My Mom’s Tree Branches

BUNTMANN (Buntman) and SHUROVAKY (Shore)

BUNTMANN (Buntman)

Our known family tree on my maternal great-grandparents’ side begins with Moshe Buntmann who married thrice: his first wife, name unknown, became deceased. He married his second wife, Rala (Regina), who died of typhus in 1887. He married again the following year to a widower named Taube Norman; Moshe died the following year, leaving Taube a widower once more.

The children from Moshe’s first marriage, wife’s name unknown, are:

• HANNAH SARAH Hannah Sarah Buntmann married Moshe/Maurice Lavin, and they emigrated to the United States, and settled in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Click HERE to continue with the life and descendants of Hanna nee Buntman Lavin .
• RIVKA (YETTA)
• GERSHON b. 1858 Continue below for the life of Gershon.
• RACHEL
• TAUBE (TILLIE)

MOSHE ben ? –> GERSHON ben Moshe –>

Gershon and Sarah‘s children were:

• BENNO Benno emigrated to South Africa. Click HERE to learn more about Benno.
• twins: FRIEDMAN (FRANK) (Dec. 29, 1884 – 1944) born in Koenigsburg. 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), 16 years of age, and FRIEDMAN (Frank), 15, traveled together and arrived at the Port of Philadelphia June 23, 1901, sailing from Liverpool, England on the vessel Westernland, the ship manifest indicated they were (“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 “Mrs. Rendelman,” who we take to refer to Gershon’s sister, Rachel nee Buntman/Bunting Rendelman, who with her family had emigrated and settled in New Jersey. On June 13, 1905, and Friedman returned to Germany, which has fateful consequences. Click HERE to learn more about Friedman in Germany.
• twin: ABRAHAM MICHAL (MISH) (Dec. 29, 1884 – 1942) born in Koenigsburg. MICHAEL had studied in Germany to be a salesman, and then in Jan. 1905 arrived in NYC Ellis Island heading for Philadelphia also live with  uncle Charles Lavin, and to apprentice at the Lavin Shoppes furniture store in Bridgeton, New Jersey. He remained for two years, then returned to Germany. Click HERE to learn more about Mish in Germany.
• LASER (Louis) (Jan. 4, 1888 – 1946), Born in Polanga. Continue below for details about Laser’s life and descendants.
• ARON ORKA (Sept. 19, 1890 – 1939). Aaron emigrated to the United States, settling in Philadelphia, PA. Please continue HERE for more about Aron’s life in Philadelphia.
• SOLOMON (Sälly) (1888-1976). Please continue HERE for more about Solly’s life and his descendants.
• EUGEN (1882-1882?). Eugene died an infant.
• IDA (June 28, 1892 – 1942) Click HERE to learn more about Ida’s and her descendants’ lives in Germany and France, .
• MAX (Herman ?) (Hebrew name unknown b. 8 Jan. 1900; died an infant in Koenigsberg.

In 1901, Uncle Charles M. Lavin, of Bridgeton, NJ.’s Purchased a Sailing Ship Ticket for his nephew Laser Buntman to sail to the United States and live with him in Bridgeton, NJ. On 23 Jun 1901, Laser arrived at the Port of Philadelphia, Pier 53.

Remains of Washington Avenue Immigration Station Pier 53 and New Elevated Walkway and ‘Land Buoy’ Spiral Staircase – 1 Washington Ave Philadelphia PA

His aunt Raele (Rachel) Buntman Rendelman and her husband Ed Rendelman met him at the port.

Laser was given an apprenticeship in his aunt and uncle’s (Chana nee Buntman Lavin and Charles Lavin’s) furniture shop, the Lavin Shoppes, in Bridgeton, New Jersey. My grandfather Laser (Louis) Harold Buntman became the treasurer, and manager and buyer of the furniture dept.

He was naturalized in 1912. Sept. 27, 1918. Laser reported for Active Duty with the U.S. Navy to serve in the World War I in the US Naval Aviation Forces in France and England.

Laser separated from duty with the U.S. Navy: he disembarked from overseas military service on the transport ship “USS Northern Pacific” at Brest, France. (This was USS Northern Pacific’s twelfth or thirteen trans-Atlantic crossings, after which she was decommissioned.) The ship returned to U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY. However, he soon returned to active duty: for 3 Months, from July 15, 1920 to Oct. 15 1920, Laser was recalled to duty on the U.S.S. Frederick. Laser reported for 15 Days Active Duty from August 13 to August 27, 1921. He sailed on the U.S.S. Bagley, a destroyer placed in reserve commission July 16 1920 and decommissioned at Philadelphia 12 July 1922.

Laser returned to live and work in Bridgeton, N.J. It is likely through his New Jersey connection that he met my grandmother, Goldie Shurovsky, who was at that time working in Atlantic City, N.J. The story goes that he came into the shop where she was working as a saleslady, and love bloomed.

