Tivador Says He's Going to "Cousin Essti"
Tivador was shown as a "student" (which was probably true in his home town of Ungvar in Hungary) and he told authorities that his father paid his passage to America.
Who was he coming to see in New York? In his heavily accented voice, he somehow conveyed that he was going to see "Essti Shim______." Above, the snippet from this name in the paperwork.
FYI, my Hungarian cousins pronounce this surname name with an initial "Sh" rather than an initial "S" so it may be that when Grandpa told authorities who he was seeing, this written version is what they heard.
Grandpa Theodore's mother (my great-grandma) was Hani Simonowitz Schwartz. Was this cousin Essti a niece of Hani? If so, Essti would be Theodore's first cousin.
Researching Cousin Essti
I found a few "Esther Simonowitz" in New York census records for 1905. I particularly focused on one born in Hungary who was living with her brother, Abraham Simonowitz, at 2058 Second Ave., Manhattan, which was Jewish Harlem. (See snippet above from the NY census for 1905.)
Abraham is 27 years old, head of household, occupation "Delicatessen," and Esther is 20, his sister, occupation "partner" (presumably in the deli). Oh, and they have a live-in servant in this apartment!
They are both aliens, he in the United States for 11 years and she for 8 years.
As a further check, I saw in the New York City directory for 1903, Esther Simonowitz is listed under "Delicatessen" at the Second Avenue address.
But whether these folks are actually relatives of my ancestor Hani Simonowitz Schwartz, I don't yet know. My wonderful Schwartz cousin remembers being visited in Ukraine (before going to Israel) by Simonowitz cousins from America in the 1960s/1970s. These cousins were possibly from the Midwest. Were they related to the Esther and Abraham Simonowitz who are in the 1905 NY Census?
If so, did one of the Simonowitz siblings shown in the 1905 NY census move on, with the other staying in New York? Did Esther get married and change her name, complicating my search for her? There are SO many Esther Simonowitz records in the NYC marriage archives.
More questions than answers at this point! The search continues.
UPDATE: Lara Diamond suggested I investigate the above marriage record, which shows "Esther Simanovitz" marrying Edwin Kramer in 1906. I'll have to get to a Family History Center to see it, but when I do, I'll see the addresses for bride/groom, birthplaces, and more. Very promising lead--especially since the groom's mother was a Schwartz! Thank you, Lara.
FamilySearch has indexed a marriage certificate (and you can see the original at a Family History Center) for Esther Simanovitz, aged 21, who married Edwin Kramer in 1906. Esther's parents are indexed as Judah Simanovitz & Bertha Berkowitz. Certificate is 7327.
ReplyDeleteOddly, that one isn't on ItalianGen, which has a marriage for Esther Simanovitz on May 18, 1906 (certificate #7327) to Nathan Miller; at a Family History Center you can see her parents on the original.
Obviously she didn't marry two men on the same certificate, so it's even more worthwhile than usual to see the original. But perhaps Judah and Bertha are correct and fit into what you know of the family?
Thanks so much, Lara! I will go to a nearby FHC to read her parents' names on the cert of Esther & Nathan. I will have to delve more deeply into whether Judah and Bertha fit in my family tree--sadly, those who remained in Hungary were almost certainly killed in the Holocaust.
DeleteGood luck on your search. I hope Lara's suggestion turns out to be your Esther so you'll be able to follow her further along. Have you tried looking for Edwin Kramer and Esther in 1910 or other later NY records. You might pick up some clues there, too, to help you decide if they are part of your family.
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