Thursday, January 20, 2022

 

Found: One of Our Goldfus- Goldfoots on Our Tree in Minnesota and Other Tidbits

Nadene Goldfoot                                                

   Charles Haskel (Khaski) Yechezkel (Ezekiel) Goldfoot b: 1906 in Council, Idaho  and Moses (Meshke) Morris Goldfoot b: 1908 Portland, Oregon.                                     
 
Nathan Abraham Goldfoot 1874-1912  He and Bubbie had named their 3rd child, Abraham, that pretty much clinches the fact that it was his middle name.  Little Abraham was born abt August 1909 and died January 5, 1910,  a little over 5 months old in their feather bed.
 

Our Goldfoot family came from the surname of Goldfus.  It was anglicized in England, but originated in Lithuania, specifically in or near Telsiai,(Telz),  Lithuania.  Our grandfather, Nathan Abraham Goldfoot went to England and then to Dublin, Ireland, where he married a Lena Goldberg there on February 21, 1893, and divorced before coming to Portland, Oregon. Nathan died in an accident with his horse and wagon and died at the age of 37 years 11 months, 4 days on July 19, 1912.  All his relatives came from Telsiai, Lithuania.  I didn't find anyone else in Ukraine, Russia or any other place on Jewishgen.org.  That means we were Litvaks, of which our Bubby was very proud.  Bubby, Zlata Jermulowske, of Lazdijai, Lithuania-Poland.   

I found that one of our ancestors was the family of :

1  [1] Hyman Hyme Goldfus b: October 29, 1893 in Minneapolis, Minnesota d: December 19, 1976 in St Paul, Minnesota Age at death: 83

.. +Ethel Butwin b: September 12, 1901 in Russian Empire Lithuania d: November 05, 1975 in Roseville, Ramsey, Minneapolis, Minnesota Age at death: 74

Then I realized from the information I had discovered that I already had his parents on my tree.  They were as follows:

1  Joseph Goldfus b: December 1865 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubenia, Lithuania-Russian Empire d: May 13, 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Immigration: 1890 Minneapolis, Minnesota Age at death: 54 est.

.. +Anna Haskel b: 1870 in Russian Empire, Lithuania d: June 13, 1949 in Sioux City, Iowa m: 1891 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Immigration: 1884 Age at death: 79 est. m: 1891 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

His parents were and siblings were:

1  Yehudah Leib ben Chaim Goldfus b: 1836 in Laukuva, Lithuania d: 1921 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubernia, Lithuania-Russian Empire Age at death: 85 est.

. +Jennie Shenita Fuchs b: Abt. 1836 in prob. Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubenia, Lithuania-Russian Empire m: 1856 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubernia, Lithuania-Russia m: 1856 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubernia, Lithuania-Russia

.. 2  [1] Herman Harry "Yisrael Hirsch Goldfus b: July 1860 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubernia, Lithuania-Russian Empire d: September 13, 1932 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Age at death: 72 est.

...... +Sarah b: 1878 in Lithuania d: Aft. 1940 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota Age at death: 62 est.

.. *2nd Wife of [1] Herman Harry "Yisrael Hirsch Goldfus:

...... +Chaya Devorah Rosen b: Abt. 1860 in prob. Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno, Gubernia, Lithuania-Russia m: 1883 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubernia

.. 2  Joseph Goldfus b: December 1865 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubenia, Lithuania-Russian Empire d: May 13, 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Immigration: 1890 Minneapolis, Minnesota Age at death: 54 est.

...... +Anna Haskel b: 1870 in Russian Empire, Lithuania d: June 13, 1949 in Sioux City, Iowa m: 1891 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Immigration: 1884 Age at death: 79 est. m: 1891 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

.. 2  Julius Goldfus b: Abt. 1867 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubenia, Lithuania-Russian Empire

.. 2  Henry Goldfus b: July 04, 1875 in Laukuva, Telsiai uesd, Kovno Gubenia, Lithuania-Russian Empire d: February 07, 1960 in Los Angeles, California Immigration: 1888 USA Age at death: 84

...... +Mame Schwartz b: September 12, 1882 in Russian Empire Lithuania d: July 05, 1957 in Los Angeles, California m: Aft. 1900 Age at death: 74 m: Aft. 1900

As far as I know, none of these men were out in Portland at the time our Nathan Abraham was killed.  When Bubbie was asked what Nathan's father's name was, I believe she was heard to say John in her Yiddish accented answer. I heard and said Bobby, not Bubbie. She was my Bobby.  

