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When I was 13 I created my first tree along with a scrapbook of photographs for my grandmother;
over time my mom told me the history of both sides of the family; from these stories
came my family genealogy and my postion with
JewishGen...but until recently, I never had a web site for my family; well, it's time!
I'm delighted to begin this project and I would love to hear from anyone who
has something to correct or add.
I am grateful to those who came before me; who battled the old world and
the new to create a better life for their children...this is really their story. They shall
not be forgotten... These pages were created in October 2008 and updated January 2018. Copyright © 2008.
Since then, you are visitor:
Click on my name to email me: Phyllis KRAMER
Leib is listed in the 1926 and 1930 Polish business directories under JaJa-handel (oeufs) - an egg dealer. Leib had two houses one of which was a shop (gevelb), mostly for grains, where he bartered with local farmers. After Golda died, Leib remarried a redhead around 1910 (never found out her name) but they had no children. She came to the U.S. with Leib, but remained here with her daughter when Leib returned to Poland.
In Europe they called my grandmother Gittaleh Shikah; she was being watched
by older sisters Tillie and Zelda, but she managed to get to a cask of liquor. Drank so
much they found her unconscious and thought she was dead. Golda came with a
mirror (how clever); holding it under her nose she declared her daughter alive, and promptly
put her in the bed. Gussie didn’t eat solid food for two month!
Why
did my grandmother come here? The story was that Gussie & Tillie came to US
because the air was better! But the sisters knew that Tillie was in love with a baker from
Zmigród and the baker's family didn't have "yichas"; so Tillie followed him to
America, bringing her kid sister along with her. Tillie and Ben married, lived in Hartford and
raised 3 children. That's Tillie & Ben on their 50th anniversary!
Many celebrations were held in that huge hartford home with the parquet
floors that Tillie was so proud of. Here are more photos of their 1948 anniversary. That's my mom
and aunt Goldie on the right.
But where are you Richie? I've looked everywhere. Please contact me if you read this.
I won't put in the names, as privacy is important...but here is a collection of
relatively recent photographs from the STECHER Family, including our Israeli branches:
Her parents were Herschel and Leah (Leie) TRACHMAN from Zmigród. Her siblings were Morris born 1865, Schmiel 1866, Sarah 1868, Jenny, Fanny 1860 and Lillie. (Details below).
Grandma Golda ran the business in Zmigrod; grandpa Leib was busy riding around to all the rabbis as he, like his peers, was a student. Women didn't resent this, they were proud of husbands well learned; in the gevelb the polish peasants brought in eggs and grains, were paid off in barter, probably groceries and household items.
Leib STECHER
had a brother Hersch STECHER from the
Zmigród area.
Hersh married Pesche SCHUSS in New York City
(the Schuss family was from nearby DUKLA): Herris and wife settled in NEWARK NJ. They had 8 children: (girls pictured at left)
I have contacted over 15 of Hersch's descendents (at least one from each branch).
Lots of stories there
too...Herris appears to have had 4 wives...and left a legacy of some broken dreams.
But I've connected with Nan Rudin, Mary Rusinow and Beth Corets...and they have grown from
fellow genealogists to good friends.
Hersh and Peshe's children:
One last puzzle...did Hersh have had a son by a former marriage; we found a Herman STECHER (born before 1890), in the reconditioned motors business in Philadelphia, whom cousin Baerish/Bernard Stecker was quite friendly with.
Judith STECHER, Leibs' older sister, married Mendel DEUTSCHMAN in Zmigród. They had 5 children, Rifka (born 9/25/1867), Schmeil "Sam" (born 1/15/70, married Sophie HOCHNER), Ben (born 1879 married Maisminal KORN), Majer (born 11/12/88), Tcheite (born 6/21/81, married ZELL). Sam and Ben settled in Easton, Pa. I've visited with granddaughter Catie who lives in Ashville, North Carolina.
I looked in vain for years for the family of
Samuel STECHER, with whom my grandmother lived in 1900 (cousins in the 1900 census). I never found Samuel STECHER again.
He seemed to have disappeared from the earth. But I broke through this brick wall when i
was contacted by a fellow researcher on JewishGen's Family Finder, who was looking for STECKLER from
the same shtetl... Zmigrod...and when we exchanged trees, it appeared that Samuel Stecher had changed his
name to Zanvil Steckler (we never found out why).
That lovely photograph below is Zanvil and his family
And...that's how i met my good friend, and Stecher
descendant Jonathan Cohen. Together we tracked down the 1929 hand drawn tree on the right.
