Another Abraham Gillick

Family of Edel Gillick Camlot

Edel/ Adel/ Etta/ Ethel Gillick, mother of the Camlots, and her husband Israel Kamlut did not immigrate.

The way I found out about Edel's family is through her nephew, Lawrence, who shared  his grandmother Nechama / Emma Gillick  Wolfson/ Wilson's memories of her siblings.

It is great when someone connects with a name or record on an Ancestry Tree. This is what happened to Deb who has spent countless valuable hours researching people from Ostropol and Staro-Konstaninen and building a Tree that connects the thousands of people with those origins.

We depend on the descendants stepping forward with what they know and remember. Piecing together all those sometimes disconnected fragments can provide so many clues in understanding relationships.

Nechama / Emma  Gillick lived with her grandson, Lawrence for 16 years and it was he who shared what his grandmother had told him many years ago. One of her sisters had been a mother to the Camlots. That would mean that Nechama was the sister of Edel Gillick Camlot. Did any family members have contact many years ago? I have yet to find out!

Nechama was born about Jan 1857 in Ostropol and died in Montreal 24 Aug 1945. Along with her sister Edel, she had 3 other siblings, a sister Tanna who had a daughter Shifra Greenfield in Vinnitsa, a sister Rose of New York and a brother Abraham. Abraham may have had the name Kally which was found to be a variant of Gillick. Their father's name was Abraham which I found out from the translation of Nechama's gravestone. Abraham was born about 1830 in Ostropol and died about 1856 in Ostropol.

It is important to sort out all the similar and same names! Deb has helped with this by sending me this e-mail. "Nechama's brother, born around 1856 ( not her father) would be Chaim Abraham and the likeliest father to Joe/ Louis/ Jacob Meir." As well she wrote, "The surname Kally was just the memory of the last name from Lawrence. He had never heard the name Gillick before. I think the name Kally never had a separate existence, just a name that sounded something like that- Kally, Gally, Gallik is not a far stretch."

 Nechama had 4 daughters: Mary, Leah, Annie and Lillian. She was married before 1890 to Barnet (Boruch) Wolfson in Ostropol but he left the family sometime during the childhood of his daughters. Nechama departed from Rotterdam on the ship, S.S. Rotterdam, 8 Jul 1902 and arrived 14 Jul 1902 in New York. Her 2 daughters Leah ( Leia )and Lillian ( Libe ) were with her. The name of a daughter M. Gold, daughter, at 220 Clinton St, New York was where they were heading. The identity of that daughter is uncertain; she may have been daughter Mary. In the 1911 Census, Nechama used the name Wilson and called herself a widow.

                                                                                   


In her daughter Anne's wedding invitation, she also used the name Wilson.











The name Wolfson was on her gravestone.








The daughters:

Mary/ Miriam Wilson/ Wolfson, born Mar 1890 in Ostropol, Volynnia, Russia. She married Joseph Hausberg about 1915 in Montreal. They had 2 children, Rose and Benny ( Boruch ). Rose was born about 1914 in Montreal and married Lewis Brook. Benny was born in 1916. Mary died 22 Jan 1936 in Montreal.

Leah was born about 1891 in Ostropol, Volynnia, Russia  and died about 1952 in Montreal.

Annie/ Chana Wilson ( Wolfson )was born Apr 1892 in Ostropol, Volynnia, Russia. She died in Montreal. She married Chatzkel/ Ezekiel Garmaise, 14 Jun 1917 in Lachine, Quebec. Ezekiel was born 1886 in Ostropol and died 10 Jan 1955 in Montreal, Quebec. They had 3 sons Boris, David and Lawrence.

Lillian/ Liba Wilson ( Wolfson ), born Apr 1893 in Ostropol, Volynnia, Russia. Her first marriage was to Abraham Levine, 19 Sep 1920 in Lachine, Quebec. She married Sam Lazar, 5 Nov 1933 in Montreal.

It would be very meaningful if someone would recognize these names and be able to offer more evidence that this is indeed the family of Edel Gillick Camlot and Abraham Gillick. What this would mean is that would link all their descendants. That would explain  how Fanny Gillick was a cousin to her husband Fred Camlot. I had heard that they were cousins.. This would offer the explanation: Fanny's grandfather Abraham and Fred's mother Edel were siblings. What also follows is that would mean that Jacob from Chicago and Louis and Joe Gillick from Sherbrooke, Quebec were first cousins to the Camlot siblings. Joe attended the Bar Mitzvah of Jack Camlot's grandson, Irving. There was a connection!

A totally other surprise and intriguing was finding that the address of Annie Wilson/ Wolfson's wedding invitation of 92 Prince Arthur Street in 1917 is the same address as another relative on my mother's side who lived at the same address in the same year of 1917. Ida Schwartz married Israel Meyer Randolph, 28 Jan 1917. The address at the time of their son Moses/ Morris' birth, born 12 Nov 1917 was 92 Prince Arthur. It would be great if some other connection would emerge from this and I could find out about this Schwartz family!

Samuel David Endler

 

A Petition for US Naturalization

Samuel David Endler was the son of Eliahu  Endler. I discovered him in the Quebec City 1911 Census with his sister Ida, his father Elia who sponsored my grandfather and his mother Rebecca Leah Lurstin. He was a first cousin of my grandfather's and lived until 19 Sep 1975. I could have known about him and his sister Ida but he was another relative of mystery. What is intriguing is that he shared a name with my father, David. They were both named after someone in the past, an ancestor whom I have not found.

