comment on this blog post.

So I took my cue from Randy and am only recording children born to my ancestral couples, not to other marriages or relationships those ancestors might have had.

#2–3:  Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935–2019) and Myra Roslyn Meckler (1940–1995), 3 children, all lived long enough to marry.

#4–5:  Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903–1995) and Anna Gauntt (1893–1986), 1 child, who lived long enough to marry.

#6–7:  Abraham Meckler (1912–1989) and Lillyan E. Gordon (1919–2006), 3 children, all lived long enough to marry.

#8–9:  Unknown, possibly Mundy (?–?) and Laura May Armstrong (1882–1970), 1 known child, who lived long enough to marry; small possibility of a second child, who died before the age of 10.

#10–11:  Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870–1951) and Jane Dunstan (1871–1954), 10 children, 6 lived long enough to marry, 3 died before the age of 10.

#12–13:  Morris Meckler (~1882–1953) and Minnie Zelda Nowicki (~1880–1936), 7 children, 6 lived long enough to marry, 1 died before the age of 10.

#14–15:  Joe Gordon (~1890–1955) and Sarah Libby Brainin (~1885–1963), 4 children, 3 lived long enough to marry, 1 died before the age of 10.

#16–17:  Unknown, possibly Mundy (?–?) and Unknown (?–?), 1 known child, who lived long enough to marry.

#18–19:  Joel Armstrong (1849–~1921) and Sarah Ann Deacon Lippincott (1860–after 1904), 3 known children, all lived long enough to marry.

#20–21:  James Gauntt (1831–1899) and Amelia Gibson (1831–1908), 9 known children, 7 (that I know of) lived long enough to marry

#22–23:  Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873) and Martha Winn (1837–1884), 6 children, 4 lived long enough to marry, 2 died before the age of 10.

#24–25:  Simcha Dovid Mekler (?–before 1905) and Bela (?–before 1924), 2 known children, both lived long enough to marry.

#26–27:  Gershon Itzhak Novitsky (~1858–1948) and Dora Yelsky (~1858–1936), 7 known children, all lived long enough to marry.

#28–29:  Victor Gordon (~1866–1925) and Esther Leah Schneiderman (~1871–1908), 9 known children, 8 lived long enough to marry, one died before the age of 10.

#30–31:  Morris Brainin (~1861–1930) and Rose Dorothy Jaffe (~1868–1934), 8 known children, 7 lived long enough to marry, one died before the age of 10.

I didn't break down the children by sex, but the total number of children is 74.  Of those, 62 lived long enough to marry (the original question Randy posed, not whether they actually did marry) and 9 died before the age of 10, but I don't have death dates for everyone, so both numbers might actually be higher.  In addition, there is one child whose father is unknown, but that man might be the same as someone else's, which would bring total number of children to 75 and 10 children who died before the age of 10.

I had 15 families, the same number as Randy, but my average was 4.93 children per family and 4.13 children who lived long enough to marry.

One family had only 1 child and two other families had only 1 known child.  One family had 2 known children, but there were almost definitely more.  Three families had 3 children; one of them might have had more.  One family had 4 children, one had 6, two had 7, one had 8, two had 9, and one had 10.  Several of those might have had more children.

My parents had 3 children and no deaths before the age of 10.  My grandparents' generation averaged 2 children and no deaths before the age of 10 per family.  My great-grandparents' generation averaged 5.5 children and 1.25 deaths before the age of 10 per family; and my great-great-grandparents' generation averaged 5.625 children and 0.5 deaths before the age of 10 per family.

My numbers differed from Randy's in some ways, but as he said, it's hard to tell what exactly that signifies.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Where Were Your Ancestors 80 Years Ago?

It's time to look at the 1940 census for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver!

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

(1) Determine where your ancestral families were on 1 April 1940, 80 years ago, when the U.S. census was taken.

(2) List them, their family members, their birth years, and their residence locations (as close as possible).  Do you have photographs of their residences from about that time, and do the residences still exist?

(3) Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status post.

I actually had several ancestors alive in 1940 (not "direct ancestors", because that's a nonsense term; someone is either an ancestor or a collateral relative).

• My father, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (born 1935), and my paternal grandparents, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (born 1903) and Anna Gauntt (born 1893), were living either in New Jersey or in NewYork.  I have looked up, down, and sideways for them in the 1940 census and have not found them.  At this point I don't expect to, because when my grandfather compiled a list of all the places he had lived during his life, he included three(!) locations for 1940.  I'm pretty sure they simply were missed by census takers.

• My paternal grandfather's mother, my great-grandmother Laura May (Armstrong) Sellers Ireland (later called Nanny Ireland; born 1882), was also not enumerated in the 1940 census.  I know the address at which she was living on Broad Street in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey, but that house number was missed by the census taker.  It does not appear in the enumeration district.  I have a photo of the house, though, which was owned by family members for at least 40 years.

