The Landes cousin who may or may not have existed

One of the first mysteries I encountered when first starting my research into my family history has still not been solved. Maybe you can help by looking at the facts and sharing your thoughts, interpreting the incomplete documentation, or seeing if you find something I’ve missed.

Landes immigration map

This map shows the important locations — residences and ports — for my Landes ancestors through my second great grandfather.

Obituary for Moses Landes, 1926

The Canadian Jewish Review, with a “society” section that was the social media of its day, published a death notice for my second great grandfather.

Landes family history

Moses Landes married Bertha “Brauna” Yaruslavitz in Iași, Romania in 1875, and by the turn of the century the entire Landes family had immigrated to North America by way of England.

The Landes immigration to Canada

Immigration records newly available online point to more information about my second great grandparents’ arrival in North America.

The two marriages of Fannie Landes

Fannie Landes first married Albert Paltiel, then married Adolph Goldenberg after Albert died. The two marriage certificates expand the family tree but don’t definitively answer questions about Fannie’s mother, Bertha.

Bertha Jereslawitz Landes’s death certificate

The latest of three death certificates I’ve received in the mail is the least conclusive, yet I am inclined to consider some of the facts accurate enough to include this death certificate for Bertha Landes.

Naturalization: Moses Landes

On Fold3, I discovered naturalization papers for my second great grandfather which otherwise would need to have been ordered from the National Archives.