Sometimes records can give us so much information. Samuel David's Petition for Naturalization proved to be so valuable. This document gave his birth date,  1 Aug 1897 and  his residence at 1050 Park Ave in New York. His last foreign residence was Quebec. He entered the US through Jackson, Maine on the vessel called Kennebec Highway on 16 Aug 1932.  What was especially interesting was finding out his occupation, a biological chemist and that he was married to Edith on 28 Jun 1932 in Brooklyn.

  Edith was born 27 Dec 1907 in Brooklyn, New York. New York is also given as her birth place in the 2 Jan 1946 New York Passenger Lists.

Two newspaper articles announcing their engagement and wedding gave me her maiden name, Richards and the name of her father Bernard Richards.

 There is a 15 May 1918 WWl Draft Application which  gives Sam's father, Elie at 64 St Dominique St, Quebec City as his contact. This record describes Sam as 5' 4". He was 20 years, 9 months and was not in active militia service.

For an unknown reason, Sam is listed as living with his sister, Ida and her husband Benjamin Eliasoph and their sons James and Ira in the 1940 Census. Sam's wife, Edith is not listed in the home.

Sam died 19 Sep 1975 in Dade, Florida. Edith died 5 Nov 1996 in Palm Beach, Florida.

A great granddaughter of  Frank Dermansky who was Sam's step brother, remembers when Edith visited Frank's daughter Gladys every summer and that her family visited Edith in Newport, Rhode Island.  "Edith loved a highball in the morning and was usually off her rocker by noon. She was a loving and hilarious woman with a great sense of humor. "

How great it would be to discover someone who would share memories and pictures of  Samuel David and his side of the Endler family.

Was Fraidel Filshstein Gillick the mother of Joe, Louis and Jacob?

How Accurate is the Age in the Census Records?

My interest in genealogy started 4 years ago. When I  started looking at pictures that my grandparents had, there were many people who were a complete mystery. Where were these pictures kept when my grandparents were alive?

One picture that interested me was Joe Gillick sitting on a park bench with my grandmother who also was smiling. It was rare to see my grandmother looking so content. To me that picture was a treasure. Who was he?

 Abe and Sam Echenberg with Joe Gillick (noted with "2nd wife, third generation in calendar). Photo scanned from the calendar prepared by Hope Echenberg Finestone and Myron and Eva Echenberg for the 1999 Echenberg Family Reunion, Quebec, Canada

Dean Echenberg

With the help of Dean Echenberg who grew up in Sherbrooke, I learned that Joe lived with Dean's family. Joe always seemed to hang around Dean's father Sydney as Sydney was athletic and was the protector of Jewish kids in Sherbrooke. In the 1911 Census, Joe lived with Sam and Fannie Echenberg and their 2 children , Isadore and Maurice, as well as Sam's brother Jack and his sister Clara. Beside them were Sam's brother Louis, his wife Basil/ Basya and their 2 children Sydney (Shea) and Max. There definitely seemed to be a very close connection with him and the Echenbergs

According to the 1911 census, Joe was born in January 1889. His father was Chaim Abraham Gillick. I learned this from the translation of his gravestone. Joe died 7 Jun 1956 and was buried in Sherbrooke.

Who was Joe Gillick's mother?

Fraidel Filshtein (born about 1856 in Ostropol, Volynnia, Russia and died in Sherbrooke, 14 Apr 1931) was remembered by her Echenberg relatives as being a Gillick. This is very intriguing since there are 2 brothers, Joe and his brother Louis Gillick who immigrated to Sherbrooke.

We do know that Fraidel  married Israel Echenberg and had 5 children. Louis, Dean's grandfather, was the first born, April 1880 in Russia. This would mean that her children with her first husband Gillick would have to have been born before 1880. Joe 's birthdate would be off by 10 years from the 1911 Census birthdate, He would have been born ~1879.

That would mean that Fraidel would have married Chaim Abraham Gillick and was the mother of Louis Gillick, born about 1876, Jacob Meier, born 10 Nov 1887 and Joe, born abut 1879.

The further connection that links brothers, Joe and Louis and Fraidel was centred around Fraidel's third marriage to a widower, Samuel Genat. Fraidel's second husband, Israel, had died 29 Jul 1918 in Ostropol. The date was shown in the Sherbrooke Yizkor Tablets. Fraidel had arrived 20 Aug 1921 with her 3 youngest children, Jack, Claire and Isadore. She married Samuel Genat 28 Sep 1927 according to the Drouin Quebec Vital Records. What is interesting is that one of the witnesses is Joe Gillick. As well, when Fraidel died 14 Apr 1931, it was Joe Gillick who again was a witness. Furthermore Samuel Genat lived with both Joe and his brother Louis on 41 Alexander in Sherbrooke in 1935 as shown in the Canada, Voters Lists. so the level of association is clearly close!

Deb had done all this research yet I still can not understand how the birthdates could vary by 10 years and why Joe would not clearly state his birthdate as 1879 if that is what it was? I went back to Dean who knew Joe, who had lived with him. Dean initially thought Joe was just a few years older than his father Sydney who was born in 1908. With this new information, I asked him what he thought. He answered with the question he was reflecting on, "Was Joe Gillick 25 years older than my father, ie was Joe the same age as my grandfather? It is very difficult to tell and I am not sure. Joe was beardless and eunuchoid and it is almost impossible to guess his age. He was never referred to as uncle by my father but simply as Yussel. He was quite differential to my father because he worked for him, so there was a curious connection. I think that could substantiate a closer relationship than simply one of normal work.

