Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Farthest-flung Ancestor

I guessed the correct person in my family for Randy Seaver's question this week for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

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

1.  Our family trees contain historical persons who came from places all over the world.  Each of our ancestral lines came from somewhere.

2.  Can you identify your Farthest-flung Ancestor (FFA)?  Who in your ancestral tree came from the most geographically distant place from where you live now?  What brought that person (or his descendants) to where your family ended up?

3.  Share your information about your Farthest-flung 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 Linda Stufflebean for this idea.

Based on what I currently know about my ancestry, ancestors on my father's side came from the British Isles and on my mother's side from eastern Europe, in the former Russian Empire, so I focused on my mother's side.

I believe my great-grandfather Joyne Gorodetsky (who changed his name to Joe Gordon after he immigrated to the United States) was born in what is now known as Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine.  It is 5,667.56 miles in a straight line from Gresham, Oregon, USA, where I currently live.

I also checked the distance to Krustpils, Latvia, where my great-grandmother Sore Leibe Brainin (known as Sarah Libby here) is supposed to have been born.  It is 5,152.8 miles from Gresham.

My great-great-grandfather Gershon Nowicki (who changed only the spelling of his last name, which became Novitsky, when he came here) was from Porazava, Belarus, which is 5,357.92 miles from Gresham.

And my great-grandfather Moshe Meckler (Morris Mackler here) was from Kamyanyets, Belarus, which is 5,382.88 from Gresham.

So the winner appears to be Joe Gordon.  He was the first person in that branch of my family to leave Europe for the Goldene Medine for better opportunities than were available to Jews in the Russian Empire.  He arrived at New York City in 1909, going to his uncle Sam Schneiderman.  The family's decision to leave appears to coincide with the death of my great-great-grandmother in November 1908, but I don't know if that was the deciding factor.

Joe's departure started the chain migration of his immediate family, most of whom came to the United States:  brother David in 1910; sister Sarah in 1911; father Victor and brothers Hyman and Morris in 1914; and sisters Anna and Rose in 1921.  The oldest sister, Etta, who was already married and had children, went with her family to Ottawa, Canada, where her husband's family (he had eleven siblings!) had immigrated.

I don't know if my great-great-grandfather Victor (or his father Gersh Wolf) was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi or in nearby Orynyn, but it is only 5,658.4 miles from Gresham.  So Kamianets-Podilskyi is the clear winner for distance.

I used Distance Calculator US to determine the straight-line distances between locations.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Ancestors in the 1930's Great Depression

I actually know the information for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver for most of my families without even looking.

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

1.  What did your ancestral families do during the Great Depression (1930–1940)?  Did they keep their jobs and standard of living?  Did they suffer personally or economically?

2.  Share your information about your ancestors in the Great Depression 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.

NOTE:  I could use ideas for different SNGF topics.  Please send me a message at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Thank you to Marian B. Wood for this week's SNGF challenge topic.

My paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, was still married to his first wife at the beginning of the Great Depression.  They had two daughters.  In the 1930 census, the four family members were enumerated in four different locations.  My grandfather was living at home with his mother and two siblings in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey; he was working at the large textile mill which provided most of the employment in that city.  The older daughter was in the Burlington County children's home.  The younger daughter was in Camden County, boarding with a well-off family who was otherwise not connected to my family.  And the girls' mother, Grandpa's first wife, was also living in Camden County, working as a live-in private servant to another unconnected family.

I interviewed Grandpa for a civics class while I was in high school.  We were studying the Great Depression, and we were told to interview a family member who had been alive at that time.  I can't find the interview notes (I don't know if I kept them!), but I remember him telling me that he did have financial problems, particularly that he mentioned trouble supporting his family.  I really hope I kept that interview, because it will be even more relevant to me now that I know more about the family.

Grandpa's mother, Laura May (Armstrong) Sellers Ireland, was living at her home in Mount Holly in 1930, as I wrote above.  She was married at the time to John Ireland, whom she married in 1929.  I don't know when he was no longer in the picture, but I was told she didn't keep him around long.  She kept the name Ireland, though, and was known in the family as Nanny Ireland.  In 1940 she was still living in the same home, but her address was not enumerated in the census.  She was able to keep her home throughout the Depression, even though she was not listed as having an occupation in 1930.

