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Note NI0001 Index

Professor of Philosophy at Aurora University.

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Note NI0002 Index

Assistant Registrar at Aurora University.

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Note NI0214 Index

Hebrew name Yitzach Mordechai after Isadore Tarson.

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Note NI0250 Index

Middle name for Rose Kessler Ruttenberg.

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Note NI0531 Index

Lorry's Hebrew name is Leib Yehescal after Louis Pincus and Jacob Ruttenberg.

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Note NI0533 Index

Isadore was born Icze Tatarsky in Ichnya, Russia in what is present day Ukraine. He is also known as Itsko or Itsek. During the war between Russia and Japan, Jews were being conscripted into the army for 25 years. Isadore tried to evade the draft and was captured and sent to jail. He escaped jail and "walked across Russia". He traveled around Europe for a few years earning money as a tailor until he had enough money to come to the United States. He had a good education in Europe. The family name was not originally Tatarsky, but something like Kneigan (sp?).

Isadore arrived in New York on Jan. 28, 1905 on the ship Finland which had sailed from Antwerp, Belgium. His name on the ship manifest is Icze Tatarsky (indexed on the Ellis Island site as Tatavsky). He was 22 and his occupation was tailor. He was joining his older brother John in Albany, NY and his last residence in Europe was the town of Jekatarinaskav. Isadore's parents were brought over later in 1906. His parents are buried in different parts of the same cemetery in Chicago, his mother Minnie with the name of Tarson, and his father Samuel with the name of Tatarsky.

Isadore became a naturalized citizen on Feb. 16, 1912. He changed his name officially to Tarson in the Cook County Circuit Court on June 20, 1916.

Isadore worked as a peddler when he first came to Chicago. In 1908 he and his brother Morris were in business together as confectioners, the Tatarsky Brothers. He then worked as a clerk and worked his way up to Sec. Vice President in the Illinois Notions Supply Co by 1923.

Isadore owned a notions wholesale store in Chicago called Tarson Mercantile Co. located on Ogden Ave. near the Lawndale Theater. He sold school supplies and toys. He took his children to the Toy Fair every year and they had every toy, Charlotte especially remembers an electric stove. Isadore made a good living but was not as wealthy as his brothers.

Isadore was a Mason. Grandson Scott Janco has his Masonic ring.

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Note NI0534 Index

Etta came to the United States from the Ukraine in Russia in 1896 according to the 1900 census.

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Note NI0536 Index

Elka immigrated to the US in about 1896 (at least four years after her husband), with children Ike, Beckie, Harry, Sam & Etta. Elka died at home at 1507 S. Turner in Chicago of pneumonia.

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Note NI0537 Index

In Europe, came from a well to do family in the Liquor business. Elliott Tarson heard that making liquor was an illegal business for Jews in Russia. The family had an "illegal" distillery. Family name originally maybe something like Kneigan.

Samuel was named Shmul or Shmuil Tatarsky and lived with his parents or in a nearby house in Ichnya, Ukraine from 1874 until at least 1901. He was a member of the same trade guild as his father, Israel. Schmul had his own business separate from his father's at least by 1882. It was something like bringing dry goods/department store like items to the village. In his son Morduch's (Mark) application in 1901 for membership to a financial organization (they didn't have banks there, but took loans from a sort of cooperative), there is a report from the local police that Shmul and his family have a clean record.

The 1888 List of Jews in Borzna district census lists almost the entire family, except Reva and Solomon:
Shmul Tatarsky, son of Izrael, age 34, his wife Mnucha, daughter of Chaim-Movsha, age 34, his son Echil (John), age 17, Iosel (Joseph) age 13, Aron, 11, Morduch (Mark), 10, Sosya (Sophie), 8, Itsko (Isadore) 7, and Chaim-Movsha (Morris) age 5.

Samuel followed his brother Elias and most of his children to America. Samuel is listed on the Statendam ship's manifest as Schmiel Tatarski. He arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 13, 1906 with his wife and their youngest two children, Solomon and Reva. The ship had sailed from Rotterdam, South Holland, The Netherlands. His ethnicity is listed as Russia, Hebrew; last place of residence is Bialystok, age 48.

Grave stone in same cemetery as wife Minnie but different location, has Tatarsky on gravestone. Waldheim cemetery records state that Samuel was aged 56 at his death in 1909. His death certificate gives his age as 55.

Samuel & Minnie lived on the South side of Chicago with their daughter, Reva. He was in Chicago only 3 years and died in 1909 of gastric carcinoma which his death certificate says he had had for 5 years. He doesn't seem to have filed naturalization papers.