Category Archives: Family Stories

Stories told about the ‘older’ generation. These stories often make dry genealogy history come alive, and give glimpses into how our ancestors lived and viewed the world. HOVER YOUR MOUSE over this Family Stories category to select a listed family story.

The journey finding a family connection is often long . . .

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The journey for finding a family connection is often long

Here is a short history of how an almost NINE YEAR genealogy research journey progressed from ‘we’re not connected‘ to ‘Welcome to the family cousin!‘

June 21, 2001: I had registered on JewishGen.org as a researcher for GARFINKLE Surname with roots in Philadelphia.

November 27, 2005 I received a query:   Hello:

I am related to Garfinkle family members who settled in Philadelphia in around the 1890’s.  Please let me know what your connection is and what you are looking for.

November 29, 2005 I replied with my GARFINKLE Family data, and was advise that there was no family connection between our Philadelphia GARFINKLE families.

November 15, 2007 . . . two years later: I emailed all Garfinkle researchers and received this reply:
Dear Ronald, Please tell me more about your Garfinkle family.  My grandmother was a Garfinkle from Philadelphia. I immediately replied with a link to my family history site, containing what I had on my GARFINKLE family.

She immediately replied . . . “I remembered contacting you before.”  And I’m thinking . . . yes . . .TWO YEARS AGO!  She added that our data was just coincidental . . . no connection.

For over three months we exchanged many Emails as we shared documents, data, and ideas for further research.

February 24, 2008 I was finally able to email:

Hey Cousin Leslie, . . . our family connection is even more wonderful as I remember our initial emails which we ‘knew’ there was no family connection.  Then, when I sent you another email in error – not realizing we didn’t have a connection – followed by your email to me reminding me we were not connected . . . . followed by our emails and exchanges which now reveal that we are connected!  Wonderful.  When we discover the definitive documents I think we should share our story of discovery and connection. I’ll keep in touch as my research develops in the search for Henry (Hyman, Henech, or whomever).

2013: And so we’re still on the trail trying to discover documents verifying our family connection. We know we are cousins, just can’t prove it with documents . . . yet.

 Brick Wall    It’s another BRICK WALL . . . . NO MORE!

UPDATE November 2017:  Ely A. GARFINKEL is Ikhel Avrum, as listed in the 1854 Bessarabia Revision (Census) List.  He was living in the town of Lyubin,  as Simon’s son Yechiel = Ikhel for sure.  So we have finally confirmed for sure how we are related.  Moses Shimon was Eli’s first cousin since their fathers (Geinikh and Simon were brothers living in the same household in Lyublin  (Town),  county of Soroki (Uyzed) in the Province of Bessarabia (Today’s Moldova and the city is now called Nimereuca), in the Russian Empire (Pale of Settlement).

Leslie and I took from 2005 to 2017 to prove our family connection.
Our great GGG Grandfather’s were brothers.  Ely and Moses headstones reference different paternal names (bar Geinikh = Enoch in Leslie’s case. and bar Yakov = Jacob in Ron’s.).  Their father, our GGGG Grandfather was Moshko GURFINKEL (ca1790 – abt1854) who was married to Enta SOROKOVA (1791 – XXXX).  For our younger descendants Moshko will be their GGGGGG Grandfather.  WOW!

For more detailed information, view the Garfinkle Family Connection SURNAME HISTORY page.