Cousin Lillian Kanofsky Press and her husband Jules Press on their wedding day.

Sometime in the last few days I posted the wedding photograph (above) on my facebook page and titled it Mystery Photograph. My cousins Judy and Wilma both saw it today and gave me some hints that helped me leap frog over several heretofore impossible to leap hurdles. One that I'd struggled with for a long time (a couple years maybe) was the connection between my great-grandfather Jake and his brother Isaac. It stated very clearly on Jake's immigration papers that he and his widowed mother Eide were going to stay at his brother Isaac's. There was even an address. 

The trouble was with the multiple and diffusely different spellings of Kanofsky. Kohonovsky, which is where we started, I had expected, and Konefsky, sure. Konopky, not so much, but Gonovesky? Apparently, yes, because that's where I found Lillian and her brother Max, and her father 'Ike' and her mother, Anna, in the 1910 census. All from Ekaterinaslov, Russia, Ike an operator in a clothing factory. Hiding in plain site. I even found Eide, who gained fourteen years between 1913 (56 years old) and 1930 (87 years old), but was very much herself in every other important detail, living with her eldest son Isaac and the rest of the correctly spelled (!) Kanofsky family. a miracle, surely.

Identifying the people in this photograph, one I've looked at many times in the past 6 years, since I inherited my mother's family photo-albums, is the best part of that miracle.

Lillian Kanofsky Press

Eva's Ikons

Eva's Ikons - A title more true than ever with the current blog title picture - of my Kanofsky relatives from a century ago. I am worshiping at the altar of ancestor research and the uncovering/rediscovering of family stories. My great-grandfather on my mother's side, my mother's mother's father, who had not one, not two, not even three, but four first names. Srulick (my personal favorite), changed to be more modern perhaps, or only used when he was a child, if at all? Somewhere in there was also Noah, no idea what associations to attach to that, but there it is. Then Jacob, which was changed to Israel for obscure superstitious reasons having to do with his fiance's father's name also being Jacob, and then, when he became a naturalized citizen, away, far away, from his father-in-law, he officially had it changed to Jake! And his last name? Upon arrival in the New World it appeared to be Konolovsky. Then morphed to Kanofsky, which was quickly shortened to Kannof by at least one son. A whole constellation of icons I have to worship, them and all their stories. It makes me giddy, and when I've spent one too many hours in front of the computer it makes me eyes sore and my mind and body tired. But it's worth it. It's all worth it. Every last little bit of story. 

Dortorts and Dots

L-R, Louise Dortort Watnik, with three of her siblings: Isadore, Oscar & Frieda Dortort in Basel, Switzerland, circa 1912. 

Louise (1903 -1987) is my 1st cousin 2x removed. Her grandmother by marriage and my great-grandmother were sisters, that's the 1st cousin part. And she was born two generations before me, that's the 2x removed part. Yesterday I met for the first time and visited with her daughter, Cirel Watnik, in busy downtown Brattleboro, VT. Over the sound of trucks, buses and motorcycles we sat at sidewalk cafes and parks talking genealogy and connecting the dots.

More connecting

I'm going to meet some third cousins tomorrow for the first time ever, down in Brattleboro at the Latchis Hotel. Pictures to follow.