My paternal grandmother, Anna (Gauntt) Stradling, who was at least separated from her husband (if not divorced), was living in Mount Holly and was working at the same textile mill as my grandfather.  I have always guessed that's where they met/got together, which had to have been at least by about March 1935, because my father, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., was born in December 1935, but in an entirely different county in New Jersey (Bergen).  I have been told the family moved around quite a bit during the Depression as my grandfather found construction and civil engineering work in New Jersey and New York.  They were missed by the enumerators in 1940, but they apparently lived in three different locations that year, so they were probably either just ahead of or just behind the census takers.

Nana's parents, Thomas Kirkland and Jane (Dunstan) Gauntt, were living in Mount Holly in 1930 and 1940.  They owned their home, and both were retired.  They lived in a rural area, and I've never heard that they were affected much by the Depression.

My maternal grandmother, Lily Gordon, was living with her parents, Joe and Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon, and two older brothers in Baltimore, Maryland in 1930.  They moved there sometime after 1924, because they were enumerated in 1925 in the New York state census in Manhattan.  My grandmother told me they moved to Maryland because her father had some trouble finding good work in New York, but I don't know what year, so I don't know if it was related to the Depression.  By 1939 they were back in New York, but in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan.  From what I have learned my great-grandfather had continuous employment throughout the Depression working in the garment industry.  The 1940 census recorded Joe and Sarah as retired and as owning their residence.

Sarah's parents, Morris and Rose Dorothy (Jaffe) Brainin, were living in Manhattan as documented by the 1930 census.  Neither was working.  Morris died in February 1930 and Rose died in November 1934, so they did not make it through the Depression.

My maternal grandfather, Abraham Meckler, was enumerated with his parents, Morris and Minnie (Nowicki) Meckler, and four of his siblings in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York.  His father was working as a carpenter.  I have no stories that reported them as having financial problems during the Depression.  Minnie died in August 1936; Morris was still in the same house in Brooklyn in 1940.

Abraham and Lily were married in October 1939 in The Bronx for some reason, but they were living in Brooklyn according to the 1940 census.  Their occupation was retail candy store, and I even have a photo of them in the candy store they owned.  (My mother was born in November 1940, so she isn't quite enumerated in the census.)

My great-great-grandparents Gershon and Dora (Yelsky) Novitsky, Minnie Meckler's parents and Abraham Meckler's grandparents, were enumerated in the 1930 census living with one of their sons in Brooklyn.  Gershon was working as a Hebrew teacher.  Dora died in February 1936.  I know Gershon was alive in 1940, because he didn't die until 1948, but I have still not found him in the census.  I'm pretty sure he was in Brooklyn, but I don't know if he was working.  His son owned the building where he was living in 1930 and did well through the Depression, but Gershon was not living with him in 1940.

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 Disappeared Ancestors

When I hear about "disappeared" people nowadays, it usually has a more sinister connotation than what Randy Seaver means for today's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun exercise.

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

1.  Sometimes an ancestor or relative just disappears out of the records and we cannot find another record after a certain date.

2.  Tell us about one or more of your relatives or ancestors that have disappeared and not been found since a certain date.  Do you have any idea of what might have happened to them?

3.  Share information about your disappearing relative or ancestor in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook comment.

Based on the way Randy has set this up, I guess I can't use any of my early ancestors on my mother's side, because I haven't found them in any records yet, period, much less after a certain date.  Or at least not in any records about them.  I have found their names in later generations' records, which is why I have the names at all, but all I have is their names.

A relative on my mother's side for whom I have not found records after a given date is my great-grandmother's brother Sam Novak (originally Shmuel Nowicki).  I have found him immigrating to the United States in 1905.  I have found him with his family in censuses in 1920, 1925, and 1930 and on a 1942 World War II draft registration card.  I am pretty sure it's him on a 1940 census page, but not completely sure.  A daughter in the household appears to be the correct person, but his wife's name has been transcribed as "Verge", and I don't know if it's Sarah or not.  The census is a different address than 1930 and 1942, so that doesn't help.  And I can't seem to find him in the 1950 census.  As for Randy's question "Do you have any idea of what might have happened to them?", I'm sure he died, but I don't know when or where.  My guess for where is Brooklyn, but that's all I have.

