Sam Gordon (abt. 1881 - 1908)

Born about Oct 1881 in Russian Empire

Husband of Sadie (Breznik) Gordon — married 2 Feb 1904 in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Oct 1908 at about age 27 in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gaile Connolly [send private message]

^{source index: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]}

Sam Gordon migrated from Russian Empire to United States.

Biography

Sam was probably born in October 1881 (see Notes) in a country that was then part of the Russian Empire. His parents were Simon Gordon and Yetta (Unknown) Gordon^[1] After Sam's mother died (between 1886 and 1888), his father married Celia Albert in 1888.^[2]

Samuel, his sister Bessie and their stepmother Celia may have come to the United States in 1890 with Samuel's father, however it is more likely that they followed him in 1892 or 1893 (see Notes). Samuel's half-brother Max may have been born in the Russian Empire before they came or in the United States shortly after their arrival.

In 1900, nineteen year old Samuel lived at 223 Madison Street in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States with his father Simon (age 41), stepmother Celia (age 34), sister Bessie (age 15), and half-siblings Max (shown as Marx, age 9), Louis (age 4), and Rosie (age 1). His father was a presser, Samuel was an operator on cloaks, and Bessie was an operator on shirts.^[2]

Sam married Sadie Bresnick February 2, 1904 in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States.^[3] They probably lived in the Russian immigrant section of the Manhattan neighborhood known as the Lower East Side.^[4]

Sam and Sadie had two sons, Benjamin^[5] and Harry.^[6]

Sam was living at 21 Bowery in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States at the time of his death on October 6, 1908 in Manhattan, New York, New York, United States^[7] (see Notes). He was buried October 9, 1908 in the Silver Lake Cemetery in Sunnyside, Staten Island, Richmond, New York, United States.^[8]

Notes

Birth Year
Records vary in stating Sam's birth year as:

• October 1881 - 1900 Census^[2]
• about 1882 - Son Ben's Birth Certificate,^[5] burial,^[8] and Death Certificate^[7] (deemed most reliable)
• about 1883 - Marriage Certificate^[1] and Son Harry's Birth Certificate^[6]

Mother's Death
Sam was seven years old and his sister, Bessie, was two or three years old when Sam's father married Celia in 1888.^[2] Sam's mother was certainly alive when Bessie was born in 1886, therefore she is presumed to have died between 1885 and 1888.

Immigration and Half-Brother Max
The date when Samuel, Bessie, and their step-mother Celia arrived in the United States varies, as shown on different records:

• about 1890 in Celia's 1910 census^[9]
• about 1892 in the 1900 census^[2]
• about 1893 in Celia's 1905 census^[10]
• about 1895 in Celia's 1915 census^[11]

Sam's oldest half-brother, Max, was born in 1890 in Russia^[12] or 1891 in the United States.^[2] The family immigrated between 1890 and 1893, therefore Max's birth place is uncertain.

Marriage
Two transcriptions of Sam's marriage record have been found. One shows his first name as "Sam", but only shows data for bride and groom.^[3] The other shows Sam's first name as "S..." and also shows names of both sets of parents.^[1]

Death
The discovery of Sam's death record debunks the story his widow, Sadie, told their children. It might have been excusable at the time, since they were three and two years old, however Sadie stuck to the same story throughout her life:

The family was living in Woodridge, Sullivan, New York, United States, a small rural town. After leaving for work one day, Sam never returned and nothing was ever known about him after that. Left alone with two toddlers and a great stigma on single parents, the community treated Sadie like a pariah, incessantly speculating what she might have done that was so bad that it made her husband abandon his family. The local doctor took pity on her and gave her a job taking care of his office. Her sons both left school after eighth grade to help support the family.^[4]

The reality is that the family lived on the lower east side of Manhattan, New York when Sam died, after which Sadie and her two toddler sons lived in Pennsylvania with her brother for between 1 and 5 years, before she moved to Woodridge, Sullivan, New York, United States with her sons.

Other Sam Gordon's
It is astonishing how many men named Sam Gordon were married to women whose first name was Sadie in New York City, nearby New Jersey, and nearby Pennsylvania in the early 1900's. In addition, names of other known family members were also extremely common, making the task of sorting out the different families daunting.

