Puzzle Piece Found

I’m so excited! I finally uncovered Sarolata Mandelbaum Steuer’s family! Since the Hungarian records on JewishGen is a work in progress and new records are being added all the time, I uncovered Abraham Steuer and Sarolata Mandelbaum’s marriage record, which I mentioned in my last blog.

Sarolata Mandelbaum’s parents were Farkas Mandelbaum and Rosalia “ Sali” Hollander. She was one of eight children. According to the Hungarian Birth Records on JewishGen, Farkas and Rosalia “ Sali” Hollander Mandelbaum had the following children: Ahron (Samuel), Sarolata (Sari, Sali, Sara), Hani, Helena (Lina), Eduard, Simon, Regina (Regi, Mariska), and Malvin (Mirjam).

In searching the JewishGen Birth records, I was able to uncover the names of Abraham and Sarolata’s children. Most of the names I got from Eva Steuer Halas, but since it was all over the phone, I wasn’t sure of all of the spellings of the names. Eva told me she knew there was at least one daughter, but she didn’t remember her name. They had nine children and I know that 5 perished in the Holocaust. Their second daughter, Malvin, died as an infant.

I have often wondered if Samuel Steuer is a brother of Majer Steuer, even though I currently have his son. I now need to find out if Nathan Steuer is a brother of Majer Steuer. I’m still searching records, trying to prove my theories.

 

Solve one puzzle and another pops up.
 

Rabbi Abraham Steuer and Family

I received all my information on Rabbi Abraham Steuer and his family from his granddaughter, Eva Steuer Halas over the phone. Just the other day I found Hungarian birth records for some of Abraham and Sarlota’s children and the Hungarian marriage record for Abraham and Sarlota. Eva also told me that she knew that the famous Max D Steuer was a cousin, she just didn’t say who he was a first cousin to.

My first important information I uncovered was from Abraham and Sarlota Hungarian marriage record. I found out the names of their fathers! Sarlota’s father was Farkas Mandelbaum and Abraham’s father was Nathan Steuer. The Hungarian marriage record also gave Abraham and Sarlota’s ages at the time of marriage. They were married in Szatmar. Abraham was a Talmud student at that time and according to the Hungarian marriage record he was born in 1853, Nagyvarad. This leaves me with the question as to who are Nathan’s parents and siblings, as well as how is he related to Aaron Steuer, Max D’s father?

I found eight birth records for Abraham and Sarlota’s children. According to these Hungarian birth records, they not only had one daughter, but two. Eva probably didn’t know about Malvina since she died when she was less than a month old. There’s a birth record for Dezso Steuer. I believe this is the same person as Desser (the name that Eva told me, although she didn’t know how it was spelled). Hermina Steuer must have been the one Eva mentioned that perished in the shoah.  They also had a son Samuel / Soma, whom Eva didn’t mention, nor did she mention Nathan Steuer, who was Abraham’s father’s namesake, born in April 1884.

Eva mentioned an uncle Yenner. I believe this is probably the same person as Jeno (Israel / Eugen) since a “J” in Hungarian is pronounced as a “Y” in English. Her uncle Zoltan was the only one if her uncles and aunt she remembered as not perishing.

I am still trying to find her grandmother Sarlota Mandelbaum Steuer’s family that emigrated to Israel. Eva told me that Sarlota had family in Jerusalem. I did find a Benymin Zeev Farkas Mandelbaum, born 1815 on My Heritage which could very likely be her father since I also found a burial record for whom I believe to be her and it lists Benyamin Zeev as her father and husband as Abraham Steuer. I also found a tombstone for Benymin Zeev Farkas Mandelbaum on The Orthodox Cemetery Registry site which also lists Benyamin Zeev Farkas Mandelbaum as the father of Hana Zsuzsana Mandelbaum.

 

NOW, all I need is for someone to read this who has more information and can confirm my assumptions and to be able to find more documentation for Nathan Steuer and Farkas Mandelbaum.

The Gamsu/Gamzu/Gamson Puzzle

I decided to take another look at all my information I have on the Gamsu/Gamzu/Gamson families. This is no easy task, since I knew about 17 families several years ago. I felt this would help keep me occupied and my mind not so focused on the current war. I decided trying to make more sense out of all these branches and see if I could document anything to make the actual connections other than the three major cities they were from: Plunge, Lithuania (Plungyian /Plungian in Yiddish, Plungiany in Polish & Russian) is a city in Lithuania, part of the Samogitia (or Žemaitija;Yiddish name is Zamet) ethnographic region in the northwestern part of the country; Dvinsk, Latvia (now Daugavpils; Dineburg in Yiddish) and Riga, Latvia. Riga is located at the mouth of the Daugava River, where Daugavpils was name after the Daugava River, located on the banks of the Daugava River, both in the southeastern region of Latvia.

I have it broken down on a spreadsheet with 28 family lines. I’ve done my best to line them up by generation. I have been able to go back another generation on my own side of the Gamson/Gamsu family. I uncovered that Chaim Nochem Gamsu’s (Gamza/Gamson), later years he was known as Herman, father was Shmuel Gamza. I found the Lithuanian marriage record for Chaim Nochem (Khaim Nokhim Gamza) and Rivkah Meriem Mark (Rive Mere Mark) that listed both of their father’s names and the town they were from, ages at time of marriage, as well as the date of the marriage.

Shmuel Gamza was born ca 1822 in Plunge, Telsiai, Kaunas, Lithuania. I believe that Shimon Gamsu (Family 1), Nissan Leib Gamzu (Family 16, born in Pinsk), Herzel Gamsu (Jules Redlich  part of Family 4), and Simon Gamsu, possibly Simon Hessel Gamsu (Mary Edda Gamson Family) were all born in the same generation.

I don’t have specifics on Shimon Gamsu, but his son, Tzvi Yisroel Gamsu was born in Plunge, Telsiai, Kaunas, Lithuania, which I am estimating him to be in the same generation as Chaim Nochem Gamsu.  Nissan Leib Gamzu died 24 Sep 1888, Petach Tikvah, Israel and is buried in the Petach Tikvah's Segulah Cemetery and according to his tombstone, his father’s name was Chaim. I found out that Simon Gamsu’s, from Mary Edda Gamson’s Family, father’s name is Volf. I also found 4 other children: Vite Gene Gamzu (12 Oct 1873), Volf Gamzu (14 Apr 1871), Shmuel Khatskel Gamzu (31 Jan 1876), and Eliyash Gamzu (4 Sep 1867). Mary had a note that Emil married a Rokeach.  I discovered that Emil Gamsu Gamson married Luba Rokeach, daughter of Israel & Channah Rokeach.

Yakov Gamzu (Family 16A), and his wife were said to have died in Tsfat, according to the Family 16A information I was given. I found his burial record and he was born in 1857, his father’s name was Shmuel Nissan Gamzu and he was buried in the Old Tel Aviv (Trumpeldor) Cemetery, 24 May, 1926. This makes me question the information I was given that he died in Tsfat, Israel. Could his father Shmuel Nissan Gamzu and my Shmuel Gamza be the same person?? More research needed.

I found that Glenn Easton’s Family and Family #1 have same children: Gita, Mere, Yonah (Yonas).  Family #1 has the father as Shimon Gesel Gamsu and Glenn Easton’s Family has Shimon Hessel Gamsu and BOTH have Devorah as Shimon’s wife. I found Shimon Gesel Gamsu was listed on the Lithuanian birth and marriage records for Mere.

Even after all the generation additions I’ve made, I still can’t find a common ancestor. If anyone is interested in looking over my spreadsheet and let me know if you see something I missed or can add to it, please contact me!