Two ancestors on my father's side I don't know about after certain dates are my great-grandmother's parents.  I have been able to find documents for Joel Armstrong and Sarah Ann Lippincott from their births and early lives through 1885.  I believe I have found them each in 1900 and later, although I'm not always positive it's them.  I think I have found Sarah living with her aunt and uncle and my great-grandmother in 1900; I know I have found her in 1905 living with her older daughter.  I might have found Joel with a second wife in 1910 and 1920.  At this point I have guessed that they divorced sometime between 1880 and 1900, but I don't have a record for that.  And I've seen various death dates attributed to each of them but nothing with any documentation.  So again I'm sure they died, but I don't know for sure when or where.  My guess for where for each of them is Burlington County, New Jersey.  I've seen Joel listed with a death date of 1922 multiple times, but I can't find any records to verify that.  I don't remember what I have seen about Sarah, but I do remember nothing has had documentation.

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

In some ways, I love it when Randy Seaver's theme for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun is something for which I already know the answers.

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

1.  Did your grandparents know their grandparents personally?

2.  Check your family tree and share your grandparents' names and birth and death years and places, and their grandparents' names and birth and death years and places, and indicate if they knew their grandparents.

3.  Share  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.

As another poster on Randy's site commented, we did this exact same topic in February.  I took her cue and did this with my parents instead of my grandparents.  I realized after I wrote everything down that it would be difficult to look up the years I couldn't remember, because the computer on which I have been running my family tree crashed three days ago.  I shipped the computer out yesterday and won't know the status of the hard drive until at least Tuesday.  I searched for when I've posted about these ancestors, though, and retrieved the few years of which I was unsure that way.

• Father:  Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935 New Jersey–2019 Florida).  His grandparents were:
    • Cornelius Elmer Sellers (1874 Pennsylvania–1918 New Jersey; adoptive) — no
    • Laura May Armstrong (1882 New Jersey–1970 Florida) — yes
    • Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870 New Jersey–1951 New Jersey) — yes
    • Jane Dunstan (1871 Lancashire–1955 New Jersey) — yes

• Mother:  Myra Roslyn Meckler (1940 New York–1995 Florida).  Her grandparents were:
    • Morris Mackler (about 1882 Russian Empire–1953 New York) — yes
    • Minnie Zelda Nowicki (about 1880 Russian Empire–1936 New York) — no
    • Joe Gordon (about 1892 Russian Empire–1955 New York) — yes
    • Sarah Libby Brainin (about 1890 Russian Empire–1963 Florida) — yes

Totals:
Yes:  6
No:  2

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.

Taking the First Kid to See Zadie (Grandpa)

I'm more than a little obsessive, so I like looking for all the documents I can find for my ancestors and collateral relatives also.  I'm always searching for everyone's names in databases.

Everyone on my mother's side of the family from the generation of my great-grandparents and some of their children immigrated to the United States during the early 20th century.  I have spent a lot of time searching for all of my immigrant relatives in passenger list databases.  This not only provides me with their original names prior to Americanization, but also tell me birth places and names of relatives who were still in Europe, listed as contacts in the old country.

One person I have continued to search for is my great-grandmother's sister, known as Jennie in this country.  After putting several puzzle pieces together, I have determined that her Jewish name was probably Zlate, although I have yet to find the passenger list for her first arrival in this country.

I know that Jennie married her cousin Louis Perlman (originally Leiser Perlmutter) June 30, 1908 in Brooklyn, so she had to have arrived before that date.  On May 22, 1906, my great-grandfather Moishe Meckler came into New York and provided the name of his sister-in-law — Zlate — as his relative here, so she was here before then.

