A few weeks ago, I'd found a branch of my Sanshuck family that came to the US, changed the family name to Sincher, and ended up in Denver as of 1922. While initially I'd found two brothers, I've now found four, all of whom lived in Wyoming in the 1910s. One brother, Morris (Meilach), came on the same boat as William/Velvel (and was pointed out by Susan Steeble on a comment to that prior post). In his naturalization papers was the translation of a letter from his sister-in-law, Mindel. Morris was in America earning money to bring over his wife, so I can't imagine what it was like to receive this letter.
The translation (spelling and grammar errors from the original) reads:
Mindel had come to the US in 1922 (mentioned in the previous post), and her manifest said that she and her children's previous residence had been Bucharest, Romania. The First World War displaced many people, and the scope of death and destruction that was left can be seen in Mindel's letter. I'm going to work on getting Morris' full C File to see if any more information is contained in there, and stay tuned for a post describing the Sinchers' Western US experience as well as how they are connected to my family (when I figure that one out myself).
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| Letter to Morris Meilach Sincher from Mindel Sincher, ~1921 |
The translation (spelling and grammar errors from the original) reads:
My dear Brother-in-law Mejlach.
I received your letter, and I didn't write you before, just because I didn't liket to write you about your wife's dead. Your wife was killet last year. I know that you will be sorry for your wifes dead, but my dear Meilach, your wife is'nt the only one, tausends of young men and women loosen ther lives everyday in Russia, and I think that they are better of because we are sufferig too much.
Your loving sister in law
Mindel Sincher
Mindel had come to the US in 1922 (mentioned in the previous post), and her manifest said that she and her children's previous residence had been Bucharest, Romania. The First World War displaced many people, and the scope of death and destruction that was left can be seen in Mindel's letter. I'm going to work on getting Morris' full C File to see if any more information is contained in there, and stay tuned for a post describing the Sinchers' Western US experience as well as how they are connected to my family (when I figure that one out myself).
I've been following your posts on this family and was curious how you found the letter. I tried to retrace your steps, but I'm mystified. On Ancestry.com, I found the Petition for Mary Sincher (Mindel Schinzuk), which had several pages but didn't include the letter. I also found Morris's first papers, filed in New York, but haven't found William's. Did you find the letter on a different site, or did you obtain it from the court clerk in Denver?
ReplyDeleteNone of those. I initially found a reference to the letter via a Google search; it was quoted in a 1989 article about Jews in Early Wyoming. I contacted the Wyoming State Archives who sent me to the Platte Clerk of District Court. They initially couldn't find it but did locate it on Friday. The woman (who was so nice) asked if I wanted only the letter; I asked what else there was--and she said his naturalization papers. She sent a copy of the letter and his declaration of intention!
DeleteSo it was a matter of creative thinking, dogged persistence, and then a bit of amazing luck! (But we never seem to have the luck without doing the "persistence" part first.) Yasher koach!
DeleteI stumbled upon your blog while researching my grandmother's family. Her maiden name is Sincher and she was born in Wyoming. She assured me her father's name was Morris Sincher, but the surname was changed, and I knew they owned land in Cheyenne, but I had no idea about the other brothers William and Isaac! My grandmother is Morris's daughter. I just wanted to thank you!
ReplyDeleteCool--please email me. I have a bunch of information on Morris that I'd be happy to share--it was to be an upcoming post!
DeleteTo my Sincher relatives,
ReplyDeleteI am Nathan Helfman, son of Sarah Sincher Helfman. Indeed, the name Sinshuk is the name she always referred to. My grandfather, David Sincher was Morris' brother. The family originated in Odessa to eventually arrive in Cheyenne in the early part of the century. David Sincher, my grandfather married Goldie Reufman. Morris' daughter, Rita, lives in Southern California.