Yankel Shmid
Yankel Shmid was born in 1851 in Salakas, Lithuania (which was part of the Russian Empire prior WWI) to Zalman and Liba Shmid. His siblings included Tseska, Chana, Chaim, Berko, and Merka.
Chava Reyza Kagan Shmidt
Chava Reyza was born about 1856 in Salakas, Lithuania to Mendel Kagan and Dinka Tsinman Kagan.
Her siblings included Kalman, Maurice, Shmerko, Itsik, Abram and George. Many of them who came to America changed their last names to Cohen.
Yankel Shmid and Chava Reyza Kagan Shmidt
Yankel like his father, became a blacksmith (thus the name Shmidt). The couple had 18 children with four sets of twins. They lived in a very rural community where disease and famine were common. Many of their children didn’t survive past infancy.
note the death of Itsik Shmit at age 3
from “ordinary disease” in 1882
Below are the tax roles from Salakas. Yankel and Chava’s family went from a family of 4 in 1889 to 6 in 1912 and was then considered “well-to-do.” This was clearly relative to others in the town. Jews in general had few rights, no access to education and were not allowed to travel. Their surviving children included Berko (1861), Shlioma (1870), Zlata (Jennie) (1883), Samuel (1885), Abram 1887, Irving 1899, LIllian 1901 and Shirley 1902.
World War I led to famine and disease. Salakas was subject to occupations by both the German and Russian armies. The Russians were even more ruthless than the Germans. Shirley Dwartz as an adult told stories of her having to smuggle food past the troops occupying their town. Many were ravaged by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
Their children Jennie, Abram, Samuel and Irving were the first to emigrate to America. Jennie settled in Atlanta, Georgia while the others stayed in New York. Upon arrival to America, they changed their names to Smith.
Yankel passed away in 1920. Soon after that, Chava, Shirley and Lilly traveled together to New York. Chava lived with Shirley and Arthur Dwartz after they married in 1926.
with Shirley, Arthur and Irene in Bronx, New York
of her grandmother, Chava Reyza
Chava Reyza Kagan Shmidt (Rose Smith) passed away in 1935 at approximately age 77.
Smith Family Reunions over the years…
