Sometimes Family Doesn't Share the Same Blood

The perfect title for this post was so eloquently worded by Tara, the daughter of my longtime friend, Lois.  Lois and I met when working together in Tampa for Arthur Andersen in 1983.  Lois lost her husband, an Air Force Policeman, in the first Gulf War, when her two children, Tara and Gary, were very young.  Though we both left Arthur Andersen within a few years of meeting, we have stayed close friends for what will be 30 years this summer.   Tara, who was married just a couple of weeks ago, reminds us that our "village" often consists of both family and carefully chosen friends - both the village we choose for ourselves and more, importantly, the village we create for our children.

Visiting Ruby Falls in Chattanooga in 2000 - our first of several summer trips

Over these 30 years, I have shared many wonderful memories with Lois and her children, and in the early days, her husband, John.   After my son, Shawn was born, we would go to visit every few months.   In 1999, I bought a camper and Lois, Tara, Gary, Shawn and I took extended summer vacations together, camping across the country, as far north as Boston and west as Yellowstone National Park.  We derive great pleasure in recounting these wonderful experiences when we get together.  Shawn and I even traveled to Malaysia to attend Tara's high school graduation and tour India with them.  Though we are very different in many ways, Lois and I share a lot of commonality.  We both know that we are there for each other and for each other's children, and take great comfort in that fact.

Mother's Day Weekend is also a very special time for me with "family" who are not my blood.  I'm fortunate to have stayed near where I grew up and to be able to maintain close relationships with friends from middle school.  This year we celebrated 20 years of making memories at the same hotel on Fort Myers Beach.  The family of my friends had celebrated Mother's Day there for many years before that but changed hotels when I first joined them.  Now we keep track of the years at The Outrigger Beach Resort by the age of my son - I joined the fun when I first became a mother in 1994, when Shawn was just 2 1/2 months old.

Mother's Day Toast 2003 with the family who "adopted" me in high school-
Mrs A, Kathy's mother and Marlene's Mother-in-Law, in white is toward the back,
just to the left of her sister, Aunt Ann, on the right in purple.
Our children were young then and did not participate -
Now my friend's daughters participate with their children - that has changed since my friends are the Grandmas!

We have celebrated so many important life events there - births, graduations, engagements and even a wedding.  Unfortunately, we have also grieved together there.  This year, as we celebrated 20 years of memories, they spread the ashes of a much loved family member, Alvin Collins, who passed in DC last year on the first day of the weekend.  We also took out time this year to reflect on others that are no longer joining us, including Aunt Ann who started the Mother's Day Toast tradition of serving frozen daiquiris each year in plastic glasses she would supply... we all have an entire collection of Aunt Ann glasses.  I contributed pictures to a memory board of my Grandmother, Claire Klepper Elkes Mandell, who lived nearby and along with her second husband, Sam, joined us and sold seashells at the gathering by the beach.

Hawaii on the return trip from Malaysia and India, which Cyndi also joined us for.
Robert met us in Hawaii on the way back.

I can't complete this blog without a special mention of the children we have willingly accepted responsibility for as our Godchildren.  My wonderful Godson, Robert, allowed me a little practice at raising a son before Shawn was born.  His mother, Cyndi and I met at orientation at FSU in 1980, and have navigated so many of life's challenges together.  I think the fact that Cyndi and I are both single Moms and have been through so much in our sons' lives together, makes our bond and reliance on each other much more demanding and critical than some of my other "bff" relationships.  I have often said she's more like a husband to me in the role she plays in my life.  There is no task that we have not collaborated on - whether in raising children, home renovation, travel or just looking after each other's personal well-being.  Cyndi and I are advocates for each other's sons with each other - an interesting concept to say the least - and we and our sons have definitely benefited by that fact.

Hold close those that are family - and share a special big hug with those family who are there for you when they don't have to be, for they are that little extravagant fringe we make a point to add to the fabric of our lives.

We are family - I've got ALL my sisters with me...

