Ancestry of Elliot Margolies September 3, 2016
Ancestry of
Elliot Margolies
Compiled by Jack Swaim
September 3, 2016
Table of Contents
Document Organization, Notations and Conventions
1. Ancestry Diagram 4
2. Margolies 5
2.1. Fred Margolies 5
2.2. Isidore Margolies 7
3. Karp 11
4. Berdick 12
4.1. Marilyn Berdick 12
4.2. Morris Berdick 13
4.3. David Berdick 18
4.4. Zev Berdick / Ethel Rossuk? 20
5. Scheinin 21
6. Supplementary Information 22
6.1. Newspaper clippings 23
6.2. Registration card and Social Security data 26
6.3. Census data 28
6.4. Embedded documents 32
End Notes 33
List of Figures
Figure 1 Ancestry chart of Elliot Margolies 4
Figure 2 Locations where Isidore Margolies lived in New York City 10
Figure 3 Marilyn Berdick U. S. Cadet Nurse Corp record 12
Figure 5 Photo of Sid and Bernice Sackson 15
Figure 6 Photo of Sid Sackson and his games 15
Figure 7 Map of Ukraine 22
Figure 8 Morris Berdick 1917 WWI Registration Card 26
Preface
This document represents a quick analysis to identify Elliot Margolies’ grandparents, ancestry and location in Russia where his ancestors may have lived (if known).
Inputs provided to perform the analysis:
1. Elliot’s father was Fred Margolies born ~ 1920 and his mother was Marilyn Berdick
2. Marilyn Berdick’s parents were Morris and Adele Berdick
3. Elliot’s father was born in New York and lived in New Jersey
4. Fred Margolies lived in Jacksonville when he died in 2004
5. Elliott has no recollection of his father’s father.
Information was obtained primarily from Ancestry.com databases (social security, census, etc) and the JewishGen website. Additional information obtained through email and telephone dialogue with a niece of Morris Berdick named Cynthia Lewis Sherwood who posted information at Ancestry.com ().
Note that the scope of this document is limited to selective data obtained through various sources and is not a biographical style document.
Family information pertaining to Elliot’s immediate family is certainly known to him and is not included here. The focus of this document is on Elliot’s grandparents and their ancestry.
Document Organization
The document is organized by surname beginning at the current generation and working backwards through the various ancestor generations. There is more information on recent generations. Thus this approach allows for a step-by-step case for the ancestry beginning with the current generations and working backwards in time.
1. Ancestry Diagram
The following diagram summarizes a high level depiction of the Margolies and Berdick branches in relation to the ancestry of Elliot Margolies. This is an abbreviated chart and it does not depict siblings or extended family relationships. Further details are included in the following sections.
Figure 1 Ancestry chart of Elliot Margolies
2. Margolies
2.1. Fred Margolies
Fred Margolies was Elliot Margolies’ father. Marilyn Berdick was Elliot’s mother. Marilyn is described further in the Berdick section. Fred and Marilyn divorced and both remarried. Elliot obviously knows his immediate family history. This document will focus on the ancestry of Elliot’s parents.
Fred Margolies’ parents were Isidore Margolies and Celia Karp. This is confirmed by the Social Security Applications and Claims Index. The location and year of Fred Margolies’ death matches the Social Security database record thus it appears certain that this record describes Elliot’s father.
Name: / FredMargoliesSSN: / 129093461
Gender: / Male
Race: / White
Birth Date: / 2 Aug 1918
Birth Place: / Brooklyn, New York
Death Date: / 17 Jun 2004
Father: / Isidore Margolies
Mother: / Celia Karp
Type of Claim: / Original SSN.
Notes: / Nov 1937: Name listed as FRED MARGOLIES
The 1940 federal census record also ties Fred to his parents Isidore and Celia. Fred’s sisters as listed in the census were Beatrice and Sylvia.
Further detailed family information for Fred Margolies and Marilyn Berdick and their children is known to Elliot Margolies and is not included in this document.
Fred Margolies died in 2004. The following obituary is from the Florida Times-Union Jacksonville.com.
