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Maritime Monday: Sarah Gittel Frank Broida Comes to America

Passenger list of the SS Cimbria, including Gittel Frank, via FamilySearch, NARA Series M237, Roll 439, p860. (Click to enlarge.)

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Finding when our immigrant ancestors came to America is one of the chief goals of most family historians. We can now share one more record that indicates when an ancestor arrived- Sarah Gittel (Frank) Broida.

The above ship’s passenger list was for the SS Cimbria, a Hamburg America steamship with sails that was built in 1867 in Scotland. (More about the ship itself in another post.) The ship arrived in New York City from Hamburg, Germany, by way of Le Havre, France.

Engraving of the SS Cimbria, via Ancestry.com, with various maritime resources used for their database. Note the small boat- possibly a lifeboat- used to take passengers out to the ship.  (Click to enlarge.)

(While we cannot be certain that this is our Gitel Frank, there is information here that makes it highly likely this is the Gitel Frank who later married John Zelig Broida. We have found another “Gitel Frank” who immigrated later and with persons appearing to be her husband and children, so can rule out that person as a possibility.)

The SS Cimbria arrived on 13 July 1881, which is consistent with the information in the 1900 US Federal Census which states that “our” Gitel arrived in 1881, and had been here 19 years.

“Gittel Frank” was number 717 on this passenger list, and it states she was 20 years old and female. (There were not 717 persons on board but this appears to be the list kept in New York City, and added to as immigrants were processed.) The 1900 census states that Gitel was born in November of 1859, which would have made her 21 in July when she stepped foot in America for the first time. Folks did not always know exactly when they were born as it was not a big celebration like today, or there may have been a reason for changing the age, as maybe there was a lower fare if less than 21, so an inaccurate age does not always use out a possibility.

Under “Occupation” are ditto marks for “Single.” (Some passengers are listed as “woman” or “baby” under “Occupation.”)  If this is the correct person, this document also answers our question as to whether Gitel and John were married in Lithuania or the US- Gitel was single and using her maiden name when she crossed.

Interestingly, it states that Gittel was from Austria. This could mean that this not “our” Gitel, but could also mean that she did not want to state that she was from Lithuania and Jewish. The ship left from Hamburg, Germany, and we do not know what route she would have taken to get there from her home, although Austria is not exactly on the way to Germany from Lithuania. Others on the ship’s list were from Austria, with a few from Russia. The SS Cimbria did take immigrants from Lithuania per one of the sources listed below, as well as Austria, Russia, and Hungary.

There are persons listed as from Austria on the line above and the line below Gittel’s name. A 20 year-old single woman indexed as “Ruske Granek” is passenger 716, and passenger 718 was “Yankel Cohen”, and listed as a 7 year-old boy. Perhaps they knew each other and traveled together? Those do not really sound like ‘Austrian” names.

Please do let us know if you have any further information as to whether we have the correct Gittel Frank or not.

 

More to come…

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. FamilySearch New York Passenger list of vessels arriving at New York 1820-1897, lists 25 Jun 1881-18 Jul 1881, NARA Series M237, Roll 439.– https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-RM9Z-T2?i=859&cc=1849782

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
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Sorting Saturday: John and Fannie Broida’s Marriage License

Marriage license of John Zelig Broida and Fannie Rubinstein, 14 April 1904, in Jefferson County, Ohio, via FamilySearch.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Sorting through emails can be a pain, but sometimes there can be wonderful benefits. Today was one of those times, as an email from Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter (EOGN.com) mentioned that Find My Past had new US marriage certificates. I randomly plugged in the surname “Broida” and the first result was John Broida, born 1857 in Russia. That was our guy! I have long searched for a marriage certificate for John and both of his wives, Sarah Gittel (Frank) Broida, and Fannie Rubinstein. The marriage certificate of interest was for Fannie and John, and as a plus, there were quite a lot of other Broida marriages listed.

