Meshorer Family --2015 revision of August  2008 entry

A photograph of a tombstone lists: Harry Meshorer died 29 Jan 1928 age 69 years, indicating an approximate birth year of 1859. Richard L. Rubenstein has commented: The stone gives the Hebrew names of Harry Meshorer and his wife Lena. His Hebrew name was Zvi Hirsch, hers was Leah. The name "Meshorer" is Hebrew for "singer" or cantor.” Thus if Harry were the first male who had a western-style second name, he would have been a cantor.






Harry Meshorer was born in Lithuania, the oldest of three siblings: Harry, Abraham, and Rose. He immigrated to the United States in 1880.  Abraham is said to have immigrated before Harry.  Melissa Mesharer has found evidence that Sarah Goldman married Abraham Meshirer and lived in the village of Snipiskes.  She has a record from Snipiskes that lists Abraham, Sarah and their first child Mere/Mary

Harry had many children and several wives.

Wife #1: Name unknown; If one could find Harry's immigration record, there might be some clue as to whether he was married in 1880, although it is unlikely that his wife traveled with him at the same time.

Children:

1873: Eva: Harry had a daughter, Eva born in Russia, most likely around 1873. A 1930 census lists David Tager and wife Eva living in Brooklyn with children Herman, Theodore and Mildred. Eva is listed as age 56 (born 1873) and having been born in Russia. She and her husband both immigrated in 1891. Verbal family history connects Harry’s daughter Eva, with husband David Tager. Her age at first marriage is 22, indicating a marriage in 1895, four years after their immigration in 1991. In 1930, they had children Herman (born 1904), Theodore (born 1908) and Mildred (born 1916) at home.

1880: Harry indicated on the 1920 census that he immigrated to the United States in 1880.

1881: Max: Harry’s son, Max (who generally used the last name Mesharer), appears to have been born in Russia, possibly 17 Apr 1881. Max married Keturah Moore and they lived in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and established State Transfer Company (a trucking company), that was later run by Max and Keturah’s adopted son, Howard. Max died in 1941 in Miami, Dade County, Florida. In some paperwork, Max uses a birth year of 1884, which is an alternate possibility. If Max's immigration record could be located it would be extremely helpful to potentially indicate his mother, and his age at the time of immigration.

1883: Bessie Meshorer Dushoff, wife of Sol Dushoff, was born in 1883 in Russia according to the 1920 Philadelphia census. She immigrated in 1890. At this time, her mother is unclear. In the 1930 census she listed her children as Lillian (born 1903), Herman (born 1905), Mildred (born 1907) and Dorothy (born 1911). It is likely that Bessie was born before 1883 since Harry is said to have immigrated in 1880. Perhaps she was born in Russia to the same mother as Eva.


Wife #2: Lillian (based on Lillian Klass Small having been told she was named for her grandmother); probably deceased by 1898.


1891: Lewis: Harry’s second son, Lewis, (who used the last name Mesherry consistently) lists a birth date of 18 Sept 1889 in his Army records, although the 1900 census would indicate that he was born in 1892. He was most likely born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania although the 1900 census lists his birth place as New York City, his home at that time. Lewis enlisted in the US Army in 1908 and again in 1912. He is said to have been an aide to General McArthur during World War I. In 1920 Lewis is listed as single, and stationed in San Diego California. In 1930 he is listed as living with wife Margaret J. at 349 N. Orange Dr, Los Angeles, CA. 1936 Voter Registration records show them living at 2140 Pacific Av in San Francisco, and Lewis is listed as retired. Lewis worked as the general manager at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. He 4 June 1942 and is buried at San Francisco National Cemetery, Section Osd Site 711. His last known address was 1 Lincoln Blvd, Presidio of S. F., CA 94129

