Goldfoot Genealogy

Samuel Goldfus was listed on the 2 June 1900 Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania census.  He was born on January 1862 and was 38 at the time of the census.  He was listed as an undertaker.  He immigrated in 1887 from Russia and was speaking Yiddish.  They lived on S 3rd Street in Philadelphia in Wd 4, Dist 76.  . 

His wife was Esther age 38 born March 1862 and she immigrated in 1891 with her children.  This is typical finding the men coming first, getting a job and home and sending for the family.

Freda was 16, born March 1884 and became a tailoress.
Abraham was 14, born December 1885.
Sarah was 12, born December 1888.
Then Goldie 7, was born November 1892 in Pennsylvania.
Louis was 4, born May 1896 in Pennsylvania.
Bennie, age 1 was born May 1899, also in Pennsylvania. 

April 22, 1910 census in Philadelphia found Samuel must have died, for Esther age 48 was head of the household now.  She was also the manager of the undertaker business.
Abraham was 24 listed born in 1886. He had a printer shop. 
Sarah was 21 and a saleslady in a department store
Goldie was 17 and also working in the department store as a saleslady at her young age.
Louis was 13.
Bennie was 11
Berty was 9.  I think this must mean Bertha. 
Charles Kahn was 29 and was the son in law.  With him was his son, Ester's grandson Robb Kahn age 4. Charles was now the undertaker.. 
His wife must have been Freda and she must have died for she wasn't listed. 

3 Jan 1920 census at 2322 S. 8th in Philadelphia listed Abraham Goldfus age 33., a printer with his own shop. They live in Wd 39; Distr 418.  Abraham immigrated in 1891 and became a citizen in 1904. 
Lillian was 28 and his wife.
Stanley was the son and was 6.
Beatrice was 1 and 4 months.

5 April 1930 census in Philadelphia finds Abraham age 42  He married at age 24 He is now working in real estate. 
Lillian born 1890 is 40
Stanley is 16.
Beatrice is 11.
Irene is 5.
They all live on S. 8th Street. 

Social Security listed that Lillian Freilich was born 22 June 1889 and died January 1979 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Her social security # was 163-18-8186 and was received before 1951.  She became naturalized 6 May 1947 in Pennsylvania. 

WWI Draft and Registration listed Abram born 12 Sept 1887 and was 29 on June 5, year unknown.
He lived at 2414 S. Ause St in Philadelphia, Penn.  He was a printer at 21 S. 7th.  He was medium in height and weight, had blue eyes and light brown hair.  He had a wife and a child. 

They were Jewish from Russia and spoke Yiddish.  They could be connected to us. 

I found leaving Hamburg Port, Abraham Goldfus leaving on 12 January 1902.   He was 17 years old, having been born in Papile, Lithuania in 1885. 

He was on the ship, Pretoria and was listed as a day laborer. 
With him was Rochel, 20 and a hard to read name and age, possibly Berel age 51.  I'm guessing. 

The ship was heading to embark at Plymouth and New York.   This Abraham is not listed in my data bank, but still could be a relative. 

All I know is that my grandmother, Hattie Jermulowske,  was born in Lazdijai, Suwalki, Lithuania on January 11, 1866 and that her father was Joshua Charles "Hatzkel" Jermulowskie and her mother was Esther or Essie of which her daughter was named Elsie for her mother.  Esther died after having 3 children and Joshua remarried Dora Leah or "Deborah" and there were 4  more children born.  Below could be some of their relatives.  Hattie was the wife of Nathan Goldfoot. 

Yakov Jermalauskas/Yermolovsky/Yermalovsky, son of Shuel, was born in Grodno, Kaunas in 1892 and was a mechanic.  He is on the list to get a passport.  The following are also on the passport list.

Sheyna Jermolauskaite/Yermolovsky/Yermalovsky was born in 1918 in Grodno, Kaunas.

Shmuel Jermalouskis/Yermolovsky/Yermalovsky was born in 1922 in Kaunas and his father was also Yakov.  He was a student and applied for a passport on 17 July 1939. 

Leah Jermolauskaite/Yermolovsky was born in 1921 in Kaunas and her father was Yakov.  She was a dressmaker and applied for a passport on 17 May 1939. 

They applied for passports at the time of the start of the 2nd World War.  I wonder if they made it out.  By 1941 the Germans went through Lithuania. 

Resource: ancestry.com under Jewish lists
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyb5XjFP_Ug

Morris Goldfuss arrived in New York on 12 August 1886.  He was on the ship, Ludgate Hill out of London.  He had said he was heading for Boston as a destination.  That's strange as another ship would have landed in Boston.  Morris was born in 1858 and was 28 years old from Russia. 