And that is how Jonathan and I became aware of the STECHER Family Circle.
We deduced that Leib's father Samuel and Fischel were brothers's (see Fischel's tree above) and were invited to the
Stecher family reunion in 1999 in Florida...representing Leib's side of the family!
Just recently i met the patriarch of the LEHR family (one of the branches of
the tree above). Doc LEHR
returned to Zmigrod last year; (his story is on the web page devoted to our ancestral town of
Zmigrod; click here to go to
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/zmigrod/zmigrod.htm . Doc Lehr is very interested
in researching our ancestors before the 1800s,
but alas, we have not been able to do that. The vital records which our researcher
uncovered do not go back further than the 1870s.....maybe someday?!?
We recently connected with a frenchman who had a LEHR in his family from Warsaw...and
wouldn't you know it...the Polish JRI-P vital records index told us he was born in ZMIGROD!!
So we know there's a connection, but we don't know what it is...yet. Can anyone
out there help?
Golda TRACHMAN's brothers and sisters emigrated earlier to the US and settled in Chicago and Joliet,
Illinois. When my grandmother first came here, she stayed with them:
(1865-1932) married Shifra FELS,
Mollie KOLBER and then Minnie KRAUSE.
Other TRACHMAN cousins from Dukla
emigrated to NYC and included Esther TRACHMAN (born 1876, married Abe GEIGER), Fichu TRACHMAN (married PACHER of the Brooklyn supermarkets).For more information, email Phyllis KRAMER
The KRAMERS of Jasienica Rosielna (Yashnitz)
Great Grandfather Abraham KRAMER (~ 1863--~1942) lived in Jasienica.
My two grandfathers, Jacob KRAMER and Abraham Scheiner, came from the same area;
it was said that at my parents' wedding...Abraham embraced a KRAMER cousin, as they had last
seen each other in Chaydah (Hebrew School), 40 some years before. At that wedding too, they
celebrated by remembering Jasienica, known to the Jews as Yashnitz, a dairy town,
for which Yashnitzers (omelets) were named.
There were other KRAMERs who emigrated from
Jasienica, and it took over 10 years to make the connections: they include Dora KRAMER
(born 1889, married Samuel KLEVE),
Fani (born 1895) married Efroim SPEVAK, and Amelia (born 1897).
I knew from my sister's memories, that aunt Ella HOFFMAN visited KRAMER
cousins in the Bronx. Many years later I had lunch with a lady who remembered Aunt Ella, as
she had lived with them in JASIENICA after her mother died and her father remarried.
(that's Ella and niece Carrie KRAMER on the left; they adored each other!).
That was an exciting afternoon as we shared what we knew of the Beck, Weiss, Kramer and Hoffman families!
I won't put in the names, as privacy is important...but here is a collection of
photographs from the KRAMER Family:
Want to know about Yashnitz?
Go to YASHNITZ
I have a tree of all the KRAMER/Beim/Wisners and would be happy to share that
with anyone interested.
A few years later, Josef SCHEINER took
his wife and son and emigrated to the United States; there he became a schochet.
Joseph had a red beard and was a very clever man.
He also had beautiful voice; neighbors would listen to sedar through
the window; one pesach it was cold, and neighbors called to ask window be opened so that they could listen
to his sedar. Joseph's sons Sam and Abe were tenors (supposidly Abe made two records with Belle Baker but i've
never been able to locate them).
My great grandfather Josef SCHEINER (born 1858) was the eldest son of Naphtuli SCHEINER
and Sarah GREENBERG. His siblings were Channuch (born 1868) who
emigrated to Israel, and Tsipora (born 1870) who came to New York. (details below)
Josef SCHEINER, b. 1858 Dubiecko, Galicia, m. 1880 Strzyzow, d.1930 224 E 4th St, New York
It is still fabulous; the main floor, crowned
with a My grandfather Abe SCHEINER's siblings were:
I won't put in the names, as privacy is important...but here is a collection of
photographs from the Scheiner Family:
Joseph's sister, Tsipora SCHEINER married Yechial ROTHAUS from
Dubiecko (they kept the Scheiner surname) and emigrated to the United States;
here she celebrates her
I remember my sister and i (on the right) meeting her grandchildren
Another interesting story is that two of Tsipora's sons, Jack and Louis, fought in World War I...but on opposite sides! One was drafted into the army in Austria, the other had immigrated to the United States.