We have not been able to find Joe's Passenger Record. Did he immigrate with another family? What all this reinforces is that dates on records are just part of the picture, that being able to reflect on our memories and brainstorm with others is so vital!

Challenges of Finding Kamlut/ Camlot Records

A Helpful Way of Discovering those Elusive Records

My dear genealogy mentor Deb came to the rescue again.

Our purpose was trying to find out more about the Gillick links. Mother of the Camlot children was Etta/ Adel Gillick and father was Israel Kamlut ( Camlot ).

Israel Camlot's birth name was Reich or Rich. To avoid going into the army, he was adopted by a Kamlut couple who didn't have any children. When his children came to North America, they changed their name from Kamlut to Camlot.

We were trying to find the Ocean Crossing Records for the oldest two Camlot brothers, Charles and Sam. Realizing that their name was Kamlut when they arrived, I tried Kam*, opening the search to many spelling possiblities.

If you have an Ancestry subscription, you search under:

Immigration & Travel, Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

Deb wrote, "I searched the Canadian Passenger Lists for anyone whose name was Kam*t. Then I looked at everyone who was in the right age range even if it said something like Kambert. A name that is misread by the indexer can still be right for us." 

I learned that adding the *t to the Kam, came up with the records. The indexer had put "Kambot" for oldest son Chaim ( Charles ) and" Kambert" for son Shmel ( Sam ). We just learned these 2 names of  Chaim and Shmel.

Chaim ( Charles ) sailed at the age of 18 from Antwerp, Belgium on the ship S.S. Montezuma and arrived in Quebec City, 15 Jun 1909.

 

Shmel ( Sam ) sailed at the age of 17 from Liverpool, England 

on the ship S.S. Canada and arrived in Quebec City, 15 May 1910.

Israel Kamlut and Adel Gillick had 7 children

Charles Camlot's date of birth on his US WWII Draft Registration is 15 Jul 1893 in Ostropol. I was told that his nephew Charles, Sam's grandson, born 6 Feb 1953, was named after him. That would mean that Charles died before this date. Charles' granddaughter, Charlene was also named after him. He married his first cousin Rose Lillian Rich 12 Nov 1919 in Wilmington, Delaware. Rose ( Ruchel Layah Reich ) was born 24 Dec 1898 in Prokurov, Russia and died 22 Sep 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sam Camlot was born 15 Jun 1894 in Ostropol and died Aug 1967 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He married Betty ( Rebecca ) Singerman who was born 14 Jul 1903 in Montreal, Quebec and died in 1995.

Sarah Camlot was born about 1896 in Ostropol and died 8 Oct 1959. She married Eli Saltzman in 1917.

Fred ( Fridel ) Camlot was born in 1897 in Ostropol and died 4 Aug 1964 in Montreal, Quebec. He married Fanny Gillick, his cousin, 15 Sep 1933 in  Montreal, Quebec. Fanny was born 22 Jul 1909 in Salnitza, Ukraine and died 6 Dec 1981.

Sophie ( Sosie ) Camlot was born between 1894 and 1897. Each record has a different date of birth, from the NY Passenger Lists ( 1884 ), the 1940 US Census ( 1884 ), US Naturalization Records  (1885) to the 1921 Canadian Census ( 1887 ). She died 23 Jan 1962. Sophie married Samuel Cohen in 1935 in Philadelphia and was divorced before 1940. In the 1940 census, she was listed under her maiden name and was living with her sister Sarah and her husband Eli Saltzman.

Eva ( Chawa ) was born 1899 in Ostropol ( Ocean Arrival Record ) and 1904 ( 1940 US Census ). She married Carl Nitkin 21 Nov 1929 in Montreal, Quebec. Carl was born 5 May 1895 in Swisslech, Russia and died 1 Jan 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was buried in Glenolden, Delaware County.

Jack ( Yankiel/ Yaakov Asher ) Camlot was born 16 Jan 1900 in Ostropol and died 18 Jan 1960. He married Gertie Grosser 9 Jul 1933 in Montreal, Quebec. She was born 21 Apr 1904 and died 23 Apr 1974 in Montreal, Quebec. 

For those arrivals between 1919-1924, search in Ancestry under:

Canada, Ocean Arrivals ( Form 30A )

Eva, age 22, and Jack, age 21, sailed together from Antwerp, Belgium on the ship S.S. Sicilian and arrived 21 Jun 1921 in Quebec City. They were heading for their brother Sam, 31 King St, Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Understanding the Information in Ocean Crossing Records

Marck ( spelled that way ) Gillick was one of the 12 children of Shaia and Batsheva Gillick.

His oldest brother Louis, a butcher, had arrived 5 Jul 1913 in Halifax. He was the first of the family to immigrate.

Next, sister Leika  ( Leah ) arrived in New York, 14 Aug 1920 with the 3 siblings of her mother and their families. Batsheva Horowitz Gillick's family included her sister Feiga and family Schnirmer, children, Luba and Elia; her brother Morris's wife, Beila and children, Mordko, Sonia and Elia, her sister Reba and family Schoichet and children, Elia, Jozef, Chane and Wolf. Leika/ Leah headed for her Uncle Abraham Schnirman at 89 Hopkins, Brooklyn, New York.