Happy Birthday Grandpa - or is it? The tale of the elusive record of your birth

Nathan Elkes (May 10/7, 1909-July 8, 1983)
Taken at a family wedding in Elizabeth, NJ  about 1979

My Grandparents, Nathan and Claire Klepper Elkes, enjoyed a good bit of travel in their retirement.  I vaguely recall hearing a story about my Grandfather's challenges in securing a passport to travel overseas.  While looking through papers that were given to my Uncle, we came across what I have termed as a "Non-Birth Certificate" from the City of New York.  Apparently they were unable to find his birth certificate and they checked the 1910 Census and could not find him there either (he was born on May 10th, 1909).  Finally locating him in the 1920 Census where he is reflected as having been born in NY, they provided a letter confirming that he did, in fact, exist citing the 1920 Census as proof.  With this document as proof of his birth, he obtained a passport and they went on their merry way.  (I have since found him in the 1910 Census with a transcribed surname of Elmes.)

I have spent umpteenth hours mining through the www.italiangen.org indexes for vital records.  One night, I set out, determined to find this particular elusive record in the index.  I tried all different combinations of letters and wild card searches.  Finally, after envisioning myself as my Great-Grandmother Jennie with a heavy Russian accent trying to communicate her surname, I found what must be it...  there was a Nathan Halkis who was born on May 7th.  I obtained a copy of the record and, sure enough, there was Jennie as his mother with a surname noted of Ylsttein!  FINALLY, my Grandfather was certified... but why had we always celebrated his birth on the wrong date?  Who changed it and when was it changed???  That, we will never know!!  But I took great pride and joy in finally finding this record!

I have great memories of time spent with my Grandfather.  His occupation was a linen delivery man, which he did for many years in New York and then down here in Miami.  I've been told that he used to spend the week in the city working and return home to his family in Plainfield, NJ on the weekends.

Grandpa was a handsome man with a big girth from being so well fed by my Grandmother.  A very proud man, I recall vividly his disdain at receiving a ticket for driving through an area that was not a truck route.  I can see him sitting in his recliner watching TV in his bedroom, a can of hard candies always there on his nightstand.  He enjoyed fishing and gardening and, above all, wrestling.  Taking my older brother and cousin to events, I was envious when left behind... mind you, not that I wanted to see a wrestling event, but I could appreciate at a very young age how special the time with Grandpa was.  In stark contrast to my Grandmother, who was always curt and businesslike when I was young, he was lighthearted and enjoyed sharing laughter and playfulness with his many grandchildren.  Grandma eventually lightened up too and I enjoyed many wonderful times with her over the years.

Along those same veins, my Grandmother held tight the household pursestrings.  I remember how she often took me to her utility room pantry and proudly showed me how she had obtained food at reduced prices, usually dented cans and such.  To her credit, they were able to save a considerable sum of money and enjoyed a wonderful retirement together until he died in 1983.  To illustrate just how it sat with him though, I remember visiting him in the hospital emergency room after he had collapsed.  He kept asking for his teeth.  There was something I wanted to buy - a school ring if I recall correctly.  He found his wallet and gave me the money for it, muttering that a man had to have money in his pocket.  Apparently, this was from a secret stash that my Grandmother knew nothing about!!  I told him I would pay him back and he said not to worry.  I never heard about it again from him or my Grandmother.  I often wonder if he ever told her that he had given me that money.

Once, I was playing out front of my house.  We lived in North Dade in an area where the houses consisted of a few different models with the same facade, distinguished only by the color of the trim.  Ours was dark green.  As I played, I saw my Grandfather come... and then I saw him go by.  Confused, I ran down the sidewalk following him and he pulled into the house a few doors down.  This was the same model house but with black trim.  I asked him why he went to the wrong house and he matter of factly informed me he was color blind.  It was a foreign concept to me and I wondered what it was like to not be able to distinguish color.  I've since learned that one of my brothers is also color blind, apparently an inherited trait more commonly appearing in males.

My Grandparents retired to a duplex in Cape Coral, Florida.  I made a point to stop and visit them on my trips between school at FSU in Tallahassee and home.  After suffering a couple of heart attacks, my Grandfather was no longer allowed to drive.  Sentenced to passenger forever more with my Grandmother behind the wheel must have been like being sentenced to a hard labor camp!  My Mother and I went over to visit them once and for some reason neither of us packed toothpaste.  My rationale was that of course, staying in someone's home, there would be toothpaste there... I assume my Mother thought the same.  Then again, no one in that household had teeth, which I guess neither of us considered.  Heading home after dinner, we pulled into Publix and Grandma went into the store to pick some up for us.  While in there, Grandpa jumped into the driver's seat.  I have to laugh when I recall that Grandma sent one of the bag boys out to the car to ask us what flavor we wanted!!  When she returned, it became quite a battle of wills as she demanded my Grandfather relinquish the driver seat.  He stood fast in his intention to drive us home, probably only a couple of miles.  After much discussion on the topic, Grandma finally conceded and handed over the keys.  It was easy to see how much joy Grandpa received from chauffeuring us on just that short trip.