Things we learn from this marriage license application:

  1. John was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1904.
  2. Fannie was living in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1904, which is likely why the marriage took place there. (I would not have thought to search in Ohio!)
  3. John listed his father as Joseph Broida, which we knew, but states his mother Jennie’s maiden name was “Corklinsky.” We do know the family used the surname ‘Karklinsky’ in Lithuania, but it is curious that John used that name for his mother but not his father. I do not know whether or not Joseph Broida came to the US. If he did, that may explain the Broida name for him, and possibly Jennie had passed away in Europe, so John used the name she was known by there. Hopefully someone will know the answer to this.
  4. Fannie’s middle initial was “D.”
  5. John was 46, Fannie 30 when they married.
  6. Fannie was born in Russian Poland, not in Pennsylvania as previously thought.
  7.  The license application gives the names of Fannie’s parents, and her name as well as her father’s is spelled “Robinstein,” not “Rubenstein” as others has recorded it, and spell check likes to change it.
  8. The license notes that John had been married previously, to “Gussie Frank, now dead.” We have seen Gittel’s name as “Gussie” in a number of documents, so this verifies they are one and the same.
  9. Although it seemed this document would help us understand the puzzle of this couple, there is no previous marriage noted for Fannie. This will now require more research, as we had thought she married Jacob Cohen before 1892, when Ethel Broida was born. Ethel’s marriage certificate states her father was Jacob Cohen (and mother was Fannie). Ethel lived with John and Fannie after their marriage, as she was only 12 in 1904. John treated her like a beloved daughter, and she was the ‘mystery’ daughter whispered about in the family, which we recently identified through deep research. This puzzle of a previous marriage or not is another case where having a census return from 1890 might help, but those have been lost to us. We cannot find a 1900 census with her listed, or cannot tell if she is the same person- there were a lot of women named “Fannie Cohen,” and a lot named “Fannie Rubinstein” (or “Rubinstein”) in 1900. Perhaps it just wasn’t polite to mention that she had been married before, especially if it ended in divorce? So this omission on the marriage license will make us revisit our previous research and do a little more.
  10. The application states they were to be married by a Rabbi, but actually they were married by a Justice of the Peace on that same day, per the Marriage Certificate at the bottom.Typical of genealogy, this document solves a number of puzzles but actually gives us one more big one. That is why, when someone tells me, “I’ve finished my family tree,” my mind thinks, “Then you haven’t analyzed enough materials thoroughly enough!” But I never say that…

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-S59N-F6?cc=1614804&wc=Q6SP-W37%3A121346401%2C121652701 : 15 July 2014), Jefferson > Marriage index and records 1903-1905 vol 18 > image 116 of 458; county courthouses, Ohio.
  2. “Mystery Monday: Who was Ethel Broida Pincus?”–http://heritageramblings.net/2015/05/18/mystery-monday-who-was-ethel-broida-pincus/

 

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
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Sentimental Sunday: John Broida’s Chair?

Likely John Broida's chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe.
Likely John Broida’s chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe.

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

This chair, thought to have belonged to John/Zelig Broida, has been passed down in the family, and it is now needing a new home. The current owners are downsizing, and need to find a new family member to appreciate its history- ASAP. Are you a descendant of John Broida (1857-1938)? Please contact us through the blog if you are interested in owning this chair.

Likely John Broida's chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe; close-up of carved backrest.
Likely John Broida’s chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe; close-up of carved backrest.

The story is that the chair was given to a non-Broida family member, and Bess Dorothy (Green) Broida (1891-1901), married to Philip E. Broida (1887-1952), one of John’s sons, took it back and gave it to the current owner, a Broida descendant. She was adamant that the chair needed to stay in the Broida family. Unfortunately we do not know much more about the history.

Likely John Broida's chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe; detail of carved backrest.
Likely John Broida’s chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe; detail of carved backrest.

John Jacob or Zelig, whose surname originally was Karklinsky, changed his name to Broida after arriving in the United States about 1874. John and his wife Sarah Gitel Frank (1859-1901) were originally born in Lithuania. At that time, Lithuania was a part of Russia, and the town he came from was called Eišiškės (AKA PolishEjszyszkiRussianЭйши́шки/Eishishki, BelarusianЭйшы́шкі/Eishyshki, Yiddishאײשישאׇק‎/Eyshishok). The Jews were  the largest percentage of the population, and it was a thriving town, or Jewish ‘shetyl.’

