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Name: Mindel Hilinger
Birth: about 1851, likely in Germany, Austria or Galicia
Death: 1913, London, England
Marriage: about 1871, probably in Galicia
Location(s): Galicia; London, England
Relation to me: Mindel Hilinger is my paternal grandfather's paternal grandmother, which makes her 5th generation before me.
Alias(es): According to the grave entry I found for her, it seems she may have gone by the name Minnie. But Mindel is a very Jewish name (I have the male version on the other side for one of my great-grandmother's brothers), and Hilinger/Hillinger (the English spelling) is very common in Austria, and there is a Jewish branch of that family, according to someone I spoke with on the Hillinger Name facebook page.
Parents: unknown
Spouse(s): Leon Seneft
Children: Isaac, Annie, Alex, Jennie, Jack
Other Family: A nephew Lewis, either her sister's son, or her husband's sister's son, as the young man's surname was Greenbaum.
Details: While I have a few details for Leon, I have even less on Mindel. But I do have more exact dates for her, unlike him. I am uncertain where she was born, but I do have a likely source of information for her birth and death dates, so I have that, at least. Unfortunately, beyond that, I have little else about her. I know that she came to London with her husband when he emigrated from Galicia, and that she died there, but beyond her having at least five children, I have almost nothing else about her.
I would probably know even less if it weren't for the fact that my great-grandfather, her son Alex, was forced to take her maiden name by the German government when he moved to Frankfurt after the war because they did not recognize Mindel and Leon's marriage because it was a religious ceremony. So since my great-grandfather, the family surname has been Hillinger (the English spelling) instead of Seneft.
There is one last possibility here that as of yet means nothing, but I suspect there may be a strain of Sephardic heritage on this branch of my family, as when I looked up the name Hilinger on a site that gives origins, the largest collection of people with that name spelling were all in northern Spain. It may mean nothing, but my initial Ancestry DNA test came back with some slight Iberian heritage. That has since vanished, but I still believe it could be a possibility, and this name of the four Jewish Surnames I have seems the most likely.
Proof:
1) Like Leon, Mindel has always been part of my family tree that was given to me by my grandfather. Unfortunately, aside from the name-change story, she was still just a name on a chart to me.
2) My second piece of proof on Mindel is in the letter my grandfather wrote to Belgium. She is mentioned even less than her husband, but she is mentioned, reinforcing the information I have from the family tree.
3) She is also mentioned in the Hillinger family book, though far more than her husband, given she is considered his only legal parent by the German government. She is not one of the entries in the book any more than her husband was, but it gives details of her life as reference for Alex.
4) The last piece of proof I have of Mindel's life is a gravestone marker for a Minnie Seneft. While not an exact match, I am fairly confident it is hers, because the writing on the stone says "Loving daughter Jennie," and is in a Hebrew cemetery. I think it likely that this is my Mindel, as it fits the other facts I have of her life.
New Proofs I have found of Mindel:
5) Mindel is listed on the same Census as Leon. She is listed as Millie, but I am fairly certain this is her. She's also listed as blind, which is very interesting, especially since she died around two years later, leading me to believe this may be complications of diabetes.
6) And also like Leon, she is listed on her son Alex's Social Security forms, once as Mena, and once with the name I know for her. Because her name is listed on one as Mindel, which seems a more formal name, this leads me to believe Leib is her husband's Hebrew name, as this is the only time I see him listed this way, with her formal name.
7) Again, like Leon, she is listed on her son Jacks' death record.
Needed:
While I have a vague birth and an exact death date for Mindel, I cannot be certain they are right until I receive more exact BMD information. The information from her grave seems right, but I've no other way to determine those dates, so they are still only tentative until I can find something more on her. I imagine her birth records are either non-existent or in Hebrew, but I keep looking. I also need to know her emigration information, just like Leon. I imagine those records must be somewhere, in England if nowhere else.
Beyond that, I have no clue where to even start looking for Mindel. I don't know if she worked or not. It seems unlikely, but then again, they were immigrants, so you never know. She did have five children, and I imagine most or all were quite young, so a job seems unlikely to me, but I'm not going to assume anything until I have more info.
But that means I still have nowhere to even start, really. I have no clue how long they lived in England, so I'm not even sure where to begin to look. I can look for a death certificate, but that might be in Hebrew, too. And who knows if anything else on her exists at all?
And that is all I have on Mindel. Again, if you've any information on her that is not listed here, please contact me. I'd love to get further on this branch of the family.
Original Post
Other Posts on Mindel Hilinger:
Brick Wall People Redux – Part 2 – Mindel Hilinger
Labels: Brick Wall , Brick Wall People , Brick Wall People Redux , Mindel Hilinger
Matrilinial Monday – Mindel Seneft
Labels: Matrilinial Monday , Mindel Hilinger
Brick Wall People – Part 2 – Mindel Hilinger
Labels: Brick Wall , Brick Wall People , Mindel Hilinger
Womens History Month -- Week 3
March 13 — Moment of Strength: share a story where a female ancestor showed courage or strength in a difficult situation.
After my great-grandparents Alex and Dora came to the US, Alex's health declined. He suffered a stroke, and could not work, so Dora went to work to support the family. All of their children were under age at the time, and none of them spoke much English at first, but she found herself a job as a cook in a hospital, and until her sons finished their schooling, she was pretty much the sole support for the family.
