William came to the US between 1858 and 1860 from Goldingen in the former Duchy of Kurland or Courland.
Goldingen is now called Kuldyga, Latvia. A part of the Russian Empire at the time of William's birth in 1829, ethnic Russians were a small minority in Kurland. See more about Goldingen at http://tinyurl.com/cnu6on8 According to Wikipedia and the Courland Research Group of JewishGen, The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a semi-independent dukedom that existed from 1561 until 1795, bounded by the Baltic Sea to the west, Lithuania to the south and the Dvina River (now Daugava) to the North. Its historic capital was Mitau (now Jelgava). Located at an east-west crossroads, its ice-free Baltic ports (especially Libau, now Liepaja) gave it a commercial and strategic importance far greater than its geographical area. At its height, Courland was a prosperous and cultured German-speaking Duchy proud of its traditions and history. Although nominally a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the dukes operated autonomously. In the 18th century, Russia acquired great influence, and in 1795, the last Duke, Peter von Biron, ceded the Duchy to the Russian Empire. Courland became a separate Gubernia [Province] of the Russian Empire from 1797-1918.
After his arrival in the US, William Lazarus settled in Camden, Arkansas. He was the father of Cyrus (b.1857 or 1858 in Goldingen, Kurland), Joseph William (b.1867 in Camden, FAG# 88149805), and Emma Lazarus Geschmay (b.1873 in Camden, FAG #37263906). The 1870 Federal Census, enumerated on July 7, 1870 in Camden, shows a one month old female child, "Hinky", as part of his household. No further record of this individual has been found.
William had two marriages. His first wife was Ellena Levinson ('Ellena' is shown on the 1860 Federal Census, 'Lena' Levinson is shown on a record from the New Orleans Widows & Orphans Assn as Cyrus' mother). William's second wife was Hannah Braunstein, mother of Joseph William, Emma, and "Hinky". Emma's burial information from Gross Funeral Home in Hot Springs, AR names Hannah as her mother. For more about the Jewish community's history in Camden, Arkansas, see: http://tw.gs/SaR9D
John Myar is listed as part of William's household in the 1860 Camden, Arkansas US Census. Research by Cecile Perry Laves, William's great-granddaughter, suggests that John Myar was Ellena/Lena's son by a prior marriage, and therefore William's stepson. The same research also suggests that Ellena/Lena and her first husband, Myar, were cousins, as were the Levinsons and the Lazarus family.
In the 1870 census, William Lazarus and Henry W. Myar are listed on the same page. Henry later became Camden's wealthiest citizen and subsequently moved to Little Rock. Myar and Lazarus descendants continued close relationships well into the 1960s.
The circumstances of William's death and burial in St. Louis, MO are unknown. City records showed his address in St. Louis at death was 1508 Decatur Street.
Coincidentally, William's granddaughter through Cyrus, Lena Miriam (Lynn) Lazarus Weisskopf is also buried at New Mt Sinai, having married into a St. Louis family.
Goldingen is now called Kuldyga, Latvia. A part of the Russian Empire at the time of William's birth in 1829, ethnic Russians were a small minority in Kurland. See more about Goldingen at http://tinyurl.com/cnu6on8 According to Wikipedia and the Courland Research Group of JewishGen, The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a semi-independent dukedom that existed from 1561 until 1795, bounded by the Baltic Sea to the west, Lithuania to the south and the Dvina River (now Daugava) to the North. Its historic capital was Mitau (now Jelgava). Located at an east-west crossroads, its ice-free Baltic ports (especially Libau, now Liepaja) gave it a commercial and strategic importance far greater than its geographical area. At its height, Courland was a prosperous and cultured German-speaking Duchy proud of its traditions and history. Although nominally a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the dukes operated autonomously. In the 18th century, Russia acquired great influence, and in 1795, the last Duke, Peter von Biron, ceded the Duchy to the Russian Empire. Courland became a separate Gubernia [Province] of the Russian Empire from 1797-1918.
After his arrival in the US, William Lazarus settled in Camden, Arkansas. He was the father of Cyrus (b.1857 or 1858 in Goldingen, Kurland), Joseph William (b.1867 in Camden, FAG# 88149805), and Emma Lazarus Geschmay (b.1873 in Camden, FAG #37263906). The 1870 Federal Census, enumerated on July 7, 1870 in Camden, shows a one month old female child, "Hinky", as part of his household. No further record of this individual has been found.
William had two marriages. His first wife was Ellena Levinson ('Ellena' is shown on the 1860 Federal Census, 'Lena' Levinson is shown on a record from the New Orleans Widows & Orphans Assn as Cyrus' mother). William's second wife was Hannah Braunstein, mother of Joseph William, Emma, and "Hinky". Emma's burial information from Gross Funeral Home in Hot Springs, AR names Hannah as her mother. For more about the Jewish community's history in Camden, Arkansas, see: http://tw.gs/SaR9D
John Myar is listed as part of William's household in the 1860 Camden, Arkansas US Census. Research by Cecile Perry Laves, William's great-granddaughter, suggests that John Myar was Ellena/Lena's son by a prior marriage, and therefore William's stepson. The same research also suggests that Ellena/Lena and her first husband, Myar, were cousins, as were the Levinsons and the Lazarus family.
In the 1870 census, William Lazarus and Henry W. Myar are listed on the same page. Henry later became Camden's wealthiest citizen and subsequently moved to Little Rock. Myar and Lazarus descendants continued close relationships well into the 1960s.
The circumstances of William's death and burial in St. Louis, MO are unknown. City records showed his address in St. Louis at death was 1508 Decatur Street.
Coincidentally, William's granddaughter through Cyrus, Lena Miriam (Lynn) Lazarus Weisskopf is also buried at New Mt Sinai, having married into a St. Louis family.