Grandpa is buried in a cemetery in Fort Myers.  As I head there for my 20th year of celebrating Mother's Day at the beach, I will stop in and pay him a visit for his birthday.  But this year, for the first time ever, I took a few minutes to wish him Happy Birthday on May 7th.  Who knows, maybe it is the first time he has ever been recognized on his "real" birthday.  Cheers to you Grandpa - I miss you very much!!

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun...

My Trip To America - Annie's Journal of her 1947 Trip to NY - A New Quest All Its Own

L-R Back Uncle Frank (who had the journal), Denise, Aunt Jeanette (who died very young)
Front:  Rose and Annie (author of the journal), Joan (a cousin from the US) and Evelyn

Before David W provided Denise and I with the 1901 Census, we received a gift from her Grandmother, Annie, daughter of Sarah.  Annie and her sister, Rose, came to visit family in the US in 1947 and created a charming 15 page typed journal to document the trip.  The journal was found while going through the papers of her uncle after he died and a copy was given to Denise, which she excitedly shared with me.

The journal recounts Annie's experiences on her cruise over and back on the Queen Elizabeth, as well as all of her visits with various family members and sightseeing in many areas in and around NYC.  Annie and Rose visited all of their first cousins on their maternal Olshanitsky line, apparently a number of paternal relatives and also attended a wedding here.   Her observations of life in America made me smile.  In her first entry after arriving she describes what greeted her, "What a thrill to see all the lights - shall never forget first glimpse of the skyscrapers - couldn't see the Statue of Liberty as it was too dark, but saw the lighted torch."  How many of our ancestors, after such a long and dangerous trip, were so relieved and excited when they too first laid eyes on our Lady Liberty??!!  She continues, "Just like fairyland to see all the brilliantly lighted buildings and highways."  On her third day after arriving she admits, "Feeling very very envious of the Americans.  Plenty of everything - shops full."  You will note that this was just a few years after the end of WWII and London where they lived was ravaged by attacks during that war.

Annie and Rose, Denise's grandmother and great-aunt, stayed with my grandparents on this visit.  My great-grandmother Jennie and her husband's brother's widow, another Jennie, spent quite a bit of time with them, including a number of visits with the family of sister Rachael.  I created a spreadsheet of every reference to a person mentioned in the journal and set about trying to put them all into place in the family.  This is when it was obvious there was another sister and a clear picture of Rachael's family finally started to emerge.   Using the journal information as a basis, I searched through census records on Ancestry.com and was able to find the family of her Aunt Rachael and piece together some history of that line of the Olshanitsky sisters.  As it turns out, two of the Olshanitsky sisters emigrated to the US while the other four siblings remained in the UK.  Rachael had three children and we were able to find the families of two of them but one daughter remained elusive for some time.  Finally, we came full circle when we were able to trace the entire family on geni.com, another website that was instrumental in my early research.  Ultimately, we made contact with Rachael's descendants through Facebook and continue to communicate but have yet to meet in person.

Annie's journal will be mentioned in later blogs as it provided some additional insight and leads to more discoveries of the family of Jennie's husband, Abraham, my great-grandfather.  Two events from the journal demand to be shared here.

