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.

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!