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!

Another Cousin Found!

I’m so excited! I’ve just found another Gamson (Gamza/Gamzu) cousin. She is very new to genealogy research. She only has information on Charlotte Gamson’s descendants, but there is information she has that I don’t. She wasn’t sure if we really were researching the same Charlotte Gamson since she was told the Gamson’s were from Baden, Baden or Heidleberg, Germany. Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany was actually just the last place of residence before they sailed from Hamburg to the USA. 

I have found out that there are definitely cousins in South Africa and are (or at least were) cousins in Haifa. Frieda T. Priest came to visit them in Israel sometime in the 1950’s. Okay, okay, the Gamsons are cousins by marriage, but cousins are cousins!

Just before I found this Gamson cousin, I discovered Chaim Nochem Gamsu’s (Khaim Nokhim Gamza) Lithuanian marriage record. This lists his father’s name as Shmuel. Rivkah Meriem (Mary) was listed with her Yiddish name, Rive Mere.

  

 I also found the Hamburg passenger list for Rivkah Meriem (Mary) and four of her children. Her youngest son, Philip, was left behind for some reason.

 

Hopefully, more Gamson (Gamza/Gamzu) information to come.

Known Steuer Extended Family Medical Conditions

Over the years I have had several people contact me in regards to their (or their child’s) medical condition and if any other family members may have it. They are trying to find out more about this condition, where it came from, ie hereditary or not hereditary, from their direct Steuer line, from their other direct family line or if anyone in the extended family also has this same condition. This information is NOT made public. I just want to be able to help family members that ask me about specific ailments.

Some family members who are planning to have a family are concerned about the possibility of passing on a genetic trait to their offspring. Currently, Carrier Identification includes genetic tests for Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell. Other family members may wish to be tested if the family shows a history of a specific disease such as breast cancer or Huntington's Disease and if a genetic disorder could be improved by early diagnosis. I will mention cause of death, if it is known and any medical conditions known of those who have already passed.

Now there are more people having genetic testing to find out if they have a genetic condition or disorder that is likely to develop a disease based on his or her genetic makeup. I currently know about the following existing medical conditions in my extended Steuer family:

       Heart problems

          Mitral Valve Prolapse

Dry Macular Degeneration

Wet Macular Degeneration

Retinitis Pigmentosis – both parents must be carriers

BRCA1 Gene Mutation

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Septicimia Streptococcue

 Raynaud's Disease

Sjourn's Disease

Alzheimer

Deaf

Diabetes

Diphtheria

Failing Memory

Gliomatas Cys (cysteines)

Meningitis

Mental Retardation

Multiple Sclerosis

Osteoporosis

Polio

Scarlet Fever

 Tinnitus

 

       Breast Cancer

       Colon Cancer

       Pancreatic Cancer

       Prostrate Cancer

       Throat Cancer

       Brain Tumor

Cancer is a disease of abnormal gene function. An abnormal change in a gene is called a mutation. It’s possible to be born with healthy genes and some of them can become mutated over the course of your lifetime. These mutations are not inherited and known as sporadic or somatic. Sporadic mutations cause most cases of cancer. These mutations usually are caused by things that we are exposed to from our environment, including cigarette smoke, hormones, radiation, and diet. We have a higher risk of cancer as we get older due to a build-up of more gene mutations. 

When someone has inherited an abnormal copy of a gene, their cells already start out with one mutation. This makes it all the easier (and quicker) for enough mutations to build up for a cell to become cancer. That is why cancers that are inherited tend to occur earlier in life than cancers of the same type that are not inherited. 

Cancer in a close relative, like a parent or sibling, is more cause for concern than cancer in a more distant relative. The chance of passing on cancer to you gets lower with more distant relatives, even if it was from a gene mutation. There is also more concern if you have it on both sides of your family. A woman who has a mother, sister, or even a daughter with breast cancer is about twice as likely to develop breast cancer as a woman without a family history of this cancer. Most cases of breast cancer ‘though are not part of a family cancer syndrome caused by an inherited gene mutation, even those found in close relatives.

“The chance that someone has an inherited form of breast cancer is higher the younger they are when they get the cancer and the more relatives they have with the disease. Inherited breast cancer can be caused by several different genes, but the most common are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Inherited mutations in these genes cause hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC). Along with breast and ovarian cancer, this syndrome can also lead to male breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, as well as some others. This syndrome is more common in women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent than it is in the general US population.” [American Cancer Society]

Those of you who want to be proactive in in your health, you may want to read about Dr Johanna Budwig.

http://www.budwigcenter.com/

If you or someone in your direct line has a medical condition, please let me know. This information could help someone else in our extended family.