Also on the ship was Sosie Kamlut, one of the Camlot children.

In this record, at first you would think that the year that Mordko ( Mordechai )/ Marck arrived on the S.S.Corsican was 1921. However looking closely at the top, there is a stamped year of 1922. As well, finding the Ocean Crossing for his sister Chaika (Ida), 12 years old, had her travelling on the same ship on the same date. They departed 17 Jan 1922 and arrived 31 Jan 1922 in Saint John, New Brunswick. They both had their brother as the person they were heading to at 619 Colonial Ave. The only brother in Montreal at the time was their older brother Louis.

Curiosity had me wondering why both Marck and Ida had Rovno, Poland as their place of birth and Radzomy, Poland as the place their father was at. I knew the family was from Ostropol.

Deb, an amazingly knowledgable person who has helped me immensely, explained the historical context. Civil war resulted in Poland taking over large parts of what had been Russia. What had been Volyn or Volhynnia Russia was the Polish province of Wolyn and Rovno was the governmental seat.  As Deb wrote:" Ostropol Jews largely fled; estimates were that 50% had sought shelter in large cities like Lemberg ( Lvov today ), Warsaw and Ternopil.  Many others went only as far as the nearest stable Polish authority, ie. Rovno. Some lied about birth towns and residence towns, because that let them come in as Poles, a nation that Canada had established relations during a time in which relations with the new Soviet government had been suspended "

On 23 Jun 1923, parents, Shaia and Batsheva with their sons Mechyl ( Max ), age 10, Moszko (Morris), age 8, and Dawid ( David ), age 6, arrived on the S.S. Montrose in Quebec City, They headed for their son/ oldest brother, Leib ( Louis ) at 11 Joseph St, Quebec City. It had been 10 years since Louis had left so he had not even seen his 3 youngest brothers.

Louis ( Yekutiel Leib ) Gilick ( spelled with 1 L)  was born about 1896 and died 29 Feb 1936 in Montreal, Quebec. He married Ettie Usheroff,  7 Jun 1931 in Montreal. Ettie was born 22 Oct 1908 and died 1 Nov 1999.

Sonia Gillick was born Jan 1899 and died in Argentina in 1985. She married Shlomo Kaplan, born 31 Dec 1899 in Lyubar, Poland.

Marck Gillick was born 18 Apr 1901 and died 17 Aug 1983 in Montreal, Quebec. He married Toba Miller ( Miszonznik ), 29 Jun 1943 in Montreal. Toba was born 3 Mar 1910 in Bialystok, Grodno and died 7 May 1989.

Leika ( Leah Pearl ) was 17 according to the Ocean Crossing in 1920 which would make her birthdate as 1903. However  her 1938 gravestone has her age 29 and her burial record has her age 30. That would mean that she was born about  1909. Leah died 22 Jul 1938.

Ida Gillick was born 25 Dec 1908 and died 1 Jul 2004 in Montreal. She married Morris Trager, 2 Mar 1930 in Montreal, Quebec. Morris was born 15 May 1904 and died 30 Jan 1996.

Max Gillick was 20 when he died, 17 Mar 1930 in Montreal, Quebec.

Morris Gillick was born 14 Feb 1913 and died 31 Jan 1997. He didn't get married.

David Gillick was born 15 Sep 1915 and died 11 Dec 2000. He married Diane Greenberg in 1940. Diane was born 6 Jan 1921 and died 26 Jan 2013 in Montreal, Quebec

Beril and Esther Schwartz's Family

                               Schwartz Step-siblings

Beril Schwartz had 7 children with his second wife Esther. They were the step siblings of Pinie Schwartz, my great grandmother. All four who survived past infancy immigrated from Botosani, Romania to Montreal. I was able to get many birth, marriage and death records. The family name in the Romanian records is Sfart. Finding Canadian Census, Birth and Passenger Records helped me discover the names they used in Canada.

Jacob Schwartz and his wife Malia Rotman had 11 children. Rachel, Ida, Lorne, Esther, Israel and Morris survived past infancy and childhood and immigrated.

Yetta Schwartz and her husband Kopel Schwartz had 7 children. Aunt Minnie said Yetta had one child when she immigrated. The children are Esther, Fay, Kate, Lily, Ruth, Ben and Al. Aunt Minnie had written down some of her memoirs for her granddaughter years ago. Her memory was that Yetta  ( she called her Yenta ) had 5 daughters and that she loved to play with them. Her first best friend was her cousin Esther.

Schloma Schwartz : Aunt Minnie called him Schloima and said he was a widower and came to Montreal with 3 boys. She mentioned the name Sheindel, perhaps the name of his second wife. There is a Canadian Passenger Record for Schloma Schwartz with 3 boys, Josel, age 7, Berel, age 4 and Salmon, age 3. They sailed on the ship, S.S. Montfort and arrived in St John, New Brunswick, 21 Feb 1911. This date does make sense as  Beril ( Bercu in Romanian )'s  Death Record, 24 Oct 1910,  has his son Solomon Sfartz as one of the witnesses.

Benny Schwartz :  Aunt Minnie called him Bentzine and said he was single when he immigrated. He married Rose Goldberg in Montreal, 1 Nov 1903 They had 6 children, Esther, Abraham, Alex, Ida, Molly and Minnie.

Aunt Minnie remembers 45 George St as the first place she lived. Her cousins, children of Bentsine  (Benny ) and Rose lived downstairs at 47 George St. The 25 Feb 1906 birth record of  first son Abraham Schwartz has that address as the place the family was living.

