Greenstein

Samuel Greenstein, my great grandfather, was from Vilna, Lithuania. In some records, there is a village named “Poporitz,” or something akin to that. He came to New Britain, CT in 1889. His uncle, Benjamin Greenstein, was a butcher in New Britain, and died in 1917. Benjamin came to the U.S. in 1881and had a brother, Harry, and two sisters, Esther Greenstein Berkowitz, and Beile There are many German-Jewish names which are merely the results of fancy or the vindictive thoughts of petty officials, Greenstein Hirsh. Harry lived in Suffern, NY and his family founded Avon Products. There was some talk that Samuel’s wife adopted when the Jews in Europe were compelled to take surnames in the early part of the nineteenth century. Some of the and first cousin Anna Greenstein (1862-1934) had come to the U.S. in 1882, but had returned to Russia. It was not uncommon to most familiar, end in STEIN (stone) usually meaning a precious gem. Many who adopted names with pleasant connotations marry first cousins at that time, as Anna did when she married Sam.

had to pay handsomely to the money-grabbing official for the privilege. Many other names were from names of German Anna had a large family, and because she was a first cousin to Sam, the two Greenstein families overlapped – which restricts towns and cities, and are sometimes borne by others than Jews. From the 16th century many Jewish family names were my knowable genealogy further. Anna had four sisters and three brothers: Nathan, David, Julius, Fanny, Amelia, Jenny, Hilda.

derived from the house or shop signs in the Jewish quarter of Frankfort and elsewhere. House signs were particularly Amelia was burnt to death in a fire at her home in Waterbury, CT in 1908. She ran into the house to retrieve her rings, and a wood favoured by Jews, and they were reluctant to give them up. When the city council in 1776, ordered the houses in Frankfort’s stove fell on her. Husband, M. Abramson was reached by phone in New London and was told the news. He fainted, and the story Judengasse to be numbered, there was such a resistance that they fined the whole Jewish community.

of his faint made the Hartford Courant, with more emphasis placed his faint (Ha! Ha!) than on the death of his one and only.

The almost useless generic information above was taken from a website which would sell you a coat of Arms for Greenstein –

Fanny married Jeremiah O’Brien, a first cousin to the former Archbishop of Hartford. Jeremiah O’Brien. Jeremiah had an even if there isn’t one (and there isn’t any). A similar boiler plate response turned up when I checked for a family crest for “Liftig/

Irish accent, and after a while, so did Fanny. I remember her clearly and still love her. She would bring me lollipops: chocolate Luftig,” Zimmerman (with one “n”)…but not “Ziering.” More on the Ziering surprise later.

hearts on paper sticks. I think that’s when I fell in love with all things Irish…and with chocolate. Fanny also had rosy cheeks…

so I married a girl with rosy cheeks – who was mostly Irish; and Fanny also had two beautiful daughters, Geraldine and Francis, Benjamin Greenstein -

both of whom died of rare blood diseases when they were in their 20s.

Samuel Greenstein –

Fanny didn’t like things that were “too Jewy.” She also lectured the family to always check the bathroom of a restaurant for b. approx. 1800

cleanliness; if it was dirty, don’t eat there. Fanny’s sister Hilda married a German (Kurlansik – sounds Polish to me) and moved to Easton, PA. Nathan (b. 1864) was known as the “Terrible Turk” and lived in Waldwick, NJ where he ran a saloon and threw out (Uncle of Samuel below) Benjamin Greenstein,

troublemakers, because, as my grandfather Charles said, “He had fists as big as melons.”

d. 1917, butcher. New Britain, CT. Age 60s.

Samuel was the son of Ben, and the grandson of Samuel Greenstein (1820-1900) who was a prosperous farmer in Vilna – in m. Anna Ahetovsky, d. of Morris Ahetovsky. Daughter is Anna Greenstein

what was then Mother Russia. This Samuel’s father, Ben, was said to be the Czar’s official watchmaker.

Benjamin Greenstein

Great grandfather Sam had a brother William, a sister who remained in Russia (who married a Russian Christian Army

b. 1830, Vilna, Lithuania

Lieutenant and was declared dead by her father), a sister Olga (picture on our wall taken in Vilna), a sister Jenny (married to a d. 1900 Age 70.

Rosenberg) whose son was Benny Ross, the Vaudevillian (poster on wall. He was married to his showbiz partner Marilyn Stone m. Anna Epstein

– no relation to the Rolling Stones) and a brother who changed his name to “Stone,” moved to Chicago, raised two boys and two girls, and was never heard from again).

Samuel Greenstein

G-grandfather Samuel was a watchmaker, a terrific storyteller, an accomplished ice fisherman, and a chronic hypochondriac b. 1858, Vilna, Lithuania. Possibly Popowitz

who couldn’t make a living, but who lived to 93 and died in 1949, outliving his wife and first cousin Anna by 15 years. Sam lived d. 1949. New Britain, CT. Age 91

on Spring Street in New Britain, and carried on his business with great dignity but no almost no success. Sam did not believe in m. Anna Greenstein (1st cousin). d. 1934. Age 72.

gaining a profit from any watch on which he hadn’t worked (despite the stereotypes – Goddamn them). If he bought a watch from Dr. Charles Jacob Greenstein

a supplier for a dollar, he sold it for a dollar. I used to study his ledger book in my grandmother’s attic when I was a kid. There b. 1886. Vilna, Lithuania

wasn’t much recorded in it; Greensteins, like lots of other relatives in my family, was a zero in business (Hold that thought until d. 1967. New Britain, CT. Age 81.

we get to the Zierings).

m. Dorothy Ada Ziering, Age 83.

But this was not the reason he retired at 50 to throw himself and his wife on the financial mercy of his five immigrant children. He retired because he thought his death was imminent-though it wasn’t – but how could Sam know such a thing? When his Francine Barbara Greenstein

wife Anna died of a heart attack in 1934, and Sam went to live with his daughter Sadie in Enfield, CT, where he told stories for b. 1924. New Britain, CT

another 15 years and then died in his sleep looking toward 100.

m. Dr. Alvin Liftig

Sam especially liked to tell stories about ice fishing, at which he was accomplished. The photo we have of him at my parents’

Dr. Robert A, Liftig

wedding in 1944 shows him showing my step great grandmother Sara Ziering, the length of the fish he caught – although he could b. 1947, Frankfort, Germany (U.S. Army Dependent)

have been bragging about the size of his genetalia. There is also a snap shot of Sam holding me when I was a baby, standing next m. Inez Fugate. 1971

to my step-great grandmother. Sadly, I don’t remember either of them.

We also have Sam’s prayer book in the safe deposit box. This implied that Sam could read Hebrew, but he is only remem-Anya Liftig

bered reading a Hebrew paper upside down and commenting over and over again in English: “It’s a hell of a ting. It’s a hell of a b. 1977

ting.” Sam was proud to be and American, and of showing his citizenship papers to everybody.

m. Noel Hartman

Though my grandfather Dr. Charles said the family was from Vilna (which was Russian at the time), records refer to a

Dorothy Allyson Liftig

Poporitz just outside the capital. Dr. Charles told me he remembers throwing stones at Russian soldiers who were parading outside b. 1981. Norwalk, CT

m. David Martin

529

530