In the late 1980's I had the opportunity to spend some time with Denise's family while working in London.  I would extend my trips across weekends and her parents would pick me up and take me out sightseeing or to their home for visits.  Particularly memorable were visits with Aunt Rose (the sister who accompanied Annie on her trip) and a Rosh Hashanah dinner with the family.  Denise's Mum Evelyn shared many stories and pictures with me.  A story she told has always resounded in my mind.  She said that my Grandmother was very good to them by providing assistance to the family during the war.  She apparently sent many care packages to them throughout that bleak period.  In particular, Evelyn recalled that Grandma sent them hosiery that they were able to sell to buy food.  I was always very proud of my Grandmother for her generosity as she was a foster mother to many and in her 50's secured her first and only employment as a cottage parent in a center for the mentally retarded here in Miami.  (She also first learned to drive at the time which was very scary for the rest of us!)  In the journal, Annie writes that Rose and my Grandmother went "to town on business" and returned to relate that "business very satisfactory - we're pleased." Denise helped to explain this by sharing a family story that in gratitude for her assistance during their times of need during the war, Annie and Rose brought a diamond for Claire which they apparently sold that day.

And what of the wedding?  I have a family Facebook group where I posed the question to the members.  My Mom's first cousin, Enid, was able to shed some light there.  Enid's father was Jennie's son, Ralph.  As it turns out, her mother, Tillie's cousin was stationed in London during the war.  Enid's mother put him in touch with Annie and Rose and they became very close in those days.  He was getting married upon his return to the US and invited Annie and Rose to attend, which they obliged.  Enid was just a little girl but recalls the wedding very well and how they danced all night.  I have since found the marriage certificate for the couple whose wedding they attended.  Someday, maybe I'll be able to find their descendants and share the journal which describes the wedding in such detail with awe.

I will probably share more quotes from the journal in a later blog as it mentions so many historic places and events in New York City.  Still have a few names yet to place from my spreadsheet including some of those we believe are from Annie's father's family.  But for now, I believe I have done well to share the spirit of the journal of a young woman who ventured across the pond for the experience of a lifetime and, certainly unbeknownst to her at the time, left behind a map to reunite a family.

Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me... 


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Genealogical Research Tips:

Scour through the papers of your family - you never know what you might find.  Ask them if they saved any souvenirs from past events that they might share.

Ancestry.com and familysearch.org both have many census records.  Only familysearch.org has the 1905 NYC census, which could hold information not found later.  Search both sites as they were indexed independently and sometimes you will get a hit on one and not the other depending on how the writing was transcribed.  Perform wildcard searches with partial names using the most like combinations to not be confused.  I even found Jennie's marriage record in NYC indexed on familysearch.org.  Persistence pays!!

Geni.com has a lot of information on it, primarily provided by family members for the more recent generations.  The living are not protected as much as on Ancestry trees.  I have found many relatives and entire lines on there.  They have changed their model though.  Now that my tree is very large, I cannot add anyone else for free and searching has become problematic.  A new member might have a better experience with it.

The Olshanitsky Sisters - How many different mothers and maiden names can three sisters have?

Joseph and Annie Olshanitsky
 My GG-Grandparents and source of the census crumb trail... or is Annie  not actually my GG-Grandmother???

I mentioned in my first post that my family quest began with a tree that my cousin Denise RM provided.  It showed that our common family surname was Hushkie.  The tree was topped by Joseph and Anna Hushkie, my gg-grandparents, both from Bialystok, Russia who had two daughters, Sarah and Janie.  These are Denise's and my Great-Grandmothers on this line.

But that was just the beginning of an ardent effort to discover definitively their surname. Further checking by Denise in England turned up a marriage record for Sarah showing a maiden name of Olshanitsky.  She determined that Hushkie was some sort of nickname and so the tree was changed to reflect Olshanitsky as the surname.  You would think that that would be that, mission accomplished...but no....

Sarah married Gabriel, of that Denise is confident.  Something we have never quite explained is that the marriage certificate showed the given name of Sarah's husband's brother, Joe, as her groom.  Of course, your mind might wander... or at least mine did... did Sarah first marry Joe and then Gabriel?  Did Joe die young and Gabriel step in??  But no, Denise could trace Joe's life so that was not a probable explanation.  So sometimes as family genealogists, we just have to accept these discrepancies and move on.

