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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => US Lookup Requests => Topic started by: j.golden1 on Wednesday 17 December 14 20:28 GMT (UK)
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I am looking to find where in the Russian Empire my grandmother was born, although I am unable to locate it. She lived in Massachusetts, and on her 1920 census claims to have been naturalized.
Her details are as follows:
Name: Lena Kovitz/Covitz
Birth: 1890-1892 (according to census from 1920, 1930)
Father: Michael Kovitz
Mother: Zelda Kovitz
Sibbilings: Samuel, Harry
Once census says she immigrated in 1902, the other says 1908.
She married a man named Harry Levine, I am not sure of the date.
There is a death record for a Lena Covitz in 1975, this is not her. She did in the late 50's or mid 60's.
Link to the census - The first two results are her (you need an ancestry subscription):
https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3ALena~%20%2Bsurname%3ALevine~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3AMichael~%20%2Bfather_surname%3AKovitz~%20%2Bmother_givenname%3AZelda~
Many Thanks!
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In that time frame, she would have become a naturalized US citizen by marrying a man who was a US citizen. She might not have gone through a formal naturalization procedure herself.
I wonder if these could be additional siblings who married before the 1920 census:
Rose Covitz - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N46L-9GZ
Luis Covitz - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N46L-XZL
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Hello,
Do you have the family in 1910? If this is the family, the names are slightly different and the birthplace doesn't help - sorry.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2K2-YSX
Regards
Heywood
This fits with shellyesq's findings
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Daughter Bessie born 1916 so marriage before that date-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KBZ5-DWF
Here's the marriage-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4D8-S2W
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Unfortunately I don't have their 1910 census. I am wondering if she was incorrect about having naturalized, as I have a letter from the National Archives, stating that they don't have any records anywhere of her husband (Harry Levine) being an American citizen. Thank you for posting the marriage certificate, that does help as I didn't have her mother's maiden name! Do you think that the person who wrote the index simply couldn't read the birthplace written on the marriage, or do you think it just said "Russia"? If they couldn't read it, I could just order a copy and look for myself.
Also, I just noticed, the marriage lists her parents as Samuel and Annie Cohen. She has a brother named Samuel, according to the census. Where do you think "Michael Kovitz" from the census came from? Also Zelda became Annie?
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The marriage has different parents. Have I missed something :-\
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The information on the census could be wrong, but it seems like she mentioned being naturalized in more than one census.
Was Harry definitely his given name? I wonder if he could have had another name in Russia and just used Harry in the US. His naturalization records may be under his Russian name.
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It is possible that Harry had another name, and naturalized under that name. He came to the USA as a small child, and is only known to me as Harry. I have looked for his papers for years, but have always failed to locate anything at all beyond that census and the birth certificates of his children.
The marriage has different parents. Have I missed something :-\
Do you think it is still them?
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In 1910, mother shows as Jennie. Perhaps the actual census page may clarify. It could be a mistranscription of names.
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It doesn't look like a mistranscription to me. Perhaps you need to start from the beginning of what you know and work back from there.
The Massachusetts death index has an entry for Lena Levine, maiden name Covitz, who died in 1968 at age 75.
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Link to 1920 Census with Lena's parents as Michael & Zelda-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF9M-R8Q
1910- Michael & Jennie-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2K2-YS8
widowed Zelda in 1930-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQRZ-M4K
widowed Zelda in 1940-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4V9-2C9
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The Massachusetts death index has an entry for Lena Levine, maiden name Covitz, who died in 1968 at age 75.
I just called a relative and asked, that would indeed be her. How might I work back from this?
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Perhaps Michael was married twice - Annie Cohen, mother of Lena and Zelda Sneider, mother of other children.
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I wonder if this is another family member- Annie Kovitz, sister to Lena
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HZ-R3T
Here she is with sister Rose
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4V9-RV2
She can be seen with name Katzen/Katgen/Kotzen and variations.
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You could order a death certificate using the information here - http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/admin/dmoa/vitals/ I think the odds of getting an exact place of birth from that may be low, unfortunately.
If you can pin down who her brothers were and if they were born between 1875 and 1900, finding their WWI or WWII draft registration cards may give an exact place of birth. Otherwise, a passenger list or naturalization records of any of the family members may be your best bet.
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If the 1910 census is the correct family then brothers were Louis (born c1889), Samuel (born c1893), Harry (c1902). Think the ages could be off by a few years.
Louis born 15 May 1882? (indexed as 1888) Russia (wife Annie)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11900-136563-16?cc=1861144
Louis born 5 Apr.1885 Lithuania (wife Rosa)- WWI card born 'Pussia' which should probably be Russia
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-25966-17500-11?cc=1968530
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12455-45279-97?cc=1861144
Samuel born 6 May 1890 exact birthplace in Russia given (wife Rebecca) father Morris?
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-25978-17682-66?cc=1968530
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V12R-1WW
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Earlier we had this marriage for Luis to Ester Kotzin
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N46L-XZL
There is also the marriage of Annie to David - Ester and David look to be siblings
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I wonder if this is Lena's burial - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=128595574&ref=acom
Edited to add: I think that is her. On the cemetery's website - http://www.sharonmemorial.com/ - it has a listing for Levine, Harry (Lena).