Louis himself arrived at Ellis Island a few days earlier than Moishe, on May 19, 1906, and said the relative he was coming to was his cousin, so she was here before that date.  And Jennie's brother Sam arrived July 27, 1905 and listed her as his point of contact, so she was here by then.

But I still haven't found that passenger list for Jennie.  I have found her on a passenger list, but for several years later.

On the passenger list for the S.S. Zeeland, which departed Antwerp May 18, 1912 and arrived in New York May 29 (113 years ago today!), two of the passengers were Jennie Perlman and her son, Rubin Perlman.  They traveled in the second-class cabin, not in steerage, which was the normal method of travel for poor immigrant Jews coming from Eastern Europe.

Jennie and Rubin are the last two names in this image

Another unusual aspect of their travel is that they were apparently not held at Ellis Island.  Unlike the woman and her three children on lines 3 through 6, who are marked with X's, indicating they were detained; or the three minors on lines 14 through 16, just above Jennie, who have SI in front of each of their names, overstamped with ADMITTED, indicating they were held for Special Inquiry, Jennie and Rubin were apparently admitted with no delay.  Normally a woman of child-bearing age who was not accompanied by a man — particularly a woman with a child — was held until someone came to meet her, due to concerns that she would become a burden upon society, a "likely public charge" (abbreviated as LPC on pages listing detainees).  Maybe Louis met her at the ship.

Something not visually evident is that Jennie shouldn't have been listed on this page at all.  The title at the top of the page is very clear, in large capital letters:  LIST OR MANIFEST OF ALIEN PASSENGERS.  But Jennie was no longer an alien.  Her husband, Louis, became a naturalized citizen of the United States on January 23, 1912.  Under the laws of the time, she automatically became a citizen at the same time.  And Rubin was born here, so he was a citizen.  I don't know why Jennie and Rubin are on this page and not on a page for U.S. citizens.  On the other hand, I don't know when they departed the United States to travel to Europe, so it's possible that Louis had not completed his naturalization before they left.

When I first discovered this passenger list, I wondered why Jennie had taken the trip.  Then I noticed who she said was her nearest relative in the country whence she came:  her father, G. [Gershon] Nowitzky.  I think she went to visit her parents to introduce them to her first child.  Rubin wasn't Gershon's first grandchild — my great-grandmother Minnie, who was Jennie's older sister, had her first three children in Europe, and Gershon would have known them — but maybe Jennie was worried her parents wouldn't come to the United States (they didn't come until ten years after this) and wanted to make sure Rubin had an opportunity to meet them.

I'm glad I found this passenger list.  On the second page, in addition to saying that Jennie was born in Porozowo, Russia (now Porazava, Belarus), there is a notation that Jennie first came to the United States in 1904 and was in New York.  Maybe that will help me track down that first passenger list.

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: 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.

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 31 (at last!)

I have a copy of a big family photo that was taken on the occasion of Anna's wedding in 1924.  Hymie died on the 40th anniversary of his sister Anna's wedding.

Births

Edmund Hoffman was born December 31, 1825 in Pennsylvania.  He was the husband of Mary Gaunt, daughter of David Gaunt and Pamela Plummer, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Clarence Eugene Easlick, son of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, was born December 31, 1912 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Carol Alene Gauntt, daughter of James Kirkland Gauntt and Newita Wanda Scott, was born December 31, 1940 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California.  She is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Marriages

Henry C. Buckley and Ella Gaunt, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Elizabeth K. Frazer, were married December 31, 1868, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Ella is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

John B. Gaunt, son of James Gauntt and Amelia Gibson, and Sarah V. Woolston were married December 31, 1876 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  John is my great-granduncle.

William B. Gaunt, son of Abner H. Gaunt and Emeline Severs, and Fannie Rebecca Hall were also married December 31, 1876, but I don't know where.  It was likely New Jersey or Pennsylvania.  William is my 1st cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

William Lippincott Gaunt, son of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Mary A. Woolman, and Clara M. Taggart were married December 31, 1921, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  This William is my 3rd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Gabriel William Lederman and Anna Gordon (originally Chana Gorodetsky), daughter of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, were married December 31, 1924 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Anna is my great-grandaunt.