• My paternal grandmother's parents, my great-grandparents Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (born 1870) and Jane (Dunstan) Gauntt (born 1872), were living at 119 Hume Street, Mount Holly Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  I not only don't have a photo of the house, I can't find the address on Google Maps, so the street name might have changed.

• My maternal grandparents, Abraham Meckler (born 1912) and Lillian Esther (Gordon) Meckler (born 1919), were living at 484 Livonia Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  My mother was there also, in a way, because my grandmother was pregnant with her when the census was taken.  I don't have a photo of the building from that time, and a quick peek at Google Maps shows a pretty modern-looking building, but I might be able to get a photo by paying New York City.

• My maternal grandfather's father, my great-grandfather Morris Meckler (born about 1862), should be in Brooklyn, but I haven't found him yet.  I really want to find him in 1940 because I have been told that he married a second time after my great-grandmother Minnie Zelda (Nowicki) Meckler died in 1936.  If he actually did, that second wife might be enumerated with him.  I know he was alive in 1940 because he didn't die until 1953.

• I might have found Minnie's father, my great-great-grandfather Gershon Itzhak Novitsky (born about 1858), also in Brooklyn, at 99 44th Street.  I think it's him, even though the person is enumerated as Jean, not Gershon, because the age and birth location are right, and he is enumerated with a wife named Ethel.  If this is the correct couple, that Ethel is Ethel (Nowicki) Perlman (botn about 1868), who was Gershon's niece.  I was told many years ago that Gershon had married his niece later in life.  Apparently, it was not uncommon in some Jewish communities for an older man who was widowed to marry a niece.  This wasn't necessarily a fully "active" (ahem!) marriage; the reason for it was for the elderly widower to have someone to take care of him.  I have a second one of these uncle/niece marriages in my family.  I don't have a photo of this residence, and Google Maps shows me a modern concrete building, so that ain't it.  This is another location that I might be able to obtain a photo through New York City.

• My maternal grandmother's parents, my great-grandparents Joe Gordon (born about 1892) and Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon (born about 1885), were living at 10 Livonia Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, just a few blocks from my grandparents.  Also living with them was their oldest child, Sidney Gordon (born 1915).  I don't have a photo, and when I look for that addresss on Google Maps, I can't even tell what the building looks like, because it's covered with scaffolding.  Yet another location that I might be able to get a photo from New York City.

So I have a total of twelve ancestors who were alive in 1940, seven of whom I have found in the 1940 census.  Four of the remaining ancestors I have conceded that I will never find.  The only one left after that is Morris Meckler; I haven't given up on finding him — someday.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: A Favorite Family Photograph

I've missed the past couple of weeks, but I'm catching up with today's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver.

For this week's mission (should you decide to accept it), I challenge you to:

(1) Show us one of your favorite photographs of your family — a group, yourself, your mom, your dad, your sibling(s), your grandparents, etc.  Tell us about it — the date, the event, the setting, the persons in the photograph.

(2) Share it on your own blog, in a comment on this blog, or on Facebook.

The photograph I've chosen is definitely one of my favorites, even though I still don't know who is in it.

This is a photo of a family celebrating a bris.  I'm pretty sure the mohel is the man in the middle wearing a white jacket.  The man to his right is probably the rabbi or possibly the male relative given the honor of holding the child for the ceremony.  I'm guessing the bris has already taken place.  The table is loaded with food, ready for the party.

I've always particularly liked the matching dresses on the two women in the lower left corner of the photo, plus the girl on the right side of the photo.  You can see that several people in the photo resemble each other, supporting the idea that it's a big family get-together.

Yet I have no idea who these people are!

I received the photo from the widowed husband of my cousin.  About a year after she had passed away, he wrote to me.  He had gone through the photos in the home and had set aside those that were not from his side of the family.  He was asking if I wanted them.  Of course I said yes.

Most of the photos were unlabeled.  I was able to figure out some because the people in them were named in other photos.  I also did a massive scanning project and shared the images with cousins from that side of the family, and they were able to identify a good number of the rest.  But no one knows who the people in this photograph are.

Because of the cousin it came from, I believe the people are on the Novitsky side of my family.  I'm hoping one day to learn the names of these cousins.

But I love the photo anyway.

Update, January 11, 2020:

I now know who some of the people in the photo are!  My cousin saw my blog post and recognized her grandmother and grandaunt, the two women in the lower left corner in matching dresses, and her grandfather, standing just behind them and laughing.  My cousin thinks the bris may be that of her father, which puts it in Cuba in 1935.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: How Many of Your Ancestors Are in the Social Security Death Index?

