Lewis Mesherry Fannie Mesharer Maurice Meshirer 3 siblings
When my great grandfather Harry Mesharer came to the United States, presumably in the early 1880's) he is said to have lived in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. This city was also the home of his brother Abraham who generally spelled his name Meshirer. In the course of his life, Harry (or Harris) spelled his surname many different ways. I have found surprisingly few records of Harris's life, but will try to outline them here.
Harry's son Max H. Mesharer lists a birth year of 1883 in the 1920 census, but a birth year of 17 April 1881 on his World War I draft registration. Max was a local business man in Wilkes Barre, PA and with his wife Keturah, ran the State Tranfer Company. His many business ventures are documented in the Wilkes-Barre Time Leader during the 1910-1921 era.
In 1890 there is the record of the immigration of the children Benia, age 9, and Max age 7, accompanied by Bushelek Mesharer. They traveled on the ship Warrington to Liverpool. Max's residence is listed as Slobotky, Russia. Benia is possibly "Bessie", whose later married name is Bessie Dushoff. The record indicates that the group came from and was headed to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. The Naturalization papers for Bessie's husband Sol Dushoff list the birthplace of his wife Bessie as "illegible" Russia. The name of the community appears to start with a C. Sol Dushoff's Petition for Naturalization is number 14619 in the Pennsylvania District Court, Eastern District.
Harry's son Lewis, who later took on the surname Mesherry, indicates a birth date of 18 September 1889 in Army records and also the California Death Index although the 1900 census lists Louis as born in January 1892. It is certainly possible that Louis become Lewis and changed his age to be old enough to enlist in the Army in 1908.
Harry had a daughter, Fannie, born in 1894 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, who married Alexander Klass in 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When Fannie Mesharer married Alexander Klas, she listed her father as Harris Mesharer, living in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. However, the same documents listed Alexander Klas's parents as living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when in fact they still lived in the Czech Republic. She died in 1929.
There is a Naturalization Document for Henry Mesharer found in the personal belongings of Shirley Meshirer. Shirley was the daughter of William Max Meshirer and Rose Ricklyn Mesharer (Rose was reputedly the adopted daughter of Harry, who married the son of Abraham Meshirer). William Max Meshirer should not be confused with Max Mesharer, the son of Harry.
So presumably, we know that Harry (as Henry) was naturalized in Wilkes Barre on January 25 1895, recorded at the Common Pleas Court. I base this assumption on the fact that the document was in the possession of one of his grandchildren.
In 1900 there is a listing in New York City for Harry Mishader and wife Lena, with children Fannie, age , Lewis, age , and Morriss, less than 1 year old. The census indicates that Harry and Lena had been married for one year.
There is a listing in the 1920 census for Harry and Lena living in Philadelphia. Harry is listed in Philadelphia City Directories ( around 1925 ) as follows:
Mesherey, Harris, brklyr home 334 Daly
another subsequent listing is:
Mesherery, Harris at 224 Daly St, with Morriss, a chauffeau, living at 336 Daly S
Maurice later used the name: Maurice Meshirer.
Also among the belongs of Shirley Ricklyn Meshirer was the photograph of a tombstone. The names listed in English are Harry Meshorer and his wife Lena. There is also inscription in Hebrew which indicates: Harris's Hebrew name is Zvi Hirsch, his wife's was Leah. The interpretation of the Hebrew text was done by Richard L. Rubenstein. Richard, a learned scholar, and descendant of Rose Mesherir, one of the original family immigrants in the mid 1880's, a sister of Harry and Abraham. Richard indicates that the use of the western name Meshorer indicates that the first male of the family who had a western-style second name would have been a cantor. Since Harris was the elder brother, and presumably the first to immigrate, this would likely have been his position. The location of the tombstone is not yet known although Harry and Lena are known to have lived in Philadelphia shortly before their deaths. Sylvia Bachman (descendant of Abraham Meshirer, brother of Harry) remembers visiting graves in Wilkes Barre at the "Jewish Cemetery". I have not yet located this cemetery.
Rose Mesherir, the sister of Harry and Abraham, married Nathan Rubenstein and they lived in New York City.
To extrapolate somewhat on the origin of the family before immigration to the United States, the passenger list for Max Mesharer indicates the town Slobotky, Russia . Richard L. Rubenstein's grandfather is documented to have come from Vilna, Lithuania on the World War I draft registration. While there are numerous towns of the name Slobotka , there is only one in the Vilna province. This has the modern town name of Vilijampole, but had been known as Slobodka in Yiddish. Around 1900 the town was known as Vilyampolskaya, Kovno, Russian Empire according to the JewishGen Communities database found on Jewishgen.org. The town is 95 km WNW of Vilnius.
Researching the surname Meshorer (used on Harris Meshorer tombstone) gives the following information from A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire, revised edition, Alexander Beider, Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc, 2008: Mashojrer (Vilna, Khar' kov) [shows Hebrew symbols] choir singer in synagogue (Meshejrer (Mesherer), Mesejrer, Meshorer, Mishorer, Meserer (Messerer).
Richard L. Rubenstein has indicated that a likely passenger line for the family to have used is the Hamburg - America Line, also known as HAPAG. which was carried many Jewish immigrants and was owned by Albert Balin, a German Jew.
Harry had another child in addition to Bessie and Max, both born in Russia and Lewis and Fannie born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. His first known child was Eva, who married David Tager. She was apparently born in Russia and immigrated with her husband in the 1890's. Eva's obituary appears in the NY Times in 1964. I have contacted the Riverside Funeral Home organization, formerly in Brooklyn, to attempt to find more information on her burial. They had a daughter Mae who married Lewis Trieber.