Jose "Uchey" Yngber and Edie Ida Jakowszycka, daughter of Aaron Samuel Jakowszyck and Findle "Novinska" (probably Nowicka?), were married December 31, 1939, probably in Cuba.  Edie is likely my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line.

Philip Charles Alexander and Jessie Utley Easlick, daughter of Vinton Thompson Easlick and Beulah Anna Elizabeth Bozarth, were married December 31, 1951 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Jessie is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Melvin Cecil Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon and Roslyn Rubin, and Marcia Urrutia were married December 31, 1982 in Dade County, Florida.  Melvin is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gordon line.

Joel Ian Katz and Leala Rona Birnboim, daughter of Chaim Avraham Birnboim and Shirley Hirt, were married December 31, 1989 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Leala is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Birnboims.

Deaths

Hyman Gordon (originally Chaim Gorodetsky), son of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, died December 31, 1964, probably in Manhattan, New York County, New York, at the age of 65.  He is my great-granduncle.

John F. Kelly, son of Joseph Kelley and Martha W. Lawrence, died December 31, 1975 in New Jersey.  He is the 2nd cousin 1x removed of my half 1st cousin Albert Lore on his Eckman line through the Lawrences.

Events in My Family Tree: December 25

I've heard from friends that being a Christmas baby is mostly a disadvantage, because you often don't have a regular birthday party and people want to give you a combined birthday/Christmas present.  This is probably not a big problem when you're Jewish, right?

Births

Mary Ann McGowan was born December 25, 1805 in Pennsylvania.  She was married to Joseph Gantt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Mary A. Lobaugh, who is my 1st cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Pauline E. Smoot was born December 25, 1827 in Virginia.  She was married to Redden N. Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Phoebe Emily Severn, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Wilma Elizabeth Norris was born December 25, 1912 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana.  She was married to Neil Gaunt Clark, son of Oren Wilson Clark and Anna G. Gaunt, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Irene Bassie (Bessai?) Dubensky was born December 25, 1920, possibly in Ohio.  She was the third wife of Harry Herman Mackler, son of Morris Mackler (originally Moishe Meckler) and Minnie (originally Mushe) Zelda Nowicki, who is my granduncle.

Gene Paul Gaunt, son of Clarence Meridith Gaunt and Mary Grace Stewart, was born December 25, 1931 in California.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Melanie Amron, daughter of Eli Morton Amron and Alice Gold, was born December 25, 1952 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my 4th cousin on my Nowicki line through the Amrons.

Edward James Ellis, Jr. was born December 25, 1977.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Nathan Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt and Achsah Taylor, and Sarah Coles were married December 25, 1823 in Swedesboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Nathan is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Richard Dunstan, son of James Dunstan and Maria Hilton, and Jane Coleclough were married December 25, 1833 in Manchester, Lancashire, England.  They are my 3x-great-grandparents.

James Andrews and Mary D. Gaunt, daughter of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Mary Elizabeth Rose, were married December 25, 1841 in Tuckerton, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Mary is my half 2nd-great-grandaunt.

Francis D. Matthews and Susannah H. Gaunt, another daughter of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Mary Elizabeth Rose, were married December 25, 1876, probably in New Jersey.  Susannah is also my half 2nd-great-grandaunt.

Floyd Richard Williams, son of Preston Frank Williams and Priscilla Crawford, and Susie Lee Adams, daughter of Alma Adams, were married December 25, 1927 in Muscogee County, Georgia.  They are the paternal grandparents of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Deaths

Isaac Gaunt, son of Hananiah Gaunt and Rebecca Mulliner, died December 25, 1864 in Tuckerton, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 77.  He is my 3rd-great-granduncle.

James H. Fuller, son of Joseph E. Fuller and Lorina G. Tripp, died December 25, 1929 in Stony Creek, Warren County, New York at the age of 80.  He is the 2nd-great-granduncle of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul, and the 3rd-great-granduncle of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Janet Edna Weaver, daughter of James Henry Weaver and Ada Adelle Allen, died December 25, 2005, possibly in Whiting, Ocean County, New Jersey, at the age of 75.  She is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Joseph W. Bonifas, son of Charles Dennison Bonifas, Sr. and Georgia Grace Gaunt, died December 25, 2011 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana at the age of 80.  He is my 6th cousin via the Gaunts.