In 1989, a Scheiner cousin, Beatrice Scheiner Schoedes, received this letter from Kalman Scheiner, the son Channuch Scheiner,
the nephew of Tsipora and Josef Scheiner. It tells an interesting story (albeit some of the "facts" are
incorrect):
Who knows what gems of truth are in this family story?
Here's an addition...to this tale...in the early 2000s, in Florida, i found out a friend's family came from the same area in Galicia. We exchanged notes and indeed, there is a SCHEINER in her family from Dubiecko too! We are related...and someday we may find out how!
My ggm Freida Necha is very special to me;
Frieda KANDEL was born Nov, 1860 in Strzyzow, Galicia; her parents were Sara Langsam and Jacob Kandel. Jacob had a hebrew school (Chaydah).
Frieda followed her husband Josef Scheiner to the United States in November of 1898...with daughter Sarah. Joseph was living in Oliphant, Penna (near Uniontown, Fayette county) though I've never found out why. Immigrants settle where there are others they know, but i cannot find anyone who ever lived in this town. But when i do, i'll bet its family!
By 1900, the family was rooted on Ridge Street, on the Lower East Side of New York City.
Freida had a sister, Rose/Ruchel KANDEL, b. 1867, Strzyzow who married
Micheal SCHIMMEL (1857Strzyzow--1942 Bronx). Another possible relative: We wintered in Savannah in the 90s;
My great grandmother Dora EICHEL was born in Rohatyn
in 1862. She married Reuven LINDNER (i finally found out that he was born in
Burstyn, 10 miles south, in 1858); the photo is circa 1893-my aren't they a handsome
couple! I know the first two children were born in Burshtyn, the third claimed Budapest,
and many of the others were born in the US, as the couple came back and forth many
times; Charles was even born on the boat! He's the adorable baby.
Reuven, I was told, was a "dayan", but one who travelled from town to town (is that
possible?). We do know that son Izzie's bar mitzvah was moved up to 1904, as Reuven had to
return to Europe, supposidly seeking
a cure for his ailments. I don't know where he died either, but Dora returned to the
States in 1906, with the children.
Dora's father, Anschel EICHEL was a tailor who specialized in making uniforms for the Pravoslav priests and
monks. We can trace the Eichels back to Yitzhak Eichel, who lived in Hamburg at
the end of the 18th century; he was a scholar who published a textbook of the
Yiddish language and was a pupil of the German philosopher Kant.
Here is the EICHEL family tree: Anschel EICHEL married Beile BERLIN in Rohatyn around 1850.
Their children were:
The 1947 photograph on the right is the next generation;
the American children of these immigrants:
Fortunately I was able to contact all of Charlie's grandchildren and am friendly with
many today (see photos below).
I won't put in the names, as privacy is important...but here is a collection of
photographs from the LINDNER and EICHEL Families:
Reuven LINDNER had 2 brothers who were very close; my aunt Carrie told me
that as children, all the cousins lived at 1103 Washington Avenue in the Bronx.
(quote): We each lived on a different floor: Auntie Chipper lived on ground floor,
Izzie on another, Charlie on another. Long narrow halls, big rooms.
The family gave support to Dora when she returned in 1906 after Reuven died.
Berl LINDNER's parents were Jacob and Rebecca GUEMAN LINDNER (my ggg gp).
I have found four of Berl's siblings and traced them to the United States; the grandchildren have met each other!
So you want to do family research? Where do you start? Start with your family; make a tree. Then go to the U.S. census to find clues and fill out the tree.(you will find Ancestry.com in many public libraries). Next, vital records (birth, marriage, death records) to find parents names. Then Try these wonderful
websites:
For more information, email
Phyllis KRAMER
--Heni WISNER (c 1865 - 1895), Esther BEIM (c 1860-1901),
Carolyn, and Ruchel.
Two of his children emigrated to the United States, Ella KRAMER (born 1899, married Joe Hoffman)
and Jacob KRAMER (born 2/84, married
Annie LINDNER, whom he met on the boat). Jacob was a talmudic student; here
he was a tailor, like many other Jewish immigrants. .
Annie and Jacob had 4
children: Rubin (my dad), Daniel, Carrie (married Morris
Sobel) and Emanual (Mickey). That's my dad Ruby and his brother Denny on the right>>.
All raised wonderful families in the New York area.
We even have a famous descendent, the drummer of Aerosmith, Joey KRAMER.
. . . .
