Cousin uncovered some good leads!

Thanks to my cousin Caroline uncovering some good leads, I was able to find even more information on Hannah Leber Zucker and her family. I previously had her birth and marriage data and some photos.

Caroline sent me the death certificate for Hannah Zucker, which shows both her parents and husband, but he is listed as Harry, not Aaron. She also sent me the 1940 census, which lists their children and two son-in-laws, and a grandson. She also told me they lived in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA and about Wilton Zucker Co., a men's clothing store, run by their son Wilton.

With her leads, I uncovered Mildred Zucker Lewis' death certificate. Her sister, Molly Howard, was the informant. That lead me to figure out that the son-in-law William Howard on the 1940 census was married to Molly Zucker. The other son-in-law was Max Rudnick. I found his draft card for WWII and he died in December of that same year (1942). He began his theatrical career as the owner of motion picture theatres in Brooklyn. He had produced “Folies Bergere”.

  

Mildred and Max Rudnick lived at the same address as Molly and William Howard in the 1940’s. I kept digging and found Harry Zucker’s (Aaron) death information, but no death certificate. He died in Bridgeport, Connecticut in May 1956. Hannah Leber Zucker died 23 Mar 1972 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Digging further I found information on Wilton Zucker and his family. Wilton and his wife had two sons and a daughter: Harold, Edward and Toby. Wilton was in the army and hi's buried at the Star of David Memorial Gardens, North Lauderdale, Florida, Plot: Negev Garden.

Harry Leber, the youngest son of all of the Leber siblings from both of Max's (Yechiel Mechel) wives, changed his last name to Leiber. He was also in the army and is also buried at the Star of David Memorial Gardens in the Star of David section.

Now to find out what I can on Morris Leber, the third born of Max and Annah, and Sarah Leber. the fourth child born to Max and Annah.

Is It A Small World?

Just before Pesac, I connect with two people that might be related via the Judkovics family. It took me a long time to prove the family lore that the original family name for our Steuer family was Judkiewicz/Judkovics/Jutkovits. Since I found proof in black and white, I’ve been searching for more proof and other branches of the family, since I know there are at least another 6 branches!

I connected with someone that had in his family tree names that I knew were in my family: 

I also connected with someone from Canada. She mentioned that she knew there were cousins that settled in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Both mentioned not knowing much about their families since they lost many family members in the Holocaust. I immediately went to work and found their relatives. Of course, through all my searching I was hoping to uncover the connection between our families. As I got back to them with information I had found on their own families, they were able to dig up more information on what they were told and notes.

I was told that Avrum Jutkovits was murdered while being robbed in 1888. Avrum’s wife, Rachel, re-married and afterwards was subsequent murder of the older son of Avrum and Rachel by his step-father. To date we still don’t know the name of Josef Judkowitz’s sister, her family members or his mother’s maiden name or second husband.

I did find proof of Josef Judkowitz and Bernard Eichler. He states on the passenger list that he was going to stay with his Uncle Bernard Eichler in New York. There were several Judkowitz-Eichler marriages, so this led to checking more into the Eichler family to try to uncover more information on the Judkowitz families.

Since I uncovered more information on the Eichler family, I connected with someone who referred me to someone else who was also researching the Eichler family. This last connection confirmed that Sara Eichler who was married to Sam Berkowitz was his great-great aunt. He also mentioned a Lefkovitz connection: Isidore Jutcovich and Lefkovitz and another connection: Lefkowitz-Schoenfeld through the marriage of Adolph Schoenfeld to Augusta "Gussie" Lefkowitz.

There is another Judkiewicz/Judkovics/Jutkovits connection with family that also settled in Pennsylvania. There are common home towns in Hungary. He mentioned that the only sibling of his grandfather was Uncle Boruch (Barney), who lived near his family in Pennsylvania. He was told by someone else he’s gotten information on the Judkowics / "Yutkewitz" that “a descendant of Menachem Mendel that these 3 brothers had 14 more brothers!”

I’m waiting to hear from the newest connections and their cousins to see if anyone can provide me more information. I’ve got to find the missing puzzle pieces!!

New Kushner Information and Kushner Family Book

While writing my book on my Kushner family, I received a lot of good information from my grandma (Rosie Kushner Steuer Schuman) on her paternal uncles and their wives.

I uncovered their parents’ names (grandma’s paternal grandparents) came from grandma’s brother Nathan who was the informant on their fathers’ (Jacob Kushner) death certificate. I discovered that the name of grandma’s father on her death certificate was the name of her youngest brother, Herman, not Jacob. It also listed her mother, Sara, but her last name was listed as unknown. Thanks to my catching the mistake, mom submitted an amendment to grandma’s death certificate. The amendment to the death certificate lists her name at birth, Rosie, as well as correcting her father’s name to Jacob, including her mother’s full name, Sara Kaufman and changing their place of birth from Poland to Russia.