It might be worthwhile to either contact the cemetery for information or request of a photo of the gravestone at www.findagrave.com. I've seen the Hebrew name of the father of the deceased listed on Jewish gravestones more than once, so that might be revealing.
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Thank you all for your help, based on the WWI registration card I contacted the Lithuanian archives, and they are researching the surname in the area of Kovno, I will let you guys know the results!
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It has been several years and I still have been unable to progress on this side of the family (the last part of my family tree that I haven't been able to trace)! My goal is to figure out where in Lithuania this side of the family came from (or at least a naturalization record for one of them).
If anyone is willing to help, it would be much appreciated!
There are a number of things I find strange:
1) I have been unable to find a naturalization record for a single member of this family, even though they all indicate on censuses that they have been naturalized.
2) The marriages are very confusing. Here we have the marriage certificate of Lena Kovitz to Harry Levine: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4D8-S2W. I know that this is the correct certificate because a physical copy has been passed around in the family. HOWEVER, this lists Lena's parents as "Samuel Kovitz" and "Annie Cohen". This is where the confusion starts. This 1920 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF9M-R8Q shows Lena's parents as "Zelda Kovits" and "Michael Kovitz". I also know that this IS the correct census, as I have personally met the Minnie and Bessie mentioned there. However, again in the 1910 census (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2K2-YSX) we have Michael's wife listed as "Jennie Kovitz". I have absolutely no idea who Lena's mother was. It should also be noted that this record(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N46L-XZL) lists them as "Max Kovitz" and "Zelde Sneider".
3) The locations where this family lived (although all in the Kaunas Governate) are different:
Samuel's WWI draft registration (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6W2Q-11R) shows him as being from Linkuva. A naturalization of what is likely Harry Kovitz in Boston, however, shows him as having been born in Ponevezh.
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On the 1920 census, it says Lena was naturalized in 1909, which was the same year as her marriage to Harry, who was already naturalized according to the census. If that was the case, she would have been naturalized automatically then. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/summer/women-and-naturalization-1.html
Have you found a passenger list or death record for Lena's parents?
My husband has a branch of Russian Jews in his family, and I have noticed a good amount of name changing going on from census to census in that bunch too. My guess is they could have been nicknames, Hebrew names, or whatever anglicized name sounded good at the time.
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Preview peeks of Lena's obit in 1968.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kso/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ksp/
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Thanks!
I haven't been able to find death records for Lena's parents or their passenger list.
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Michael and Zelda's burials are here - https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSln=Covitz&GSiman=1&GScid=1962218&
The 1952 Boston city directory says that Zelda Covitz, widow of Michael, died Feb. 21, 1951. The Massachusetts death index says that Zelda died in Boston in 1951 and her maiden name was Sobel.
Massachusetts death index says Michel (that was the spelling on the index) Covitz died in 1927 in Boston. The 1928 Boston city directory says that Michael Covitz died Nov. 27, 1927.
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I found 1920 & 1929 declarations of intention for Samuel Covitz born 6 May 1890 in Lithuania. It says he sailed to New York on the vessel Statendam arriving July 1906. Samuel filed another declaration of intention in 1943 that said he was born Lincovo, Russia and that it was his last place of foreign residence.
The passenger list can be seen on the Ellis Island website using this link - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JFZT-64F His father appears to be listed right above him. It says they were going to join Michal's son/Samuel's brother. The name is hard to read but looks something like Sobel Kotzen. There is also a 17 year old female whose name is hard to read beneath them - it was transcribed as Hinde Kowetz on a subscription site, but it looks like Kotzen was written in for her surname. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JFZT-668 On another record, it says that Michal and his 2 chidren were held for special inquiry. There is a note about a doctor's certification, and there appears to be hernia written on the passenger list.
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Thanks so much Shelly, much appreciated!!! :)
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I wonder if this is another family member- Annie Kovitz, sister to Lena
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HZ-R3T
Here she is with sister Rose
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4V9-RV2
She can be seen with name Katzen/Katgen/Kotzen and variations.
I think Annie's husband may be the son/brother that Michal and Samuel were traveling to join, as she was married before they arrived. The address where they were going looks like it could be 69 Lowell St., and the marriage record has her husband's address as 59 Lowell St.
Annie & kids in 1920 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF99-6DB
Annie & kids in 1940 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4V9-RV2
Here is a snippet of Annie's obit - http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kt6/
I found a 1944 petition for naturalization for Annie. She lived at 50 Greenwood St., same address as 1940 census & the obit. It says she was born Mar. 1879 in Zamel, Russia, and the marriage date for her & husband Joseph was the same as mentioned above. It says she traveled under the name Annie Izekovitche in July 1902 on the Statendam. Her 1940 declaration of intention has the same information, and a picture of her.
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Amazing!!!!! Thank you so so much! With that new last name, I was able to go on the LitvakSIG All Lithuania Database and find a large number of the Itzkovitch's! And the birth dates line up! I would never have been able to find these without your help! Thanks again!!! :))
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That's great, and you're welcome. :)