[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] LACHMANN WOLF MROCH

[Kenneth Browne]

I am researching LACHMANN WOLF MROCH during the period of mid 19th to
early 20th Century. My ggf arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant (family
contacts say from Konigsberg, E Prussia)on the S.S. Veendam sailing from
Rotterdam  Arriving at Port of NY  Feb. 20, 1891.

According to various sources my ggf was born in Roschischtsche in Sept
1865. His mother's maiden name was Wolf (Juliane or Juliana) and his 1st
wife's name was Alvine (possible Auguste???) Mroch, possibly from Alsace
Lorraine. They were married in Chicago, USA. Second wife was Mary (Koch)
Schloman.

I found my ggf's name in the Volhynia births database at Odessa Digital
Library.

Aside from normal 'brick walls' finding various other ancestors, the BIG
puzzle for me is whether my ggf and earlier generations were Jewish. I'd
always been told the Lachmann's were "German" and with a very blond
haired blue eyed uncle and cousin had no reason to question that
description...but then I got into genealogy!
Via a second cousin, who is the namesake of my ggf, I came into
possession of two letters, one in  Yiddish and the other in English.
They were written in 1931 and 1937  respectively from Berlin. The
English letter details the plight of 'we Jews' and based on a
translation of the Yiddish letter, the author of both letters was a
sister-in-law of my ggf named Beile Lachmann. Perhaps the sister-in-law
was Jewish but not her husband??? My ggf apparently did not read Yiddish
and hadn't responded to the original (Yiddish) letter. The letter in
English was written with the help of a friend (Israelowicz, I presume).
There may have been a third letter since I've an envelope with a 1935
postmark as well as the Yiddish letter, 1931, and the English on dated 1937.
The return address on the envelopes names Israel Israelowicz.
Furthermore, the English letter states that 'back to Poland I cannot
go'. Piecing things together, it appears that Beile and her family hoped
to escape Hitler's Germany but none of this really proves that my ggf
was Jewish.

His grave is in Eden Memorial Park, hers in Wunders a Lutheran cem.

Would a wedding photo of my grandfather and his first wife give a clue
as to his Jewishness? I have posted the wedding photo at Viewmate. Here
is the URL:
http://data.jewishgen.org/viewmate/ALL/viewmateview.asp?key=6981

The other documents mentioned are at the Viewmate Archives. These URL'S
should work still.
1937 envelope
http://data.jewishgen.org/ViewMate/all/viewmateview.asp?key=5175
page 1 of English letter
http://data.jewishgen.org/ViewMate/all/viewmateview.asp?key=5176
page 2 of English letter
http://data.jewishgen.org/ViewMate/all/viewmateview.asp?key=5177
page 1 of Yiddish letter
http://data.jewishgen.org/ViewMate/all/viewmateview.asp?key=5178
page 2 of Yiddish letter
http://data.jewishgen.org/ViewMate/all/viewmateview.asp?key=5179

I have found someone thru the National Yiddish Book Center who has given
me a good translation of the Yiddish letter, so I no longer need that.

-- 
****************Ken Browne*********************
clacking the keys in olde Sturbridge village, MA
		        ***    ***








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