In the 1911 Census the addresses show that  Benny's family at 773 Cadieux and Jacob's family at 777 Cadieux  lived next door to each other.

Goldberg, Hearst, Segal Families

Irwin in the back
Third Row:
Shy looking woman in the upper left is Sarah.
To the right is Yetta
Unknown woman
Aunt Minnie, face looking up, behind Pinie
The oldest woman is Pinie
The young woman in the upper right of Pinie is Dottie.
Unknown woman
Second Row:
Young girl, my mother Bertha
Beside her is Mary
Unknown
Front row:
Aunt Susan, my mother's sister
The boy making a face in the front is Ben. He was always making fun
Aunt Libby on the right

Other Hearst Siblings: Mary, Dottie, Ben, Sarah

 

 Mary Hearst was born 24 Mar 1916 in Montreal. She had a remarkable memory and was a fascinating storyteller. I listened to a tape that her son Dan did in 1988 with his mother and Aunt Minnie. Mary described incidents in her mother's life, her father's career as a policeman and her brothers' Jack and Irwin's personalities in very moving detail. She married Philip Jaffe 24 Feb 1943 and was divorced in 1969.  She died 12 Sep 2007 in Los Angeles. 

Sister Dottie Hearst , born Dora Herscovitch, was born 10 May 1912 in Montreal. She and her sister Mary lived together in New York on 40 Lincoln Rd, as shown in the 1940 Census. Dotty and her husband Sol Press also moved to Los Angeles. She died 6 Sep 1995.  

Their brother Ben Hearst has 2 birth records. The first has his birth name as Beryl Bennie Herscovitch, born 15 Apr 1914, registered by his father, Max, 18 Oct 1914. The second has his birthdate 22 Apr 1914, registered by his father, Max, 29 Dec 1924. Ben married Ethel Goldstein, Oct 1940. He died of a heart attack 20 Mar 1986.

Sarah Herscovitch, the oldest sister, was born 10 Apr 1909 in Montreal. She had a form of retardation and when the family was going through turmoil after Max died and Yetta had a nervous breakdown, Sarah was put into a nunnery/ convent in St Anne de Beaupre. I have not been able to find any records for her.

Irwin Hearst

Irwin Hearst was born Isidore Herscovitch, 25 Dec 1907.

Irwin finished high school and then left for New York, the first to move. His mother's brothers, Israel and Moe were already there. Irwin and Moe had a van and opened one side, followed the carnivals and sold cotton candy.

Amongst the many stories that Mary, his sister, told was that Irwin socked someone and was thrown into jail.

It was Irwin who came to the rescue when Jack abandoned the family in Sudbury, brought them to Montreal and later found an apartment for them to live in New York.

Mary described him as a hustler, slim, good-looking and had beautiful girlfriends. He was into many ventures. He worked at an ice cream parlour from 9am until noon and from 5-8pm. He was on call to sell blood. He donated his blood and they gave him money. He also ran an apartment for poker games, selling cigarettes, sandwiches and coffee. Mary said he read books on how to display books on shelves, ahead of his time. Then he became a peddler selling aspirin and nylons. He rented a store in New York and brought back his brothers, Jack and Ben from Los Angeles telling them business was good along with his brother-in-law Phil and Sol.

Mary recounted that their mother had told Irwin not to get married before his sister Dotty did. He had married Bea Levinson 15 Jan 1939 in Luzerne, Pennsylvania. He felt bad so he looked for a husband for Dotty. He knew a cousin of Sol's who lived at Harvey's Lake outside Wilkes Bay. Sol got together with Dotty.

Irwin worked as a travelling salesman. A story he recounted was that he got his first car for $200 when he was living in New York. It was a convertible and when he couldn't put the top up, he made a roof out of cardboard.

Irwin married Bettie 13 Jun 1967. He had divorced Bea. Bettie died 19 Feb 1999 in Los Angeles.  Irwin died 6 Sep 2006.

Samuel Jack Hearst

Samuel Jack Hearst was born Sam Herscovitch and was known as Jack. The birth was registered many years later, 23 May 1929. The birth date was written as 6 Jun 1907. However Aunt Minnie said that she was 2 months older than Jack. Minnie was born 26 Mar 1906, so the birth year in the record should be 1906.

What I know about Jack is from how his sister Mary described him in a tape done in 1988. Jack did not go to high school. He found an advertisement in the Jewish newspaper that got him to go the outskirts of Sudbury. Mary says her brother was only 13 or 14. The 1921 Census lists all her siblings living at 1426 Fabre in  Montreal so he may have left after that time.

It was Jack who arranged a friend who was a pilot to take their father to Mayo Clinic. The pilot was killed on his way back home. After his father died, he brought the family to Sudbury. Mary remembers being passed from one lap to another during the long trip. Once his family was in Sudbury, Jack couldn't cope with his mother. According to his sister Mary, he was a playboy and shirked his responsibilities. He was always in debt. He took off and left the family stranded with a bunch of bills. Irwin, her brother, came from New York to bring them back to Montreal.

In this 24 Nov 1941 Border Crossing through Blaine Washington, Jack gives his grandmother's name as Polly , rather than Pinie, as his contact at 2806 Hochelaga St., Montreal. In this record, Jack says he is a truck driver  and lives with his wife Elsie at 311 West 50th St , Los Angeles. From the years 1932 to 1941, he gave both New York City and Los Angeles as the places he lived.

