I remembered
getting a copy of a letter that spoke about the STEUER family lore. I decided
to read it again and dissect it. Since I keep want to go backwards and find out
more on our ancestors, I wanted more clarity in where to look.
There is a letter from Minnie & Barney Steuer, dated 21 Sep1958, to Kermit & Henrietta states that the STEUER name doesn't go back more than three generations. It does state that Bernhardt, Aaron and Julius were brothers and about 6 brothers stayed behind in Hungary as as they knew. The descendants of those brothers had either been lost track of or were murdered in the holocaust.
 |
| Pg 1 of Barney Steuer's letter to Kermit, 1958 |
This letter continues to state that the father of these brothers was not STEUER but Yudkovitch (Judkowitz, Judkiewicz (Hungarian spelling), Judkovics). The story came from Max David Steuer, known as "Pop" to his family, the son of Bernhardt. The story was one of Bernhardt's brothers was bethrothed to a young lady whose last name was STEUER. She was an only child and her father, anxious to have the family name
perpetuated asked the prospective son-in-law (whom is still unknown at this
time) to take the name of Steuer when he married his daughter.
This brother did take on the name STEUER and the,
gradually, one by one the other brothers did the same. The only one who didn’t
do it was Bernhardt who came to the USA as Judkowitz, not Steuer, so said by
Barney. I do have Hungarian birth records for six of Bernhardt’s children, all
born in Bihar Megye, Hungary and some had the last name of Judkiewicz and Mary and Max were born as Steuer.
 |
| Some birth records for Bernhardt (Berl) & Fanny's children |
The brother I have as not changing his name was Hersk Judkiewicz.
His grandson, Josef/Joseph Judkovic was born in Csebinye, Zemplen Megye,
Hungary and arrived in New York on 11 February 1898 at the age of 17. He had
been told by his father, Abraham Judkiewicz, never to change his name. Marc
Judkowitz is a known DNA match to Arthur and Michael, Bernhardt’s
great-grandsons and to one of Julius Steuer’s (Cleveland branch)
great-great-grandson.
 |
| Josef Judkovic Passenger Record |
Bernhardt and Fanny may have emigrated under the name of Yudkatitch/Judkiewicz/Judkowitz or someother spelling for the name. The story Max Steuer told, after his father
Bernhardt arrived in New York and being introduced as Mr. Steuer, he found the
conflict of names embarrassing and then took the name of Steuer as well. Max
went on to state that the family was Hungarian and mentioned they were from
Grossvardein (the German name for Nagyvarad) and Homona (where the famous Max D
Steuer was from).
I have often wondered why Max referred to the place he
was born as Grossvardein instead of Nagyvarad if the family had always been
Hungarian. The letter from Barney continues to state that the place where Max
was born was at one time part of Bohemia, hence could be the reason for the
German name. Bernhardt’s brother Aaron was a vintor in Bohemia before he and
his family emigrated to New York (before Bernhardt emigrated).
Nagyvarad (Grossvardein) are known today as Oradea,
Romania. In Hebrew
and Yiddish
texts the German name was used. It’s known that Jews in Nagyvarad were
immigrants from Bohemia and Moravia. These Jews adopted the Hungarian language
and culture earlier than other Jewish communities in Hungary.
 |
| Nagyvarad, Hungary |
I haven’t been able to find any Bohemian records. I do
have some theories as to other family members because of their spouses family
names are names that others in the extended Steuer family married into, so this
tends to lead to the general areas they were from. Still missing other brothers,
so there still are large puzzle pieces missing. Maybe one of these days I will
find more records and be able to go back a few more generations.