There is a 1905 census record for a different Sam Gordon. It shows Samuel and Sadie with a 1 year old daughter, living with Abraham and Rebecca Gordon and their children Morris, Leo, Henry, and Benjamin. Benjamin is 1 year old. If the census taker accidentally reversed the parents of the 1 year olds, this might fit, except that this Samuel was born in 1877 and was living in Brooklyn, Kings, New York at the time.^[13]

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1910 census record is also for a different Sam Gordon. It shows Sam and Sadie with 2 sons, Abe (age 12) and Lewis (age 9). This cannot be correct because the correct Sam and Sadie were married 6 years earlier and Sam was no longer alive in 1910, so could not be parents of Abe and Lewis, plus Benjamin and Harry should be shown in 1910.^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1866-1938, index, FamilySearch (accessed 11 June 2015), S... Gordon and Sadie Bresnik, 02 Feb 1904; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm, includes:

   Name: S... Gordon

   Event Type: Marriage

   Event Date: 02 Feb 1904

   Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

   Gender: Male

   Age: 21

   Marital Status: Single

   Race: White

   Birth Year (Estimated): 1883

   Birthplace: Rusia

   Father's Name: Simon

   Mother's Name: Yetta Gordon

   Spouse's Name: Sadie Bresnik

   Spouse's Gender: Female

   Spouse's Age: 23

   Spouse's Marital Status: Single

   Spouse's Race: White

   Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1881

   Spouse's Birthplace: Rusia

   Spouse's Father's Name: Sam Bresnik

   Spouse's Mother's Name: Ida Greek

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} United States Census, 1900, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 23 March 2016), Simon Gordon, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 7, 9, 11 New York City Ward 4, New York County, New York, United States; citing sheet 11B, family 163, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,083, includes:

   Name Simon Gordon

   Event Type Census

   Event Year 1900

   Event Place Borough of Manhattan, Election District 7, 9, 11 New York City Ward 4, New York County, New York, United States

   Gender Male

   Age 41

   Marital Status Married

   Race White

   Relationship to Head of Household Head

   Years Married 12

   Birth Date Nov 1859

   Birthplace Russia

   Marriage Year (Estimated) 1888

   Immigration Year 1890

   Father's Birthplace Russia

   Mother's Birthplace Russia

   Address 223 Madison Street

   Household Role Gender Age Birthplace

   Simon Gordon Head M 41 Russia to US 1890, presser

   Celia Gordon Wife F 34 Russia married 12 yrs, to US 1892

   Samuel Gordon Son M 19 Russia to US 1892, operator, cloaks

   Bessie Gordon Daughter F 15 Russia to US 1892, operator, shirts

   Marx Gordon Son M 9 Russia to US 1892

   Louis Gordon Son M 4 New York

   Rosie Gordon Daughter F 1 New York

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Italian Genealogical Group, record for Sadie Bresnik, (accessed June 3, 2015), includes:

   Bride: Sadie Bresnik

   Groom: Sam Gordon

   Date: February 2, 1904

   County: Manhattan

   Certificate Number: 3050

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Remembrances of Sam's son Harry as told to Harry's daughter Gaile Connolly.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909, index, FamilySearch (accessed 10 June 2015), Samuel Gordon, 08 Mar 1905; citing Birth, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm, includes:

   Name: Samuel Gordon

   Event Type: Birth

   Event Date: 08 Mar 1905

   Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

   Gender: Male

   Race: White

   Father's Name: Sam Gordon

   Father's Birthplace: Russia

   Father's Age: 23

   Mother's Name: Sadie Bresnek

   Mother's Birthplace: Russia

   Mother's Age: 23

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909, index, FamilySearch (accessed 2 June 2015), Harry Gordon, 29 Jun 1906; citing Birth, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm, includes:

   Name: Harry Gordon

   Event Type: Birth

   Event Date: 29 Jun 1906

   Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

   Gender: Male

   Race: White

   Father's Name: Sam Gordon

   Father's Birthplace: Russia

   Father's Age: 23

   Mother's Name: Sadie Bresnick Gordon

   Mother's Birthplace: Russia

   Mother's Age: 26

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949, index, FamilySearch (accessed 4 June 2015), Sam Gordon, 06 Oct 1908; citing Death, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm, includes:

   Name: Sam Gordon

   Event Type: Death

   Event Date: 06 Oct 1908

   Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States

   Address: 21 Bowery, Manhattan Borough

   Residence Place: , New York, New York

   Gender: Male

   Age: 26

   Marital Status: Married

   Race: White

   Occupation: Presser

   Birth Year (Estimated): 1882

   Birthplace: Russia

   Burial Date: 09 Oct 1908

   Cemetery: Silver Lake Cem.