. . . .
My KRAMER Cousins: The Third & Fourth Generation
. . . .
Phyllis KRAMER,
NYC & Palm Beach Gardens
Return to Table of Contents
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. . . .
The SCHEINERS of DUBIECKO
The KANDELS of STRZYZOW
Great Grandfather Josef SCHEINER was born in DUBETSK in 1858. Josef married
Frieda Necha KANDEL circa
When the shittach was made,
Jacob Kandel promised his future son-in-law that he would make him the Schochet
in Strzyzow. Something went wrong. I never found out what, but the story came
down that another son-in-law became the Schochet. For more on the KANDELS, click KANDEL .
1880 and settled in her shtetl, Strzyzow. (details below)
The American SCHEINERs:
m. Frieda KANDEL, b. Nov, 1860 Strzyzow, Galicia, d. Oct 15, 1931 NYC
m. Gussie STECHER, b. Feb 24, 1882, Zmigród, Galicia,
m. Oct 31, 1909nyc, d. Jul 20, 1970 NY (the wonderful photograph at right taken was taken
around 1918; my mom is the oldest child)
Their children were
, 1914-1974 NY, married Benjamin ROTHSTEIN, born NYC; that's their wedding photo on the left!
marvelous metal ceiling, is three stories high! The current owner asked why there were kitchens on both floors; I explained they often had more than
one reception at a time in the Hall.
. . . .
My Cousins: The Second Generation of SCHEINERS
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Tsipora SCHEINER'S family from DUBETSKO
50th wedding anniversary in 1936.
Scheiner Family Stories
and seeing the home made films from this celebration, and recognizing my grandparents. But the
story told to me was that my grandfather wasn't happy at the wedding as they were seated in the back, and left soon after the ceremony. Sounds like many a story i have heard before!
An Interesting Letter!
"Thank you very much for the letter. I am happy to learn that you have a family circle
of cousins (there should be in the tens of cousins from the Scheiners family. I will try my
best to help you...
My grandfather (your g. grandfather) Naftuli Scheiner, lived in the city Dubiecko near
Przemysl. He had two sons. Josef Scheiner the oldest went to the USA in 1878, a few years
later came back to Dubiecko, took a wife and went back to USA. In NY he was a shooter (editors note: schochet)...Had 6 sons.
All meried with children and grandchildren. The wife of uncle Josef left for US with
great bitterness because the mechitunem were against the shiduch. So she swore that they will
never here from their son. And so was it. My father used to write letter after letter but no
answer. She took care of the mail. He was working all day and she burned all the mail from the
family.
After about 30-40 or even 50 years a grandchild got a letter and by a miracle handed
over to her grandfather. This was in 1927. We received (my father) a letter from his oldest
brother. This letter was a gance megille. He never new if somebody lives from his family to
answer him as soon as possible, but he never got anymore letters from US."
Want to know about this shtetl? Go to DUBIECKO.
Return to Table of Contents
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The KANDELS of STRZYZOW
i am named for her. I treasure the candlesticks she brought with
her from Europe. Recently i gave cousin David Scheiner our grandfathers tallis
and gave his son Brett Scheiner his great great grandmother's candlesticks, trusting they will stay in the family for generations to come.
Their children were:
It was from Rose's death certificate (on the right) that I learned that their parents names were Jacob
KANDEL and Sara LANGSAM. The Langsams were a large family from Rzeszow, but so far, i've been unable to find the connection.
a wonderful neighbor told me her
maiden name was KANDEL; we did some genealogy research together and found that her grandfather, Philip KANDEL, was born in Rzeszow...only 15 miles North of Strzyzow; we researched the family: 3 sons of Zvi Kandel: Philip, Jacob & Benjamin (born 1872-7); we know we are related, by temperament at least, by blood very likely. But we haven't nailed it...yet!
. . . .
Want to know about this shtetl? Go to STRZYZOW
For more information on SCHEINERS and KANDELS, email Phyllis KRAMER
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The EICHELS and LINDNERS of Rohatyn
Daniel EICHEL who married Rachel HAUSMAN from Bolekov; he studied baking in Rohatyn,
was raised by his elder sister Scheindel after Beile died; his children emigrated to
Israel, produced the Bolechov Yizkor book in Israel; and the family prospers there today.
We knew of these cousins, but couldn't locate them for many
years, as they had changed their surname to ESHEL.
