** MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER:  BUNTMAN **

Our known family tree on my maternal great-grandparents' side begins with Gershon Buntmann and his wife Sarah (nee Schnick). We are able to trace them back to having met in Palanga, in western Lithuania, then part of Russia, and on the Baltic Sea. (But it is possible the Buntmans also had roots also in Berditchev.). Gershon and Sarah, and any young children they had, emigrated to Koenigsburg (as there was a train from St. Petersburg to Berlin), likely due to the amber factory there, and lived at 3 Victorie St., Koenigsburg.* Gershon was an amber grinder (a bernsteinschleifer) in the large amber factory (Konigfliche Bernsteinwerke konigsberg) in Konigsburg: Many of the amber factory's Jewish workers originated in Polanga, Lithuania.) Letters from Gershon to Laser (living in Philadelphia) written as late as 1935 are in our possession. From these letters we have learned that, for example, Sarah died of illness, late 1934. Subsequently, Gershon moved to Berlin, to the Bavarian Quarter, where he died in 1939. (Historical note: The roundup of the Jews had begun inn 1938, and kristalnacht, the night of broken glass, took place on November 8 and 9, 1938.)

*Historical note: Koenigsburg was, in 1901, part of East Prussia which, in 1871, became part of the Deutches Reich, or the "German Empire". Nowadays called Kaliningrad, Koenigsburg was bordered on the north by the Baltic Sea, (at that time Mermel-land), Lithuania on the east, and Poland to the south.

The children of Gershon and Sarah Buntmann were Benno (b. 1883 or 84); twins: Friedman (Frank) (Dec. 29, 1884 - 1944) and Abraham Michal (Mish) (Dec. 29, 1884 - 1942), Laser (Louis) (Jan. 4, 1888 - 1946), Aron (Sept. 19, 1890 - 1939), Solomon (Sally) (1888-1976), Eugen (1882-1882?), Ida (June 28, 1892 - 1942), and Max (Herman ?) (Hebrew name unknown (b. 8 Jan. 1900; died an infant).

FOR BUNTMAN PHOTOS, CLICK HERE.

1892: Benno, Friedman and Abraham Michael were born in Konigsburg, but my grandfather Laser Harold (Louis) Buntman, was born in Palanga, Lithuania - at the time part of Russia - on the Baltic Ocean. As the family moved to Koenigsburg, likely for work, he was raised and lived Koenigsburg*, then part of East Prussia, later a province of Germany, before he came to America.

1898: Benno emigrated to the UK and from there, likely to Cape Town, South Africa.

1901: Rosenbaum Bank records indicate that Laser and Friedman purchased tickets for ship transit to Philadelphia on June 28, 1900 and arrived in 1901 on the vessel Westerland. LASER (Louis) and Friedman (Frank) traveled together to the US and arrived at the Port of Philadelphia June 23, 1901, sailing on the vessel Westernland, which sailed from Liverpool, England.  Friedman was 16 and Laser was 15.  The ship manifest indicated they were from Koenigsburg, Germany ("Hebrew").  They would be staying with their cousin, Charles M. Lavin at 310 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, and they were to be met at the port by their Aunt, Mrs. Rendelman (relationship not clarified; We know Edith Rendelman m. Barney Lavin, but are not sure Barney Lavin's relationship here.).  (NOTE #1: Charles M. Lavin would be their uncle by virtue of the fact that Charles' mother was Hanna nee Buntman (1982? - June 19, 1925) (we believe she was Gershon Buntman's sister but have no direct documentation.)  (Note #2: Morris/Maurice and Hanna's children were Harry, Charles Maurice, Abe, Pauline, and Bert.  Abe m. Rose, and their three children were Ruth, Lillian and Florence; this Florence nee Lavin Berger died young June 19, 1925, and my mother Florence, born shortly after, is named after her.)   CLICK for Rosenbaum Bank Passage Records, which confirms the ship's manifest.

For LASER BUNTMAN PHOTO, August, 1907, Click Here.

Friedman subsequently returned to Germany, as we have records that Michal purchased a ticket to Philadelphia on June 13, 1905, and five years later, on Sept. 12, 1905, Friedman also returned to Germany.

S. H. Buntman (Sally?) purchased a ticket on May 9, 1912.

Michael had studied in Germany to be a salesman, and then in Jan. 1905 arrived in NYC on his way to Philadelphia (via NYC) to also live with  uncle Charles Lavin, and to apprentice at Charles' furniture store. It seems he remained for two years, then returned to Germany. Michael m. Luisa Anna nee Bonerewitz; their children were Hermann (1927 - 2002) and EVA DORIS (b. 1929). Mich and his family were living in Konigsburg during WWII and his return to Germany from the U.S.  would have had a tragic element, as he was deported to Theresienstadt and murdered in the Shoah in 1942. Hermann and Eva experienced miraculous stories of survival, having as children been arrested by the Gestapo and subsequently separated from their parents during the Red Army's fiery assault on Berlin in March/April 1945, and later reunited with their mother, Luisa.

