Off to America!

A few years back, I emailed the few addresses I could find for the small village of Losinovka, just outside of what is now Nezhin, Ukraine.  My Tolchinsky family lived there, and I was hoping to find a contact who could help me with some ultra-local records.  I've since been in touch with a Ukrainian Orthodox priest who has an interest in history.  He was able to tell me that there was no Jewish cemetery in the village, but since the Jewish community wasn't much more than my Tolchinsky family, that didn't surprise me--they'd likely have been buried in Nezhin.  He also has been gracious enough to send me documents about my family when he comes across them in the local records.  The latest was incredible.

Thanks to William Hoffman (on the Genealogy Translations group), Inna Vayner & Maria Farber for their help with translating this document as follows:

1908 August 24. Official of the Losinovka section of state 3, Nezhin Uezd, held an inquiry in Losinovka district of the Raion (larger district) regarding Gilel Tolchinski, a townsman of Losinovka district, and interrogated the persons named below, who explained that Tolchinski with his family departed for America in February of this year, and left behind no property at his residence in the town of Losinovka. As a result , it was decided to draw up a notice in this report. --
Official Kantur

Gilel Tolchinski is my great-great grandfather Hillel Tolchinsky (Russian doesn't have an 'H' sound).  And sure enough, he did arrive in America in 1908.  His family (with the exception of his oldest son, my great grandfather Isadore) didn't join him until 1911, so perhaps they went to live with family members while Hillel was in America.

Note:  I'm on Twitter.  Follow me (@larasgenealogy).

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