Sokolivker Basia Chtourman's Visa, Boat Journey and Death

Sokolivker Basia Chtourman's Visa, Boat Journey and Death

Sokolivker Basia Chtourman's visa, boat journey and death is well publicized in genealogical sources (ex. [1] and [2]), although many of those accounts contain errors. For instance websites and journal articles present her immigration visa. They mention that she died on the boat coming to Buffalo, NY, although her boat record and death certificate shows that she died in a Saint John, NB Canada hospital during a stopover.

The actual records contain many different spellings of both her name and age and of Justingrad. Partial transcripts of the information is presented here as a sample of why original sources records are so helpful, as well as what records for Sokolivka/Justingrad look like and what the immigrant journey process was like:

Here she is in Sokolivka sometime before 1913 with her husband Pinchus and her mother Chava Bat Sheva Koplevetzky.

1907 Russia Duma Voter's List:
Name: Pin Shturman
Patronym: Yankelev
Age at Vote: at least 25
Year of Record: 1907
Gender: Male
Nationality: Jewish
Country: Ukraine
Gubernia (District): Kiev
Uyezd (Region): Lipovets
Town: Yustingrad Locality Type: mestechko (small village)
Voting Qualification: Property owner (home, real estate, building, other immovable property, etc.)
Property value: 150 Rubles

Grandson Jack Ablove's account of life in Sokolivka, his 1921 immigration, and his grandparent's immigration, and what it was like for women in Sokilivka whose husbands had emigrated.

Journey from Sokolivka to Riga, Latvia in early 1927

February 2, 1927 Visa: (originals available in this journal article [1]).
Passport issued by Soviet authorities, Kiev, Russia, December 20th 1926.
Immigration Visa from the American Consular Service at Riga, Latvia February 2, 1927 for the journey to the United States:
Basia Chtourman (Ternoff Schturman Cktourman). age 75. Born 1850 at Ustingrad, Russia, still living there during the last five years from 1921-1927. Been in Riga, Latvia Jan 31, 1927 to date. 5 feet gray eyes. speak Yiddish. Mother Chuna Koplatzky, father Moishe Koplstzky, both deceased.
Husband Pincus Chtourman age 77 born Ustingrad Russia.
Going to son in Buffalo, NY

Journey from Riga, Latvia:

1927 boat records

United Kingdom departure: SS Melita. Departure February 17, 1927 from Southampton to Saint John, N.B.
Bessie Ternoff. Third class. Contracted to land in Saint John. Age 76. Russia. Arrived in the UK in Port of London on the United Baltic Steamship Line.

US arrival: SS Melita from Southampton February 17, 1927
Bessie/Basia (Died in Hospital), 76. Born Justingrad. On arrival of steamer alien was taken to the General Public Hospital for treatment. Alien did not appear before B.S.J. before being conveyed to the Hospital. Alien died 2/27/27.

1927 death certificate
Saint John, NB: General Public Hospital. Arrived on SS Melita in the Port of Saint John, NB on 26/27. Bessie Shturman daughter of Morris and Iva Koplan, wife of Jenker [Pincus' middle name] Shturman. Born 1851. Age 76. Informant: Barnny Tarnnoff Shturman, Buffalo, NY, Son [note he was actually the son-in-law]. Buried Thur Mar 3, 1927 Buffalo.

Cemetery Stone in the Buffalo Sokolivka Burial Society section of Pine Ridge Road in Cheektowaga, NY
Batyah bat Moishe Yehuda mother Bessie died Feb 26, 1927

Basia Chtourman, mother Chava Bat Sheva Kuplivatsky, and Pinchus Chtourman
In Sokolivka, sometime before 1913

[1] U.S. Immigration Records Their History, Content, and How to Find Them. Jim W. Faulkinbury, CGRS. FEEFHS Journal, Volume 9, 2001, p. 11.

[2] They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins. Loretto Dennis Szucs. 1998, p. 165.

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