Likely John Broida's chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe; close-up of carved backrest.
Likely John Broida’s chair, brought to US from Eastern Europe; close-up of carved backrest.

It has been suggested that this chair came from Eastern Europe with John Broida, so this chair may have originally come from Eišiškės. If he immigrated to the US about 1874, the chair would be at least 142 years old!

Please do let us know if you have an interest in this chair- it would be a shame for it to go outside the family.

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Eišiškės– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eišiškės
  2. See Eliach, Yaffa. There Once Was A World: A 900-Year Chronicle of the Shtetl of Eishyshok. Boston: Little, Brown, 1999 for more information about the town and population through the years beforeWWII.
  3. We have quite a few posts about the Broida family published in the past- just click on “Broida”under the “Families” heading on the left side of the blog, or use the search box to learn more about John and Gitel and their children.

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2016 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

Friday’s Faces from the Past: The Louis Broida and Lillian Bildhauer Broida Family

1930- Louis Broida, cropped from family portrait

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

The second eldest surviving child of John “Zelig” Jacob (Karklinsky) Broida and Sarah Gitel Frank Broida, Louis was born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania on 7 January 1884. The family lived in Pittsburgh, with his father a merchant there.

When Louis’ mother, Gitel, became ill with tuberculosis and moved to Denver for her health around 1900, Louis, then 16, and his younger brother Max (listed as ‘Moros’ in census) went to live with their paternal aunt, Kate Broida York, and her family of 11. In 1910 Louis was living in his brother Joseph J. Broida’s household.

Lilian Bildhauer was born on 2 July 1892, possibly in Pittsburgh. One of three daughters and a son of Robert Bildhauer (b. Feb 1860-Germany) and Bina ___ (b. Nov 1861-Germany), Lillian Bildhauer grew up in Pittsburgh, where her father was a butcher.

Lil and Georgian, wife and daughter of Louis Broida, circa 1914.
Lil and Georgian, wife and daughter of Louis Broida, circa 1914.

Louis and Lillian married about 1913 estimated from birth of their first child. He was a merchant, primarily in haberdashery. He was also a manager of “The Hub” in 1934 in Pittsburgh, but we have been unable to determine what type of business that was.

Lilian Bildhauer Broida and her first child, Georgian Broida, c1916.
Lilian Bildhauer Broida and her first child, Georgian Broida, c1916.

Their three daughters were born in 1914, 1920, and 1925, and they lived in Pittsburgh until Louis’ death 18 July 1941.

 

Lilian Bildhauer Broida and daughter Georgian Broida at the beach, possibly c1920.
Lilian Bildhauer Broida and daughter Georgian Broida at the beach, possibly c1920.
Arline Sobel and daughters.
Arline Broida Sobel and daughters.

 

Lillian survived Louis by 30 years and died 28 March 1971 in Miami Beach, Florida.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Find A Grave Memorial for Lillian Bildhauer Broida- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=147689184
  2. Find A Grave Memorial for Louis Broida- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=145116591
  3. Family photos. These may be used freely by related family but may not be posted on any commercial websites by others.

 

 

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.
 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 
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Sibling Saturday: Harold Broida

Harold Broida's hobby show entry of stamps. Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association Weekly, 15 October 1937, Vol. 12, No. 7, Page 2, posted with the kind permission of the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project.
Harold Broida’s hobby show entry of stamps. Young Men and Women’s Hebrew Association Weekly, 15 October 1937, Vol. 12, No. 7, Page 2. Posted with the kind permission of the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project. (Click to enlarge.)

Broida Family (Click for Family Tree)

Harold Broida was the baby of the seven surviving children of John and Sarah Gitel Frank Broida. He married but never had children, so when this article popped up while searching for John Broida in Palestine, we felt we had to post it. It is sad that he had no children to carry on his legacy, so we will do that for him here at HeritageRamblings.net.

Too bad Harold did not patent his unique way of displaying his stamp collection! In subsequent years, maps with coins, rocks, and all sorts of collectibles have made a tidy profit for their inventors.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) The Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project may be found at http://digitalcollections.library.cmu.edu/pjn/index.jsp

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.
 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 
Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright of our blog material.