Other related names that appear in the UK records include Oldstein and Oilstone.  Sometimes genealogical discoveries just take a little luck and a random act of kindness by someone else who enjoys the pursuit.  I was in contact with someone in the UK named David W who owned a tree regarding a paternal line and happened to mention the Olshanitsky name challenge we were trying to work through.  He worked wonders for us!!  He had access to the 1901 censuses in the UK and actually found the Olshanitsky family in the 1901 Census there!!  What was highly unusual he tells us, is that the name was hyphenated as "Olshanitsky-Oilstone".   And what a discovery that was - there were actually SIX children in the family... 3 sons and 3 daughters... Rachael 29 (D/S), Nathan 27 (M), Jane 25, Lewis 22 Sarah 19, Ephriam (later Philip) 15!!   Nathan appeared with Joseph's family and separately with his wife as a family unit in that census.  The third daughter, Rachael, was already married and probably living in the US at the time though she was reflected as Divorced and then as Single next to that.  It is almost as though Joseph Olshanitsky had left this trail of crumbs for us to find and enable us to piece our family together a century later!!  David also shared military records of one son which include more information we could follow.  His assistance has been INVALUABLE to our efforts and we thank him AGAIN!!  We can explain the name Oilstone.  Joseph's son, Nathan, changed his name to Oilstone when he was granted citizenship in the UK.  Other variations have followed both in the UK and the US.

I have recently obtained many birth, marriage and death records for Jennie and Rachael and the first generation of Olshanitsky offspring in the US.  At last check, we see all of these variations on the Olshanitsky and Oilstone names (not including what might be considered misspellings or transcription errors):

Olshanitsky - the census and Sarah's marriage cert

Oilstone - Jennie's daughter's marriage cert

Hulstein - Jennie's marriage cert 

Goldstein - Jennie's daughter's marriage cert

Oldstein - My Grandfather's marriage cert

Oldstone - Jennie's son's marriage cert

Olstome - My Grandfather's death cert

Alston - Rachael's son's marriage cert

Olster -  Jennie's young daughter's death cert

Altstein - Rachael's death cert

Ylsttein - My grandfather and his brother birth cert

I can only imagine how this occurs...  I visualize my Great-Grandmother, relatively new here with a heavy Russian accent, neither able to read nor write English, trying to tell people her name.  Bless all of those town clerks who tried their best during this rapid time of growth of our wonderful country!!

My Great-Grandmother, Jennie Olshanitsky Elkes, who I am named for, continues to baffle me.  Upon obtaining her marriage certificate I find that she was a divorcee when she married my Great-Grandfather.  No idea where to go with THAT new revelation!  On top of that, we find that Jennie listed Eva Vinesetsky as her mother on her marriage certificate and Rachael's mother is listed as Ida Cohen on her death certificate.... neither being an Anna or Annie... and Joseph's wife was noted as Seah in the 1901 census.  Nathan's wife was Leah so maybe there was some crossover there.  Not sure if these discrepancies will ever be resolved but is possible that Joseph had multiple wives in Russia.  We have found no matching records for the Olshanitsky family in Russia as yet.

Denise and I are quite puzzled with these latest findings.  The saga continues....  won't you accompany us on this journey???

It's a long, long road, with many a winding turn, that leads us to where... who knows where??... 

More blogs to follow on the Olshanitsky family - Seize the Day!!

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Genealogical research tips:

The Italian Genealogical Group website, www.italiangen.org is a wonderful research resource for indexes to New York City Vital Records, as well as other information.  I have obtained numerous records based on the certificate numbers they have provided, which also provide the year recorded and borough of the event.  http://www.italiangen.org/VRECLIST.stm

Stephen Morse has created a website with a number of tools that make it easier to research other databases, including Ellis Island records and Ancestry.com.  www.stephenmorse.com
Once I find the year, borough and certificate number, I use the tool on that website to find the LDS film number.
http://www.stephenmorse.com/vital/filmnotes.html

Then I send the details of what I'm looking for and the film number to the LDS History Center following these instructions:

familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Services

Originally I had a very quick turnaround but I have seen postings where the turnaround has been very slow.  Obviously, such a wonderful service has resulted in many orders and they must have quite a backlog.  Still, if you are not in rush, you can follow this approach.  Otherwise, you can use the film number to order a film to your local Family History Center and find the record yourself.

As a final tip, do not hesitate to CONNECT CONNECT CONNECT... look for family and/or people interested in the same research you are.  I have found family, made friends and have obtained TONS of information through reaching out to people with trees on Ancestry.com and memorials and "flowers" on www.findagrave.com, and using the Family Finder tool on www.jewishgen.org, all of which are vital resources to anyone with this hobby.... more on those experiences in later blogs.. 