Leyb Gershon Goldfus was born in 1843 and was found to be living in Laukuva, Lithuania on 25 February 1914.  His father was Chaim. 

Volf Goldfus was born in 1848.  He was living in Rietavas, Raseiniai, Kaunas  on 20 June, 1868 which was listed on the Belarus ; Lithuanian census. At age 20, he was listed as missing. 

Mendel Mowsza Goldowicz was born in 1850 in Suwalki, Poland, which was found on the Polish Jewish birth index.  His father was Idzko and his mother was Fejga.  His mother's father was Idzkowna. 

Abram Goldfus was born in 1846.  He was living in Papile, Siauliai, Kaunas, Belarus on 27 May 1858 according to the Belarus and Lithuanian census.  This 12 yr old was the son of Leba and Feyge Goldfus. 

Gersha Goldfus was born in 1860.  In 1903 he was living in Laukuva, Lithuania, Telsiai, Kaunas.  His father was Leyba.  Laukuva is a town, Telsiai is the region, Kaunas is the district, and it's in Lithuania.  The Latitude is  55" 37', and the Longitude is 22" 14'. 

Roche Leah Goldfus was born in 1855.  She was also found in Papile on 27 May, 1858.

Shmuel Iosel Goldfus was born in 1852.  He was found on 17 June 1885 in Papile, Belarus on the census.  His father was Leyba.

Zara Goldfus nee Sternberyte born in Liepaja, Kaunas, applied for a passport on 13 June 1922 to leave the country.  I hope she got it. 

Itsyk Goldfus age 36 b: 1822 was living in Akmene, Siauliai, Kaunas, Lithuania with his wife, Chaya, age 30 born 1828 and son Shakhne Goldfus age 12, who had left because he was conscripted. (This means he was forced to join the Russian army at this young age, so hopefully he left before they got him and he escaped it.  This happened to many Jewish boys.)  Itsyk was not the head of the household.  They had been living with his cousin, Girsh Streydman, age 42, who had left in 1854.  His son, Movsha, age 16 had died, and he still had Mordkhe, his son age 12.  This was on the Belarus and Lithuanian census and family lists with revision list of 27 May, 1858. 

It's interesting to me to find that Papile was part of Belarus as I have matches at 23 and Me;  with people with Belarus roots.  We must have lived there.  I see that Papile is listed as part of Lithuania with coordinates of 56"8' 60 N and 22"48' 0E.  .  Evidently Belarus is :Until the 20th century, the lands of modern day Belarus belonged to several countries, including the Principality of Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Russian Empire, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a result of the Russian Revolution, Belarus became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union and was renamed as the Byelorussian SSR.  The capital is Minsk. 


Resource: ancestry.com; Jewish section
Wikipedia on Belarus.

An area our Goldfoots could have lived in was Samogitia.  In 1897 there were 171 Jews living there.  This made up 28% of the population of the town.  Some went to the USA and others went to South Africa, where several of our Goldfoot family went. 

The name 'TELSIAI' is the Yiddish version of PLATELIAL (originally settled


during ROMAN CHRISTIAN times on the trade routes). Approx after the Jewish

people were expelled from Spain 1492 the name of the town was called

'SAMOGITIA'
During the II World War the Jews were all shot and thrown into a trench. 

Resource:  http://www.iajgsjewishcemeteryproject.org/lithuania/plateliai-kaunus.html
Contributor: Cousin Denise Bremridge

Łoździeje, Sejny, Suwałki, Russian Empire is what it was called around 1900.  This is where my grandmother, Hattie Jermulowske came from. 

Lazdijai, Lithuania


54°14' N 23°31' E

It was 127 km WSW of Vilnius, the capitol of Lithuania which had 63,841 Jews in 1900 and called Vilna.   

She was right in saying that she was a Litvak.  Countries changed hands quickly.  She lived in Lazdijai when it was part of Lithuania.  In 1900 there were 1,439 Jews in Lazdijai which was in Suwalki gubernia of the Russian Empire.  It was near the Polish border. 

Telsiai, Lithuania was 55" 59' N  22" 15' E, 150 miles NW of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.   In 1900 it was called Telshi, Kovno of the Russian Empire. In 1900 there were 3,088 Jewish living here.   This is where our grandfather could have come from being many other Goldfus people were also from there. 

They met and married in Council, Idaho.  No doubt they spoke the same Yiddish.  He was very tall with brown hair and she was extremely short with black hair, but they were an excellent match.  She said she had to stand on a chair to kiss him. 

