Dumes.Net

A website dedicated to the family of Chaim and Sadie Silk Dumes from Viski, Latvia

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Scheina Freida Novoselok / Sadie Silk Dumes

On August 19, 1912, Sheina-Freida of Viski, Latvia with her children Arthur, Anna and William arrived in Philadelphia (NOT Ellis Island). For more detailed info regarding the family's journey to America, check out the immigration page. From Philadelphia, they traveled to Champaign, IL to meet the rest of the family on the event of eldest son Louis' wedding to Rebecca Stein in September 1912. Sadie notes in the ship manifest that they are traveling to meet Leib (Louis) Dumes at 503 E. Park St. in Champaign, IL.

Arthur, Anna, Sadie, William, Fannie, around 1908 in Viski, Latvia

The Family of Abram Nowoselok of Viski, Latvia.

Sheina-Freda Nowoselok Dumesh (or Sadie Silk Dumes) was the grand-daughter of Abram Nowoselok, daughter of Arja or Aron Nowlselok, born in 1841. You won't see Sadie listed in this report because by the census of 1897 she was listed as part of the household with her husband Chaim.

The lists of Jewish families belonging to Dvinsk and Dvinsk district, set up in 1875 (only males are registered in these lists used for conscription) contain information about one Nowoselok family living in Viski (see Appendix No.1):

Arja or Aron Nowoselok had at least five children.

  1. Mowscha-Selik, son of Aron Nowoselok was born around 1860/1861 in Viski. According to the census for 1935 his date of birth was 1861, On the lists for 1875 he was born circa 1860. However according to the census for 1897 he was 41 years old. His place of registration: Viski, occupation: pedlar, glazier. According to the census for 1935 his occupation was as a joiner. In 1935, Mowscha-Selik, his wife Feiga-Ginda and the family of Haim-Wulf Nowoselok lived in Viski at Aglonas Street 38.

    His wife Feiga-Ginda (Hinda), daughter of Leiser (maiden name is not stated) was born in 1858 in Viski (aged around 38 in ca 1896. in the census of 1935 her date of birth listed as 1858). According to the census for 1897 they lived in Viski at Petersburgskaya Street, in the house of Schepschelewitsch, apt. 2 (see Appendix No.2 Page1 and Page2).

    Their children:

    • daughter Sora-Selda Nowoselok, born circa 1882 in Viski (aged 14 circa 1896),
    • son Haim-Wulf Nowoselok, born circa 1888 in Viski (aged around 9 in 1896, according to the census for 1935 he was born in 1888). His occupation was hat maker. His wife Zipa-Lea was born in 1896 in Viski.
        Their children:

      • son Genoch Nowoselok, born on January 5 of 1922 in Viski. Before the Second World War, Genoch Nowoselok lived in Riga at Puskina Street 1, apt. 7. He was struck off the house register of Puskina Street 1 in February of 1941, and moved to Avotu Street 22. In the house register of Avotu Street 22 he was registered since February 5 as of 1941, but his registration at the mentioned address was deleted (see Appendix No.3). The book of Eva Vater "Latvian Jews in fight against Nazism" contains information about Genady, son of Haim Nowoselov, born in 1922. We suppose that Genoch Nowoselok and Genady Nowoselov are one and the same person. During the war he was in Red Army, and he survived the war.
      • daughter Haja Nowoselok, born on March 1 of 1925 in Viski,
      • daughter Hena Nowoselok, born on December 5 of 1929 in Viski,
      • son Aron Nowoselok, born on April 12 of 1931 in Viski.

  2. David, son of Arje (also Aron-Haim) Nowoselok (Nowoschelk) was born around 1863/1864 in Viski. His occupation – glazier. His wife Dweira (Dwerka), daughter of Nachman, nèe Neuhaus was born around 1863/1864 in Vitebsk.

    Dweira’s father was Nachman, son of Awsey Neuhaus, born circa 1836 in Vitebsk (aged 60 in the census for 1897), his occupation – private Jewish teacher. Her mother – Lea-Sora Neuhaus, daughter of Leiser (maiden name is not stated), born circa 1841 in Vitebsk (aged 55 in the census for 1897). They had children besides daughter Dweira: son Leiser Neuhaus, born circa 1877 in Vitebsk, daughter Frumka Neuhaus, born circa 1880 in Dvinsk, they worked at the match factory. According to the census for 1897 the family of David Nowoselok, Dweira’s parents and siblings lived in Dvinsk at the corner of Shosseynaya and Mogilevskaya Streets 80, 82, 158/78, 156, in the house of Pavlov, apt 5 (see Appendix No. 7 Page 1 and Page 2). They had children:

    • daughter Soska, born circa 1886/1887 in Dvinsk (aged 10 in the census for 1897),
    • son Aron-Haim (Artschik), born on March 25 of 1889 in Dvinsk (aged 8 in the census for 1897) (see Appendix No.4),
    • son Schloma-Itzik, born on May 27 of 1891 in Dvinsk (aged 5 in the census for 1897) (see Appendix No.5),
    • son Abram-Leiser, born circa 1896 in Dvinsk (aged 9 months in the census for 1897).
    • son Rafail, born on January 1 of 1899 in Dvinsk (see Appendix Nr.6).