William came to the US between 1858 and 1860 from Goldingen in the former Duchy of Kurland or Courland.
Goldingen is now called Kuldyga, Latvia. A part of the Russian Empire at the time of William's birth in 1829, ethnic Russians were a small minority in Kurland. See more about Goldingen at http://tinyurl.com/cnu6on8 According to Wikipedia and the Courland Research Group of JewishGen, The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a semi-independent dukedom that existed from 1561 until 1795, bounded by the Baltic Sea to the west, Lithuania to the south and the Dvina River (now Daugava) to the North. Its historic capital was Mitau (now Jelgava). Located at an east-west crossroads, its ice-free Baltic ports (especially Libau, now Liepaja) gave it a commercial and strategic importance far greater than its geographical area. At its height, Courland was a prosperous and cultured German-speaking Duchy proud of its traditions and history. Although nominally a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the dukes operated autonomously. In the 18th century, Russia acquired great influence, and in 1795, the last Duke, Peter von Biron, ceded the Duchy to the Russian Empire. Courland became a separate Gubernia [Province] of the Russian Empire from 1797-1918.
After his arrival in the US, William Lazarus settled in Camden, Arkansas. He was the father of Cyrus (b.1857 or 1858 in Goldingen, Kurland), Joseph William (b.1867 in Camden, FAG# 88149805), and Emma Lazarus Geschmay (b.1873 in Camden, FAG #37263906). The 1870 Federal Census, enumerated on July 7, 1870 in Camden, shows a one month old female child, "Hinky", as part of his household. No further record of this individual has been found.
William had two marriages. His first wife was Ellena Levinson ('Ellena' is shown on the 1860 Federal Census, 'Lena' Levinson is shown on a record from the New Orleans Widows & Orphans Assn as Cyrus' mother). William's second wife was Hannah Braunstein, mother of Joseph William, Emma, and "Hinky". Emma's burial information from Gross Funeral Home in Hot Springs, AR names Hannah as her mother. For more about the Jewish community's history in Camden, Arkansas, see: http://tw.gs/SaR9D
John Myar is listed as part of William's household in the 1860 Camden, Arkansas US Census. Research by Cecile Perry Laves, William's great-granddaughter, suggests that John Myar was Ellena/Lena's son by a prior marriage, and therefore William's stepson. The same research also suggests that Ellena/Lena and her first husband, Myar, were cousins, as were the Levinsons and the Lazarus family.
In the 1870 census, William Lazarus and Henry W. Myar are listed on the same page. Henry later became Camden's wealthiest citizen and subsequently moved to Little Rock. Myar and Lazarus descendants continued close relationships well into the 1960s.
The circumstances of William's death and burial in St. Louis, MO are unknown. City records showed his address in St. Louis at death was 1508 Decatur Street.
Coincidentally, William's granddaughter through Cyrus, Lena Miriam (Lynn) Lazarus Weisskopf is also buried at New Mt Sinai, having married into a St. Louis family.
Goldingen is now called Kuldyga, Latvia. A part of the Russian Empire at the time of William's birth in 1829, ethnic Russians were a small minority in Kurland. See more about Goldingen at http://tinyurl.com/cnu6on8 According to Wikipedia and the Courland Research Group of JewishGen, The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a semi-independent dukedom that existed from 1561 until 1795, bounded by the Baltic Sea to the west, Lithuania to the south and the Dvina River (now Daugava) to the North. Its historic capital was Mitau (now Jelgava). Located at an east-west crossroads, its ice-free Baltic ports (especially Libau, now Liepaja) gave it a commercial and strategic importance far greater than its geographical area. At its height, Courland was a prosperous and cultured German-speaking Duchy proud of its traditions and history. Although nominally a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the dukes operated autonomously. In the 18th century, Russia acquired great influence, and in 1795, the last Duke, Peter von Biron, ceded the Duchy to the Russian Empire. Courland became a separate Gubernia [Province] of the Russian Empire from 1797-1918.
After his arrival in the US, William Lazarus settled in Camden, Arkansas. He was the father of Cyrus (b.1857 or 1858 in Goldingen, Kurland), Joseph William (b.1867 in Camden, FAG# 88149805), and Emma Lazarus Geschmay (b.1873 in Camden, FAG #37263906). The 1870 Federal Census, enumerated on July 7, 1870 in Camden, shows a one month old female child, "Hinky", as part of his household. No further record of this individual has been found.
William had two marriages. His first wife was Ellena Levinson ('Ellena' is shown on the 1860 Federal Census, 'Lena' Levinson is shown on a record from the New Orleans Widows & Orphans Assn as Cyrus' mother). William's second wife was Hannah Braunstein, mother of Joseph William, Emma, and "Hinky". Emma's burial information from Gross Funeral Home in Hot Springs, AR names Hannah as her mother. For more about the Jewish community's history in Camden, Arkansas, see: http://tw.gs/SaR9D
John Myar is listed as part of William's household in the 1860 Camden, Arkansas US Census. Research by Cecile Perry Laves, William's great-granddaughter, suggests that John Myar was Ellena/Lena's son by a prior marriage, and therefore William's stepson. The same research also suggests that Ellena/Lena and her first husband, Myar, were cousins, as were the Levinsons and the Lazarus family.
In the 1870 census, William Lazarus and Henry W. Myar are listed on the same page. Henry later became Camden's wealthiest citizen and subsequently moved to Little Rock. Myar and Lazarus descendants continued close relationships well into the 1960s.
The circumstances of William's death and burial in St. Louis, MO are unknown. City records showed his address in St. Louis at death was 1508 Decatur Street.
Coincidentally, William's granddaughter through Cyrus, Lena Miriam (Lynn) Lazarus Weisskopf is also buried at New Mt Sinai, having married into a St. Louis family.