Please continue below to learn about Goldie, my grandmother, and about Goldie’s and Lasar’s, my grandfather, courtship and married life, and family.

Shurovsky (Shore)

Our known family tree on my mother’s maternal side begins with my great-grandparents, Israel Zhuyravskay and his wife Leah (nee) Romberg. 

Both Shpolo and Zolotonosha experienced pogroms, the Shpola pogroms of May 9, 1905; and Zolotonosha from 1905 on.  Both parents, both Israel and Leah, were murdered in their home in a pogrom prior to 1908. During the pogram which killed their parents, two sons, William and Morris, were home at the time and escaped through a window.

The children of Israel and Leah were:

• SAMUEL (Sam) (Dec. 25, 1887 – ?) Samuel, the oldest, immigrated at the age of 17, in 1904. He sailed from Hamburg, Germany, on the German naval vessel Moltka through NY on Nov. 1, 1904. I believe Israel and Sarah Shurovsky were murdered in the Shploa pogroms the following year.   Please click HERE to continue.
• GELDA (Goldie) (1892 – ) My grandmother, there named Gelda Zhurovski, had in 1906 earned a certificate of completion of two years of schooling from women’s secondary school at in Zolotonosha, which was also within the Pale, 115 km away, on the Dnieper River; possibly my grandmother boarded in Zolotonosha, or lived with relatives for the two years. Now orphaned, Golde, Rivke (Rose), Wolke (Bill) and Morris (Moses) Surawsky followed to Philadelphia to join their older brother Samuel after the deaths of their parents; 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. they arrived on Nov. 25, 1908. Please continue below with Golda’s story..
• RIVKE (Rose) (1894 – ) Now orphaned, Rivke (Rose) emigrated with her older sister Golde, and younger brothers Wolke (Bill) and Morris (Moses) Surawsky after the deaths of their parents; they immigrated together, traveled on the S.S. Merion, from Libau, Latvia, to Liverpool, and on to New York., arriving on Nov. 25, 1908. She was 14 years old, headed to Philadelphia, where their brother Samuel was already residing.  Please click HERE to continue with Rose.
• WOLKE (William/Bill) (1897 – ?) Now orphaned, Wolke (Bill) and Morris (Moses) Surawsky immigrated together with their older sisters after the deaths of their parents; they arrived on Nov. 25, 1908. Wolke (Bill) was 9 years old.  They traveled on the S.S. Merion, from Libau, Latvia, to Liverpool, and on to New York, then on to Philadelphia. Please click HERE to continue Bill’s story in the United States.
• MOSHE (Morris) (1902 – ) Now orphaned, Morris (Moses) Surawsky immigrated together with his older siblings Wolke (William), Rivka (Rose), and Gelda (Golda), arriving on Nov. 25, 1908. They were 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. Please click HERE to continue.
• MEYER Please click HERE to continue.
• SYLVIA Sylvia immigrated to the United States in 1906. Please click HERE to continue.
• FANIA (Fanny) (1874 – ?), Please click HERE to continue.
• JENNY (Eugenia) Jenny m. 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). Please click HERE to continue.

On immigrating to the US, the children anglicized the surname Tszhuravskaya to Shurovsky and then later to Shore. On documents, Sylvia indicated her parents’ names as Isadore (for ISRAEL) and LISA (for LENA).

Golda Shurovsky

The ship manifest listed the nearest living relatives in Shpola as D. Gurewitz – we are not sure who that was. Golda arrived on Nov. 25, 1908. The black haired & dark eyed Golda, and her siblings, were going to live w their sister Fanny & her husband Joseph Weiner, at 3rd & Green Sts., Philadelphia.

Goldie secured employment at the Preis Department Store, SE Corner Atlantic & Mt. Vernon Streets, Atlantic City, NJ. It was into the Preis boutique shop that, one day in late 1925, Laser Buntman entered, and he and Goldie met for the first time.

Goldie and Laser (Louis) soon became engaged, and Goldie and Laser both moved to Philadelphia (to West Philadelphia).

Marriage

Soon there were children! Two daughters:

• Florence b. 1927, and
• Joyce b. 1930.

Florence was in college at Penn State when her father, tragically, died. Florence, then left Penn State Florence was in college at Penn State when her father, tragically, died. Florence then left Penn State to help Goldie run L. H. Buntman antiques, which she continued to do for many years.

Florence Buntman and Jerome Boris had met at West Philadelphia High School; Jerome Boris was several years ahead of her. It was now the beginning of World War II and “Jerry” enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served from March 24 1943 to Jan 10, 1945 and Jan 11 1945 – March 2, 1946, while Florence was at Penn State. Florence and Jerry married three years later, in 1948. They had three children:

• Lynne
• Jane
• Anthony

Joyce Buntman and Harold Kimmelman, a talented young artist studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, met in West Philadelphia. They married in….. They had two children:

• Jonathan
• Lee

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