  3. Zirel (Zirka), daughter of Arje (Aron) Nowoselok was born in 1875 in Dvinsk (this date and place of birth was stated in the census for 1935). One can suppose that she was a sister of Scheina-Freida. According to the census for 1935 Zirel (Zirka) Nowoselok’s husband Dvinsk petty bourgeois Mowscha, son of Haim Machlin was born in 1870 in Dvinsk. In 1935 they lived in Daugavpils at Imantas Street 100, apt. 3. His occupation – shoemaker. Mowscha Machlin died on June 30 of 1940 in Daugavpils.

    • The birth records of the Jewish community in Dvinsk for 1899 contain information on the birth on November 7 of 1899 (Julian calendar) in Dvinsk of Iser, illegitimate son of Dvinsk petty bourgeois Zirka, daughter of Arje, nèe Nowosolok.

    • 3.1. son Lev (Leiba) Machlin, born on March 24 (Julian calendar, 6 April – Gregorian calendar) of 1903 in Dvinsk. His wife Mina was born in 1903 in Dvinsk. In 1935 the family of Lev Machlin lived in Daugavpils at Imantas Street 108, apt. 3. They had children:

      • 3.1.1. daughter Lea Machlin, born on July 16 of 1927 in Daugavpils,
      • 3.1.2. daughter Luba Machlin, born on February 17 of 1929 in Duagavpils,
      • 3.1.3. son Aron Machlin, born on June 1 of 1931 in Daugavpils.

    • 3.2. son Itzchok Machlin, born on February 2 of 1907 in Dvinsk. His occupation – tailor. His wife Haja, daughter of Mendel and Esther Jankelson, born on April 28 of 1903 (Julian calendar) in Dvinsk. Their children:

      • 3.2.1. daughter Rebecka Machlin, born on January 5 of 1932 in Daugavpils,
      • 3.2.2. daughter Lubov Machlin, born on November 22 of 1936 in Daugavpils. They lived in Daugavpils at Kraslavas Street 75, apt. 3. The house register of Karslavas Street 75 contain information that they were struck off the house register on January 18 of 1938, not known where. The book of Eva Vater "Latvian Jews in fight against Nazism" Itzchok Machlin during the Second World War was in Red Army, he survived the war.

    • 3.3. son David Machlin, born on November 23 of 1909 in Dvinsk. His occupation – tailor. His wife Zivja, daughter of Mendel and Esther Jankelson, born on January 29 of 1914 in Dvinsk. In 1935 unmarried David lived together with parents at Imantas Street 108, apt. 3. David and Zivja lived in Daugavpils at Kraslavas Street 75. They were struck off the house register on April 26 of 1937, not stated where.

  4. The records of the 1st All Russian census for 1897 contain information about Haja, daughter of Aron Nowoselok, born circa 1876/1877 in Dvinsk (aged 20 in the census for 1897). She worked as a cook in the Jewish hospital at Shosseynaya Street (see Appendix No.8 Page 1 and Page 2).

More documentation

On Sadie's ship manifest, she names Selig Moishe as nearest relative in her native country which the clerk wrote as "Wyskis" [Viski]. It's very rewarding when you are researching these records to find another thing which helps to verify that you've found the right person. It can be very difficult to know if you've found the correct "Jacob Kaplan", for example, because the name was so common.

We have info from the obit in the St. Louis Globe Democrat 8-8-33 that she had sisters Mrs. Heske Caplan of Saratoga Springs and Mrs. Rebecca Richmond of Brooklyn and a brother Rev. David Silk of Los Angeles.

I've heard the names "Tanta Rifka" and "Aunt Richmond" used to refer to a sister of Sadie. I'm assuming that both names refer to Rebecca Richmond. She shows up in a small number of the family photos.

The photo on the left is Anne Fine. Cousin Lillian Zoll had the photo and told me that her mother was a sister of Sadie and Aunt Richmond. I don't know if her birth name was Fine or if that was a married name, so it's not a lot to go on. Lillian often referenced the Fine family when she was talking to me, but couldn't rember exactly how they were connected.

I haven't learned anything about Heske Kaplan. Could Heske and Rebecca be two more daughters not listed in the Latvian documents (which is exceedingly possible) or are Zirel (Zirka) and Haja from the Latvian documents actually Rebecca and Heske? We may never know.

