Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Mining Ancestry.com Hints by Specific Record Collection

Randy Seaver, author of Genea-Musings, has again shared a wonderful hint on Mining Ancestry.com Hints by Specific Record Collection. Do click through to his blog post to see his explanation on how to do it.

The example he used was for the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, where I have found some interesting facts for my family and my husband's family. (I shared one when this database was new on Ancestry.com.)

I want to share another interesting example in this database from my husband's family. Elizabeth (Girfanan or Girfanun or Girfman) Levitt was my mother-in-law's Aunt Betty.



This record, from the Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936-2007, at Ancestry.com, shows that Sarah's maiden name was Brodsky and her father's name was Garson Girfanan (or Girfanan). Elizabeth's mother, Sarah Brodsky, immigrated from Russia as a young mother with her toddler daughter. I shared her naturalization papers here, one of which states that her husband is deceased.

Her 1923 marriage record shows her name as Elizabeth B. Girfman. (Philadelphia Marriage License Index - 1917 to 1938, found at FamilySearch.org.)



I should get the original copy of these records to look and the handwriting and see for myself if the name is Girfman, Girfanan or Girfanun.

Another source that I have for her father's first name is on her gravestone, which lists her as Leah daughter of Gershon.

Find-A-Grave.com: photo courtesy of Mark Barnett

Elizabeth married George Levitt, Rose Levitt Goldstein's oldest brother, and I shared their gravestone here. They are buried in Montefiore Cemetery, Jenkintown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

8 comments:

  1. I have solved so many families using that Social Security Applications and Claims Index!

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    1. Magda, yes I have found quite a few interesting items to add to my family from this database. Thanks for the comment!

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  2. So interesting - as always! Jenkintown is near me - will try to get over that way and take some photos.

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    1. Find-A-Grave is another wonderful resource, especially for Jewish ancestry - finding the father's name on the stone. Thanks for reading and for volunteering for Find-A-Grave!

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  3. I love that database! It's broken down a few of my brickwalls.

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    1. Amy, yes it's an interesting database to find some other tidbits about individuals in your family. Glad it helped break down a few brick walls. Thanks for commenting!

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  4. Thanks for the tip! I also just started researching my finance's jewish genealogy after years of looking at my Western European history

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    1. A belated thank you for your comment. Researching Jewish genealogy after exploring your own European-American ancestry is a fun challenge. I hope you find my blog helpful. Use https://jewishgenealogyjourney.blogspot.com/search/label/Tuesday%27s%20Tip to see some helpful posts.

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