Family History by Sid

       Family research is an ongoing evolving process. We continually try to find new facts and new information about people in our tree. Those genealogical brick walls sometimes fall after finding one small smidgen of data and then the facts and the stories bring light to a whole new branch to our family tree. I continually look over all of my research notes and sources and see if I can enhance the record of somebody who is just a name on my tree to a narrative of a compelling character.       In September I posted a story about Arlene’s grandfather, Philip Snyder and his brother, Morris. In that story I said that I couldn’t find Philip in the 1910 census but I have since found him living with Ben Gellerman. This was the person who paid for Philip’s fare to the USA and met Philip at Ellis Island. The ship manifest said he was an uncle but the census report lists him as a brother in law. Maybe I’ll clear that up and let you know about i...

  Matt and Mae Arkin     ( Some time ago I had found pictures of Mat Arkin and his auto parts business on the internet.  I could not find them and so i have none of those pictures available.  My apologies)      Matthew Arkin and Mae Levine got married on November 13, 1916 in Pennsylvania. Mae was the daughter of Morris Levine and Rebecca Lieberman and was a first cousin of my grandfather, Louis Levine. May was born in Pennsylvania and Matt was born in the town of Lunna in what is now Belarus. Matt entered the USA in 1912.        I don’t know what enticed Matt to move to southwestern Pennsylvania but he ended up there and Married Mae Levine in 1916. Matt and May had two children. Sam was born in 1918 and Rosalind was born in 1923. I spoke to Matt and Mae’s grandson, Richard. Richard has fond memories of his grandparents. Matt died in 1956 and Richard was just a young boy but he remembers Matt having a beard and wou...