“MARGOLIES Fred - Margolies passed away on June 17, 2004. Born in Bronx, New York, he moved to Jacksonville fifteen years ago. He was a building contractor and an accomplished violinist. He played with the Bergen Philharmonic in New Jersey, toured for Columbia Artists, and gave recitals at Town Hall and the Times Square Center in New York. In 1959, he formed the nonprofit Bronx Civic Opera Company and Symphonic Foundation presenting professional opera performances. Fred is survived by his devoted wife of 37 years, Patricia Margolies, his children Tracie (Michael) Kinsley, Elliott (Allison) Margolies, Jay Margolies, Matthew (Laura) Margolies, seven grandchildren, and two sisters, Beatrice Margolies and Sylvia Kovac. The family would like to thank his devoted caregiver, Deborah Mondia who gave so much love and devotion in caring for Fred, and the Northeast Florida Community Hospice Earl B. Hadlow Center staff for their care and compassion. A memorial service will be held at Congregation Ahavath Chesad (The Temple) on Friday, June 25, 2004 at 12:00 noon. Arrangements by ETERNITY FUNERAL HOME.”
2.2. Isidore Margolies
Isidore Margolies was the father of Fred Margolies as described in the previous section. This was confirmed by social security data and the 1940 federal census.
Isidore Margolies was born in 1897 in Russia. According to 1930 census data Isidore immigrated to the United States in 1914.
Isidore Margolies married Celia Karp[1] on June 11, 1917 in Manhattan, New York[1]. Celia Karp was born in 1897 in Russia. Celia immigrated to the United States in 1915[2].
The parents of Isidore Margolies are not known.
The following summarizes information from the various censuses. The 1915 and 1920 census information may pertain to a different Isidore Margolies. I include this data with the caveat that it may not be relevant.
· 1915 New York State census record:
- Isidore Margolies (19) listed as living at 107 Monroe St, New York, in the household of Sarah Margolies (57). Also listed were daughter Dora (25), daughter Mamie (13) and son Max (17). Sarah and the children were listed as having emigrated from Russia.
This record indicates the family emigrated from Russia around 1910 which conflicts with the 1930 census record for Isidore Margolies that indicates they emigrated in 1914. The correct Isidore Margolies would have been 17 years old rather than 19 years old. I am including this information because it may indicate Isidore’s mother. However I am not really sure if this record describes the correct ancestor.
· 1920 federal census:
- The only 1920 census record I could find is as follows:
Isadore[3] (23), Celia (23) and Kim (1 8/12) Margolis[4] living at 1820 Lexington Avenue (#35), Manhattan, New York City.
This record lists a 1910 immigration date for Isidore and Celia which matches the 1915 census but conflicts with the 1930 census. This record includes a one year and 8 month old daughter Kim that does not appear in the 1930 and 1940 censuses. It does not include Fred who was born in 1918 and who would have been one year and five months old when this census was taken on January 8, 1920.
It is possible census errors can account for these anomalies and the child “Kim” listed could actually be “Fred”. This seems odd but I have seen quite a few census errors over the years. It is also possible this record pertains to a different family. However I should add that I have been unable to locate a Fred Margolies in any 1920 census even accounting for spelling errors. I am including this record with the caveat that I am unable to resolve the discrepancies.
· 1930 federal census record:
Isidore (42), Celia (35), Fred (11), Beatrice (7) and Sylvia (1 1/2) Margolies[5] listed as living at 878 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY. This record indicates that Isidore emigrated from Russia in 1914 and Celia emigrated from Russia in 1915. This record also states that Isidore and Celia were married after they arrived in the United States when Celia was 20 years old (~1917).
· 1940 federal census:
- Isidore (43), Celia (43), Fred (20), Beatrice (17) and Sylvia Margolies (11) are listed as living at 1105 Boynton Avenue, Bronx, New York. In this census Isidore is listed as an immigrant from Russia and Celia is listed as an immigrant from Lithuania.
Census data can be inaccurate due to recording errors. Note the discrepancies in ages for Isidore and Celia between the 1930 and 1940 censuses.
Isidore Margolies died in 1976. At that time Isidore was living in the Bronx, New York City. [2] I do not know when Celia Margolies passed away.
The following is a depiction of where Isidore Margolies lived from 1915 – 1940 based on the census information. As stated earlier and noted below the 1915 and 1920 locations may not be associated with the correct Isidore Margolies.
Figure 2 Locations where Isidore Margolies lived in New York City
Isidore Margolies (b 12 Nov 1897, d Jan 1976) and Celia Karp (b ~1897) had the following children:
1. Fred Margolies (previously described).
2. Beatrice Margolies (b 31 Aug 1922, d 13 Apr 2008[3]). Beatrice was born in New York City. Beatrice eventually moved to the Miami area and lived there in the 1980s and 1990s.[4] Beatrice passed away in 2008.