                       Bubbie in 1935 with my dad, Morris and myself; she still only spoke Yiddish.  

  That could not be the answer.  I don't think she even understood the question as Charlie, her oldest, was only 6 and just beginning to learn English at school.  Charlie's sister, Ann, was born after their father, Nathan Abraham Goldfoot was killed on July 19, 1912.  

                                                    

Ann, pictured with her mother, Zlata, and Ann's 1st daughter, Harriett.  Bubbie was very short, but on top of that, had her legs broken in a pogrom, and they were left bow-legged.  Bubbie's real name was Zlata, but called Addy or Eddy; Eddy being on her husband's death certificate. So she was Addy Jermulowski/sky, born 1884 in Lazdijai, Suwalki, Lithuania, a Litvak, whose border-town was taken by Poland.  

Ann was born on November 11, 1912, not quite 4 months later.  Nathan had gone from being a peddler to an expressman.  He was a furniture mover in Ireland.  He was tall, supposedly like 6 feet tall.  Bubbie had to stand on a chair to kiss him.                                                                             


I've gone back as far as Iones Jonah Goldfus b: about 1730 in Telsiai, Kaunas, Lithuania.  This above is Nathan's death certificate listing "John" as in a John Doe as Nathan's father.  On my list of Goldfus-was Movsha ben Josel (John)? Goldfus b: 1836 also in Telshai.  Movsha looks like Moshe, and that would fit, like Nathan, son of Moshe, and fit to name my father, Moses or Moshe.  

Jews began living in Lithuania as early as the 13th century. In 1388, they were granted a charter by Vytautas, under which they formed a class of freemen subject in all criminal cases directly to the jurisdiction of the grand duke and his official representatives, and in petty suits to the jurisdiction of local officials on an equal footing with the lesser nobles (szlachta), boyars, and other free citizens. As a result, the community prospered.

In 1495, they were expelled by Alexander Jagiellon, but allowed to return in 1503. The Lithuanian statute of 1566 placed a number of restrictions on the Jews, and imposed sumptuary laws, including the requirement that they wear distinctive clothing, including yellow caps for men and yellow kerchiefs for women.

The Khmelnytsky Uprising destroyed the existing Lithuanian Jewish institutions. Still, the Jewish population of Lithuania grew from an estimated 120,000 in 1569 to approximately 250,000 in 1792. 

After the 1793 Second Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Lithuanian Jews became subjects of the Russian Empire. On the census they just said, RUSSIA.  

After 1843, Telz was part of the Kovno Province (Gubernia).  

The town of Telz was damaged during the Polish rebellions of 1831 and 1861.  Nathan left in 1893.  After he left, the town burned down in 1907.  Nathan was only 4 years old when his father, Movshe, had passed away in 1878.

There were years of famine from 1869 to 1872.  

In 1870 there were 6,481 Jewish residents in Telz including 4,399 Jews which is 68% of the poulation.  By 1897 after Nathan left, there were 6,000 residents and of them 3,088 were Jews which was 51% Jewish. 

The 1880s in Ukraine and other places were persecuted and there were pogroms, making Telz Jews most uncomfortable.  They were already suffering from conscription into the army for a period of 6 years for all Jewish males.  May young Jewish men left Telz and immigrated to America, Argentina and South Africa then. from 1870 to 1923, the Jewish populatio of Telz decreased by 2,854 people.  There was a cholera epidemic of 1893 that took many victims, especially among the poor Jews, who lived in overcrowded and bad hygienic conditions.  

Among the Jewish merchants there were several who had big business and were even allowed into Russia proper.  Movshe  was said to be a Distiller on the census of Lithuania.

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Jews

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61675/images/48908_302022005610_0057-02594?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=NiA1681&_phstart=successSource&pId=262647

Book:  Preserving Our Litvak Heritage-a history of 31 Jewish communities in Lithuania by Josef Rosin by JewishGen.Inc.  


 

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# posted by Nadene Goldfoot @ 2:52 PM 0 comments

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