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THE DUMESH FAMILY OF VISHKI

-ДУМЕШ-

 

BBruce on the left,his wife and his brother

 

In November-2006, I received an interesting letter from Bruce Dumes whom I had met on the site Jewishgen.   His grandparents lived in Vishki before they emigrated to the U.S.A.  Bruce is the first person who i have met whose family is originally from Vishki, with many thanks to the JEWISHGEN.  Since then, we have corresponded and helped each other in our research.

 


Here is the mail:

Hello Christine -

Thanks for the stories of Vishki. My grandfather didn't say very
much about it, except that I could remember the name because it
rhymed with "Whiskey". My great-grandfather had a business
delivering packages on a horse and wagon to people in the rural
areas. According to family legend, this made them fairly well
connected, even to the non-Jewish residents, so they were able to get
out of Russia and avoid the boys from being conscripted into the
Czar's army.

When my great-grandfather died, his wife and older sons took over the
business until they came to America. My great-grandmother died in
1933, so I never met her. My grandfather was 9 when he came, so he
spoke English without any trace of an accent, though I'm told that
all his older siblings had an "old country" accent.

My grandfather was one of those people that after coming to America,
he was 100% American and didn't want to talk about the past. I used
to ask him to teach me some Russian and he said he never knew any
Russian. That may have been true, it's possible that the family
only spoke Yiddish in the home. Though I'm sure that his mother and
older siblings must have known some Russian for their business.

I've contacted all my cousins and none of them were ever told much
about Vishki. We didn't even know where it was until recently when
I "discovered" it, at least as far as my family is concerned. Thank
goodness for the internet!

I'm enclosing three pictures. One that I took from your blog, which
I found very interesting. I photoshop'ed your grandfather's picture
a little, hope you like it. I'm also enclosing an old picture of my
great-grandfather's grave. We aren't certain exactly when this
picture was taken, but sometime between world war 1 and world war
2. I'm also enclosing a modern picture of the same grave. I'm
told that they used to paint the stones so that the writing would
show up clearly. You can see that on the old picture.

I wish there was some way to hire someone to care for the graves in
Vishki. I would certainly contribute money to that cause, but I have
no idea how to accomplish that. I might ask my researcher there and
see if he has any ideas.

One thing that is very interesting about my great-grandfather's grave
is that you can (if you can read Hebrew letters) see that his name
was "Dumes" in Vishki. All of my life, I've been told that my name
*must* have been something else, because Dumes is just not a Russian
name. One of my grandfather's brothers told people it was
Dumeshevski, probably just to make people happy because it sounded
more Russian.

According to the book "Dictionary of Jewish names of the Russian
Empire", Dumes was a name given to residents of Domashi, a very small
(even smaller than Vishki!) village not very far from Dvinsk, in what
is today Belarus.

Like you, I am delighted to meet another person with roots in
Vishki. No doubt our families knew each other in a small place like
that. We might even have common ancestors.

I've been thinking very much about doing a DNA test, actually. If
your cousin Jack in New Jersey also did a DNA test, we could find
out! Unfortunately, female DNA only carries information about the
maternal line, but male DNA carries both the maternal and paternal
information.

Anyway, I'll close for now. Please keep in touch!

Best Regards,
Bruce

Dumes website

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/viski/

http://abels.dumes.net
http://fialco.dumes.net
http://zucker.dumes.net

 

 

 

About Dumes family and Bruce's great grand father's grave in Vishki

Dumes
How many times (assuming your last name is Dumes) have you been asked, "So what was Dumes before it was changed?", because everyone says that 'Dumes' could not possibly be a Russian name.
A photo exists (see below) of the grave of Hyman George Dumes, the top of our family tree as far as we can trace. He died in 1904, so his grave was in Russia. My grandfather told me that this picture was sent from Russia with a note basically saying "We're caring for the graves, please send money." After the war, no more notes came. But I'm not sure which war -- ie was it the Bolshevik Revolution, World War I or World War II?

At any rate, this is an extremely interesting document because it shows that the name "Dumes" was used in Russia and was not an "Ellis Island-ism", and that it was pronounced very much like we pronounce it today.

Further, there is a reference book that helps us:

Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1993.
It contains the following entries:
Domashevskij (Vilna, Mogilev, Ekater. gub.) T: from the village Domashi (Novogrudok d., Disna d.) {Dumashevskij, Dumesh (Dumes)}.
Dumes (Dvinsk) T: see Dumesh. T: see Domashevskij.

