Morris MILLARD’s father was Abraham MILLER (MELAMED).  See the Abraham MILLER Family page for family details.  Below is an extract of the MILLARD family branch.

Morris and Dora MILLARD (Surnames: Melamed, then Miller, then Millard) who arrived in the US about 18 months apart: August 1st, 1910 and December 26, 1911.   The following narrative is chronological.  It represents the journey of Morris and Dora MILLARD (originally Srol and Dobrisch MELAMED nee GUTMAN) from Europe to America their children Mottle (Max), and Itzok (Issadore Irwin); Harold born in America.

On August 1st, 1910, Srol MELAMED on the passenger index, ‘Morris’, age 28, arrived on the ship Russia, at the Port of New York.   In 1911 he lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan according to Dora’s manifest.   MYSTERY #1:  Who is the Reise MELAMED listed with Srol (Morris)? Were they related?  Discovery of the detailed ship manifest could answer this question.

On April 11, 1911 Morris declared being an Illinois resident. See: 1926 Naturalization Petition No59010

On December 26th, 1911, Dora, and her two sons Max (Mottle on manifest), and Isadore Irwin (Itzko on manifest) MELAMED arrived at the Port of New York on the ship Kursk which sailed from Libau on December 14th. (Note: One document indicates the ship name was Liban, but this was apparently a transcription error).   Dora’s father, Anon GUTMAN remained in Russia.  On the ship manifests Morris was listed as Srol Moisha MELAMED; Dora, age 24, was listed as Dobrisch MELAMED;  Max was ‘Mottel’, age 4, and Isadore was ‘Itzko’, age 9 months.  Dora was enroute to her husband in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

MYSTERY #2: Why was Morris living in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

POSSIBLE ANSWER:  The 1911 Grand Rapids City Directory lists many MILLARD’s.  One listing is for a Morris MILLARD, a coppersmith, boarding (bds) at 407 Ionia.  While not conclusive without further research, it is a possibility.

Link to City Directory:  Grand Rapids, Michigan 1911 City Directory

See Morris & Dora’s ship manifest pages:
https://ronaldimiller.com/wp/manifests-immigrant-ship/

For information on the port of Libau:
https://deepbaltic.com/2015/12/02/final-point-of-the-russian-empire-the-story-of-liepajas-half-a-million-emigrants/

	Kursk
Dobrisch, Mottle, Itzko	Father: Aron GUTMAN

Morris was born May 1st,1882 in the town of Mozyr which currently is in Belarus.  Dora was born July 15th, 1987 in the town of Petrikov, Russia.  Their children Max (February 26, 1908) and Isadore (December 24, 1910) were also born in the town of Petrikov, which today is in Belarus.  When they were born Petrikov was in the Russian Empire, in the Jewish Pale of Settlement.  Their 3rd child, Harold, was born May 30, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois.  Note the Petrikov spelling variations, and name changes in town, province, and Country over time (See map and details below).

From 1919 to 1928 Morris filed Naturalization Petitions.  These reveal a variety of given and surnames used.  In 1928 Morris officially became Morris MILLARD, and an American citizen.

In 1919 (January 28th) Morris applied for citizenship; Declaration of Intent #100135.  This application was denied (see below).

On the 1920 census the family is listed as MILLER, living at 1137 Francisco, Chicago, with the occupation of Silversmith in a Jewelry Store.

Morris’ 1922 Naturalization Petition (P-11252) was also denied due to claimed exemption 730 (Application was filed in the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago).  This petition P-11252 included a claim for a naturalization exemption, number 730. Exemption number 730, while not confirmed, is believed referring to Morris’ dependents.   Morris was granted citizenship in 1928 (see documents below). His surname on naturalization documents, and his signatures, were spelled MELLAMED.

Note that one witness, Anna BRODSKY nee Shane MELAMED, who arrived in America in September 1908, two years before Morris.  And note that in 1906 the first MELAMED ancestor arrived in America and lived in Chicago: Anna BERMAN nee Taube MELAMED.  The assumption is that Anna’s MELAMED relatives, who were in Russia, made Chicago their destination because Taube MELAMED was the first to leave Russia and had come to Chicago with her husband.  Not sure if her husband’s BERMAN family had arrived before 1906.   Citation: “Illinois, District and Circuit Court Naturalization Records, 1856-1991”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61HL-NPWT : Sat Dec 28 07:09:16 UTC 2024), Entry for Morris Millard and Dora, 28 Jan 1919.

The 1923 Chicago City Directory listed Morris as a silversmith. The listing included his business as a Silver Plate Manufacturing Company at his  home address: 1137 S Francisco  Avenue.

In 1926 Morris filed a new Declaration of Intent No44692.

In 1928 (effective November 22nd) Srol Moisha MELLAMED’S (Morris MILLARD) Naturalization Petition No59010, based on his 1926 Declaration of Intent #44692, was approved and Morris became a US citizen; Certificate of Naturalizatio, No2830973.  He also officially changed his name from Srol Moisha MELAMED to Morris MILLARD.  Note: Morris’ first papers were filed in 1919 requiring a new Naturalization Petition in 1928.  The Basic Naturalization Act of 1906 also imposed a time limit on Declarations on Intention. Declarations not followed by a Petition for Naturalization (“second papers”) within seven years expired and became invalid. If the declarant did not complete the naturalization process within the time specified, the Naturalization Service declaration copy was treated as a temporary record after it expired (i.e., scheduled for destruction).

Naturalization Record Form – Morris MILLARD

 These are extracts of his various petitions:

In 1919 Morris filed a Naturalization Petition.  His Declaration of Intention stated his name as Morris MILLARD, born May 1, 1882 in Mozir, Russia.  He arrived August 1, 1910 on the ship named Russia.  His wife Dora resided with him.