Day 1 of Quantum Connecting - How my journey began and introducing the California Cousins... AKA Who Am I and "What's Goin' On?"

My Great-Grandfather Sam Klepper and his second wife Jennie on South Beach Between 1965 and 1971

Who am I?

My name is Judi and I am a native Floridian.  I am a single mother of one wonderful teenage son,  Shawn Dylan, who just finished his first year of college.  My occupation is that of a computer systems consultant, working primarily for Fortune 500 companies.  I just celebrated 20 years of independent consulting.   My life has been very blessed with an always entertaining family, wonderful lifelong friends, and opportunities to travel extensively over the years.  What more could one ask for?

I created this blog in the middle of the night probably two years ago, never wrote anything in it and then forgot what I named it.  I was inspired then and I'm inspired again and found it...  so here goes....

Entry number 1.... May 5th, 2013, Cinco de Mayo, creating upon returning from the 10th Annual Greynolds Park Love In in the Park featuring Blue Image with Mike Pinera and headlining Grand Funk Railroad... I'm getting closer to my home...

How this Journey Began...

I discovered genealogy as a hobby just over 3 years ago when I asked cousins on Facebook here in South Florida if they knew our cousins in England.  As it turned out, they didn't know we had cousins in England!!  As they were both on my maternal grandfather's (Nathan Elkes) side, I figured they must be related to each other as well.  I wrote cousin Denise RM in England (how are we related again????) and she sent me a family genealogy a short time later.  I was fascinated to find that we were related through my great-grandmother, who it turns out I was named for but knew nothing about.  She was Jennie OE here in the US, but was known as Janey to the English cousins.  Denise had documented that both of my mother's father's parents were born in Bialystok, Russia, now part of Poland.

It was beyond my comprehension that she had all this information on my roots and I knew nothing - probably couldn't even have told you these great-grandparents' first names.  What's more, I never had more than a passing interest before that day.  However, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge of my own family, I set on a quest to learn more and, three years later, admit that I have embarked upon a most incredible journey.  I am going to try to share that journey with you - both the history I've discovered and the connections I've made through my research and then keep you up to date on new revelations and connections as I continue to learn more about my roots as well as discover and meet new living cousins that share a rich and diverse family history.

What's Goin' On?

I've been bold in reaching out to perfect strangers who in turn have enriched my life.... some family and some just "kin" through a common desire to connect, both our forefathers and our yet undiscovered living brethren.  Not everyone gets it - very few people actually.  For those of you who share a passion for genealogy, you will understand and embrace what I've accomplished.

So let's start with today.  I spoke on the phone with Carolmae BE.  She was very excited to return my call from a message I left last night.  Surely in her 80's as her husband (who died in 2007) was born in 1918, I was hoping my research was correct in believing she was the aunt of my "second cousins once removed," Robert and Judy.  My message explained that this call would sound very strange but that I was looking for what I thought was her niece and nephew and gave a few more bits of information that led me to her.  (Genealogical "cold calls" are always fun but you never know what kind of reception to expect!)  She blew me away when she advised that she had googled where I said I lived because she didn't want to call too early if I lived in California!!  We had a lovely conversation and she shared contact information for her nephew... EUREKA!!  One of many AHA moments of the last three years I've enjoyed!!  Now a first cousin of Robert (Bobby) L has left a message for him.  Hopefully he will be able to renew a long lost connection with his first cousins and join us for a family reunion in California next month!!  How awesome is that???!!!

Introducing the California Cousins...

So this line in California descends from my great-grandfather, Sam Klepper's sister Clara KlepperL.  Sam was my mother's mother's father who emigrated from Jassy, Romania, arriving with his mother, Menie (later Minnie) Selig Klepper, on December 14, 1902, on the ship SS Latouraine from LeHavre, France.  They had departed France on December 6th.  My son was named for Sam... Schmuel in Hebrew... though Schmiel on his arrival manifest.  Sam was only 14 when he arrived but he had an occupation of "tinsmith" noted on the manifest.  All but one of his siblings had come over previously and it was his sister Dora Klepper Haimowitz's husband whose name appears on the manifest to meet them.  His address is noted as 101 Allen Street.  This street has become very familiar to me.  It is on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where many Jews arriving from Europe first made their homes.  I have yet to visit the area but look forward to visiting a museum there in one of the tenement houses, Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which depicts life as it was in the early 1900's.   (www.tenement.org)

