When one cannot locate records that should be easily located, one must
consider that someone may have made a mistake either in the record or
in the transcription. In both these cases there are several points at
which mistakes could have been introduced:

1. on the death certificate
2. in the cemetery records
3. on the tombstone
4. on the transcription of the death certificate (which is included in
more than one online database).

There is also the possibility that alternative names or spellings/
pronunciations were used in two different records. For example, I have
searched for a man named Meyer Loveshak in Montefiore Cemetery. On his
gravestone his surname is Loscher. Montefiore's online grave locator has
him as Lovashak.

The Reische tombstone photo shown on Find A Grave was difficult for me
to read. I was able to locate a better quality image on JewishData.com
(a subscription site that one may access with a membership in JGSNY).

Simon Reische (Yishai Gavriel son of Avraham Mordechai) died 8 May
1932 at age 89 [b. ca 1843]

Miriam Reische (Miriam bat Shmuel) died 28 May 1927 at age 80 [b. ca 1847]

Since no one Alan asked could find the surname in their records, I
started with the only solid lead: the date of death - understanding
that the date on the tombstone might be incorrect, as well, and could,
in fact, be the date of burial. In this case, however, the dates were,
indeed, death dates.

I then went to Ancestry and searched their death index with the dates
of death and the surname [sounds like] Reische: Nothing. I removed the
surname and tried just first names with those death dates. I found
indexed death records for Simon Lishe and Miriam Lische.

I then checked FamilySearch to see if I could find more fully extracted
information in their "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths,
1795-1949" database.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2240477

- Simon Lishe, age 89, died 8 May 1932, son of Abraham Max, Bronx
death cert. 4275 (FHL film 2,155,705). Usually there is an indexed
cemetery name. In this case the indexer could not read it and wrote:
"Wa... Cmty" - likely Washington Cemetery.

- Miriam Lische, age 78, died 28 may 1927, daughter of Samuel Tesse,
Kings Co. death cert. 10024 (FHL film 2,056,148). No cemetery was
listed in the indexed record.

The fathers' names match (as Anglicized versions) with what is on the
gravestones.

Alan should acquire images of the original death certificates to be
sure these are the correct people. FamilySearch does not allow access
to NYC vital records >from home. One may access images of the death
certificates by going to a Family History Center in one's community.
To find a local center go to: https://www.familysearch.org/locations/
Use the film numbers to search through their catalogue. The
certificates for each year are in number order. I suggest carrying a
thumb drive to download the images >from their computers.

This search was fairly easy because the error (likely in the death
certs or perhaps the result of odd handwriting) was carried forward in
the indexes on Ancestry, FamilySearch and the Italian Genealogy Group's
database. http://www.italiangen.org/ .
One may also do this same type of search using tools on Steve Morse's
website: https://stevemorse.org/

Emily Garber
Phoenix, AZ

Alan L. Reische wrote: