Rose Gittelman and Sam Schwartz

"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Rose Gittelman was the second daughter of Nathan Gittelman and Jennie Richman. She was born in Turov in 1912-1915 and immigrated with her mother and siblings in 1921 to join her father in Detroit, arriving in NYC on May 10, 1921, aboard the SS Mount Carroll out of Hamburg.

As of 1930, Rose was living with her parents and younger brother at 15456 Petoskey Avenue in Detroit and working as a clerk in a ready-to-wear store. By February 1940, the family had moved to 2641 West Grand Avenue in Detroit.

Rose married Sam Schwartz on February 18, 1940, in Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio. The marriage record gives Rose's date of birth as June 15, 1914, and describes her occupation as saleslady.

Sam was the son of Morris Schwartz and Rachel Goldberg. According to the marriage record, he was born on December 29, 1911, in Montreal. He was working as a salesman and lived at 1217 West Philadelphia Avenue in Detroit.

Rose and Sam were enumerated for the 1940 US Census at 1785 Seward Street in Detroit. He was working as a confectionery salesman, she as a millinery saleslady. They had a daughter born on December 18, 1940, who died the same day.

So how does a guy from Montreal end up in Detroit? In Sam's case, the answer was not straightforward. The story started on February 20, 1924, when Bernard Morris Neback - usually called Morris or Maurice - arrived at the Port of Detroit. Born in Montreal, Morris had left his mother Eva behind there and was apparently dropping by for a brief visit with a friend named Mellanoff who lived at 556 Harmon Avenue, Detroit. Morris' arrival card is marked, "Length of time alien intends to remain in U.S.: 0 days."

A bit more than two years later, on June 15, 1926, Esther Schwartz presented herself at the border crossing at St Albans, Vermont. She too had been born in Montreal, where she lived with her mother Rachel at 236 Fairmount West. She'd been to the States before for visits, but this time she was "accompanying (her) husband: Moe Neback - 556 Harmon Avenue" in Detroit. Unlike Morris in 1924, Esther made it clear that she intended to remain in the States. Her marital status on the front side of the arrival card is marked as single, but a note on the back reads, "To be married Sunday June 20th, 1926. To enter U.S. under married name of ESTHER NEBACK."

Esther and Morris' daughter Claire Josephine was born in Cook County, Illinois, on April 23, 1927. By April 24, 1930, the family was back in Detroit at 3404 Wager Avenue. Esther and Morris' son Edwin Charles was born four days after the census enumerator came through.

Which brings us (finally) to Sam. 16-year-old Sam presented himself at St Albans on January 16, 1928. He gave his place of birth as Montreal and his occupation as clerk. He'd never been in the States before. He'd left behind his father Morris at 236 Fairmount West. He was heading for... Here a seven-letter name starting with De has been typed in, then typed over with Xs and replaced by Chicago. Sam was going to visit his sister Ester Neback at the Winthrop Terrace Hotel.

According to the front of Sam's arrival card, he intended to remain in the States for three months. Nowever, a note on the back reads, "Has no job and claims that he will help his brother-in-law on the road if given an opportunity."

Seven years later, Sam again tried to enter the States at St Albans on August 19, 1935. Confusion abounded. The original, typed version of the arrival card stated that Sam had been born in Detroit, was a US citizen and lived at 2287 West Philadelpia Street in Detroit. For the "nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came," Sam supplied the names of his sister, "Mrs M Neback," and M Neback. Ever in the US? "Yes, all my life." Sam was "heading home via NY." For his destination, he gave the names and addresses of friends, possibly Herman and Sophia Greenberg, who lived at 1763 Sterling Place in Brooklyn.

However, almost all of this typing was crossed out and replaced with a handwritten account of quite a different story. In this version, Sam was born in Montreal. Sam's address became 4548 Esplanade, Montreal, where his father Morris lived as well. 2287 West Philadelphia Street became the address of Sam's sister Mrs M Neback and also Sam's destination. Ever in the US? "Claims Jan 1928 to Aug 1935 Chicago, NYC, Detroit." The word "claims" suggests a lack of belief on the border official's part. The card is stamped "REJECTED."

Chronologically, the next entry in Sam's immigration history appears to be an admittance card from St Alban's dated June 29, 1936. The date is typed twice, once on the front and once on the back of the card. However, there's some evidence that the card really is from 1936 and other evidence that suggests 1936 is a mistype for 1946.

According to this card, Sam is 34 years old and married. He's accompanied by his wife Rose and son Gerald. Sam's other records are consistent in stating that he was born in 1911 or 1912, which would make him 34 in 1946 rather than in 1936. And as we've seen, he didn't marry Rose in Ohio until 1939. The strongest piece of evidence against the 1936 date being correct is that when Sam was asked if he'd ever been in the States before, he replied, "Yes, October 1938 1 month, New York N.Y." That doesn't sound like an answer a border official would accept in 1936.

On the other hand, in favour of the 1936 date are the facts that Sam stated his occupation as "clerk" and for his home country contact, referred to his father Morris at 4548 Esplanade, Montreal. This is consistent with what he said (the second time) in 1935. Entering in 1937 at the Port of Detroit in 1937, Sam said that he was a radio mechanic and that his contact in Canada was his mother Rachel at 5855 St-Denis Street in Montreal. It makes sense that between 1936 and 1937, Sam might have tried a new occupation and his father might have died. It makes less sense for him to answer these questions one way in 1935, a different way in 1937 and then to revert to the 1935 answers in 1946.

If the card is actually from 1936, then it has to be assumed that either 34 is a mistype for 24 or Sam lied about his age. "1938" must also be a mistype. But what about Rose and Gerald? Did Sam and Rose originally marry in Canada and have a son there who died young? Does this explain why they were married (again) in Ohio by a Justice of the Peace rather than in Detroit by a rabbi? Or is this Rose a different Rose from Rose Gittelman? (However, note that in Sam's 1940 marriage record he stated that he had not been married previously, i.e., to a different woman.)

The party's destination was Plattsburgh, NY, "same hotel" or perhaps "some hotel." The purpose of the trip is difficult to make out. It might or might not be "visiting sister." Asked if he'd ever been arrested and deported or excluded from admission, Sam lied through his teeth and replied no to both.

Alas, it didn't work. On the back of the same card, someone has typed, "Sam insisted that he had never encountered any difficulty in entering US. See Record of St Albans, Vt 8/19/35. Sam admits that he had trouble there." The card is stamped "DEBARRED."

On October 29, 1937, Sam's brother-in-law Morris Neback entered the States at the Port of Detroit, apparently after going up to Montreal to visit his mother. He said he was returning to his wife Esther at 1421 Virginia Park, Detroit, Michigan.

Five weeks later, on December 3, 1937, Sam arrived at the Port of Detroit. He was 25 years, 11 months old, single and a radio mechanic. He had left behind his mother Rachel at 5855 St-Denis Street in Montreal. He was on his way to his sister, Esther Neback, at 1421 Virgina Park, Detroit. The purpose of his trip was to become a permanent resident.

Has he ever been in the States before? Why, yes, from 1928 to 1935, 1935 to 1936 and from 1936 "to date." Has Sam ever been arrested, deported or excluded from admission. Well, no, he hasn't been arrested and deported, but he was excluded at St Albans, Vt, 8-19-1935. On the bottom of the card, the border official noted that Sam was previously examined at St Albans on 8-19-35. There's nothing here about a second incident at St Albans in 1936.

Sam's account of the periods he was in the States is a bit confusing. How can he have been there "to date" when he's applying to enter the States? It almost sounds as if he's describing not periods of residence in the States but rather periods of residence on either side of the border. In this interpretation, he was in the States from 1928 to 1935. He left and attempted to re-enter the States in 1935, but was refused, so he resided in Canada 1935 to 1936. He attempted to enter the States again and was refused a second time, so he resided in Canada 1936 "to date."

The back of the card is rather interesting. "Visa expires April 3, 1938. Dest to Legal Resident Sister + Bro-In-Law, Legal Res. Valid sister's P.P. #C.50464 issued Detroit, Mich. Subject D.B. File #8522/A-418. St Albans File #910/1." The border officials in Detroit placed more weight than those in St Albans on the fact that Sam had local family members who could vouch for him.

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In memory of Janet A Werner, 1931-2015