Dumesh (Dvinsk) T: from the village Dumsy (Dumsie in Polish) (Kovno d.) {Dumes}. T: see Domashevskij.

So in fact, 'Dumes' is indeed a very Russian name! And the village Domashi still exists in Belarus.
Domashi also spelled DOMASHE is in Belarus, 113.3 miles NNW of Minsk. Click Here to see a map of it's location.

Dvinsk was a major Jewish area. Click HERE for a great page, titled "Jewish Life in Dvinsk under Russian Rule - A Woman's Memoir", which describes life there in 1860. Interesting stuff! This is the grave of Hyman George Dumes, paternal top of the Dumes tree as far as we can trace.


Details of Dumes gravestone


 

 

Dumes family

Dumes Family in Russia Arthur, Anna, Sadie (Shana),William, Fannie
(~1908)

 

 

 

 

Yossel Dumesh

 

A mail received from Bruce Dumes on april,15,2007:

 

Dear Vadim and Christine,

The Archives finally received my payment and they emailed me a copy of the report and pictures -- the printed report with documentation is still in the mail.

There is a lot of detail in this, but one interesting thing is that Christine's Usdin family appears to have a connection to both Vadim's Dumesh family and mine.  There may also be a connection to Christine's Alterman family and a Dumesh family.

Vadim's grandfather Leiser was born Feb 6, 1930 in Vishki.   He had a sister named Haya, born Sept 25 1934.   Their parents were Israel Dumes, born June 6 1905 and his wife was Bluma, born March 2, 1906 in Vishki.   According to the census of 1935 they lived at Rigas Street 118.

The birth records from 1905 did not survive, so the Archives didn't know who Israel's parents were.   Fortunately we do, because we know that Genech (Genuch) Dumesh, born ca 1861-1863 was Israel's father.   Genech married Haya, daughter of Judel-Pinchus Meierov (Meirov) who was born in Dvisnk ca 1861.  Genoch's other children were:

Gescha, b 1883
Elka, b 1885
Sora b 1888
Lesa (Leska) b 1890
Schlioma-Jankel b 1893
Faibisch-Elia b 1895
Pesya, b 1898
Moisey, b 1901

Genech's father was Idel (Judel), son of Israil Dumesh, born ca 1831.   According the the records of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission for 1945, Genoch was killed in 1941 in Vishki (as you had been told, Vadim).

Genech had (at least) three siblings:

Lieser, born ca 1856
Hirsch-Leib, ca 1865
and daughter Hena (Genya)-Dweira

Hena, Genoch's sister, married Kadish USDIN of Vishki.  They had:

Sora Usdin b. 1896
Abo-Wulf Usdin b. 1898
Sora-Fruma Usdin b 1899 (funny that they named two daughters Sora)
Juda Usdin b 1902
Joseph Usdin b 1904

Sora Usdin married Elia-Mendel Gorosch, born Sept 25 1891 in Rezhitsa.  his occupation was tinsmith (like Genech!)  Sora and Elia-Mendel had at least four daughters:

Haya b 1925
Mirjam b 1927,
Doba b 1929
Lea b 1932

According to the census of 1935 the family of Sora Gorosch lived in Vishki on Aglonas Street (the number is not stated) and a widow Hena-Dweira Usdin lived with them.

So Vadim's great-great-grandfather's sister married an Usdin.

Here's the other Usdin connection:

my great-grandfather Chaim had a brother named Sender (or Schender).   His son Leib-Wolf (Wulf) b April 18, 1899 married Schula USDIN, born Feb 20, 1910 in Vishki.
Their children were:

Yeva b Feb 10, 1938 in Daugavpils
Nechamia, b April 18, 1939

Leib-Wolf and Schula lived in Vishki in 1935 at Rigas Street 127.     By no later than Dec 30, 1940, the family of Leib-Wolf lived in Riga at Jumaras Street 18, apt 6 (previous address Stabu Street 75, apt 2).  Leib-Wulf  and family were struck off the house register in October of 1941 and moved to the ghetto at Ludzas Street 11-10.   Leib-Wolf was still alive as of July 20 1942 when he was registered in the lists of Jews.   He was living at Vilanu Street 16-2.   Their eventual fate is unknown.   The daughters may have survived and married, but unless somebody in Riga does a DNA test that matches to mine, we'll probably never know.

Oh, the Alterman possibility is this:

Wulf, son of Leiba Dumesch, b ca 1866 in Vishki married Hascha, daughter of Gershen (Gerschon) Elterman.
children:
Rochel-Lea b 1890
Fruma, b 1892
Fruma-Slata b 1893

It's unclear if this Wulf is related to Vadim or me.   He could have been a brother of my great-grandfather, whose father was Leiba, but this doesn't seem to be indicated anywhere.

