I am feeling so frustrated right now.
I have found out so much about what happened to my family in Trzciana and Mielec. The revelations are sometimes difficult to understand. But at least we now know.
But within all that we do know, there is a mystery of a grave containing two women, sisters and the son of one of them. (See blog below, An Unexpected Grave Mystery.). In my talks with Izabela, a Polish woman who has helped in my search, I found out that she is also aware of this grave and the unsolved mystery of exactly who are related to these two women and boy. We have discussed it several times. We think that I have the answer to the mystery. But I want to be sure.
When I was a child, I knew my grandfather’s cousin Morris Brenner. He and his wife owned a newsstand/candy store in Jersey City. He was a diabetic and had both of his legs amputated. So he always sat in a rocking chair and was the cashier, while his wife, (we think her name was Anna), would walk around the store and help people.
My brother and I remember going to visit several times with our parents, or with our Mom and grandparents, or perhaps with just our grandparents. My sister doesn’t remember because she is so much younger. I am the last one alive to have seen him in my family. My Mom and I visited him in a nursing home near Bayonne, New Jersey. I detail that visit in a blog. (Childhood Events Definitely Influence My Adult Choices.)
His wife died before him, and since he had no legs, he had to move to skilled nursing. He and his wife did not have children. I believe I remember that they were first cousins so decided not to have children.
Why is this important? Because there is belief that the women buried in the grave had a brother who moved to the United States before the war, named Morris Brenner. Is this the right Morris Brenner? I wish I knew because it would bring closure to this mystery.
I have been searching the Ancestry files for days. I have found a number of Morris Brenners. But not a single one is listed as running a candy store. I have searched in Jersey City and Linden, New Jersey. My grandfather owned a bakery in Linden for a while, so I thought maybe there. And there is a Morris Feuer there, but he was married with children and did not own a candy store.
My frustration is strong. I thought it was an easy find compared to finding what happened in Europe. I thought how many men with the name Morris Feuer could there be? I thought the amputation and the knowledge of the nursing home would help. I also figured he died in the late 1960s. But I am not skilled enough with Ancestry to find him.
My Morris Brenner was probably born in the late 1890s in the Mielec/Trzciana area of what was then Austria, now Poland. He was married. His wife’s name might have been Anna. They had a candy store/news stand in New Jersey. They might have lived in the same building as the store, because I remember going into the back of the store through a door to a kitchen. Perhaps Jersey City, perhaps Linden, Perhaps Newark? At the end of his life, he lived in a skilled nursing facility/nursing home near Bayonne. Perhaps it was one for Jewish people? He did have nieces and nephews. I do not know if they were from his family or his wife’s. I know my grandparents began to visit him after my one visit. I know that my family inherited the rocking chair, my brother owns it. I know he died in the late 1960s perhaps early 1970s.
I even looked for people named Nissan Brenner, because by grandfather had a cousin in the USA by that name as well.
I do admit that my brother and I could have distorted memories. We were young when we knew him. I think I was about 10-12 years old the last time I saw him. That would be 1965-67. I believe he died within a year or so of that visit. But I do not know for sure. I remember when he died, but I don’t remember exact dates that far back.
I am asking for help from those of you who are excellent at research. Members of Tracing the Tribe have helped me in the past. Could you please help me find my Morris Brenner! Thank you!
zicharonot 
I haven’t read through all the comments on TTT in response to this post, but it looks like some progress was made?? Have you found your answers yet?
No. It is confusing. My brother and I have discussed it as well. The main thing is the double amputation. We knew both Nissan and Morris, the two brothers who came before the war. They were my grandfathers cousins. I emailed the person who has the tree. If his tree is right it should have my family on it. I think he is young and doesn’t know.
So I am now searching to see if it was Nissan because he died in linden.
I wish I had asked more questions when I was younger!!!
Don’t we all… I wish I could bring back all four of my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, and my parents for just one day…
I wish I could help, but it seems the experts on TTT found what there is to find on Ancestry and JewishGen, etc. If there’s a specific question you still need answered, maybe I can help. Just let me know.
Thank you. I am working through this. I know the person i remember was married with no children because I believe his wife was his first cousin. And he was a diabetic with his legs amputated. But perhaps I mixed up the names. My grandfather had many cousins named morris/moshe and Nissan/nuta/Nathan. It makes it crazy to figure out.
good luck!