Morris CHARGO (Shargorodsky)

The Willmar, Minnesota, Kandiyohi County Historical Society, published a long story about Morris. The article, written in 1981, relates Morris’ arrival in America and his life in Willmar, Minnesota. Click the Kandi Express image below to read it (will open in new window or tab).

Morris Chargo Poster

Morris Chargo Band Leader (Select to view larger image)

Morris CHARGO (Shargorodsky) told Paula Fleisner (nee Miller) a story when she was a pre-teen. It was at someone’s wedding or bar Mitzvah, because she remembers sitting at a table in a banquet hall and talking with him. He told her of the time Ben Miller (Berel Melamed) went to America and sent for the Chargo family with the money he earned. He sent for Lena, his wife, and then her parents and siblings. During the time Ben was gone, pogroms were taking place in their village. Many times, Uncle Morris, who was a teen, and his family, would have to hide in the forest for days, living off of potatoes they managed to dig up. When Grandpa had Grandma’s sisters and brother come to America, only Morris was allowed to stay. The sisters were sent back to Russia because they were spinsters…too old to be dependants with sponsors, and not married. During world war II, they wrote to Grandpa to tell him the fate of their village. Everyone in the town was lined up and shot at by the Nazi’s; not sure if it was Babi Yar, but similar style. Grandma’s sisters played dead, although they were unhurt, and crawled out of the ditch at nighfall and escaped to Siberia. By then they were in their 50’s I believe. That’s all she knows or remembers.

Cory Chargo related a story from Morris’ wife, Sophie. She said Morris was not 15, but 18, when he came to America. He lied to facililate his entrance. Cory also said that the sisters (Freda and Rose) were rejected for glaucoma and sent back to Europe where they perished at Babi Yar. Morris CHARGO (Shargorodsky) told Harold Chargo – around 1980 when Morris was about 75 – that he (Morris) had relatives living in South America. Morris’ father, Ruben, immigrated from Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1916.

Morris CHARGO (Shargorodsky) told Helen Chargo during conversations with Morris that one of his sisters had eye problems and was prevented from entering the country as an immigrant (glaucoma). The other sister returned with her so that she would not be alone. Both Morris and Sophie told me that they heard from his sisters until the war – once the Nazis invaded Russia they were never heard from again. He believed they were both killed by the Nazis. Helen’s brother-in-law came to Canada after the war and later found some of their family long lost relatives who also lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Once when Helen’s relatives were visiting they were asked to see if they could find someone who knew anyone named Shargorodsky in Argentina – because they knew Morris’s father and brothers had sailed from Europe to South America too. Eventually Helen’s relatives did meet people who carried the Shargorodsky name, and there was some interest expressed on their part to pursue some “root genealogy” however, this was shortly before Morris became ill – and nothing ever came of it. If you have any memories of these stories, or any similar stories, please share them.

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