Resource:  jewishgen

1. Sime Sene Goldfoos died 23 June 1901 in Herring Run-Beth Israel Cemetery, mikvo Kodesh, Beth Israel, in Baltime, Maryland in Section 03, Row: 01: Lot 30. 

2. Jacob T. Goldfoos died 26 April 1922 in the same city and buried in the same cemetery only  in Lot 2.  .

3. Abe Goldfoos was born in 1879 and died in 1957 at the Berly Hills Memorial Gardens, Garden of the Ten commandments, Fairmont Jewish Community Section, Morgantown, West Virginia.

4. Marvin Goldfuss died 5 March 1991.  He's at the Pardes shalom Beth David Bnai Isrel Cemetery, Beth Am Synagogue, in Maple, Ontario, Canada.  He's in Sect II, Row D, Grave 19.

5. Anne Goldfus (mentioned a Goodman) was born 18 October 1898 and died 13 Oct 1993 and is at the B'nai Israel Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah in West A-68.

Reference: Jewishgen

I was just told that we could order SNPS for $29 each so I ordered 2 of them just now; the L245 and the L272 that are advised for our Q1b branch on the tree. (I've since read that L272 is rare, so we may not reflect this SNP.  )

This is getting very technical, but up to this point I had found out that our place on the tree was a Q1b branch with the SNP's of P36.2+M378+.  These two new ones may or may not apply to us, so I have to find out. They're the ones we should take.  What if it shows nothing?  What will it show? 

I read in my dna book that there are SNPs on every chromosome and there are 10 million of them in nuclear DNA.  They account for 90% of the genetic variation in humans.  The Y SNPs used for genetic genealogy are not the only ones on the Y-chromosome, either.  They just are the ones used by population geneticists and genetic genealogists.  A SNP is also known as a polymorphism.  it is possible that the same alteration is in less than 1% of another population and then is considered to be a mutation.  What's being tested are SNPs used in genetic genealogy.    They give information in finding the origins and migration patterns of indigenous peoples. but is only an indicator of the development of present populations.  What must be done is to correlate theories of population development based on SNPs with archeological and anthropological evidence   SNPs are markers with 2 values.  They have mutated only once in human history.  Each SNP can be traced to a single common ancestor where it first appeared. 

The earliest SNPs can be traced to a Y chromosome Adam who lived between 60,000 and 90,000 years ago and a Mitochondrial Eve who lived about 150,000 years ago.  These are the only ones who have survived to the present day, but we know there had been others who didn't. . 

What's interesting to me is that haplogroup Q is found most frequently in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, having originated in Central Asia and migrated through the Altai/Baikai region of northern Eurasia into the Americas.  This is referring to the native Americans who are a Q3, as I remember.  Q1b's were found mostly in Eastern Europe.  I don't know what my mother's Swedish grandfather would have been, but it would be something if he were also a Q.   Now I"m excited about getting the results of this test.

From wiki: According to Behar et al. 5% of Ashkenazi males belong to haplogroup Q.[20] This has subsequently been found to be entirely the Q-M378 subclade and may be restricted to Q-L245.

5/3/2011:  From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_Q_(Y-DNA) The Q-M378 subclade and specifically its Q-L245 subbranch is speculated to be the branch to which Q-M242 men in Jewish Diaspora populations belong.[20][32] Although published articles have not tested for M378 in Jewish populations, genetic genealogists from the Ashkenazi, Mizrachi, and Sephardi Jewish populations have tested positive for both M378 and L245.


Reference: DNA & Genealogy by Colleen Fitzpatrick & Andrew Yeiser

Let me recount what Mary Antin wrote in 1911about the horrors inflicted upon the Jews in Russia as they celebrated the festival of liberty in the Exodus story during the festive Seder meal. Ms. Antin wrote of what routinely took place at Passover and of how Russian neighbors reminded the Jews that for them it was another Egypt:  from Victor Sharpe. 


“… in Russian cities and even more in country districts, where Jewish families lived scattered, the stupid peasants would hear lies about the Jews, fill themselves with vodka, and set out to kill their Jewish neighbors.


“They attacked them with knives and clubs and scythes and axes, killed them or tortured them and burned their houses. This was called a pogrom.

“Jews who escaped the pogroms came with wounds on them and horrible, horrible, stories of little babies torn limb from limb before their mother’s eyes. Only to hear these things made one sob and sob and choke with pain.


“People who saw such things never smiled any more, no matter how long they lived and sometimes their hair turned white in a day and others went insane.”

My cousin and I wonder if this isn't the reason that our grandmother, Hattie Jermulowske had had her legs broken.  She was short to begin with, and this disability made her even shorter. 