Jack had married Elsie in Las Vegas. Mary said that her sister Dotty was hung up on being Jewish and told Jack that had their mother been alive, she would have died knowing that Jack had married a shiksa. To which, Jack answered, he would not have married a shiksa if his mother were alive.

There is a military record dated 30 Mar 1943 indicating that Jack was a private. He died 14 Jan 1986 and was buried at the US Veterans Gravesite, 22 Jan 1986.

Elsie Amelia Dewane, Jack's wife, was born 23 Sep 1903  in Nebraska and died a few months after Jack, 20 Aug 1986 in Los Angeles. They adopted 2 daughters, Patty and Jackie but I have not been able to find out anything about them.

Max Herscovitch

            Max, the only Jewish Policeman in Montreal

Max ( Moses ) Herscovitch was 23 when he married Etta Goldberg , 5 Nov 1905.

He had left Romania to avoid conscription. A sister and brother remained in Romania.

Samuel Jack, Max and Etta's firstborn, was named after Max's father Shimon.

Max was a carpenter by trade but there was no work available. He became the only Jewish policeman. He had pull through an alderman. As a policeman, he would have received a pension but after 16 years, they railroaded him. Mary, his daughter says that her father got sick because of that.

Aunt Minnie, youngest sister of Etta, described an incident that happened after her father, Jacob had died  (25 Jan 1918 ). Max's police station was near where Minnie lived. He had a certain beat and would warm up at Minnie's house. It was cold and he would stay by the stove and had tea. Her brother Moe, in his 20s, was in the kitchen reading the newspaper near the gas stove. Max took out the bullets from his gun. He thought he had taken out all six. He said, " Hands up", to Moe. After the fifth time, Moe told him  to take it away. Then the bullet went off into the stove and into the pots and pans. The bullet broke the iron door, made holes right through to the pots and pans that her mother kept inside. The kitchen was full of smoke. Moe was perspiring. Max thought he had killed Moe. Her mother thought it went to her ears. She knew it was an accident and Aunt Minnie said her mother wasn't angry. Max had to account for every bullet so he asked Minnie's 2 brothers, Israel and Moe, to get a spare bullet at his home, a half hour away by streetcar.

Mary, youngest daughter of Etta and Max, recounted how her father would take his gun and throw it over his chair at home. All her siblings were well- trained not to touch it. She said in a family tape that it was a miracle that nothing happened. Other neighbours' children also visited.

Mary told the story of when her father risked his life when there was a fire at the synagogue. A timber fell on his arm. He saved the Holy Scrolls. Everybody was proud of him.

Another time he saw some gangsters on St Catherine St at 2 am. They told him that they would pay him. They wanted him on the other side of the street, away from the Birks jewelry store. Her father told them, "If I catch you, I will shoot you." Mary said her father would never take bribes. He was honest.

There were a lot of arguments. Her brothers did not get along with her father. He wanted them to knuckle down. Mary said her father meant well, that he was a sweet man, not a tyrant. Her mother tried to make peace.

It was so moving for me to listen to the tape. Mary described how she polished the buttons on her father's uniform. She was only 14 when he died. Her life fell apart after this.

Max became sick. The doctor drained fluid from his abdomen. He had what Mary called, cirrhosis of the liver. The doctor told the family to bring him to Mayo Clinic. Oldest son Jack came back from Sudbury. He was  about 19 or 20 as Mary said and got a friend of his who had a small plane to fly her father to Rochester, Minnesota. When the pilot returned home, the plane crashed and the pilot was killed. Mary said she could never forget that. The family believed that her father was cured , that he was coming back for Passover. Tragically Max had a hemorrhage and died.

Etta Goldberg Herscovitch

Etta Goldberg also known as Yetta was born 25 Jul 1881 in Botosani, Romania. the oldest daughter of Pinie Schwartz and Jacob Goldberg. Interestingly Jacob's age is given as 29, more closely related to the age he got married ( at age 30 ) than the age that relatives gave when he was smuggled by his mother into Romania.

The 1911 Census has her arrival in Montreal as 1902. Her daughter Mary Hearst Jaffe ( most of her children changed their name from Herscovitch to Hearst ) tells on a family tape from 1988 that Yetta met Max in a synagogue. Women and men were separated. Max looked up and saw Yetta in a red sweater. He found out who she was, pursued her and courted her.

Etta and Max Herscovitch  had 6 children:

Samuel Jack Hearst

Irwin Hearst

Sarah Herscovitch

Dottie ( Dora ) Hearst

Ben Hearst

Mary Hearst

Etta lost her husband who died 3 Apr 1931 and was abandoned by her son Jack in Sudbury. She and her family were brought back to Montreal by her son Irwin. It was all too much and Yetta had a nervous breakdown. Mary, her daughter, described how the family was destitute, needed welfare, groceries and coal. Aunt Minnie said Pinie's step-brother Bentzine (Benny) bought them coal. Mary left school to take care of her mother. The family put her sister Sarah into a nunnery/ convent in St. Anne de Beaupre, "Why I don't know". Her sister Dotty snuck across the border to work. They lived on St Lawrence Blvd. Mary got a job as an usherette.

Mary was alone with her mother and knew she wouldn't be able to answer questions for immigration to the US. Her Aunt Pearl ( wife of Yetta's brother Max Goldberg ) posed as her mother. Mary was 17 at the time so it was about 1933 when she bought  tickets for the train. Her mother was not capable of answering any questions. Mary said she was very noble and would not get her aunt into trouble for posing as her mother for immigration.