Anyway, this is just a small bit of the interesting information contained in this lengthy report.  I'm very glad there is some information that will be helpful to Vadim as well as me!

The report and pictures are enclosed.  The pictures of Jossel Dumesh look very much like my family.  Jossel was the brother of Leib-Wolf, who married Schula Usdin.

I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for the archives.  There is so much in this report.

Regards,
Bruce

 

Yossel Dumesh(perished in holocaust)

 

Dina Dumesh(perished in holocaust)



 

 

 

 

Document received by Bruce from the archives of Riga (in red,how our common ancestors were related )

 


 

  

 

ARCHIVAL REFERENCE
about Dumesch family

 

The list of the Jews belonging to Dvinsk and Dvinsk district, set up in 1875 as well as the birth records of the Jewish community in Vishki for 1889–1893, 1898–1899, 1901,           1902–1904, the marriage records of the same community for 1889, 1893, 1897–1899, 1901–1902, the death records for 1889–1893, 1897–1899, 1901–1902, as available at our archives (vital records for other years have not survived) and the records of the 1st All Russian census of Vishki for 1897 contain the following information:

Wulf, son of Leiba Dumesch (other spelling – Dumes) was born in ca 1839 (aged 36 in 1875).

He had at least three sons:

  • Chaim-Jehuschua (Chaim-Owsey) Dumesch, born in ca 1860 in Vishki (aged 15 in the lists for 1875, however according to the 1st All-Russian census for 1897 he was 40 years old in ca 1896).

His wife Scheina-Freida, daughter of  Aron-Chaim (in the census for 1897 – Abram) née Nowoselok, was born in ca 1861 in Vishki.
Their children:

    • daughter Sora-Tsipa (Zipa), born in ca 1880 in Vishki (aged 16 in ca 1896),
    • son Avram-Leib, born in ca 1884 in Vishki (aged 12 in ca 1896). The census for 1935 of Vishki contain information about Abram-Leib Dumesch, born in 1883 in Vishki, and his wife Sora-Tsipa, born in 1895. His occupation – coachman. Possibly it was one and the same person.
    • daughter Riva-Taiba, born in ca 1886 in Vishki (aged 8 in ca 1896),
    • son Aron, born on September 30 of 1891 in Vishki (see Appendix No.1),
    • daughter Feiga, born in ca 1894 in Vishki,
    • daughter Hasya-Noima, born on December 16 of 1898 in Vishki (see Appendix No.2).
    • son Mowscha, born on July 1 of 1904 in Vishki (see Appendix No.3).

We suppose Scheina-Freida had at least one brother Mowscha-Selik, son of Aron Nowoselok (other spelling – Novoscholk), born in ca 1855 (aged 41 in ca 1896), his family also lived in Vishki.

 

  • son Jossel-Leib Dumesch was born in ca 1865 in Vishki (aged 10 in 1875, aged 30 in ca 1896).

His wife Sora-Feiga, daughter of David, née Hodosch was born in 1866 in Vishki (aged 30 in ca 1896).
Their children:
2.1. son David (Dovid), born on November 14 of 1889 in Vishki (see Appendix No.4),

    • son Israil, born on October 8 of 1891 in Vishki (see Appendix No.5). His wife Hena  (Gena) (maiden name is not stated) was born in 1898 in Vishki.

They had at least 5 children:

      • son Jankel-Leib, born on April 5 of 1921 in Vishki,
      • Jossel, born on August 15 of  1922 in Vishki,
      • David, born on June 20 of 1927 in Vishki,
      • daughter Lea, born April 10 of 1931 in Vishki,
      • son Abram, born on January 25 of 1932 in Vishki.

According to the census for 1935 they lived in Vishki. A widow Sora-Feiga (mother of Israil) lived together with them. According to the Soviet Extraordinary Commission for 1945 Hena, Jankel-Leib, Jossel and David were killed in 1941 in Vishki.

