Since there finally some Ukrainian records online, I was
hoping to find my paternal grandpa’s birth record and possibly his parents’
marriage record and/or birth records. Unfortunately, no such luck.
There were Ukrainian Family lists (revision lists,
similar to a modern day census). I did find an 1897 list for my paternal great-grandparents,
1862 and 1875 lists for my paternal great-great-grandfather! These family lists
not only show their ages, but also their fathers’ names. These Family Lists had
their Yiddish names, which were the names they used in Berdichev.
These Ukrainian Family Lists spelled our family name as
Esterzon. My great-grandfather, whom we knew as Simon and Hebrew name Shlomo,
was Shlioma Zelman (also spelled Shlema Zalman); His full Hebrew name was Shlomo
Zalman ben Yaakov Dov. In 1897, Shlioma Zelman was listed as Head of Household,
son of Yankel Ber and 28 years old. He and his family lived in Berdichev,
Berdichev Uyzed, Kiyev Gubernyia, Ukraine. His wife was Elka bat Avrum Mordko
and she was listed as 30 years old. They had two sons: Yankel Ber, 2 years old
and Motus, 1 year old and a house maid living with them. This confirms my
grandpa’s year of birth as 1896, which was on his passenger list of 1898.
I found an 1850, 1862 and 1875 Family Registers for my
great-great-grandfather Yankel Ber (also known as Yaakov Dov). The 1875
register listed his father as Zelman which lead me to the 1850 list. This 1850
list was a true treasure! Not only did it confirm my great-great grandparents’
names and years of birth, but allowed me to go back one more generation!
My great-great grandfather’s parents were Zelman ben Leyb
Berko and Esther Ginda bat Leyb. This 1850 list, 25 Oct 1850, has them living
in Berdichev, Berdichevskiy, Kiyevskaya, Ukraine. It also shows that my
great-great grandfather Yankel Ber had a sister, Nekha. She was three years
younger than him, born in 1835.
Yankel Ber was the only one listed on the 1862 register.
He was listed as 30 years old and Head of Household. The 1875 Family Register
for Yankel Ber only lists him as Head of Household, age 43 and two sons. This
makes me believe that his wife, Rachel Bracha Buchalter Esterzon, passed away
previously, which coincides with the date of death I have for her, 1895. Yoseyf
was listed as Ios, 10 years old and Shlioma Zelman, 7 years old. I don’t know
why Esther Esterzon (Margosin) was in 1875. She married Yoseph Margosin in 1885
and their daughter Rebecca was born 15 Jul 1886 in Berdichev.
Now I need to be patient and hope more Ukrainian records
will be uploaded. I would like to find out more about Nekha Esterzon, as well
as Leyb Berko and his wife Esther Ginda bat Leyb.
I did find an 1858 Family Register for Elyukim Margosin
(24 yrs), Yoseph’s father, before he had children. His father, Yankel Ajzyk,
was dead and Elyukim was the Head of Household. Living with Elyukim was his
wife, Rukhlya bat Ios (18 yrs), his mother Khana bat Abram (41 yrs) and his two
sisters: Dvojra (19 yrs) and Fejga (11 yrs).