March 14 — Newsmakers? Did you have a female ancestor who made the news? Why? Was she famous or notorious? Did she appear in the social column?
Not exactly, though my grandmother Maggie was a WAC in World War II, which was a newsworthy event. Other than that, all I'm sure of is the notices for births, marriages, and deaths. I suppose there might be one, but at the moment, nothing comes to mind.
March 15 — Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors.
For my great-gandmother Oline: Hard-working woman. Lost too soon.
March 16 — If you could have lunch with any female family member (living or dead) or any famous female who would it be and why? Where would you go? What would you eat?
I think the one I'd most like to have lunch with right now is Dora. I'd love to know more about her. She lived through some pretty horrible times, and raise six kids, and immigrated twice…I'd love to know more about who she was, particularly before she met my great grandfather, and particularly her early life and her hometown in Galicia.
I think I'd take her to the waterfront. Show her the beauty of Seattle, and show her why her son chose here to live, instead of staying close to her, even though he loved her.
March 17 — Social Butterfly? What social organizations or groups did your mother or grandmother belong to? Sewing circle, church group, fraternal benefit society or lodge? Describe her role in the group.
Both of my grandmothers kept pretty busy. My maternal grandmother in the church and in Masonic-related activities with her husband. My paternal grandmother with a group of ladies she met through her children's schooling. She helped found a group with them that started up fundraising activities and gave those funds to the Rhyther Child Center. Eventually, they focused their fundraising energies on a used goods shop in Ballard that they named the R Shoppe, and passed those funds on to the Rhyther Foundation. They all took turns being in charge of the business, and I know she hosted several garage sales for the group over the years. I believe that shop still does business today.
March 18 — Shining star: Did you have a female ancestor who had a special talent? Artist, singer, actress, athlete, seamstress, or other? Describe.
Several. My maternal grandmother and both of her parents were in their church choirs, and my paternal grandmother's mother, Oline, was an excellent seamstress, and not only made money at it, but made most of her children's clothes.
March 19 — Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?
I discovered that Oline's mother and her mother were deserted by her grandfather when her mother was quite young, or possibly not even born. I'd discovered her parents' names through Family Search, but I had nothing beyond my great-great grandmother's birthdate and location, and their names.
Then I came across a letter from my great-aunt after her visit with that side of the family. She was asking about something, and the subject came up. Apparently, her grandmother Maren Sofie Olsen had never known her father because he had come here to the states, leaving his wife (at least, I believe they were married, but I may be mistaken) behind. Eventually he sent her a vase or something at one point, but that was it. So Maren grew up in Denmark, never really knowing her father. Though two of her children did eventually seek him out.
It was a bit of a shock to learn, but in a family where we have so few broken families, even from early deaths, it was fascinating to learn a story different from those I tended to hear. I did feel sorry for my 3G grandmother, though. That must have been horrible for her. If I understand right, it sounds as though she sent her daughter off to work as soon as she could, so Maren may not have even known her mother too well, really.
March 20 — Is there a female ancestor who is your brick wall? Why? List possible sources for finding more information.
So so many…
I think the one that I'd most love information on, though, is Mindel Seneft, nee Hilinger, my great-grandfather Alex's mother. It was her name that was passed down the line because the German government didn't recognize her marriage to my great-great grandfather Leon Seneft when my great-grandfather returned to Germany after World War I (I could go on and on about what Alex went through in his life, and I think I know barely the surface of what he had to deal with…).
I'd love to know where she was born (Galicia? Germany? Ukraine? Poland? Austria?). I'd love to know her parents' names, and how many (if any) siblings she had.
I've been looking for her on Jewish Gen, though given her faith, I know the chances of finding her online are slim to nil. I'm hoping to get her son's US records at some point, and that might lead to something more. I know absolutely nothing about her husband aside from his name and the fact that he and his wife were gone by the time my grandfather was born, that he lived in London and apparently Galicia, and was likely a Rabbi. This quarter of my family tree stops right here, for the same reason others of Jewish ancestry do. Memory only goes back so far, and when the memory of the time even before the war is so miserable, it makes people less likely to discuss it.
There is also a possibility of getting a death record from the English government, if I can just find a death date/location from her. I believe she may have died in London, but I simply don't know for sure.
Labels: Bordewick , Dora Kresch , Hansen , Hillinger , Jones , Margaret Hansen Hillinger , Mindel Hilinger , Oline Hansen , Olsen , Womens History Month
Advent Calendar: Mindel Seneft
Mindel Seneft nee Hilinger
Lived in: Galicia, Eastern Europe; London, England
Married: Leon Seneft
Children:
Alec Seneft (later Hilinger)
Annie Seneft
Jennie Seneft
Jack Seneft
? Seneft
(possibly one other)
Like her husband, Mindel was likely born somewhere in Eastern Europe. We know that after the birth of most or possibly all their children while the two lived in Galicia, she and Leon moved with their family to England to find a better life for their children. They settled in London, and stayed there through World War I. After the war, their children spread out through the world, settling not only in Germany, but also in New York, Tennessee, and Canada. And after World War II, several of her descendants even found their way to Israel. It is still uncertain if Mindel died in England, or moved to Germany to live with her son after the War.
Labels: Advent 2010 , Mindel Hilinger