1894: Fanny or Fannie: Harry’s second daughter (she generally used the name Mesharer) was born 16 Dec 1894 in the United States. By 1898 Harry had remarried, so presumably Fannie’s mother died between the time of her birth and when she was age 4. The 1900 census lists Fannie’s birth place as New York City, although oral history indicates a Wilkes Barre, PA birth for her. The 1910 census lists Fannie Mesharer (age 16, indexed as McHares) living with the family of George F and Lillie Moore, and working as a servant. Lillian Klass Small remembers her mother mentioning that she met Alexander while working for a family in Ardmore, outside Philadelphia, where Alexander was working as a “paper hanger”; that is, installing wallpaper. On May 10, 1916 Fannie became the wife of Alexander Klass in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at St. James Church of Kingsessing. The marriage record lists Fannie’s parents as Harris and Lillian Mesharer, living in Wilkes Barre.

In 1898 Fannie’s husband, Alexander Klass emigrated from Bohemia into New York, via Hamburg on the ship Kaiser. Alexander had a son Frank with his first wife, Elizabeth Wanner. Alexander and Fannie had two children: George Herbert Klass born July 16, 1917 and Lillian Katherine Klass, born February 17, 1919. Lillian was baptized at Carmel Reformed Church at 72nd and Elmwood after having been born at home. Fannie died on August 17, 1929 of tuberculosis of the bowel, when Lillian was 10 years old. The funeral service was at St. Clement’s, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.

1898: Harry married wife #3 Leah (Hebrew) or Lena (Western) marriage in 1898.

1. 1900: Maurice was born in April 1900. The 1900 census lists his name as Morriss Misharer (mistakenly indexed as Mishader) at 2 months on June 7, 1900. The 1920 census for Harriss Mesherry with wife Lena in Philadelphia, lists son Morriss as age 18 (birth date 1902). Maurice was also known as Murry Meshirer and worked for the Beacon Adhesives Company in New York City, established by his cousin David Meshirer in 1926. Murry enlisted in the US Army 14 Jul 1942 and was discharged 10 Mar 1943. His enlistment records indicate he was divorced with no dependents. He died on 28 Jan 1955 and is buried at Long Island National Cemetery, Section Y, Site 993. His last known address was 2040 Wellwood Avenue, Farmingdale, NY 11735. Bobby Oakes indicates that Maurice is a stepchild, so perhaps Harry was not his father.

Misc. observations:


Since Bessie’s son Herman Dushoff was born in 1902 and Eva’s son Herman Tager was born about 1904, it is likely that there may have been a mutual ancestor of Bessie and Eva, Herman, who died shortly before 1902. Similarly Bessie named a daughter Mildred Dushoff born about 1907, and Eva named her daughter Mildred Tager about 1912. Again it seems likely that there is a mutual ancestor of Bessie and Eva, Mildred, who died before 1907. Perhaps they were sisters of the same mother in Russia, and Bessie’s birthyear listed in the 1920 census is off by a few years, since Bessie also indicates that she was born in Russia, as was Eva, and father Harry indicated he immigrated to the US in 1880.

Could Bessie’s daughter Lillian been named to honor Harry’s second wife, Lillian, who had children Max, Lewis and Fannie, if perhaps she had also raised Eva and Bessie? Bessie’s daughter Lillian was born about 1903. Harry had remarried in 1898.

It would be interesting to know if she were older or younger than Max Mesharer.

Eva had a daughter born in 1900: Mae . On the 1930 census she indicates an age of 30, having been born in New York. She was 20 at the time of her first marriage (1920) and was married to Louis Triber as listed on the 1930 census and has children: Eleanor, age 9 (born 1921) and William (born 1925) , age 5 in 1930. Mae’s parents are listed as having been born in Russia. The 1920 census lists May with husband Lewis Treiber, indexed Lreiber. May indicates that her father came from Moscow Russia and her mother from Vilna, Russia.

Harry also had an adopted child, Rose Richlin, born 1892, or possibly 1894 (possibly born to Rebecca Rachlin).  Rose is said to have been adopted by Harry Meshirer. Rose Rachlin Meshorer married William (Max) Meshirer, son of Abraham Meshirer.




Leslie Hersh
August 13, 2008