Nadene Goldfoot
Goldfoot has been found in Telsiai, Lithuania by the other recent found branch of Goldfoot.  They happen to both be Q1b haplogroup and the two parties tested are at least 3rd cousins.  The report it that our other branch was also in the Ukraine.  We have no knowledge as to where our Nathan Goldfoot b: 1870 was from other than "Russia" on the 1910 USA federal census other than his wife, Hattie Jermulowske of Suwalki, Poland, was a Litvak.  They met and married in Council, Idaho.  One can figure that their only language, Yiddish that they both spoke was the same.  Chaim/ Hyam Goldfoot of the other branch was b: 1867 most likely in Telsiai, Lithuania and also lived in Elizabethgrad, Odessa, Russia

When Jerusalem fell in 70AD, some remained and their descendants are there today, but  out of those that were not taken as slaves, many left and set up villages along the way from the Mediterranean to North Eastern Europe.  They traveled through the homeland referred to as the Levant, then Anatolia and Greece and sailed to Italy, which is not that far away if you look at today's map.  Rome in 70 AD had a large Jewish population already and some Romans and Greeks converted to Judaism.  This happened in Jewish communities and in Roman colonies and villas in "Palestine" during the time of Roman rule.  Remember that the Romans had changed the names of Judea and Samaria and Israel to the blanket name of Palestine to wipe out the Jewish presence. 

Some Jews who were in Anatolia joined the cities of Byzantine Jews there.  Some kept moving north in Italy, though the Southern Italian peninsula was the first home for the new communities of Jews.

In the 4th century CE Jews kept moving north into Northern Italy until the 10th century when they went north into the Rhineland (Germany) and set up communities which became the cultural center of the northern European Jews.  They moved northeast after the 11th century and settled in Eastern Germany and Poland.  This area became the largest Jewish Diaspora community in Europe before WWII which killed 6 million of them.  It must have been while in Germany that the Goldfuss surname was attached to the family, which became Goldfus in Yiddish and then anglicized to Goldfoot.  It was in 1012 CE that Jews migrated from Germany to Poland near Bialystock and Grodno.  By 1495 Lithuanian Jews also migrated to Bialystock, Poland. 

The founding families of Lithuania are said to have come from Babylonia in early medieval times. What had happened was that there was the plague in 1347 followed by a 1348 migration of Jews going from Eastern Germany to Lemberg and Temopol with Hungarian Jews from 1349-1360 migrating to Temopol also.


Wherever a plague broke out, the Jews were thrown out of some German town and went into Poland. Jews were accused of creating plagues because they didn't get sick and die to the degree that others did. This was because of Jews keeping their kashrut laws which contained a lot of sanitary habits, such as bathing and washing.

There was also a Lithuanian migration of 1445 southeast to the Crimea.   At the same time Byzantine Jews and the Judaic Khazars might have gone to Khakov from southeast to the north in Russia.  Also the Jews of Kiev who was a mixture of Byzantine, Western European and maybe even Khazaria and other Jewish communities living in Kiev moved into the Crimea in 1350.  This was when the plagued finally ended. 

Resource:  Tracing Your Jewish DNA For Family History & Ancestry-Merging a Mosaic of Communities  by Anne Hart copyright 2003.

Abraham Goldfus was born in 1887 in Russia.  He was found on the 1920 census at age 33 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
His wife was Lillian age 28.  Their son was Stanley Goldfus and daughter Beatrice was only 1 year and 4 months.

Another Abraham Goldfus was born on 28 November 1895 in Pskov,  Russia. On the WWI Draft and Registration of June 5, 1917.  He was  a music teacher living with his parents at 552 N. Gay in Baltimore, Maryland.  He was medium height and weight with brown eyes and black hair.

 He was also found on the 1920 census in Maryland at the age of 24 living with his parents, Joseph Goldfus age 52 and Ethel Goldfus age 50.  Abraham was also born in Russia.  Joseph was a timer with his own shop.  They all immigrated in 1902.  By 1914 they became citizens.  Now Abraham was a musician in an orchestra.  By April 18, 1930 Abraham was living in Atlantic City and was 34 years old and married living in a $70 per month apartment with his wife, Henrietta who was also 34 years old. She was born in Germany and her father had been born in England and mother in Germany.  Abraham was a musician in a hotel.  No doubt he was with a group. 

Goldfus is the Yiddish spelling for the anglicized form of Goldfoot.  Goldfoot people from "Russia anglicized it to Goldfoot when they moved to England, which many did.  Some never did change their name. 

Resource: FamilySearch. 
ancestry.com