I remember visiting Sam on South Beach as a child, where he lived on Euclid Avenue in a co-op apartment.  We liked to visit him because Mom always took us to play in the park after the visit.  He had a very deep gruff voice and, in retrospect, must have had an accent as I remember not always understanding what he said.  The four of us children definitely entertained him and I recall his laughing heartily as he quipped about our antics to his wife.  His dates of birth vary somewhat but the most common is August 8, 1888.  Sam was a mechanic and I understand was one of the early mechanics to be "invited" to be trained to work on airplanes when commercial flight was newly established.  In the 1910 Census, he was in the Army stationed in NY.  I believe I was told he was part of the Army Corp of Engineers - I'll have to check on that.  Sam married his first wife, Gussie Fenster Klepper, in Manhattan on December 25th, 1910, certificate number 644 for 1911.  Their marriage record lists his parents as Jules Klepper and Mini Selik.  Gussie died in 1963 when I was just three and I have no recollection of her but will write about her in another entry.  Sam remarried Jenny RCKlepper and she was the only great-grandmother I ever knew.  More about Jenny RCKlepper later also.  Sam died when I was 10 on February 4th, 1971.  I recall visiting him in the hospital, but I'm not sure if that was just before he died or earlier.  His was the first funeral I ever attended.  The funeral room had a waterfall behind glass in the front of the room.  I remember being very disturbed to see the waterfall running through a separation in the coffin when it was closed.  I was worried that water and bugs would get into the coffin when he was buried.  I still recall my uneasiness about that all these years later.  The fears of a child...  you never know.

Anyway, Grandma Claire Klepper Elkes and I did a tree for her paternal family when I was in my mid 20's.  I never did anything with it.  Upon learning about her husband's family and beginning my family quest, I dug it out.  Sam K had four siblings in the US and one who died where he came from in Jassy (now spelled Iasi), Romania.  This was really the only family line I knew growing up, but only Sam Klepper's descendants.  I set out to see if I could find out more about his siblings and their descendants.  I can say I've had great success with that quest, as I will share with you over time.  The California Cousins descend from his sister Clara who married here and had seven children... pretty much as many as all her siblings put together.  All but one removed to Southern California in the 1950's - probably about the same time my Grandparents moved to Florida.  Bobby's father, Benjamin, was the only one who permanently remained in NY.  Clara's husband had left her with the seven children and moved to Illinois.  She was a beautiful and intelligent woman, with an almost exotic look to her eyes.  She enjoyed her family very much.  Clara died while visiting her children in California but was returned to NY for burial at Mount Hebron Cemetery with her mother.   More details on the California Cousins in entries to follow.

My quest began with the communications with cousin Denise RM in April, 2010 on my Grandfather's line.  I first made contact with the "CA Cousins" as I call them, on my Grandmother's paternal line, in October that year.  Ironically, they were on a cruise out of Miami when I first tried to contact them.  I will finally meet many of them in person on June 8th, 2013.  So looking forward to this reunion after 2 1/2 years of emailing and Facebooking!  There are so many of them, they are very close and seem like such great fun!!

I could go on and on (or I guess I already have) but will stop for now.  It has been a good day in Judi's world of Quantum Connecting....

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Genealogical research tips:  

I found Bobby's parents as newlyweds in the 1940 census.  I knew his mother's maiden name, Claire EL, so found her in the 1920 Census and saw she had a brother two years younger.  I googled and found him as a Dartmouth Alumni and learned his wife's name from non-profit contribution lists found on google.  That's how I found Carolmae BE and then her phone number was in the white pages on the internet.  I found this death record about a year ago but wasn't sure her sister-in-law was the correct person as I was told she was "long gone" and this record showed she just died in 2008.  It was also questionable because she died in NH, rather than where she had settled in NY but then I found her brother in the same city just yesterday.  Fortunately, Claire's maiden name was not common.  VOILA!!

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Dedicated to Tim who, like so many others in the past, told me last night at a high school reunion gathering that I should write a book about my experiences.  "You don't have to write it all at once - just get started"... and so I have Tim... thank you for the push!!