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!