Hello again,

I am still not having any luck in finding the maiden name of my great
great grandmother, whose married name was Shifra Ella MELER. She was
married to my great great grandfather, Shlioma Haim MELER, (son of
Mordtkhel, son of Daniel). and they had four children:

Gita or Gittel MELER, who married Zvi Hirsh/Harris SHUR/SHURE. They
were my great grandparents;
Tirtza or Celia MELER , who married Hyman NEVIS (originally NOWJASKI)
Chaya MELER, who married Yakov/Jacob ABRAMOVITCH (spelling may vary);
Daniel MELER/MELLER, who married Dora RUBENSTEIN.

Shlioma Haim MELER was born about 1841 and records show the family
moving >from Zemaiciu Naumiestis to Svenczionys. They eventually lived
in Kvedarna, with some in Memel/Klaipeda, and some eventually
emigrating to Israel, the US and South Africa.

However, Shifra Ella, who I believe must have been born within a year
or two of Shlioma Haim, died in Lithuania some time before 1907, since
at least two relatives that I know about were named after her...two
cousins who were born in 1908.

I am a member of the Raseiniai Group and have combed through all the
files, but still haven't found the answer to this mystery.

I do know that there is a connection between the MELER family and the
following families: GORDON, MESSIE, LURIE, SHUR/SHURE, RABINOVITCH (or
alternate spelling), ENDLIN, ABRAMOVITCH, LEVIN, WOLPERT,
KATZENELLENBOGEN, FRIEDMAN, COHEN, among others.

I did find a record for a NULER family, showing a daughter, Shifra,
born in about 1849. If that, which has led me to consider whether or
not NULER was an alternate spelling for MELER or vice versa. And if it
is, then it's possible that that Shifra was my Shifra Ella, whose
married into her own family and therefore, may have had the same maiden
surname as her married surname. The names of her family listed on the
NULER record all ring throughout my family: Mordkhel, Rose, Nechemiash
and Shifra.

Can anyone tell me if they are related to any of the families above and
can confirm what Shifra Ella's maiden name was?

A note of explanation about the two people named for her: One was
Shifra/Sophia GORDON, who married her nephew, Nathan ENDLIN. The other
was Shifra ABRAMOVITCH, who married Eliezer Tatz. The two cousins had a
life long correspondence with each other between South Africa and
Israel. I believe that the root of their "cousin-ship" was through
Shifra Ella.

Please respond to me privately at:

jpk400@...

Many thanks again...

Joan Kramer
NYC