Mystery Monday ~ Different Names-Same Person?

My husband's great grandmother on his father's side is somewhat of a mystery, especially since I have found several different names for her. I think they all refer to the same person. This post is to share the several sources I have for her name.

Her son, Sam, married on March 10, 1909, in Cleveland, Ohio. See Sam and Sadie's marriage license where the groom's father is Adolf and his mother is Sali Handler.

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Her son, Josef, married on March 10, 1909, in Bonyhád, Tolna, Hungary. See Josef and Lena's marriage record where the groom's father is Aron Handler and his mother is Szoli or Száli Handler.

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Several Handler family members arrived in New York City on May 25, 1911. See Handler Family passenger lists where she is listed as Roza Handler.

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Her daughter, Regina, who arrived in New York City with her in May 1911, married in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 13, 1914 to Jacob Solomon. Regina's marriage license lists her father as Adolf and her mother as Rozalia Handler.

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In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, the household of Regina (Handler) and Jacob Solomon includes a 60-year-old Rose Goodman, listed as mother and having immigrated in 1911. This may be Regina's mother, as Jacob's mother's name is Anna (as listed on their marriage license). Why she is listed here with the surname of Goodman is a mystery, assuming this is Regina's mother.

The biggest mystery is that I don't know when or where Rozalia (Roza, Rose, Szali, Sali) died, and I cannot find Regina and Jacob Solomon in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census to see if Rose Goodman is still living with them. My next task is to explore Cleveland, Ohio, City Directories.

Son, Sam Handler, died in 1952. His death certificate lists his mother as Sally Handler-Yugoslavia

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However, she is listed as "Don't Know" on her son Joseph's death certificate in 1947 where his father is remembered as Aaron.

I have not found the Hungarian record for her marriage or her birth. (In fact, I'm not sure where in Hungary she was born, possibly Ilok, which is now in Croatia.) Until I find additional records, I am going to suppose that her name was Rozalia, and she was recorded as Roza, Szoli, Sali, or Sally, depending on the source.

December 10, 2012 update: I found a death certificate for Rosie Goodman and a burial record at JewishGen Online Burial Registry for Sally Handler who I believe is the same person.

Amanuensis Monday ~ Sam Handler's Death Certificate

During this past summer, I learned a lot about my husband's great uncle, Sam Handler. I discovered that he was a successful businessman in Cleveland, Ohio, and that along with his wife, Sadie, daughter, Esther, and son-in-law, David Simon, he moved to California, where he died in June 1954.

His obituary noted that he died at his residence, Sherman Oaks, California, on June 8, 1954. It was very easy to download a form at the website for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and send away for his death certificate.

Closeup of the certificate is below:

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun ~ Your Matrilineal Line

Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge is as follows:

1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

3) Post your responses on your own blog post, in Comments to this blog post, or in a Status line on Facebook or in your Stream at Google Plus.

4)  If you have done this before, please do your father's matrilineal line, or your grandfather's matrilineal line, or your spouse's matrilineal line.

5)  Does this list spur you to find distant cousins that might share one of your matrilineal lines?

My husband's matrilineal line is as follows:

a) his mother, still living
b) Rose Levitt (1902, NJ - 1995, NJ) married Morris Goldstein
c) Golda Segal (about 1869, Russia - 1952, PA) married Max Levitt
d) unknown (d. before the 1891 immigration of her husband and children) married Simche Siegel

My husband has not had his mitochondrial DNA tested. It might be interesting to confirm that his mother's maternal line originated in what is now known as Ukraine. Simche and his children immigrated from Shytomir, Russia (now Ukraine) in December 1891.

Note that both men and women receive mitochondrial DNA from their mothers; only women pass it along to their children. A relatively concise summary of genetic genealogy (a huge and complex topic) can be found at The Genetic Genealogist blog.

Amanuensis Monday ~ Pennsylvania Death Certificate for Goldie Levitt

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Last winter/spring, when the state of Pennsylvania made death records from 1906-1961 available, I explored the Pennsylvania Department of Health website and learned how to obtain a death record.

I obtained many death certificates for my ancestors (see my great grandfather's at From Maine to Kentucky) and one for my husband's great grandmother, Golda Segal Levitt (see her photo) with hopes of finding her birthdate and that elusive mother's name (given name and surname).

Handwritten entries are in blue. My editorial comments are bracketed.

1. Place of Death:
    a. County: Delaware
    b. City / Borough: Marple (Broomall) Pa
    c. Length of Stay (in this place): - [I don't know how long she was at this nursing home.]
    d. Full name of hospital or institution: Rest Haven for Convalescence
 2. Usual Residence:
   a. State: NJ
   b. County: 32 [Should read Cape May. Also, 32 doesn't indicate the number of years there, as I know she was living in Woodbine since before 1900!]
   c. City: Woodbine
   d. Street Address: Woodbine, N. J. [Possibly Jackson Avenue.]
 3. Name of Deceased: Goldie Levitt
 4. Date of Death: 9-14-52
 5. Sex: Female
 6. Color or race: White
 7. Widowed
 8. Date of Birth: Unknown [darn - I was really hoping for something here!]
 9. Age (in years, last birthday): 80 [Based on other records, I think she could have been 82 or 83.]
10a. Usual Occupation: None
10b. Kind of Business or Industry: None
11. Birthplace: Russia [See 1891 passenger lists here.]
12. Citizen of What Country: U.S.A. [I don't know when she became a citizen.]
13. Father's Name: Simche Siegel [Search this blog for Simche to read what I've found for him.]
14. Mother's Maiden Name: Unknown [Disappointment here, but not surprise.]
15. Was Deceased Ever in U.S. Armed Forces: -
16. Social Security No.: None
17. Informant's own signature; Address: Morton Levitt, Pennsgrove, N. J. [one of her sons]
18. Cause of Death: Coronary Sclerosis
      Interval between onset and death: Unknown
22. Indicates that the doctor had cared for her from 5-17-1949 to 8-14-1952, had last seen her alive on 8-14-1952, and that she died at 11:55 am.
23. Doctor's Signature: George P. Crillman, MD [not sure of this signature]
23b. Address: 2193 W Chester Pike, Broomall, Pa
23c. Date Signed: 9/14/52
24a. Burial
24b. Date: 9-15-52
24c. Name of Cemetery: Woodbine Brotherhood
24d. Location (City, State): Woodbine, NJ [See her gravestone here.]

Wordless Wednesday ~ Golda Segal Levitt

My husband's maternal great grandmother.

Goldie (Segal) Levitt

Born circa 1870 in Russia

Died September 14, 1952, in Pennsylvania