In 1922 Morris filed another Naturalization Petition.  This Petition for Naturalization states his name as Sroll Mausha MELLAMED.  A Certificate of Arrival – For naturalization Purposes listed his ship manifest name as Srul MELAMED.

Also in 1922 Morris petitioned to dismiss this Naturalization Petition.  The petition notice lists his name  as Sroil Moisha MELLAMED.  Morris signed the motion Srol Misha MELLAMED, and the Naturalization Petition was signed by Morris as Sroll Mousha MELLAMED. The petition was granted December 20, 1922.

In May, 1926, Morris submitted another Naturalization Declaration of Intention under the name Sroil Misha MELLAMED – – Morris MILLARD.  Thus sometime between 1922 and 1926 Morris adopted the surname MILLARD.  He signed this Declaration Sroil Moisha MELLAMED.

In June, 1928, Morris filed what was to be his last Naturalization Petition.  He petitioned as Srol Misha MELLAMED. He also petitioned for his name to be changed to Morris MILLARD.  He signed as Srol Moisha MELLAMED;  The form listed his middle name as Moishe.  The name change was granted and Certificate of naturalization 2830973 was issued November 22, 1928.

Census forms: The 1920 census list the family name as MILLER.  Based on his Naturalization in 1928, the 1930 and 1940 census’ listed MILLARD. Note:  See MILLARD Family Census forms on https://ronaldimiller.com/wp/u-s-census/

The 1930 Morris MILLARD family census lists their home address as 1255 South Springfield, Chicago – Occupation: Silversmith in store; Max was a salesman of cloaks and dresses.

The 1940 Morris MILLARD family census lists their home address as 708 Lawndale, Chicago. Morris was listed as a Silversmith at manufacturer Company; Harold was a salesman at a wholesale dress company.

The 1940 Max MILLARD census has not been found.

The 1940 Isadore Irwin MILLARD family census lists his address as 921 Independence Blvd, Apartment 921, Chicago.  His occupation is listed as a pharmacist at retail drug store.

The 1940 WWII Draft registration cards for Max and Isadore list their birth dates and town (note spelling variations in their birth town: Petrokov and Petrikov).  Petrokov is a town in Poland; Petrikov is a town in Belarus near the town of Mozyr where Morris (Srol) was born.

The 1950 Morris MILLARD family census lists his address as 809 Lexington Street, Chicago.  Morris is listed as a Coppersmith at a Silversmith Company, with an Income of $5,200.

The 1950 Harold MILLARD family census lists his address as 211 North Central Avenue, Chicago.  Occupation:  Salesman at a machinery factory.

The 1950 Max and Isadore MILLARD census forms have not been found.

Morris MILLARD (Srol MELAMED) – Born in Mozyr, Belarus, May 1, 1882.  He arrived  in America in 1911 age 25 per 1930 census; occupation: Silversmith Shop. He married Dora GOODMAN who arrived 1912 age 25 per 1930 census. They had three children: Max, Irwin (Isadore), and Harold.  But as revealed by Morris’ Naturalization Petitions, he arrived in 1910 about age 28.  Census forms are notorious for incorrect information because memories fade, or information is provided to the census taker on behalf of individuals who are not available to provide accurate data.  However, even source documents often contain different and sometimes incorrect data.  The challenge for genealogists is discovering all the information for future generations.

Max MILLARD (Mottle MELAMED) – Born February 26, 1908 in Petrikov, Belarus.  Max married Annette GOLDBERG and they had one child.  Max died in 1971; Annette in 1967.

Max worked with Louis TUROW at the Alt-Silver Plate Mft, 417 State St, Chicago during WWII era.

In the 1960′s Max was in California where as ‘Mambo Maxi’, as he was called during this era, he owned a Jazz night club in South Central LA located across the street from the LA Memorial Coliseum called the California Club that was known as a Latin music venue.  ”Mambo Maxi” was mentioned in the AZTLAN journal VOL 30, Number Two, Fall 2005, page 72, in an article about Latin Music in South Central LA

.

Max was mentioned in the book, The Jewish Role in Reshaping the Racial Landscape of Southern California.  (bolding added):  In 1963 Boyle Heights trumpeter Paul Lopez formed a Latin big band, which debuted at the Californian Club, located just west of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Western Avenue and Santa Barbara Boulevard. Owned and run by Max Millard, a Jewish-American businessman nicknamed “Mambo Maxi,” the Californian Club offered Latin music on Wednesday nights to an audience composed primarily of African-Americans, with a sprinkling of Mexican-Americans and other Latinos (Lopez June 18, 1999; Saito Dec 29, 1999). After getting his first performance opportunity from mambo Maxi . . . . Lopez remembered mambo contests . . . with Mambo Maxi as master of ceremonies, which drew ten to twenty couples competing for albums or cash prizes. In addition, regular patrons usually include “the Arthur Murray crowd,” those affluent Latin music fans – many of them Jewish – who learned the new steps by taking lessons at expensive dance studios.
Source: Beyond Alliances: The Jewish Role in Reshaping the Racial Landscape of Southern California
Book collections on Project MUSE
Volume 9 of Jewish Role in American Life Series, ISSN 1934-7529
Page 54

Isadore Irwin MILLARD (Itzko MELAMED) was born in Petrikov , Belarus, December 24, 1910.  He married Sharon JAFEE.  He was a pharmacist.  Isadore died in 1972; Sharon born 1916; died 1982.

Harold MILLARD was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 30, 1917. .  He married Shirley BACHMAN.   He was a salesman.  Harold died in 1987; Shirley born 1919 and died 1997.