Benno emigrated to South Africa. He married Marie Ernestine (nee von Lossow) and they had two sons, Anthony and Errol, and one daughter, Ursula.

  NEXT GEN: Eva m. Franz Raubach and their children are Michele (b. 196) and Frank Michael (b. 1966). Hermann m. Ana.

Friedman, now called Frank, m. Bertha nee Borowski (b. 1892) and their daughter was Gisela (b. 1931). Friedman was living in Guttstadt during WWII and his return to Germany also seems to have had a tragic side as he and his daughter Gisela were both subsequently murdered in the Shoah in 1942, having been deported with a transport from Frankfurt a. Main - Berlin to Raasiku, on  24/09/1942 or 26/09/1942.

We possess heartbreaking and fateful letters written by Michal, with the names of his two children, "Hermann and Eva Buntman," asking for financial assistance to help escape Germany.

Ida m. Solly Weinstein; their children were Manja (Dec. 29, 1994 - 1925) and Ruth (b. 1932). They lived in Konigsburg and moved to Berlin. (Ida and Solly possibly divorced.) Ida and the two daughters, Manja and Ruth, traveled through Switzerland to France and in July 1938 appealed to Switzerland for a visa, but was denied; she and her daughters were tragically were deported to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz,  on July 31, 1942, where all three were murdered.  We have no news on Solly.

FIRST GENERATION IN THE NEW WORLD

ARON

1909: ARON Buntman arrived in the United States via Ellis Island on September 9, 1909, travelling on the Deutschland, departing from Hamburg, Germany.  The manifest indicated that he was staying with his uncle, C. Lavin, at 504 Wood Street, Philadelphia.  He was 19 at the time (born in 1890?). According to the 1910 census, it seems the family moved and he was living with the family of Harry and Pauleen (nee Lavin) Kolsky and their in-laws (his uncle and aunt) Charles and Hannah nee Buntman Lavin at N 6th St. (Aron is listed as a cousin to the Kolskys.)

June 5th, 1917: Aron registered for the draft for WW1. (He listed his birth date as September 19, 1890, place of birth Koenigsberg, Germany, and at the time he was living at 2156 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, the same address he gave in his petitition for naturalization on March, 1918.) For a time he was living with his uncle, CM Lavin on Green Street. He was a salesman and was employed at 720 Market Street, Philadelphia.  1920: Aaron O. Buntman was living at 1735 Diamond St.  He was a lodger, and was from East Prussia. Same Aaron Buntman??? 

Aaron married Gertrude nee Lanard), "Gertie." They lived at 3211 Page St., Phila., east of Fairmount Park, in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood.  He died on July 4, 1939 from appendecitus.

_{LASER HAROLD BUNTMAN}

May 1912, my grandfather Laser (Louis) Harold Buntman was naturalized in 1912. On Sept. 12, 1918 he registered for the draft for WWI in New Jersey.  (He listed his date of birth as Jan. 4, 1886.)  He was either 30 or 32.  He served three (3) years in the United States Naval Reserves Force, serving in Europe. Afterward, he lived at his uncle Abe Lavin's home, 24 Cedar Street, Bridgeton, New Jersey and was a storekeeper employed by (his cousins) "The Lavin's Shop" and became their treasurer and furniture buyer.  It is through his New Jersey connection that he met my grandmother, Goldie Shurovsky, who was at that time working in Atlantic City.

(NOTE: Abe S. and Rose Lavin had three daughters, Lillian (age  11), Florence (age 9) and Ruth (age 6).  My mother, Florence, is named after Florence Lavin, who tragically died in 1925 from sepsis.) 

Laser served in the US Naval Reserves from May 20, 1918 until May 19, 1922. His tour of duty was Europe, specifically France and Germany.

Nov. 23, 1925, he and Goldie Shore applied for a license to wed.  Louis was living at 4901 Pine St., at that time and Goldie was living at 6030 Carpenter Street.  They were married two days later, on November 25, 1925, by Dr. Fredman.  For Laser and Goldie Engagement Photo, Click Here. (Atlantic City, NJ). He and Goldie ran an antique shop on Market St below 52nd St. in West Philadelphia.

1930: Laser (Louis) and Goldie Buntman and their daughter Florence were living at 6025 Catherine Street.