Fannie Dumes Fishman and Tanta Rifka, with thanks to Phyllis Miller
David and family are listed in the 1897 census in Dvinsk (now Daugavpils, Latvia), and in November 1903, David and his family traveled to America. David didn't officially change his name from Novoselok to Silk until 1936, in his naturalization papers. David's occupation in Viski was a glazer. In America, he moved to Los Angeles and became a rabbi.

I made contact with a descendant of David, his grandson Nathan son of Harry Silk. Nathan was elderly and not in great health. I sent him the documentation which I had gathered as well as a photo of his mother from a passport photo that he had never seen. He was very grateful for the information, but had very little to add. He said that he was unaware that his grandfather David had any siblings, so I think any knowledge of our part of the family had long since faded. Nathan has since passed away.

Sadie's Death

Sadie Silk Dumes died in St. Louis, Missouri, killed by a hit-and-run driver in August 1933, while crossing an intersection in St. Louis, where she was living at that time, not far from where she was killed.

Salesman Admits He Fled but Says Accident Was Unavoidable.

When a hit-and-run automobile killed an aged woman and critically injured another woman at Page boulevard and Marcus avenue last night, the police began a city-wide search for the driver on the basis of five known or assumed facts. These were:

First, that the car was black. It was described so by witnesses.
Second, that it was an Oldsmobile, either a coupe or a coach.
Third, that there was a yellowish-green stripe around the body.
Fourth, that the right headlight was broken or missing. Pieces of a headlight lens were picked up at the scene of the accident. From the fact that witnesses said the right side of the car struck the women, the police assumed that it was the right headlight that was broken.
Fifth, that the right fender probably was dented.

Under a general order issued by Acting Night Chief of Police Paul Shultz, every beat patrolman and all officers in police automobiles began a city-wide search for a car of that description. As part of this general search, Sergt. Michael Flavin and Patrolmen George Loesche and George Schlueter began a check of all cars in the vicinity of the accident, which occurred on Schlueter's beat and in the precinct patrolled by Flavin and Loesche. For five hours and twenty minutes they searched, on the slimmest of chances that the driver lived in the vicinity. Much to their surprise, they finally found the car in the backyard of a rooming house at 4956 Page boulevard, only two and a half blocks from the scene of the accident. The owner, Olas Sanders, 25-year-old automobile salesman and a lodger at the rooming house, was arrested. he admitted, the police say, that he was the driver of the car that struck the women, but he insisted that the accident was unavoidable. Booked as "suspected of manslaughter, felonious wounding, leaving the scene of an accident and careless driving," Sanders, who is unmarried, is held at the Deer street station pending the outcome of the coroner's inquest.

Victim Dies in Hospital

The woman who was killed was Mrs. Sadie Dumas[sic], a 70-year-old widow living at 1210A Walton avenue. Suffering a fractured skull, a broken right leg and a broken right hip, she died in the City Hospital an hour and a half after the accident. Her companion and neighbor, Mrs. Anna Fleishman, 60 years old, of 1212 Walton avenue, is in the hospital with a probable skull fracture, broken nose and fractured left leg. The women were crossing Page boulevard just west of the pedestrian crossing at Marcus avenue at 8:40 p.m. when they were struck by the car, which was westbound. The driving, failing to stop, was pursued by anothe motorist to Euclid and Easton avenue, where the fleeing machine disappeared in heavy traffic. Flavin, Loesche and Schlueter, after a twenty-five minute investigation, obtained a description of the car from witnesses, picked up the pieces of headlight lens and held them as evidence. One piece bore the letters "B. E." which was the maker's trademark. Checking every automobile in the vicinity, the three officers finally found the car for which they were searching. The right headlight was missing and the pieces of glass found at the scene of the accident, when pieced together, fitted into the rim. The other headlight bore the letters "B. E." and the right fender was dented.

Cop Knew Owner of Car

Schlueter knew that the car belonged to Sanders, but Sanders was not at home. However, he was found a few minutes later in a restaurant across the street eating a sandwich. At first he said that his brother had had an accident with the car in St. Louis County. However, when the officers showed him how the pieces of broken headlight lens fitted into the rim, he admitted, the police say, that he was the driver whose car struck the women. According to Acting Lieut. Michael Callahan, Sanders said that he was driving only about thirty miles an hour when the women suddenly appeared in front of his car. He declared that he did not have time to stop. Asked why he drove on after the accident, the police said he told them: "I got excited and lost my head. I drove on home, parked my car and then went to bed. But I couldn't sleep. I finally decided to surrender, but I went to the restaurant first to get something to eat, thinking it would settle my nerves." The two women were out for a walk at the time of the accident. Mrs. Dumas[sic] came here three weeks ago from Minneapolis[sic] where she had been living with a married daughter. She has three other daughters and four sons, all of whom live out of town.