Harris Mesharer's sixth known child, Morris, was most likely born in New York City and is buried at Long Island National Cemetery.
Harry's son Max H. Mesharer lists a birth year of 1883 in the 1920 census, but a birth year of 17 April 1881 on his World War I draft registration. Max was a local business man in Wilkes Barre, PA and with his wife Keturah, ran the State Tranfer Company. His many business ventures are documented in the Wilkes-Barre Time Leader during the 1910-1921 era.
In 1890 there is the record of the immigration of the children Benia, age 9, and Max age 7, accompanied by Bushelek Mesharer. They traveled on the ship Warrington to Liverpool. Max's residence is listed as Slobotky, Russia. Benia is possibly "Bessie", whose later married name is Bessie Dushoff. The record indicates that the group came from and was headed to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. The Naturalization papers for Bessie's husband Sol Dushoff list the birthplace of his wife Bessie as "illegible" Russia. The name of the community appears to start with a C. Sol Dushoff's Petition for Naturalization is number 14619 in the Pennsylvania District Court, Eastern District.
Harry's son Lewis, who later took on the surname Mesherry, indicates a birth date of 18 September 1889 in Army records and also the California Death Index although the 1900 census lists Louis as born in January 1892. It is certainly possible that Louis become Lewis and changed his age to be old enough to enlist in the Army in 1908.
Harry had a daughter, Fannie, born in 1894 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, who married Alexander Klass in 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When Fannie Mesharer married Alexander Klas, she listed her father as Harris Mesharer, living in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. However, the same documents listed Alexander Klas's parents as living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when in fact they still lived in the Czech Republic. She died in 1929.
There is a Naturalization Document for Henry Mesharer found in the personal belongings of Shirley Meshirer. Shirley was the daughter of William Max Meshirer and Rose Ricklyn Mesharer (Rose was reputedly the adopted daughter of Harry, who married the son of Abraham Meshirer). William Max Meshirer should not be confused with Max Mesharer, the son of Harry.
So presumably, we know that Harry (as Henry) was naturalized in Wilkes Barre on January 25 1895, recorded at the Common Pleas Court. I base this assumption on the fact that the document was in the possession of one of his grandchildren.
In 1900 there is a listing in New York City for Harry Mishader and wife Lena, with children Fannie, age , Lewis, age , and Morriss, less than 1 year old. The census indicates that Harry and Lena had been married for one year.
There is a listing in the 1920 census for Harry and Lena living in Philadelphia. Harry is listed in Philadelphia City Directories ( around 1925 ) as follows:
Mesherey, Harris, brklyr home 334 Daly
another subsequent listing is:
Mesherery, Harris at 224 Daly St, with Morriss, a chauffeau, living at 336 Daly S
Maurice later used the name: Maurice Meshirer.
Also among the belongs of Shirley Ricklyn Meshirer was the photograph of a tombstone. The names listed in English are Harry Meshorer and his wife Lena. There is also inscription in Hebrew which indicates: Harris's Hebrew name is Zvi Hirsch, his wife's was Leah. The interpretation of the Hebrew text was done by Richard L. Rubenstein. Richard, a learned scholar, and descendant of Rose Mesherir, one of the original family immigrants in the mid 1880's, a sister of Harry and Abraham. Richard indicates that the use of the western name Meshorer indicates that the first male of the family who had a western-style second name would have been a cantor. Since Harris was the elder brother, and presumably the first to immigrate, this would likely have been his position. The location of the tombstone is not yet known although Harry and Lena are known to have lived in Philadelphia shortly before their deaths. Sylvia Bachman (descendant of Abraham Meshirer, brother of Harry) remembers visiting graves in Wilkes Barre at the "Jewish Cemetery". I have not yet located this cemetery.
Rose Mesherir, the sister of Harry and Abraham, married Nathan Rubenstein and they lived in New York City.
To extrapolate somewhat on the origin of the family before immigration to the United States, the passenger list for Max Mesharer indicates the town Slobotky, Russia . Richard L. Rubenstein's grandfather is documented to have come from Vilna, Lithuania on the World War I draft registration. While there are numerous towns of the name Slobotka , there is only one in the Vilna province. This has the modern town name of Vilijampole, but had been known as Slobodka in Yiddish. Around 1900 the town was known as Vilyampolskaya, Kovno, Russian Empire according to the JewishGen Communities database found on Jewishgen.org. The town is 95 km WNW of Vilnius.
Researching the surname Meshorer (used on Harris Meshorer tombstone) gives the following information from A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire, revised edition, Alexander Beider, Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc, 2008: Mashojrer (Vilna, Khar' kov) [shows Hebrew symbols] choir singer in synagogue (Meshejrer (Mesherer), Mesejrer, Meshorer, Mishorer, Meserer (Messerer).
Richard L. Rubenstein has indicated that a likely passenger line for the family to have used is the Hamburg - America Line, also known as HAPAG. which was carried many Jewish immigrants and was owned by Albert Balin, a German Jew.
Harry had another child in addition to Bessie and Max, both born in Russia and Lewis and Fannie born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. His first known child was Eva, who married David Tager. She was apparently born in Russia and immigrated with her husband in the 1890's. Eva's obituary appears in the NY Times in 1964. I have contacted the Riverside Funeral Home organization, formerly in Brooklyn, to attempt to find more information on her burial. They had a daughter Mae who married Lewis Trieber.
Harris Mesharer's sixth known child, Morris, was most likely born in New York City and is buried at Long Island National Cemetery.
posted by Leslie | 12:09 PM
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