    • son Nota, born in ca 1894 in Vishki (aged 2 in ca 1896). The census for 1935 of Vishki  contain information about Nota Dumesch, born on May 7 of 1895 in Vishki, his wife Ginta-Jocha, born in 1897 and their children; daughter Traina, born on March 1 of 1919 in Vishki, daughter Tsipa-Lea, born on July 7 of 1920 in Vishki, daughter Liba, born on June 10 of  1922 in Vishki and Doba, born on May 28 of 1924 in Vishki. They lived in Vishki at Aglonas Street 76. According to the records of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission for 1945 Nota, Doba and Liba were killed in 1941 in Vishki.
    • son Wulf, born on May 2 of 1898 in Vishki, died on December 1 of 1900 in Vishki (see Appendix No.6, 7),
    • son Jacob, born on August 15 of 1902 in Vishki (see Appendix No.8).

  

  • son Sender (Schender) Dumesch was born in ca 1867 in Vishki (aged 10 in the list for 1875, however according to the marriage record he was 23 years old in 1893 and according to the 1st All-Russian census he was registered as aged 26 in ca 1896).

His wife Nechama (Hana), daughter of Abram-Peisach, née Grob, born in ca 1873 in Vishki (she was registered as aged 23 in the census for 1897, however according to the marriage record she was 23 years old in 1893). Their marriage was registered on April 6 of 1893 in Vishki (see Appendix No.9).

Their children:

    • daughter Sora-Tsipe (Zipe), born in ca 1893 in Vishki (aged 3 in ca 1896),
    • daughter Rocha-Feige, born in ca 1896 (aged 6 months in ca 1896),
    • son Leib-Wolf (Wulf), born on April 18 (Julian calendar, 30 April – Gregorian calendar) of 1899 in Vishki (see Appendix No.10). His occupation – home teacher. His wife Schula, née Usdin (Uzdin), born on February 20 of 1910 in Vishki. They had children: daughter Yeva, born on February 10 of 1938 in Daugavpils and daughter Nechamia, born on April 18 of 1939.
    • daughter Hasya, born on February 8 of 1901 in Vishki (see Appendix No.11)
    • daughter Haya, born on February 27 of  1906 in Vishki,
    • son Jossel, born on June 27 of 1908 in Vishki (see his photo from the Latvian passport for 1927). Since 1926 he lived in Riga. On December 6 of 1936 in Riga he married to Dina, daughter of Beinis, née Ran, born in 1902 in Griva (see her photo from the Latvian passport for 1928). They had daughter Baschewa, born on April 25 of 1941 in Riga.
    • daughter Mnucha-Liba, born on June 27 of 1911 in Vishki.

According to the census for 1935 Leib-Wulf and his sisters Haya and Mnucha-Liba lived in Vishki at Rigas Street 127.
Before the Second World War of Jossel Dumesch, his wife Dina, daughter Baschewa and sister Mnucha-Liba lived in  Riga at Stabu Street 75, apt. 2. Since October 7 of 1941 Mnucha-Liba was registered as living at Ludzas Street 11-10 (territory of Riga ghetto during Nazi occupation). Jossel and Dina Dumesch were struck off the house register of Stabu Street 75 on September 10 of 1941, not known where. Since September 27 of 1941 Dina and Baschewa were registered as living at Katolu Street 2, apt. 7 (territory of Riga ghetto during Nazi occupation). The museum “Jews in Latvia” keeps the lists of Central prison’s inmates, set up on August 4 of 1941, where Jossel Dumes was registered under Nr.249.
Since December 30 of 1940 the family of Leib-Wulf Dumes lived in Riga at Jumaras Street 18, apt. 6 (previous address – Stabu Street 75, apt. 2). Leib-Wulf, his wife Schula and daughters were struck off the house register in October of 1941 as moved to ghetto. Since October 7 of 1941 they were registered as living at Ludzas Street 11-10 (territory of Riga ghetto during Nazi occupation). Leib-Wulf was still alive on July 20 of 1942 when he was registered in the lists of Jews – forced labourers of Missa Torfwerk (peat factory), his address in ghetto that time – Vilanu Street 16-2, occupation - glazier.

 

Wulf (Wolf), son of Leiba Dumesch was born in ca 1866 in Vishki (aged 30 in ca 1896).
His wife Hascha, daughter of Gerschen (Gerschon), née Elterman.
Their children:

  • daughter Rochel-Lea, born on June 16 of 1890 in Vishki (see Appendix No.12),
  • daughter Fruma, born on March 17 of 1892 in Vishki (see Appendix No.13),
  • daughter Fruma-Slata, born on November 30 of 1893 in Vishki (see Appendix No.14).