1946: Laser (Louis) Harold was niftar on July 27, 1946, at the age of 54.  He is buried in the Roosevelt Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.

SÄLLY

Sälly became a dentist and married Lizzi Schneeberg in Berlin, on March 31, 1927.  He got out of Germany before WWII; he emigrated to Hertzelia, Israel, and subsequently lived in Europe. In the 1950s he immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. At some point he married Miriam...  Sally's son was Werner, who played professional tennis.

NEXT GEN: Werner m. Gisela nee Lieble.  Their children were Gary (b. 1959) and Scott (1963 - 2018). 

** MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: SHORE (Zhuravskay/Shurovsky) BRANCH **

Our known family tree on my mother's maternal side begins with my great-grandparents, Israel Zhuyravskay and his wife Leah (nee) Romberg.  They lived in Shpola, Ekaterinaslav, Russia and were murdered in their home prior to 1908. My grandmother earned a certificate of completion of two years of schooling from women's secondary school at in Zolotonosha, issued to Gelda Zhurovski in 1906, which was also within the Pale, 115 km away, on the Dnieper River; possibly my grandmother boarded im Zolotonosha, or lived with relatives for the two years.  Both towns experienced pograms, the Shpola pograms of May 9, 1905; and Zolotonosha from 1905 on.  During the pogram which killed their parents, two sons, William and Morris, were home at the time and escaped through a window. On immigrating to the US, their children anglicized the surname Tszhuravskaya to Shurovsky and then later to Shore. Sylvia indicated her parents' names as Isadore (for Israel) and Lisa (for Lena).

The children of Israel and Leah were Samuel (Sam) (Dec. 25, 1887 - ?), Gelda (Goldie) (1892 - ), Rivke (Rose) (1894 - ), Wolke (William/Bill) (1897 - ?), Moshe (Morris) (1902 - ), Meyer, Sylvia, Fanny (1874 - ?), and Jenny, all of whom immigrated to the United States. 

Immigration: Samuel immigrated at the age of 17, sailing from Hamburg, Germany, on the German naval vessel Moltka through NY on Nov. 1, 1904.I believe that it was the following year that Israel and Sarah Shurovsky were murdered in the Shploa pogroms.  Golde, Rivke (Rose), Wolke (Bill) and Morris (Moses) Surawsky followed likely after the deaths of their parents; they immigrated together, arriving on Nov. 25, 1908. They were 16, 14, 9, and 6 respectively, and headed to Philadelphia, where their brother Samuel was already residing.  They traveled on the S.S. Merion, from Libau, Latvia, to Liverpool, and on to New York. . The ship manifest lists the nearest living relatives in Shpola as D. Gurewitz - because they were orphaned.

Jenny married Misha Polanski in Shpola in 1904; the family immigrated directly to Philadelphia, arriving on May 9, 1921, with their two children Boris (Bernard) and Lea (Libby). Sylvia immigrated in 1906 (according to census).

Marriages:

Myer m. Lena Feldman in Phila. in Nov., 1905.

Jenny m. Mish Polansky (name changed to Polen) in Shpola, on Nov. 28, 1905.

Fanny m. Joseph Weiner in 1906. Their children were Belle (1808 - ), Laura (1808 - 1899), Irwin (1891 - ) and Ruth (1905 - ), and for a while (1920 census) they, and Morris, lived at 6030 Carpenter St.  Ruth m. * Samuel Faire, and their daughter is Judy.

Sylvia m. Ben Greenblat,  in 1911, in Philadelphia. Their children are Phillis and Louise.

Sam m. Flora/Dorothy/Dot (nee Goldberg, b. 1884), who was also born in Shpola, in 1917.  Their daughter is Leah (b. 1911, named after Leah Shorovsky a"h).) In 1908, when he applied for naturalization, he and his family lived at 1519 N. 6th St.

Morris legally changed his name from Moshe Shurawsky to Morris Shore in 1930.  He m. Sarah (nee ?); their daughter is Judy (Mazer). He later married Kay.

William m. Dorothy / Dot (nee ?). Their daughters are Madge and Joan.

Meyer m. Lena (nee ?).

For Goldie's (my maternal grandmother's) genealogy, see "Laser Harold Buntman," above.

NEXT GENS:

Boris (Bernard) m. Esther (nee Brodsky) and their children are Trina and Stephen. Stephen m. Jean nee Speiser; then Delores Verchere.  Trina m. Donald Cohan.

PHOTO, RIGHT: My mom and her mom, Goldie. 

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS of AUNT ROSE (Shurovskyy) and LAURA FAIR(nee Weiner) and MORE