Meretsky
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HOW IT HAPPENED THAT I GOT INFORMATION ABOUT MORRIS MERRITT AND HIS SONS
In 2007 I had completed a family history of Esther Borofski Meretsky Meyers, my grandmother. The children of Esther Meretsky and Simcha Meretsky were Sarah, Morris, Leah, Marian, Tilly, Hyman, Chana, Isadore and Jack. Chana Meretsky Borofsky is my mother. Before World War 1 six of Esther’s children, Sarah, Morris, Leah, Marian, Tillie and Hyman immigrated to the US and eventually settled in New Haven. Morris and Marian changed their last name to Merritt. I became interested in doing a family history of my grandmother and my mother and her 8 siblings. I assembled 50 pages of information using Family Tree Maker. I eventually sent this booklet out to 75 Meretsky family members. I could not find information about Morris Meretsky Merritt’s heirs. Only Sonny Lurie had any memory of Morris, Fannie and their 3 boys living with”Bubbie Esther.” Leah Meretsky Saslafsky’s granddaughter Jennifer Saslafsky in New Haven was also doing a geneaology history of the Meretsky family. We shared our information. I sent the completed family information to Jennifer Saslafsky who posted it on the Internet. I will forward all my research on Morris Merritt to her to add to her Internet postings. In 2011, Jeffrey Merritt, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, grandson of Morris Meretsky Merritt, was looking for information about his grandfather. He asked his employee, Vivian Williamson-Bryan, to do some research. Finding it on the Internet, she contacted Jennifer Saslafsky who then gave Vivian my phone number and email address. We confirmed that Jeffrey Merritt was the grandson of Morris Meretsky Merritt. I immediately sent Jeffrey (through Vivian) every bit of information I had about his grandfather. It included the introduction to the Esther Borofsky Meretsky Myers Family History and a photo of Morris. Jeffrey seemed satisfied with the information I sent and I never heard from him again. However, I became interested in finding out about the last part of our family history. In 2012, Vivian was only able to occasionally send me information about Jeffrey’s parents and siblings. In 2013, Jayne Merritt Winter (Jeffrey’s sister) contacted me saying she was very interested in sending names, dates and other information about Morris’s three sons, Sydney, Herb and Carl “Sol”. Jayne also lives in St. Thomas, owns her own business, and spends a lot of time in Ithaca caring for her ailing parents, Sydney and Joyce. Sol also added a lot of information about his children and especially Gregg’s nine children. Sol also sent me a photo of the 3 brothers, Syd, Herbert, Carl and a photo of the 3 brothers and their wives, Joyce, Katch, and Debby. It meant so much to me to have a visual image of cousins that I had been researching and writing about over 5 years. I am so grateful Somehow Jane always found the time to answer my questions and provide stores about Morris’s three sons. I can’t thank her enough. Mickey Stern |
MEMORIES OF MORRIS MERETSKY MERRITT BASED ON CONVERSATIONS JAYNE MERRITT WINTER HAD WITH HER FATHER, SYD MERRITT AND UNCLE CARL MERRITT. With Updates by Jeffrey Merritt (2016)
MORRIS, was born in 1886 in Sztabin, Poland. He and 5 of his sister and brothers, Sarah, Leah, May, Tillie and Hyman immigrated to the US before World War1 and eventually settled in New Haven. He married Fannie L. Finkelstein in 1925, in the USA. He was 39 and she was 25. They had three sons, Sydney(1926), Herbert(1929) and Carl(1931). Morris owned a successful shoe store in downtown Keene, NH. The family lived in a small, but comfortable house at #10 Giffin Street. During the Great Depression, Morris lost his store and his savings due to the collapse of his bank. He went to work in a shoe factory in Somers, NH, but it was a long commute from Keene. When Morris could no longer find work in New Hampshire, the family moved to New Haven, living with Morris’s mother, Bubbie Esther. Syd remembers her as a very old, tiny white-haired woman who sat in the kitchen and prayed all day. (She lived to be 106). Jobs were scarce so with funds from a few family members in New Haven and Keene, Morris tried a few small businesses and they all failed. He became very depressed and became very ill. Morris died in 1942. Two years later, Fannie and her children returned to Keene, and lived with her sister, Celia. SYDNEY MERRITT married Joyce Wheadon in 1951. They currently reside in Ithaca, NY and are the parents of three children, Jeffrey Morris Merritt, Jayne Merritt Winter and Jon Merritt. Syd worked as an electrical engineer in various supervisory and developmental positions. He worked in Taiwan for approximately 25 years with several companies. For two years the whole family also lived in Taiwan (approximately 1967 to 1969) and the remainder of the time Syd lived and worked there alone, traveling back home to upstate New York for extended family visits once or twice a year. Syd continues to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. HERBERT “HERB” MERRITT married his second wife, Katherine “Katch” Fennessy. Herb was a teacher, later became a principal near Hudson, NY. After retirement, Herb and Katch resided in the upstate town of Valatie, NY. Herb died in 2013. CARL “SOL” SEYMOUR MERRITT married Janet Silver in 1957. They had four children, Pamela, Sandra, Peter and Greg. After Janet’s death, Sol married Debbie Ellis and they reside in Nantucket, MA. Sol worked as an electrical engineer at Westinghouse for 16 years and later in sales at a building supply company for 18 years. Sol’s family gathered on July 20, 2011 to celebrate his 80th birthday. |
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The Dry Goods Store of Samuel / Zalman Finkelstein Circa 1910 Keene NH
The New York Store 1920
Keene New Hampshire
The Location of Morris Merritt's - Business In Keene New Hampshire
1925 - The heirs of Elbridge G. Whitcomb sold to Morris Medvidosky the former Whitcomb homestead on Roxbury street and Mr. Medvidosky enlarged the house making two stores. (from the 1925 Keene NH annual report - Note the misspelling of Meretsky.
