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| Passport photo of Abraham Emil Lessem 1921 |
I have been working on this family line on and off over many years. Ancestry is always adding new documents, so I began to look at his family members, and others in his tree to see if anything new could be discovered.
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| Nalick Family C. 1906 Brooklyn New York |
When Lieb Nelick was born on February 14, 1900, in Pliskov, Vinnytsya, Ukraine, his father, Hershel, was 36 and his mother, Sema, was 31. In the photo to the right you will see him as a young immigrant boy, standing in front of his eldest sister Essie. Youngest brother Stanley who went on to become a vaudevillian actor is in the center, in front of their mother. Albert is seen here in the second row to the right. Behind Albert is Jennie, and at the top of the photo is Edith.
According to the ship manifest, their Hebrew names when they boarded the ship headed for the shores of their soon to be new home were: Hershel, Schime, Essie, Jasne, Judes, Elie, Leib & Schloma Nelik. They traveled on the S.S. Umbria from the port of Liverpool to the port of New York City; leaving Liverpool England on June 30th 1906, and arriving on July 9th.
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| Steam Ship UMBRIA |
Lets begin by researching more into Essie Nalick. I quickly discovered an official document titled "Deaths of American Citizens abroad, 1835-1974."
This document was a wealth of information. It enlightened me to the name of Essie's husband. Prior to this, all that was known to me was his surname Lessem. I now had his full name Abraham Emil Lessem.
I began to read through, page by page of a very large file that was held by the State Department in Washington DC. A paper trail which formed over months, as various American Consuls attempted to find the living relations to an American Citizen who had died in Hamburg Germany on the first of July, 1922.
It later struck me while I was preparing for bed how fortunate of a find this was. This was prior to World War Two. All of these documents had been sent to the United States, ending up in the National Archives, thus protecting them to be discovered today. Most Jewish American history was lost forever during the war, so I decided I had to share this story, and began to write.
While all these documents in their totality held my interest with great intrigue; none as much as this next document. A letter from Essie seeking help from the Secretary of State to investigate what had happened to the effects of her husband. When I think of the Secretary of State, I immediately think of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th to hold that office. My eyes were first drawn to her signature. Something about a signature brings a genealogist so much closer to the lives of those whom they are researching. I then noticed that the widow was left with an orphan daughter Ruth who she listed as nine years old. I thought that clue might bring me another family line to follow. Unfortunately, I discovered that Ruth passed away in 1938 at the young age of 24.
Widow Lessem, also mentioned in this letter some money, and other valuable possessions. This lead me to continue reading through this file folder. Where upon reading the list of personal effects of the deceased Abraham Emil Lessem It was in fact true that he had money, a gold watch, and a revolver. The Cunard Lines had sent his steamer trunk to the American Consulate in Kovno Lithuania.
He had a little over $100 in U.S. currency, and almost as much in German Marks at just under 700 Marks. The Widow Essie was also sent an accounting by the American Consulate. The accounting included expenses for the doctor, and housing for the doctor. Total 1300 German Marks. Burial expenses, 10,322 marks. Proceeds, I guess from the sale of his Elgin Gold Watch, and other valuables, 11,887 marks. They sent the Widow, $140.60 US. I looked that up, and that is approximately an average months salary for the time, as people listed on the 1920 US Census an annual income of $1,200. It does not appear that they even sent her the photo. See the list has one framed photo.
Abraham Emil Lessem
He was born on January 6, 1879, in Lithuania, the child of Benza Lessem. He had one daughter with Essie Nalick in Brooklyn New York, 1914. He died on July 1, 1922, in Hamburg, Germany, at the age of 43 of apparent Heart Attack. He became a Naturalized American Citizen in September 1914 in Kings County New York.
More great stories for your future reading on The Jewish American Story.
I began to read through, page by page of a very large file that was held by the State Department in Washington DC. A paper trail which formed over months, as various American Consuls attempted to find the living relations to an American Citizen who had died in Hamburg Germany on the first of July, 1922.
It later struck me while I was preparing for bed how fortunate of a find this was. This was prior to World War Two. All of these documents had been sent to the United States, ending up in the National Archives, thus protecting them to be discovered today. Most Jewish American history was lost forever during the war, so I decided I had to share this story, and began to write.
While all these documents in their totality held my interest with great intrigue; none as much as this next document. A letter from Essie seeking help from the Secretary of State to investigate what had happened to the effects of her husband. When I think of the Secretary of State, I immediately think of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th to hold that office. My eyes were first drawn to her signature. Something about a signature brings a genealogist so much closer to the lives of those whom they are researching. I then noticed that the widow was left with an orphan daughter Ruth who she listed as nine years old. I thought that clue might bring me another family line to follow. Unfortunately, I discovered that Ruth passed away in 1938 at the young age of 24.
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| Accounting Proceeds/Expenses |
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| The Passport |
Abraham Emil Lessem
He was born on January 6, 1879, in Lithuania, the child of Benza Lessem. He had one daughter with Essie Nalick in Brooklyn New York, 1914. He died on July 1, 1922, in Hamburg, Germany, at the age of 43 of apparent Heart Attack. He became a Naturalized American Citizen in September 1914 in Kings County New York.
Abraham traveled to Kovno, Lithuania, to visit his family just after WWI, and died before the Holocaust of WWII which took the lives of so many others.
Here, finally is the never seen before photo of Abraham and Essie Lessem, c. 1914.
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| Abraham Emil Lessem (1879-1922) * Spouse Essie Nalick Lessem |
If you would like to research more into Abraham, and possibly the family of Benza Lessem, you should start here!
More great stories for your future reading on The Jewish American Story.