Randy Seaver is back with a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge that has you searching for your ancestors in a database:

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

(1) Michael John Neill wrote a blog post this week listing his ancestors who have entries in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).  He had seven ancestors in the SSDI.

(2) This week, review your files and determine which of your ancestors has an entry in the Social Security Death Index (free on FamilySearch.org; see https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1202535).  How many do you have?

(3) Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a status line on Facebook or Google Plus.  Leave a comment with a link to your blog post if you write one.

Ok, here's my list:

• Grandfather:  Bertram Lynn Sellers (1903–1995)
• Grandmother:  Anna Gauntt (1893–1986)
• Grandfather:  Abraham Meckler (1912–1989)
• Grandmother:  Lillyan E. (Gordon) Meckler (1919–2006)

• Great-grandmother:  Laura May (Armstrong) Sellers Ireland (1882–1970)
• Great-grandmother:  Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon (~1885–1963) (maybe)

So I have five, possibly six, ancestors who appear in the SSDI.  My father is still alive.  I'm not sure if it's my great-grandmother Sarah Gordon or not in the SSDI, and that person does not appear in the claims index.

On the other hand, I do have three ancestors who appear in the Social Security Claims Index.  Both of my grandfathers, Abraham Meckler and Bertram Lynn Sellers, are in there.  My great-grandfather Joe Gordon (~1892–1955) is also in the claims index, although he does not appear in the SSDI.  None of the rest of my great-grandparents is in either database, and my most recently deceased great-great-grandparent, Gershon Itzhak Novitsky, died in 1948 and also does not show up.

And I had my own strange search result with the SSDI on FamilySearch.  I looked for my grandmother Lillyan Meckler under those names with her year of death and did not find her.  When I searched for Esther Meckler, however, she was the only good matching result, with the full name of Lillyan Esther Meckler.  So I had the same kind of weirdness that Randy did while searching for his mother.

Events in My Family Tree: June 1

Apparently, June 1 is not a good day if your name is Mark Lewallen Gauntt.

Births

Baby Boy Sellers, son of Cornelius Godschalk Sellers and Catherine Fox Owen, was born June 1, 1872 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  He is my paternal great-granduncle.

Edward Wickham, son of Charles E. Wickham and Martha Elizabeth Bowen, was born June 1, 1892 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.  He is the 1st cousin 2x removed of my half-sister Laurie Sellers via the Bowens.

Katherine Housell Space was born June 1, 1893 in Raritan, Somerset County, New Jersey.  She was married to John Murdock Allen, son of Cyrus Kunze Allen, Jr. and Clara Barton Shinn, who is my 4th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Philip Sellers Stirling, son of George Howard Stirling and Mary Sellers, was born June 1, 1898 in Green Spring Valley, Baltimore County, Maryland.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed via the Sellerses.

Charles Norman Easlick, son of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, was born June 1, 1899 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Edith M. Sellers, daughter of Edwin Ferguson Sellers and Annie Baily, was also born June 1, 1899 but in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

William Woodson Baldwin was born June 1, 1961 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia.  He is my 5th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line.

Jennifer Rose Dailey was born June 1, 1976 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.  She was married to Joel Richard Kent III, my nephew on my Sellers side.

Kevin Rahilly was born June 1, 1992.  He is my 2nd cousin once removed on my Sellers line.

Marriages

John Murdock Allen, son of Cyrus Kunze Allen, Jr. and Clara Barton Shinn, and Katherine Housell Space were married on June 1, 1914, the bride's 21st birthday.  As noted above, John is my 4th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Morton Eli Pelrman, son of Louis Perlman (originally Perlmutter) and Jennie Novitsky (originally Nowicki), and Doris Bash were married on June 1, 1939 in Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland.  Mort is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Nowickis.

Irwin Garfield (originally Garfinkel), son of Jack Garfinkel and Martha Freedman, and Lenore Schachter were married on June 1, 1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Irwin is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Cyril E. Holladay and Lois Jean Hutson, daughter of Clifford Ellsworth Hutson and Alta Ada Gipson, were married on June 1, 1974 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.  Lois is my 6th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Deaths

Elmer Gauntt, son of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, died June 1, 1912 at the age of 2 days, possibly in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my paternal granduncle.

Mark Lewallen Gaunt, Jr., son of Mark Lewallen Gaunt and Rhoda Ewing, died June 1, 1958 at the age of 67 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 3rd cousin 2x removed.

Carrie Louise Thackeray, daughter of Selector Thackeray and Louisa Moodey, also died on June 1, 1958, but in Batesville, Ripley County, Indiana.  She is another relative on my Gauntt line, a 4th cousin 3x removed to be exact.