   Father's Name: Simon

   Father's Birthplace: Russia

   Mother's Name: Yatta Gordon

   Mother's Birthplace: Russia

8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Find A Grave, memorial for Sam Gordon, (accessed June 11, 2015), includes:

   Birth: 1882

   Death: Oct. 9, 1908

   Burial: Silver Lake Cemetery, Sunnyside, Richmond County (Staten Island), New York, USA

9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} United States Census, 1910, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 23 March 2016), Simon Gordon, Manhattan Ward 22, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1346, sheet 6B, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,060, (see Image), includes:

   Name Simon Gordon

   Event Type Census

   Event Date 1910

   Event Place Manhattan Ward 22, New York, New York, United States

   Gender Male

   Age 50

   Marital Status Married

   Race White

   Relationship to Head of Household Head

   Birth Year (Estimated) 1860

   Birthplace Russia

   Immigration Year 1890

   Father's Birthplace Russia

   Mother's Birthplace Russia

   Sheet Letter B

   Sheet Number 6

   Household Role Gender Age Birthplace

   Simon Gordon Head M 50 Russia

   Celie Gordon Wife F 40 Russia

   Max Gordon Son M 20 New York

   Louis Gordon Son M 13 New York

   Rose Gordon Daughter F 11 New York

   Morris Gordon Son M 4 New York

   *** Celia immigrated 1890, Max born Jan 1891 in US
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} New York State Census, 1905, database with images, FamilySearch (20 July 2018), Simon Gordon, Manhattan, A.D. 04, E.D. 10, New York, New York; citing p. 25, line 13, various county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,428,426, (see Image).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} New York State Census, 1915, database, FamilySearch (accessed 27 March 2016), Celia Gordon, New York, A.D. 22, E.D. 52, Kings, New York, United States; from "New York, State Census, 1915," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing p. 25, line 26, state population census schedules, 1915, New York State Archives, Albany, includes:

    Name Celia Gordon

    Event Type Census

    Event Date 1915

    Event Place New York, A.D. 22, E.D. 52, Kings, New York, United States

    Gender Female

    Age 45

    Relationship to Head of Household Wife

    Birth Year (Estimated) 1870

    Years in United States 20

    House Number 628

    Page 25

12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} United States Census, 1910, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 23 March 2016), Simon Gordon, Manhattan Ward 22, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1346, sheet 6B, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,060, includes:

    Name Simon Gordon

    Event Type Census

    Event Date 1910

    Event Place Manhattan Ward 22, New York, New York, United States

    Gender Male

    Age 50

    Marital Status Married

    Race White

    Relationship to Head of Household Head

    Birth Year (Estimated) 1860

    Birthplace Russia

    Immigration Year 1890

    Father's Birthplace Russia

    Mother's Birthplace Russia

    Sheet Letter B

    Sheet Number 6

    Household Role Gender Age Birthplace

    Simon Gordon Head M 50 Russia

    Celie Gordon Wife F 40 Russia

    Max Gordon Son M 20 New York

    Louis Gordon Son M 13 New York

    Rose Gordon Daughter F 11 New York

    Morris Gordon Son M 4 New York

    *** Celia immigrated 1890, Max born Jan 1891 in US
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} New York, State Census, 1905, index and images, FamilySearch (accessed 3 June 2015), Sadie Gordon in household of Samuel Gordon, Brooklyn, A.D. 05, E.D. 06, Kings, New York; citing p. , line , county offices, New York.; FHL microfilm, includes:

    Name: Samuel Gordon

    Residence Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York

    Age: 26

    Birth Year (Estimated): 1879

    Birthplace: Russia

    Relationship to Head of Household: Head

    Race: W

    Household Role Gender Age Birthplace

    Samuel Gordon Head M 26y Russia

    Sadie Gordon Wife F 23y Russia

    Emma Gordon Daughter F 1y United States

    Abraham Gordon Head M 33y Russia

    Rebecca Gordon Wife F 29y Russia

    Morris Gordon Son M 8y United States

    Leo Gordon Son M United States

    Henry Gordon Son M 3y United States

    Benjamin Gordon Son M 1y United States

    Sarah Abert Boarder F 16y Russia

    Louisa Clabotsky Boarder F 22y Russia

    Anna Brindle Boarder F 16y Russia

14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} United States Census, 1910, index and images, FamilySearch (accessed 2 June 2015), Sadie Gordon in household of Sam Gordon, Philadelphia Ward 39, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 967, sheet 3A, family 49, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,422, includes:

    Name: Sadie Gordon

    Event Type: Census

    Event Year: 1910

    Event Place: Philadelphia Ward 39, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

    Gender: Female

    Age: 30

    Marital Status: Married

    Race: White

    Race (Original): White

    Relationship to Head of Household: Wife

    Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Wife

    Birth Year (Estimated): 1880

    Birthplace: Russia

    Immigration Year: 1889

    Father's Birthplace: Russia

    Mother's Birthplace: Russia

    Household Role Gender Age Birthplace

    Sam Gordon Head M 35 Russia

    Sadie Gordon Wife F 30 Russia

    Abe Gordon Son M 12 Pennsylvania

    Lewis Gordon Son M 9 Pennsylvania