At Rouse's Point, she and her mother were put in jail for the night. They slept together on a cot. The next day they were put on a train and sent back to Montreal.

Irwin, Mary's brother, again rescued them. He came back to Montreal with a car and was able to take his mother across the border. He put all of them in an apartment.

I was told that Yetta was hospitalized at the end of her life.  I have not been able to find where she died and was buried.

Sam Pugach

Sam ( Eliezer Solomon ) Pugach was born  13 Jan 1894 in Polonnoye, Ukraine.  He left at the age of 17 from Libau, Lithuania on the S.S. Kursk and arrived in New York on the 14 Aug 1911 . His name on the New York Passenger List was Luser Pugacz and his contact was his brother A. Pugacz  ( I don't know an A. Pugach ) at 64 Dominique in Quebec City. This is the same address as Eliahu Endler in Quebec City.

When his mother, Tema Felhendler, arrived 25 Jun 1923, she was heading for Eliezer/ Sam at 174 Laval Ave, Montreal. She sailed from Riga, Latvia, 16 Jun 1923 on the ship, S.S. Canada. Here Tema's name was spelled Thema Pugatsch.

Tema gave the name of her niece, Zisel Birstein in Anopil, Volyn . This person is unfamiliar to me.













Sam married Anna Levine 5 Nov 1933.

It is this Marriage Record that gave Felhendler as the maiden name of Tema Pugach. This would mean that Tema was the sister of  Nuchum and Eliahu.

Sarah Pugach Gold, Sam's niece, told Brian Furstman, my Jewish Family Finder Jewishgen contact, the very tragic story of Sam's life. Sam went back to the Ukraine before WWll with the intention of staying and building the country. He returned to Montreal disillusioned. He had seen terrible starvation and the disparity between the starving masses and the privileged class of party functionaries. Sam committed suicide while his wife was away in the US visiting her brother. He apparently took steps to ensure that the plants weren't harmed by the gas from the stove that he used to kill himself.

Jacob Pugach

Jacob Pugach ( Yiddish name, Yankel ) whose Hebrew name was Yaakov was born in 1886 and died 29 Jun 1986 in Montreal, Quebec. He was the oldest son of Tema Felhendler and Hershel Tzvi Puguz.

He married Rose Irga, known as Rossie, born in 1894 and died 13 Aug 1973.

My grandmother was very close to Rossie. Over 20 years ago, it was Sarah, Rossie and Jacob's oldest daughter who told Brian Ferstman, my contact from Jewish Family Finder, a lot of family history.

Rossie and Jacob had 2 daughters., Sarah and Thelma. Sarah was born in 1918 and married Morris Gold ( died 23 Jan 2001 ). Thelma, born 14 Oct 1926 married Joseph Irgon.

The Ship S.S. Corsican sailed from Warsaw on 23 Aug 1921 and arrived in Montreal in September. Jacob was with his wife Rossie and daughter Sarah and was heading for his brother Hyman at 243 Bleury St.

Hyman Pugash

Left to Right: Charles Ring ( partial), Ethel Gillick Ring, Sophie Gillick Endler, Meyer Endler, Sarah Buckman Pugash, Hyman Pugash

Hyman Pugash/ Chaim Joseph Pugacz was born about 1890 and died 8 Jun 1968. He married Sarah Buckman, born 12 Oct 1896 and died 30 May 1992. Sarah was the oldest of the 10 children of David Buckman and Breine/ Brenda Schwartz.

Hyman and Sarah had 2 children, Muriel and Harold. Muriel was born 10 May 1919 and married Lou Malus on 24 Sep 1942. Lou was born 3 Jul 1912 in Montreal and died 18 Apr  1988 in Montreal.. They had 2 daughters, Eleanor and Roslyn. Harold was born 15 Mar 1928 in Montreal and died 27 Sep 1995 in Italy. He married Rhea Weinstein on 17 Jun 1951. Rhea was born 10 Jan 1929 and died Sep 2001 in Vancouver. They had 3 children, Eric Samuel, Mark and Robyn Anne.

According to the 1921 Census, Hyman immigrated in 1908 and Sarah in 1903. His occupation in the census was manufacturer. It is Hyman who paid for his siblings, Riva and Jacob's ocean passages in 1921.

Tema Felhendler and Hersh Tzvi ( Joseph ) Puguz had 4 children.
Riva Pugach
Jacob ( Yankel ) Pugach
Hyman ( Chaim ) Pugash ( spelled with an s )
Sam ( Eliezer Solomon ) Pugach

Riva Pugach

Riva Pugach was the oldest child and only daughter of Tema Felhendler and Hershel Puguz. I have tried to find out about her and her life after she married Myer Spilberg. She was born 1879.  She and Myer had 2 children, Jerry Julius/ Yoel/Joel, born 25 Dec 1909 and Clara/ Chaika.

 Myer Spilberg  sent a letter to the Russian Consulate requesting separation papers done in Nov or Dec 1914. He lived at 466 Jarvis Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba at the time he sent the letter.

Jerry married Lily Klein ( born 15 Jun 1917; died 17 Jun 1986 ) on 14 Jan 1940 in Montreal. They had 2 children, Ronald Marvin and Beverley. Jerry died 1 Aug 1988 in Montreal.

I have not been able to confirm that the information that I found for Clara is for the Clara in this family.