I just found out that George had another daughter when I thought he had only one child, Rosa Kushner. The 1940 census had George, his wife Lena and daughter Rosa living in the same house as Nettie Butler. Nettie was the head of household; she was a widow and mother of two daughters: Goldie Butler and Marcia Butler; George Kushner was listed as father; Lena Kushner was listed as mother; Rosa Kushner was listed as sister.

 

1940 Census for George,Lena Kushner, Rosa Kushner Butler and her daughters.

I also realized that Abraham and George both petitioned for naturalization in 1902. Both gave the same address. I discovered that their family (including their parents and other two brothers Samuel and Joseph) were living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 44 Rivington Street.

It’s back to writing my book – A Family of Tailors.

Steuer Family Lore Proven

The Steuer Original Family Name

I’m still looking for missing pieces of this puzzle but I can now say that the Steuer Family Lore has been proven. Two different people from two different branches of my extended STEUER family tree mentioned a story about STEUER not being our family’s original name.

After virtually meeting a cousin (now several years ago), he told me that the family name was originally Yitkowitz and it was his ancestor (Bernhardt Steuer) who came to the states before Julius and changed the name. One of his sources says that Bernardt’s mother-in-law’s maiden name was Steuer, but it hasn’t been proven. He went on to tell me that his family settled in New York and Julius Steuer came over afterwards and settled in Cleveland. Later, Aaron Steuer (father of the famous Max D) came over and their two families kept in touch.

This information contradicts what I have with sources:

Julius Steuer emigrated in either 1877 (a letter from his granddaughter) or 1878, the 1910 Census.

Aaron Steuer emigrated in 1877, according to his son’s (Max D) passport application of July 1902. I also have a note that states that his emigration was preceeded by Julius Steuer and his family and that Aaron did not seek them out.

Max David Steuer, Bernhardt’s son, emigrated in Jan 1880, a letter from another cousin.

Bernhardt Steuer emigrated in 1881

William Steuer emigrated in 1884, 1920 Census

Rose Keller Steuer, William’s mother, emigrated in 1885, 1930 Census

Rachel Steuer Schiff, William’s sister, emigrated in 1886, 1900 Census

Sarah Steuer Schwartz, William’s sister, emigrated in 1889, 1930 Census

Rabbi Urlich Bernhard Steuer emigrated in Sep 1938, 1938 Passenger List from Bremen

Eva Steuer Halas emigrated from London to Canada (after her marriage). She emigrated to London after being liberated from Auschwitz.

When I heard this information about the name change, I immediately had an Instant Chat with a cousin in Cleveland. He told me “once, a long time ago my mother had the family aghast when she mentioned at a party that the family name had been Utkovitch. We assumed she was just making her usual confrontational remarks. Might it be true? I somehow, knowing my mother, had thought that she made up the story just to get a reaction.  Her mother denied it, but you have to remember that Beckie was a Steuer by marriage and might not have known too much.”

Later, he told me that he heard that there was a wealthy woman who was going to marry one of the brothers and he was asked by either her father if he would be willing to take on Steuer as his family name since he (the father) had no one to carry on his family name. This brother agreed. The other brothers took on Steuer so it would be known that they were all brothers.

The other branch of the family that told me about the original family name felt it was from their ancestor, Bernhardt (Bernat) Steuer. He married Fanny Klein and her father was Josef Jonas Klein and they felt his wife was possibly Minnie Steuer because this is what was written on Fanny’s death certificate, although her daughter Minnie Steuer was the informant.

I actually think this was a maternal grandfather that made the request, although I have not been able to prove it. Too many unknown maiden names. I did find the Hungarian marriage record for Julius (Juda) with his third wife (1876) and it already has his name and his father’s last name was also listed as STEUER.

The spelling of the name is in question, since all information was verbal. Both cousins did say the same thing, that it means son of a Jew. Is it Yitkowitz, Yitkowits, Yidkowitz, Yidkowits, Yitkovits, Yudkovits, or Utkovitch. What I do know is that the “Y” sound in Hungarian is spelled with a “J”. Where to start?

I did just recently found the marriage record and birth records for Bernhard and Fanny. Of course, it was Fanny’s Yiddish name – Feige and Bernhardt’s Hungarian name – Bernat. And here it was! Bernat’s last name was listed as Judkovics. His father was listed as Meier- no last name listed, but that is it is assumed to be the same if not shown. No mother was listed for him. The birth records for 3 of their children had their last name spelled Judkiewicz. The children were Hanny (b. 26 May 1872), Ignatz (b. 04 Feb 1875) and Gerzon (b. 27 Mar 1876).

According to the 1900 census she had given birth to 8 children and only 2 were still living (at the time she was living with her daughter Mary, her son-in-law Morris Reich and grandchildren). I assume they died in Hungary. As of now I haven’t found any death records for any of the other children and no passenger lists for any of their children.

Not sure of when there was the name change, but I feel someone other than Bernat (Bernhardt) married the girl from a wealthy family since their children’s birth records were NOT listed as Steuer.

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.