 

Idel (Judel), son of Israil Dumesch, born in ca 1831 in Vishki (aged 44 in ca 1875, however according to the census for 1897 he was 75 years old).
He had at least three sons:

  • son Leiser Dumesch, born in ca 1856,
  • son Genech (Genuch) Dumesch, born in ca 1861-1863 in Vishki. His wife Haya, daughter of Judel-Pinchus, née Meierov (Meirov) was born in ca 1861 in Dvinsk

Their children:

  • daughter Gescha, born in ca 1883 in Vishki,
  • daughter Elka, born in ca 1885 in Vishki,
  • daughter Sora, born in ca 1888 in Vishki,
  • daughter Lesa (Leska), born on October 30 of  1890 in Vishki (see Appendix No.15),
  • son Schlioma-Jankel, born on May 28 of 1893 in Vishki (see Appendix No.16)
  • son Faibisch-Elia, born in ca 1895 in Vishki,
  • daughter Pesya, born on December 26 of 1898 in Vishki (see Appendix No.17),
  • son Moisey, born on October 9 of 1901 in Vishki (see Appendix No.18).

According to the census for 1935 Genech Dumes, born in 1861 in Vishki, lived in Vishki. According to the records of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission for 1945 he was killed in 1941 in Vishki.

  • son Hirsch-Leib Dumesch, born in ca 1865, and his wife Hana-Lea (maiden name is not stated) had children:
  • daughter Liba, born on December 12 of 1889 in Vishki (see Appendix No.19),
  • son Ephroim-Leiser, born on October 10 of 1891 in Vishki (see Appendix No.5)
  • son Itzik-Behr, born on August 22 of 1893 in Vishki (see Appendix No.20).

 

-   daughter Hena (Genya)-Dweira, daughter of Idel Dumesch. Her husband Chaim-David, son of Kadish Usdin from Vishki.
They had children:

  • daughter Sora Usdin, born in 1896 in Vishki. She married to Elia-Mendel Gorosch, born on September 25 of 1891 in Rezhitsa, his occupation – tinsmith. They had at least four daughters: Haya, born in 1925, Mirjam, born in 1927, Doba, born in 1929, Lea, born in 1932. According to the census for 1935 the family of Sora Gorosch lived in Vishki at Aglonas Street (number is not stated). A widow Hena-Dweira Usdin lived together with them.
  • son Abo-Wulf Usdin, born on February 11 of 1898 in Vishki,
  • daughter Sora-Fruma Usdin, born on October 9 of 1899 in Vishki,
  • son Juda Usdin, born on August 8 of 1902 in Vishki,
  • son Josiph Usdin, born on July 29 of 1904 in Vishki.

The census for 1935 contain information about family of a coachman Wulf-Kuska Dumes, born in 1883 in Vishki and his wife Riva-Tsira, born in 1887 in Vilani.
They had children:

  • son Leib, born on October 6 of 1909 in Vishki,
  • daughter Tsuvja, born on August 4 of 1912 in Vishki,
  • son Faiwusch, born on March 24 of 1914 in Vishki,
  • daughter Judasch, born in 1918 in Vishki,
  • son Jossel, born in April of 1919 in Vishki,
  • son Haim, born in January of 1921 in Vishki,
  • son Judel, born on April 4 of 1924 in Vishki,
  • daughter Hasya, born on February 7 of 1926 in Vishki.

According to the census for 1935 they lived in Vishki at Rigas 127.
Before the Second World War Jossel (his occupation – joiner) and Faiwusch (his occupation – tailor) lived in Riga at Kr.Barona Street 40, apt. 20. They were struck off the house register on June 25-27 of 1941, not known where. During the Second World War Jossel and Judel were in the Red Army. Jossel was killed on December 24 of 1941 near Staraya Russa. Judel was killed on December 25 of 1844 in Courland.
We suppose that Wulf-Kuska was son of a widow Haya Dumesch, living in Vishki at Rizhskaya according to the All Russian census for 1897.

The census for 1935 contain information about the family of Israel Dumes, born on June 6 of 1905 in Vishki, and his wife Bluma, born on March 2 of 1906 in Vishki.
Their children:

  • son Leiser, born on February 6 of 1930 in Vishki,
  • daughter Haya, born on September 25 of 1934 in Vishki.

According to the census for 1935 they lived in Vishki at Rigas Street 118.
Unfortunately, the birth records of the Jewish community in Vishki for 1905 have not survived, therefore we cannot establish parents of Israel Dumes.

 

 

Director                                                                                                         N. Rižovs

Head of Department                                                                                       I. Veinberga

Bruce unknown cousins

 

A ten minutes movie,that Bruce made of my video about Vishki

 

 

 

Genoch Dumesh

Genoch Dumesh and his wife born in 1861.1920

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