I am looking for any information on the below SCHWARTZ/SZWEC family from Pinsk. Most immigration and passport documents list the name as SZWEC and claim Polish nationality, however it was always the family's understanding that they were Russian. Once in the US, they all used the name SCHWARTZ. Most emigrated from Poland in the early 1920s, either through Ellis Island or Quebec/then Toronto. Eventually, most of the family wound up in Brooklyn, except Max SCHWARTZ, who lived in Chicago. It's also possible that there was a sister named Rose SZWEC living in Toronto in 1922.
Specifically, I am looking for anyone who knows either the Lana SCHWARTZ family, the Max SCHWARTZ family, or anything about Rose SZWEC. I am also curious if anyone knows why the family name would change back-and-forth from SZWEC to SCHWARTZ and if this is a result of the shifting Poland/Russian borders. I know at least one, if not all, the brothers served in the Russian army in WWI and possibly the Polish-Soviet War, and some family stories would indicate they deserted and fled, hence the name and nationality discrepancies – does this sound like a possibility?
Samuel (Shmul) SCHWARTZ (abt. 1860 – abt. 1920) m. Esther SCHWARTZ (abt. 1860 – abt. 1940)
Children
Hyman SCHWARTZ (abt. 1890 – 1953) m. Dora (abt. 1895 - ?)
- Sylvia SCHWARTZ (abt. 1920 - ?)
Lana SCHWARTZ (abt. 1890 – ?) m. ?
- Phillip
- Anna
Dora SCHWARTZ (1892 – 1930) m. Isidore COOPER (abt. 1890 – 1966)
- Jacob COOPER (1913 – 2001)
- Morris COOPER (1917 - )
- Sidney COOPER (1922 - )
- Beatrice COOPER (1923 - )
- Norman COOPER (1926 - )
Max SCHWARTZ (abt. 1892 – ?) m. ?
Julius (Jojne) SCHWARTZ (abt. 1896 – 1980) m. Lily KIRSHENBLATT (1897 – 1983)
- Shirley SCHWARTZ
- Seymour SCHWARTZ
Minnie SCHWARTZ (abt. 1902 – 1929) m. Isidore KOENIG (1900 – 1953)
- Samuel KOENIG
- Rose KOENIG
Any information would be greatly appreciated. You can respond to me here or at
alexa.sheridan@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Alexa