I finally found these cousins through the wonderful expertise of Batya
UNTERSHATZ and her wonderful Search Bureau in Israel. Granddaughter Rachel had a history of the Eichel family that went clear back to the 1700s, when one of the EICHELs was a student of Kant, and wrote a book on the Yiddish language. One of these days i hope to meet all the grandchildren.
Hersch/Harry EICHEL, the youngest, and the son of Anschel's second wife Riwe
RUBINFELD from Bursztyn, emigrated to the United States, married Esther STAMLER
from ZUPNIK, and raised a family in Brooklyn (photo at right). I am grateful that Harry's youngest
son, Morty Eichel (pictured at left) was a fount of information and stories of the family; I miss you Morty.
Maybe you could have put together the WEICHes and the WEISSes, whom i am convinced came from Rohatyn and are somehow related.
. . . .
Want to know about ROHATYN? Go to ROHATYN
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The LINDNER Family in NYC
Reuven LINDNER and Dworsha EICHEL had 9 children; the first two, born in
Burshtyn, Galicia (now Ukraine) did not live past infancy, and died in nearby Rohatyn.
The surviving 7 children
are pictured at a 1944 celebration:
(from left) Mark, Pauline, Jack, Sadie, Izzie, Annie (my gm) & Charlie.
. . . .
the oldest, born 1881 in Budapest (so he claimed, but i'm not sure),
was quite the man! He wrote plays but is best remembered as an
actor; he was known as the "Man of 1000 Faces". Mark was the first to move to Los Angeles in the 1930s.
He was most famous for the play he wrote for Mae West, "Diamond Lil". He married a cousin,
Tillie LINDNER, pictured at the right.
. . . .
knew the place and date) married Fay ROSE and was a vaudeville producer
and talent agent. In 1951 Jack and Mark had a television show “The Bowery” (it didn't last long
in those early days of slapstick).
We knew Jack had a grandson, but didn't even know his first name! A few years ago, when
FindUSA was available,
i was finally able to track Jack's grandson to Wisconsin and contact him. It was a heartwarming
reunion...he thought he was the last of the LINDNER line......We exchanged memories and
photographs and i feel i have a friend altho very far away.
. . . .
born 1893 in Galicia, married Irving TANNER (originally TARNOWER or TARNAFKER fro Kansuga, Galicia). Irving had a mens clothing store,
'Modern Haberdashers' on Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn. Children Rita and David. My sister and I had dinner with David in 2010! He has written many books and is still lecturing!
. . . .
born on Norfolk Street in 1890, married Bertha BERMAN, children Julius "Jay"
and Gertrude "Gerti" who married Jerry LIEBERMAN.
Izzie LINDNER went to school in Budapest, with sister Annie;
he also had a haberdashery and he was famous because he would sweep the store at night
and somehow he became very superstitious; he would wash hands after dealing with nuns. I remember
the cousins club where my parents
partied with all their cousins in the 1950s and 1960s. It was Gert who gave me the wonderful
photograph of Harold's bar mitzvah.
. . . .
married Jacob KRAMER...my grandfather. Unfortunately he died quite young (age 49)
and my dad, the oldest, went to work to support the family. Dad began by working for his uncle
then took his own "line" as a travelling salesmen, eventually opening up Jambi Incorporated, his hosiery business.
We dearly remember the business slogan the 'sox with sox appeal'!
I remember well my uncles Mickey and Denny and aunt Carrie (who married Morris SOBEL, pictured
below).
Mickey married Doris SCHWARTZ,
Denny married Bea REMIS who had a pocketbook and jewelry store next door to his haberdashery. Mickey was in the
marketing business, and son Joey is quite famous as the drummer for Aerosmith!
. . . .
Charlie stayed behind in WWI and created a silk tie business which supported him in
grand style (on the Grand Concourse); Charles married Sadie SCHWARTZ (we called
her SadieCharlie, to differentiate her from sister-in-law, Sadie LINDNER) and they had 3 sons:
Robbie, Manny, and Harold. That's Dora pictured with Charlie's son Robert Lindner, who went on to
become the famous psychologist and author of "Rebel Without a Cause" and "The Fifty Minute Hour".
My Cousins: The Third Generation of LINDNERS
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Return to Table of Contents
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Reuven LINDNER'S Brothers: Moishe Aaron and Saul
The LINDNER Cousins
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Shtetlinks Sites and Maps for my grandparents' towns:
Return to Table of Contents
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Historical and Genealogical Documents
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Family Trees
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My Ancestors
Click here for My Pedigree