Events in My Family Tree: December 22

This is a busy day of crossovers.  Joseph Gaunt was born on his brother Hananiah's 7th birthday.  Redden Gaunt died on his daughter Phoebe's 8th birthday.  Steve Gordon was born on his Uncle Sidney's 39th birthday.

Births

Hananiah Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, was born December 22, 1762 in Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 4x-great-grandfather.

Joseph Gaunt, another son of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, was born December 22, 1769 in Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 4x-great-granduncle via the Gaunts.

Phoebe Emily Gaunt, daughter of Redden N. Gaunt and Pauline E. Smoot, was born December 22, 1846 in Indiana, possibly in Jay County.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Alice Mullin was born December 22, 1906 in New Jersey.  She was married to John Francis Gaynor, Jr., son of John Francis Gaynor and Josephine O'Connor, who is the great-granduncle of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Sidney Gordon, son of Joe Gordon (originally Joyne Gorodetsky) and Sarah Libby (originally Sore Leiba) Brainin, was born December 22, 1915 in Manhattan, New York County, New York.  He is my granduncle.

Florence Meckler, daughter of Morris Mackler (originally Moishe Meckler) and Minnie (originally Mushe) Zelda Nowicki, was also born December 22, 1915, but in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my grandaunt.

Harvey Stephen Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon and Roslyn Rubin, was born December 22, 1944 in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida.  He is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gordon line.

George Steven Monat was born December 22, 1953 in Anniston, Calhoun County, Alabama.  He is the husband of Janis Susan Brainin, daughter of Harold Leon Brainin and Ruth Pauline Schwartz, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Marriage

Lewis Allen Gaunt, son of Lewis Cass Gaunt and Mary A. Kindlesparger, and Sylvia Belle Black were married December 22, 1906 in Miami County, Indiana.  Lewis is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Deaths

Redden N. Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Phoebe Emily Severn, died December 22, 1864 in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee at the age of 43.  He is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Harry A. Schwartz, son of Joseph Schwartz and Anna Ajzner, died December 22, 1990 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California at the age of 80.  He is the 1st cousin 1x removed of my 3rd cousin 1x removed Esther Garfinkel on her Ajzner line.

Events in My Family Tree: December 17

Bruce Ellis was born on his grandfather's 65th birthday, and Levi Ellis was still around to meet his grandson.

Births

Phebe E. Whitacre, daughter of Joseph Whitacre and Anna Gaunt, was born December 17, 1832 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Levi Ellis was born December 17, 1885 in Tabernacle, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He was married to Carrie Florence Gauntt, daughter of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, who is my grandaunt.

Vivian Louise Gaunt, daughter of Joseph Harley Gaunt and Settie Inez Horn, was born December 17, 1918 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Bruce Oliver Ellis, son of Russell Oliver Ellis and Irene Elise Crater, was born December 17, 1950 in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin on my Gauntt line through the Ellises.

Henry Maranz was born December 17, 1953, possibly in New Jersey.  He was the husband of Barbara Boulissa Lederman, daughter of Donald Lawrence Lederman and Miriam Jaffe, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Ledermans.

Mindy Deborah McStroul was born December 17, 1973.  She is the 1st cousin 1x removed of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul and the 2nd cousin of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Matthew Royce Collier was born December 17, 1988.  He is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Mitchell Logan Freitag was born December 17, 1992.  He is also my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Charles Parker and Harriet Gaunt, daughter of David H. Gaunt and Eliza Anderson, were married December 17, 1900, probably in New Jersey.  Harriet is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Kenneth Leroy Abell and Emma Evelyn Gaunt, daughter of William Alvin Gaunt and Mamie B. Mitchell, were married December 17, 1941.  Emma is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

James Chase Crawford and Luann Abell, daughter of Kenneth Leroy Abell and Emma Evelyn Gaunt, were married December 17, 1977 in Fresno County, California.  Luann is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Deaths

Evaline Viola Easlick, daughter of Jonathan Easlick and Susannah Sever, died December 17, 1931, possibly in New Jersey, at the age of 52.  She is my 1st cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

William Henry Wickham, son of Charles E. Wickham and Martha Elizabeth Bowen, died December 17, 1940 in New Jersey at the age of 48.  He is the 1st cousin 2x removed of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James on their Bowen line.

