THE SPELKE'S

In researching the Spelke’s, I found a lot of information on David Spelke’s family. It is included here because it is of interest to the Spelke family … but also because it is interesting in and of itself. The beginning of this story is a repeated excerpt from the SAFER history page...

CHAVA (aka Eva) SAFER (HENACH 2 SEIFER, ZELIK ICKOVICH 1 ) was born about 1872 in Poland, and died about 1950 in Stamford, CT. She married DAVID SPELKE about 1894 in Poland. He was born 1870 in Poland, and died Nov 1908 in of pneumonia in Stamford, CT.

In 1907, “Chawe Spielke” and three of her children immigrated from Kobrin where they had lived on a small farm with a cow and a horse. They sailed on the Pennsylvania from Hamburg and arrived in NY on June 30, 1907 to join Chava’s husband, DAVID (aka Zoltish?) SPELKE who had arrived three years earlier in 1904 and was living on Pacific Street in Stamford, CT. David was a blacksmith. Unfortunately, he developed pneumonia and died ten weeks after their fourth child, Henry, was born in 1908. To support her family, Eva opened and operated the first kosher restaurant in Stamford. It was on the third floor of a small walk-up building.

Children of CHAVA SAFER and DAVID SPELKE are:

i. SARAH SPELKE, b. about 1897, Russia; d. about 1970, CT.

ii. SAM SPELKE, b. 1901, Poland; d. about 1966, Bronx, NY; m. EMILY UNKNOWN.

iii. ANNA SPELKE, b. about 1906, Poland; d. about 1970, CT.

iv. HENRY SPELKE, b. 01 Sep 1908, Stamford, CT; d. Nov 2003, FL.

David (who was related to us because he married Chava) had a brother named Isaac. David originally went to Stamford to be near his uncle, Louis Spelke. Louis had immigrated to Pennsylvania alone about 1882 to work in the coal mines and then he hitchhiked to Stamford and opened a shoe shop (Miller’s Shoes?). Eventually, Louis’ wife joined him with their two children. Louis was instrumental in establishing a synagogue in Stamford (Agudath Sholom). He and his wife are buried in the Agudath Sholom Cemetery in Stamford.

BUT ... the big question for me is why David ’s family did not help Eva and her children after David died? Eva had recently immigrated and had four children when her husband, David died. Her youngest was only 10 weeks old. Eva's children claim they knew of the other Spelke's, but they did not socialize with them at all. Eva raised her family on her own.

Here's what we know about the descendants of Louis Spelke:

Generation No. 1

LOUIS SPELKE

LOUIS SPELKE (UNKNOWN 1) was born in Kobrin, and died 14 Jan 1916 in CT. He married SARAH OR ROSE UNKNOWN. She died 10 May 1925 in CT.

Children of LOUIS SPELKE and SARAH UNKNOWN are:

i. ABE SPELKE, b. 1879, Kobrin.

ii. MORRIS SPELKE, b. 1882, Kobrin.

iii. MAX SPELKE, b. Aft. 1885, CT; m. L EE UNKNOWN .

iv. MARY SPELKE, b. Aft. 1888, CT.

GENERATION No. 2

ABE SPELKE

ABE SPELKE (LOUIS 2, UNKNOWN 1) was born 1879 in Kobrin. He married FANNY UNKNOWN. She was born 1882.

Children of ABE SPELKE and FANNY UNKNOWN are:

i. BERT SPELKE, b. 1904.

ii. NORMAN SPELKE, b. 1909.

iii. HAROLD SPELKE, b. 1912.

iv. LEE SPELKE, b. Aft. 1912.

MORRIS SPELKE

MORRIS SPELKE (LOUIS 2 , UNKNOWN 1) was born 1882 in Kobrin. He married BERTHA UNKNOWN . She was born 1894.

Children of MORRIS SPELKE and BERTHA UNKNOWN are:

i. EDITH SPELKE, b. 1914; m. UNKNOWN DOLNICK .

ii. LOUIS SPELKE, b. 1916.

iii. MARILYN SPELKE, b. 1918; m. UNKNOWN KLEGERMAN.

MARY SPELKE (aka Mary Harris)

MARY SPELKE (LOUIS 2 , UNKNOWN 1) was born Aft. 1888 in CT. She married UNKNOWN HARRIS.

Children of MARY SPELKE and UNKNOWN HARRIS are:

i. LOUIS HARRIS, b. 1920.

ii. CHARLES HARRIS, b. 1920.

 

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