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1926
Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1926
Street address: 35 Dartmouth - (The Home No Longer Exists)
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Employee
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1926
Street address: 35 Dartmouth - (The Home No Longer Exists)
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Employee
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
#10 Giffin Street Keen New Hampshire Morris Merrit and Family Lived Here From1927 - 1934
Our father Syd Merritt Lived in this home from birth until the age of 7?
Morris Merritt and Family Census 1930
Name: Morris Merritt
Birth Year: abt 1887
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Russia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1930: Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire
Map of Home: View Map
Street address: Giffen
Ward of City: pt. Two
House Number in Cities or Towns:10
Dwelling Number: 289
Family Number: 325
Home Owned or Rented: Rented
Home Value: 30.00
Radio Set: Yes
Lives on Farm: No
Age at First Marriage: 39
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Russia
Mother's Birthplace: Connecticut
Naturalization: Naturalized
Occupation: Manager
Industry: Shoe Store
Class of Worker: Working on own account
Employment: Yes
Household Members:
Morris Merritt age 43
Fannie L Merritt age 30
Sydney Merritt age 3
Herbert S Merritt age 1
Birth Year: abt 1887
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Russia
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1930: Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire
Map of Home: View Map
Street address: Giffen
Ward of City: pt. Two
House Number in Cities or Towns:10
Dwelling Number: 289
Family Number: 325
Home Owned or Rented: Rented
Home Value: 30.00
Radio Set: Yes
Lives on Farm: No
Age at First Marriage: 39
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Russia
Mother's Birthplace: Connecticut
Naturalization: Naturalized
Occupation: Manager
Industry: Shoe Store
Class of Worker: Working on own account
Employment: Yes
Household Members:
Morris Merritt age 43
Fannie L Merritt age 30
Sydney Merritt age 3
Herbert S Merritt age 1
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1931
Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year:1931
Street address:10 Griffin
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoes
Spouse: Fanny L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year:1931
Street address:10 Griffin
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoes
Spouse: Fanny L Merritt
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1933
Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1933
Street address: 10 Giffin
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoes
Spouse: Fanny L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1933
Street address: 10 Giffin
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoes
Spouse: Fanny L Merritt
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1934
Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1934
Street address: 10 Giffin
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoes
Spouse: Fanny L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1934
Street address: 10 Giffin
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoes
Spouse: Fanny L Merritt
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1937
Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1937
Street address: 24 Foundry
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoe Wkr
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1937
Street address: 24 Foundry
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoe Wkr
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1938
Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1938
Street address: 24 Foundry
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoe Wkr
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1938
Street address: 24 Foundry
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoe Wkr
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
On Oct 1938 a Social Security Number was filed.
SSN 700-18-8449 / under the name Maurice Merritt, born Mar 5, 1885 in Russia / Parents: Simon Merritt, Esther Borofsky
SSN 700-18-8449 / under the name Maurice Merritt, born Mar 5, 1885 in Russia / Parents: Simon Merritt, Esther Borofsky
# 8 Blake Street Keen NH The Morris Merritt Family Lived here From 1940 to 1941
Our Dad Syd Merritt Would have been about 14 years old when he lived here.
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1940
Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1940
Street address : 8 Blake
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoe Wkr
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1940
Street address : 8 Blake
Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA
Occupation: Shoe Wkr
Spouse: Fannie L Merritt
Keene, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1941
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Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male Residence Year: 1941 Street address: 8 Blake Residence Place: Keene, New Hampshire, USA Occupation: Shoe Wkr Spouse: Fannie L Merritt |
Morris Merritt Burial Records
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Name: Morris Merritt
Gender: Male Birth Date: abt 1885 Death Date: 14 Nov 1941 Death Place: Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire Death Age: 56 Father Name: Simon Merritt Mother Name: Esther Borofsky Spouse Name: Fannie Finkelstein Spouse Gender: Female Event Type: Death Name: Morris Merritt Birth Date:1885 Death Date:14 Nov 1941 Age at Death:56 Burial Plot:K41 Burial Place: East Haven, Connecticut, United States Father Name: Simcha Cemetery: Hebrew Free Burial Association Cemetery Address: Brocket Court East Haven New Haven County Connecticut, USA Plot: K41 1 Dec 1941 SSN 002-14-3344 / under the name Morris Merritt, born Mar 5, 1885 in Poland / died Nov 14, 1941 |