Sunday's Obituary ~ Jake and Regina Solomon

Great Uncle Jake Solomon died on March 13, 1965, at age 81 (or 82, depending on the source of his birth year).

March 14, 1965, p. 14AA. Obituary/Death notice for Jake Solomon.,
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, online database (http://www.genealogybank.com).

SOLOMON
Jake Solomon, dearly beloved husband of Regina, devoted father of Morton, Mrs. Esther Goldstein, Miss Helen Solomon and dear grandfather of four. Services at Berkowitz-Kumin, Inc., Memorial Chapel, 1985 S. Taylor Rd., Cleveland Heights, Sunday, March 14, at 11 a.m. Family will receive friends at the residence, 1263 Ranchland Rd., Mayfield Heights.

~~~~~~~

Great Aunt Regina (Handler) Solomon died on March 29, 1989, at age 97 (or 98 or 99, depending on the source of her birth year).

March 30, 1989, p. 19D. Death notice for Regina (Handler) Solomon.,
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, online database (http://www.genealogybank.com).

SOLOMON
Regina Solomon, beloved wife of the late Jacob, devoted mother of Esther Goldstein (Mrs. William), Helen Solomon and the late Morton Solomon, loving grandmother of Gary Solomon, Steven Solomon, Lori B. Guiliani and Lori B. Solomon-Hess. great grandmother of Michael Solomon. Services Friday, March 31 [1989] at 11 a.m. at Miller-Deutsch Memorial Chapel Inc. 1985 S. Taylor Rd., Cleveland Hts. Family at the residence of Helen Solomon, 1263 Ranchland Rd., Mayfield Hts. Contributions may be made to Menorah Park. Interment Warrensville Cemetery.

Naturalization for Jake (1923) and Regina (1944) Solomon

Previously, I have shared the Naturalization records for brothers Josef Handler (oath of allegiance 1919) for Sam Handler (oath of allegiance 1920).

I have found naturalization records for my husband's great aunt Regina (Handler) Solomon and her husband, Jake (or Jacob) Solomon. Because great uncle Jake Solomon finalized his citizenship in 1923,  it doesn't look like Regina became a citizen at the same time because of changes in the naturalization laws.

The following documents can be found in "Naturalization Petition and Record Books for the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Cleveland, 1907-1946" at Fold3.

When Jake Solomon filed his Declaration of Intention on June 13, 1919, he was 36 years old and working as a cook. He reports that he is of dark complexion, 5'6" tall, weighing 170 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was born in Mamaros, Hungary, on 2 April 1883, and was living at 2721 E. 62nd Street in Cleveland. He arrived at the port of New York from Fiume, Hungary, on the ship Pannonia on or about December 25, 1908. (Yet I have not had luck finding that record; according to passenger list records at Ancestry.com, no ships arrived at the port of New York on Christmas Day in 1908.) He indicates that he is married to Regina, who was born in Serbia.

Note that at the signature line, the Deputy Clerk, Emil A. Bartunek, signed Jake Solomon and indicated that the "X" was his mark; Jake didn't sign his own name on this document.

~~~~~~~

Three and a half years later, Jake Solomon signs his name on his Petition for Naturalization, at the time, the second step to becoming a U.S. citizen.

Matrilineal Monday ~ Great Aunt Regina Handler

I have written about brothers Sam Handler and Joseph Handler. Their younger sister, Regina Handler (pronounced Reh-GEE-nah, not Ri-JEE-nah), immigrated from Hungary with her mother and her sister-in-law in May 1911, and joined her brothers in Ohio. (See her immigration record here.)

In 1920, she and husband, Jacob Solomon, are living at 2721 East 62nd Street in Cleveland.

1920 U.S. Census, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, Roll T625_1369, E. D. 351,
page 9A, lines 15-19, household of Jacob Solomon

Detail of record of Solomon household in 1920

Jacob Solomon, age 36, immigrated in 1905 and has his papers (Pa); he is on his way to becoming a citizen. Further to the right, his occupation is listed as Cook in Restaurant. He and wife, "Ray" were both born in Hungary.

Ray (Regina) is 26 years old. Her year of immigration is unknown (though I know it as 1911) and she is listed as Al (an alien, not a U.S. citizen).

They have two young daughters: Esther, age 4, and Hellen, age 1 7/12, who were both born in Ohio.

Rose Goodman, age 60, is listed as Mother (of the Head of Household). I'm working on confirming who she is... Update: Here is more about Rose (Handler) Goodman, also known as Sally Handler - she is Regina's mother.

~~~~~~~

I have not found the Solomon family in the 1930 U.S. Census, though I did find a few Jacob Solomons in Cleveland City Directories around this time.

~~~~~~~

Wordless Wednesday ~ Jake and Regina Solomon

Another treasure of a photograph that I received after the death of my husband's Aunt Margaret. This is Uncle Jake Solomon and Aunt Regina (Handler) Solomon, taken possibly in the 1950's. Her name is pronounced with a hard 'g': Reh-GEE-nah, not Ri-JEE-nah.

Mystery Monday ~ Genealogy Time Machine

Nick Gombash recently blogged about his wish for a genealogy time machine. Although I have had the wonderful opportunity to hear my mother-in-law share the family stories, I have often wished I could go back in time and ask some questions to clarify the family lore.

The top three ancestors of my husband's I would like to go back in time to meet are as follows:

1.
Who: Max Levitt, who died May 3, 1935
When: Early 1890's, around when he immigrated
Where: New York City, before he moved to Woodbine, New Jersey
Why: When exactly did he immigrate, and from where, exactly? What are his parents' names and was it Max or his father who changed the family name from Levitas to Levitt because Levitas sounded "too fancy"? When exactly did he find out about the opportunity for jobs in Woodbine, New Jersey, and did he really make the decision to move there so quickly that when his son (Manuel, Emmanuel?) declared that he didn't want to move and ran away, he wasn't able to find him?

2.
Who: Morris Goldstein
When: July 1914, the month he immigrated to America
Where: Iasi, Romania
Why: The family story says that his older brother, Max Goldstein, changed his name from Yancu to Goldstein. I would love to ask Morris (or his brother, Max) to tell me exactly when and where this name change was done. Morris came over under the name Goldstein, so presumably he changed his name in Romania, but did Max change his name before immigrating from Romania, or after reaching America? Also, what was it like to make this trip at the age of 17, with just his older sister accompanying him?

3.
Who: Anna Honenváld
When: 1909-1911, when her daughter married and later left home for America
Where: Bonyhád, Tolna District, Hungary
Why: Her husband was Samuel Holländer, who would also be interesting to speak with. What did she think of her son-in-law, Josef Handler, who married her daughter, Lena Holländer? What were her feelings about their immigration to America? And what about when Lena returned to Hungary for a several-month visit in 1915? Was Lena eager to return to her husband in America?

Thanks, Nick, for this fun idea!