Henry Schumeister died December 17, 1962 in Ramsey County, Minnesota at the age of about 82.  He was the husband of Celia Perlmutter, daughter of Maishe Eli Perlmutter and Ethel Nowicki, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line.

Rose Sopher died December 17, 2001, possibly in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, at the age of 92.  She was married to Morris Gordon (originally Moishe Gorodetsky), son of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, who is my great-granduncle.

Norman Stuart Farbman, son of Murray Farbman and Etta Millstein, died December 17, 2004, probably in New York, at the age of 61.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Millsteins.

Events in My Family Tree: December 15

Neva Perlman had the same birthday as her brother-in-law.  What did her sister do on that day?

Births

Harry A. Schwartz, son of Joseph Schwartz and Anna Ajzner, was born December 15, 1910 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California.  He is the 1st cousin 1x removed of my dear cousin Esther Garfinkel on her Ajzner line.

William Oliver Gauntt, son of Thomas Franklin Gauntt and Anna Marie Stayton, was born December 15, 1940 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Joseph Naclerio was also born December 15, 1940, but in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  He was married to Kim Perlman, daughter of Murray Elliot Perlman and Helen Ruth Greenebaum, who is my 4th cousin on my Nowicki line through the Perlmans.

Paul Kushner, son of Benjamin Louis Kushner and Gladys Shindelman, was born December 15, 1951 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  He is also my 4th cousin but on my Meckler line.

Neva Perlman, daughter of Murray Elliot Perlman and Helen Ruth Greenebaum, was born December 15, 1953 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is another 4th cousin on my Nowicki line through the Perlmans and Kim's sister.

Patricia Ellen Gaunt, daughter of Robert Gaunt and Mary Evelyn Westbrooks, was born December 15, 1954 in Indiana.  She is my 6th cousin via the Gaunts.

Jonah Harry Balick was born December 15, 1994.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed.

Deaths

William Clarence Bowker, son of John Bowker and Louisa J. Armstrong, died December 15, 1946 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey at the age of 74.  He is my 1st cousin 4x removed on my Armstrong line.

David Wilson Rink died December 15, 1955 in Elkhart County, Indiana at the age of 74.  He was married to Edna Hite, daughter of John Hite and Mary Ann Claycomb, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hites.

Oren Wilson Clark, Jr., son of Oren Wilson Clark and Anna G. Gaunt, died December 15, 1997 in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas at the age of 80.  He is also my 4th cousin 2x removed, via the Gaunts.

Events in My Family Tree: December 13

Rhoda was born on her father's 28th birthday.  Another special birthday present!

Births

Caroline Estella Oler was born December 13, 1882 in Indiana.  She was married to James Edward Slentz, son of Ephraim Slentz and Zilpha Emily Gaunt, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Sam Brozovsky was born December 13, 1926 in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.  He was the husband of Ann Kardish, daughter of Dovid Kardish and Etta Gorodetsky, who is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

Nathanial Barker, son of Walter Barker and Carrie Bell Crawford, was born December 13, 1938 in Georgia, probably Muscogee County.  He is the 1st cousin 3x removed of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams on her Crawford line.

Rhoda Brozovsky, daughter of Sam Brozovsky and Ann Kardish, was born December 13, 1954 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  She is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardishes.

Alexis Ann Omichinski was born December 13, 1982.  She is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Ian Elliot Kardish Levitan was born December 13, 1990.  He is my 3rd cousin.

Marriage

James Pharo, son of Gervais Farrow and Elizabeth Hawkesmore, and Ann Murfin, daughter of Robert Murfin, were married December 13, 1673 in Bawtry, Yorkshire, England.  They are my 8th-great-grandparents.

