I have had such a mystery. I have found out much about my great grandparents Abraham and Sarah Rosenberg. I know that they got divorced. I know that they lost one daughter, Celia, to the Spanish Flu and a son, Samuel, to a mental institution. (See blogs below.) They were their two oldest children. Other children in this family disappeared from our family connections. I have been trying to find them all for over 20 years.
In order, the children were Samuel, Celia, my grandfather Harry/Hersh, Jacob/Jack, Bertha, Edith/Esther, Hady/Hatti/Hanna, Minnie/Muriel. I have found Jacob in England, where he moved. I have found out some about Muriel. I did know my Aunt Hady when I was a small child. (See blogs below.) But Bertha and Edith/Ethel were still a mystery.
At several times in their marriage, in which my great grandmother had 12 pregnancies and eight live births, my great grandparents had major issues, they eventually divorced, which in the 1920s was uncommon. There was a period of time when their three middle daughters did not live with them: Bertha, Ethel/Edith and Hattie/Hady/Hannah. At first, I could not even find them anywhere in the census reports. But then I posted a request for help on the Tracing the Tribe group
The mystery starts in 1900. I found the family in Kings County, New York census. There were two girls are named Rose and Esther. Rose is a name that was often given to a daughter in this family and then changed! (See blog below). And I believe Esther became Ethel/Edith.
In the 1905 New York census, none of these three girls were living with their parents. But another Tracing the Tribe member (Sherri V) found Bertha living with a family headed by Lous and Rose Salomon/Solomon. She is listed as their niece. The list of family includes Benny, 22; Rebeka, 20; Moses, 19; William, 18; David, 16; Sadie, 24; Esther 13; and. Bertha 11. Esther is not listed as a Rosenberg, but I have to wonder if she is Ethel.
I found the family again in both the 1910 and 1920 census. This time all three girls were living with Louis and Rose Solomon and their sons Bernard, Morris, William and David. The three girls are listed as Bertha Rosenberg, 17, Ethel Solomon 15, and Hanna Solomon, 13. in 1910. Later in 1920, Louis is living with William, and David, along with Bertha Rosenberg 24 and Ethel Solomon 23.
Although Ethel and Hanna are listed as Solomon, it is possible that they actually used these names when living with their aunt and uncle. These three girls seemed to go back and forth between their parentsmother and the Solomon family.
I posted the above information along with these questions to the Tracing the Tribe group: How is the Solomon family related to my great grandfather, Abraham Rosenberg, or to his wife, Sarah Ritt/Writ/Rith/Rosenberg. They lived in Kings County New York.
Kaye H. was kind enough to do some research for me. She posted: According to their marriage record, Rose’s maiden name was Rosenberg. Her parents were Jacob Rosenberg and Rhoda Anna Cohen (I think, it’s a bit hard to read). Does that line up with Abraham’s parents? https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/7950837”
Well that was a very good question. I did not know the names of my grandfather’s parents. He was born in Russia, and he was married in Europe. I have been unable to find his parent’s names. I have my great grandmother’s death certificate, so I know her parent’s names, but have been unable to find anything about my great grandfather.
My family lived entirely in Kings County once they came to the USA. But there is a rumor that my grandfather left the family and moved to Seattle. A few years ago, when I was in Seattle, I went to the public library to see if I could find any records of him. With the help of tw o lovely librarians, I found a few Abraham Rosenbergs, but no one that really matched my great grandfather. I am thinking that I was looking too early. I assumed in went around 1900. But now I think if he went it was closer to 1905.
My great grandfather was born about 1861. Rose/Rosa, who is perhaps his sister, married Louis on January 4, 1882 in New York City. She was 17 or 18 when she got married. Making her birth about 1865 and she was born in Russia. Rosa/Rose signed her marriage license with an X. Louis, her hsuband , was educated enough to sign his full name in Hebrew.
Because Bertha is listed as a niece, I have to believe that Rose is Abraham’s sister. In fact, Abraham and Sarah did name their fourth children, Jacob, and the custom is to name after a relative that died. It would make sense for Abraham to name a child after his father. With this mystery uncovered, I now know the names of my great great grandparents, which was the only set of great great grandparents I did not know.
I want to thank Kaye, Sherri V., and others from the Tracing the Tribe Facebook group who are always willing to help solve a genealogy mystery.
zicharonot 