3. Sylvia Margolies (b ~1925). Sylvia married and became Sylvia Kovac.
3. Karp
Celia Karp[6] was born in 1897 in Russia and was the wife of Isidore Margolies.
Census information indicates that Celia emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1915 and was married to Isidore Margolies around 1917.
I do not have information on Celia Karp’s ancestry.
4. Berdick
4.1. Marilyn Berdick
Marilyn Cynthia Berdick was the mother of Elliot Margolies. Marilyn was born in New Rochelle, New York on August 30, 1926. Marilyn Berdick was the daughter of Morris D. Berdick and Adele Hoffman.
· 1930 federal census record:
- In 1930 Morris Berdick (32), Adele Berdick (31) and Marilyn Berdick (3) were living in New Rochelle, New York. It is likely this record identifies Elliot’s mother since this is the only family in New Rochelle with this name combination (Morris, Adele and Marilyn) and Russian ancestry.
· 1910 federal census:
- The 1910 federal census record identifies Morris’s siblings: Joseph, William, Bertha, Ethel, Julius, Fannie. In 1910 Morris Berdick and his family lived on Lawton Street in New Rochelle, NY.
Marilyn was a member of the U. S. Cadet Nurse Corps in the 1940s.
Figure 3 Marilyn Berdick U. S. Cadet Nurse Corp record
4.2. Morris Berdick
Morris D. Berdick was the father of Marilyn Berdick and was born in 1897 in the Ukraine. Morris Berdick’s father was David Berdick (b ~ 1860) and his mother was Esther Berdick born ~ 1862. This connection is confirmed by the family information from Cynthia Lewis Sherwood as well as JewishGen database, census and WWI registration data. Morris Berdick immigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1904.
Morris’ family settled in New Rochelle, New York. Morris’ father David Berdick was a pharmacist (see next chapter).
Morris’ 1918 World War I registration card describes his city/state/country birth location as “Necoliav, Cherson, Russia”. I believe that location is actually Mykolaiv (also known as Nikolaev) in the state of Kherson in the Ukraine. This registration card also lists Nikolaev as the birth location of his father, David Berdick.
In 1918 Morris Berdick was working at “J. Berdick” in New Rochelle. This likely refers to his brother Joseph Berdick who ran a pharmacy in 1918 at Hugenot and North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York[5].
Morris Berdick married Adele Hoffman[6] in 1919. Adele had immigrated to the United States from Russia (or Ukraine) in 1904. I don’t have information on Adele’s parents. The only Hoffman family from Russia in New York with a daughter named Adele at the right age was the Abraham and Pascia Hoffman family that lived on 5th Street in Manhattan in 1910. The Abraham Hoffman family immigrated to the U.S. in 1907 and not 1904 although census data can be incorrect. So I have not positively identified Adele’s parents.
In 1930 Morris, Adele and their two children – Bernice and Marilyn – were living on West Fourth St., New Rochelle, NY.
In 1940 the family was living at 710 East 243rd Street in the Mt. Vernon area of Bronx, New York City.
Adele Berdick died in 1984. Morris Berdick died in 1990 and at that time he was living in the Bronx, New York City. Morris and Adele were buried in Hebrew Mutual cemetery, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Morris D. Berdick (b 16 May 1897 d 17 Mar 1990[7]) and Adele Hoffman (b ~ 1898[8], d 1984[9]) had the following children[7]:
1. Bernice Pearl Berdick (b 24 Dec 1921, d 10 May 2005[10]). Bernice married Sid Sackson, creator of numerous games including Acquire and Bazaar. Sid was also had a large game collection and at one time possessed about 18,000 games. In 1974 Bernice was living at 1287 Arnow Ave, Bronx, New York City. Sid died in 2002. Bernice died in 2005.
Children: Dana R. Sackson, Dale Sackson.
2. Marilyn Cynthia Berdick Previously described
Additional Information regarding Sid and Bernice Sackson:
Figure 5 Photo of Sid and Bernice Sackson
Figure 6 Photo of Sid Sackson and his games
The following is a repost of a message from Mary Ellen Waithe regarding disposition of Sid’s games upon his death. This message was posted at a games board website on November 23, 2002.
“The following message was posted to the Spielfrieks mailing list <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spielfrieks/> on Saturday. The author is Mary Ellen Waithe. I asked her to let me repost her message here because I thought that it would address many questions that people here have asked.
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