There is an Ocean Crossing Record for "Rywa Szpilberg" for 8 Sep 1921. Riva was 42 and said that she was a widow. She gave her father's name as Hershel Puguz from Polona, Volyn and that she was heading for her brother Chaim ( Hyman) at 243 Bleury St in Montreal. She left from Warsaw on the ship, S.S. Scandinavian and arrived in Montreal.

In an obituary index that I found for her mother on the Canadian Jewish Heritage Network website, Riva is referred to as Mrs Rivka Vizenberg. The spelling of her mother's name was Tema Pogatch who died on 10 May 1926.

Jacob Goldberg

  Jacob Goldberg was born in Ushitzer gubernia (district) , Russia about 1860. His mother, Malca, smuggled him into Romania when he was about 16.







Not wanting their name, Newman or Naiman
(pronounced with a long I) to be traced, she sent him to a relative, Goldberg and he assumed that name.

 Jacob's mother wanted to avoid Jacob's conscription into the army. The czar was ready to take him into service. This information was written by Bea Stein Oberhand over 20 years ago ( daughter of Esther Goldberg Stein ) and was given to me by Elsie Gale Sharpe ( daughter of Israel Goldberg/ Gale ). I am so thankful.

Goldberg got him into Beril Schwartz's workshop as an apprentice in Botosani, Romania. He worked there until the age of 20-21. Beril liked Jacob and arranged that he marry his daughter Pinie who was 16.

I was able to get their Botosani Marriage Record. In Romanian, their names are Iancu ( no family name given ) and Pina Sfart. They were married 24 May 1880. This document has their ages markedly different from what the earlier information  indicates. At the time of marriage, Pinie was 18 and Jacob was 30. Jacob's gravestone has his age as 58 so it does seem that Jacob lied about his age for his marriage. A birth certificate would set things right and seems to be the only way to know the truth.

A question in my mind though is that the  record states that the groom's and bride's age were authenticated by the court. What served as authentication?

    Groom Age certificate based on the testimony of five witnesses made at Botosani nr. 201 ,and authenticated by the court nr. 5227
    Bride Age certificate based on the testimony of five witnesses made at Botosani nr. 202 ,and authenticated by the court nr. 5228

Witnesses:

     1. Avram sin Itic, 50, servant
     2. Altar sin Ghersin, 27, no profession
     3. David Ciolpacu, 70, sexton
     4. User sin Meir, 50, servant
    Comment: All  living in Botosani first two on behalf of the husband, last two on behalf of the bride.

Jacob's father's name  in Romanian is Itic ( The Hebrew translated on Jacob's gravestone  has the name Binyamin Yitzhak ). Jacob named his first son Benjamin Itzhak. The name of Jacob's grandfather in Romanian is Hert.

Jacob and Pinie had 8 children in Romania, Yetta, Itzik, Leah, Esther, Israel, Max, Moses and Mendel. Mendel died at age 2 of measles. Jacob struggled to make a living in Botosani. People were immigrating to Canada and US as there was no cost for immigration at that time.

In 1902, Jacob booked tickets and he and his oldest son Itzik then 18 left for Montreal. The 1911 census indicates that they immigrated in 1901.

They were both tailors and looked for jobs. Jacob and Itzhak lived as boarders in Montreal. Aunt Minnie, the only sibling born in Montreal, told the story that her father asked for the woman to make 'mameluga' which was cornmeal mush. The Russians who lived there thought it was butter and spread it on their bread.

Different stories have it that it took three years or one year to bring over the rest of the family. Jacob booked tickets. They came by boat through Rotterdam. The government paid all expenses.

They didn't speak English.  The girls, Yetta, Leah and Esther didn't go to school. They worked in a factory , sewing buttons. Israel, Max and Moe went to school. Jacob and Itzik went into business as partners together and called it Jacob Goldberg and Son: Men's clothing manufacturing.

When Jacob died 25 Jan 1918 in Montreal of a heart attack, Aunt Minnie remembers the family getting snow  in an effort to revive him.

Frank Dermansky

Frank Dermansky


     Fanny Pearl Berger







Frank Dermansky, born 30 Sep 1886 married Fanny Pearl Berger, born 1886 (alternate date 1891).

They had 2 daughters Bessie, born 9 Jan 1914 and Gladys, born 18 Jul 1917. Their only son Nathan Issac, born 6 Jun 1921 died at 9 months of pneumonia, 10 Mar 1922.

Frank worked as a dry goods merchant.

Brian Ferstman  was the person from Jewish Family Finder, Jewishgen who solved the mystery of who Frank was in the 1911 Census, living with Eliahu Endler.
 

Brian told me that according to Moe, the son of  Frank's mother's brother, Jack Lurstin, the crash of 1929 destroyed Frank, He had invested in the market, or maybe bank deposits that were not guaranteed. Frank committed suicide by asphyxiation, 2 Mar 1930 at Matane, Quebec and is buried at St Cyrille Bonaire, Quebec.

Frank, also known as Faivish/ Philip, was adopted by Eliahu Endler. His father, Isaak Leib ( Itzhak Yehuda ) died in 1888 in Polonnoye, Ukraine when Frank was only 2. His mother, Rebecca Leah Lurstin was born 20 Jun 1870 and died 20 Feb 1937. Her father, Sherga Faivsh Lurstein, had a granite quarry. Brian Ferstman was told that Leah and Jack had 12 siblings, supposedly all girls.