Mark Lewallen Gauntt III, son of Mark Lewallen Gauntt, Jr. and Bertha M. Spangler and grandson of the Mark Lewallen Gauntt above, died June 1, 1982 at the age of 23 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 5th cousin.

Events in My Family Tree: May 16

Since the Cohen sisters married men who shared the same birthday, I wonder if they all got together for one big birthday party to celebrate every year?

Births

Catherine Darstein, daughter of Abraham Darstein and Catherine Sellers, was born May 16, 1782 in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  She is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Sellerses.

Jacob Leckrone was born May 16, 1794 in Pennsylvania.  He was married to Agnes Mack, daughter of Jacob Mack and Nancy Moser, who is also my 2nd cousin 5x removed.

Elizabeth Pearsall Gaunt, daughter of Dellaplain Gaunt and Mary Isaac, was born May 16, 1856 in Oxford Depot, Orange County, New York.  She is my 3rd cousin 4x removed.

William Allen Gaunt, son of John B. Gaunt and Priscilla Dye, was born May 16, 1861 in Jay County, Indiana.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed.

Mary Gaunt, daughter of John Gaunt and Hannah Davis, was born May 16, 1876 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed.

Alfred Winfield Asay, son of Alfred Winfield Asay and Sarah Anna Gaunt, was born May 16, 1892 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Frances Perlman, daughter of Louis Perlman and Jennie Novitsky, was born May 16, 1914 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Novitskys.

Richard H. Brashear was born May 16, 1929 in Oklahoma.  He was married to Alice Marie Hutson, daughter of Earl Morris Hutson and Catherine Corenne Utley, who is my 6th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Sarah Clarice Higgins, daughter of Ervie Oscar Higgins and Elizabeth Opal Gaunt, was born May 16, 1930 in Sutter County, California.  She is my 5th cousin once removed via the Gaunts.

Donald Lawrence Lederman, son of Gabriel William Lederman and Anna Gordon, was born May 16, 1930 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  He is my 1st cousin 2x removed via the Gordons.

Kenneth Mirsky was born May 16, 1937 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  He was married to Linda Cohen, daughter of Louis Cohen and Jennie Kardish, who is my 2nd cousin once removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardishes.

George Caplan was born May 16, 1939 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  He was married to Rhoda Cohen, another daughter of Louis Cohen and Jennie Kardish, and therefore another 2nd cousin once removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardishes.

Cindy Ann Bowen was born May 16, 1977 in Mineola, Nassau County, New York.  She is the 2nd cousin of my half-sister Laurie Sellers.

Whitney Victoria Lore was born May 16, 1988 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.  She is my 1st cousin once removed on my Sellers line.

Marriages

Nathan Millstein and Sarah Gordon (originally Gorodetsky), daughter of Victor Gordon (originally Gorodetsky) and Esther Leah Schneiderman, were married on May 16, 1912 in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.

Oliver Franklin Clark, son of Oren Wilson Clark and Anna G. Gaunt, and Mildred Blanche Benson were married on May 16, 1931 in Clark County, Indiana.  Oliver is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

William Thomas Guy and Patricia Claire Gauntt, daughter of Irving Lester Gauntt and Mildred Hoffman Childs, were married on May 16, 1953 in Collingswood, Camden County, New Jersey.  Patricia is my 5th cousin.

Charles Lester Danley and Brenda Lee Gauntt, daughter of Clarence Leon Gauntt and Elizabeth Major, were married on May 16, 1981, possibly in New Jersey.  Brenda is my 5th cousin.

William Thomas Guy, Jr., son of William Thomas Guy and Patricia Claire Gauntt, and Linda Kaminski were married on May 16, 1987 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on William's parents' 34th wedding anniversary.  William is my 5th cousin once removed via the Gauntts.

Deaths

Johann Peter Söller, son of Johann Conrad Söller and Anna Maria Margarethe Reinwirth, died May 16, 1750 at the age of 5 months in Weinheim, Baden.  He is my 2nd cousin 7x removed.

Harmon Sellers, son of Samuel Sellers and Elizabeth Barton, died May 16, 1923 at the age of 43 in Lima, Allen County, Ohio.  He is my 4th cousin 3x removed.

John Robert Benham died May 16, 2000 at the age of 77 in Batesville, Ripley County, Indiana.  He was married to Bessie Marie Hoyer, daughter of Rollin Henry Hoyer and Bessie Floreen Schwier, who is my 6th cousin once removed on my Gauntt line through the Schwiers.

Anita Clarice Loveman died May 16, 2015 at the age of 88 in Toccoa, Stephens County, Georgia.  She was my paternal grandfather's second wife and the mother of my aunt Carol Sellers.