Deaths

Earl Morris Hutson, son of Bateman Hutson and Lorinda Brown, died December 13, 1947 in Brookston, White County, Indiana at the age of 57.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Anna Tania Jakowsczyka, daughter of Aaron Samuel Jakowsczyk and Findla Nowinska (probably Nowicka), died December 13, 1980 in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida at the age of about 73.  She is probably related to me herself (possibly as a 1st cousin 3x removed), but she was the wife of William Socherman (originally Welwel Szocherman), son of Chanania Szocherman and Rojzla Perlmutter, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line through the Perlmutters.

Sarah Clarice Higgins, daughter of Ervie Oscar Higgins and Elizabeth Opal Gaunt, died December 13, 2007 in California, possibly in Butte or Yuba County.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

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: December 10

Irwin Millstein got married on his 1st cousin Florence (Bernstein) Cohen's third wedding anniversary.  Their mothers were sisters.

Births

William Augustus Heath, son of Henry Health and Eliza Bullock, was born December 10, 1849 in Thurman, Warren County, New York.  He is the great-granduncle of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul, and the great-great-granduncle of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Austin Francis Gaynor, son of James P. Gaynor and Mary Guynan, was born December 10, 1881 in New York, probably in Manhattan.  He is the great-granduncle of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Francis Monroe Warner, son of Wilbert Rose Warner and Rachel Anna Armstrong, was born December 10, 1908 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 1st cousin 3x removed on my Armstrong line.

Gretchen K. C. Hopman was born December 10, 1916, possibly in Indiana.  She was married to Burman J. Gaunt, son of Orlan Fay Gaunt and Ruth Irene Waybright, who is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

David Kardash, son of Louis Kardash and May Udashkin, was born December 10, 1947 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardashes.

Michael Albert Ellis, son of Albert Giberson Ellis and Eva Imogene Calvert, was born December 10, 1960 in Georgia.  He is my 2nd cousin on my Gauntt line through the Ellises.

Dean Frederick Allen was born December 10, 1979.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed.

Claire Hannah Lynne Zindler was born December 10, 1996.  She is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Seymour H. Cohen and Florence Bernstein, daughter of Sam Bernstein and Rose Gordon (originally Ruchel Gorodetskaya), were married December 10, 1946 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Florence is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

Irwin Millstein, son of Nathan Millstein and Sarah Gordon (originally Sura Gorodetskaya), were married December 10, 1949 in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.  Irwin is also my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

Robert Melvin Vaughn, son of Melville Everett Vaughn and Evelyn Virginia Ballenger Fadler, and Vicki Norton were married December 10, 1982 in Lemoore, Kings County, California.  Robert is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Vaughns.

Don Hervak and Leala Rona Birnboim, daughter of Chaim Avraham Birnboim and Shirley Hirt, were married December 10, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Leala is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Birnboims.

Deaths

Lydia A. died December 10, 1879 in Chambersburg, Mercer County, New Jersey at the age of 33.  She was the wife of Joseph Bowker, son of John Bowker and Louisa J. Armstrong, who is my 1st cousin 4x removed on my Armstrong line.

Jonathan Easlick died December 10, 1905 in Morrisville, Pennsylvania at the age of 63.  He was married to Susannah Sever, daughter of Allen Sever and Elizabeth Ann Gaunt, who is my 1st cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Vinton Thompson Easlick, son of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, died December 10, 1968 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 67.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Elaine Fensterwald died December 10, 1979 in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota at the age of 47.  She was married to Julian Saul Perlman, son of Abraham Sam Perlman (originally Perlmutter) and Stella Jaffe.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Nowicki line through the Perlmutters.

Abraham Meckler, son of Morris Mackler (originally Moishe Meckler) and Minnie (originally Mushe) Zelda Nowicki, died December 10, 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida at the age of 77.  He is my grandfather.

Russell Oliver Ellis, son of Levi Ellis and Carrie Florence Gauntt, died December 10, 1991 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania at the age of 69.  He is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Irwin Garfield (originally Garfinkel), son of Jack Garfinkel and Martha Freedman, died December 10, 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the age of 69.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.