Is a Puzzlement - Piecing together the Telefus Tree (Part 1)

My mother's father was a TELEFUS. Well, maybe technically it was his father who was a TELEFUS, since the name was changed to TELLES when they immigrated to New York from Chotyn, Bessarabia - now Khotin, Ukraine. Since starting this family history research, I've discovered quite a bit about my family, including reconnecting with the family of my great-grandfather's brother in Israel after a 40+ year separation.

TELEFUS is a funny name. According to the authoritative source, Beider's Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire, TELEFUS means "Telefus (common in Khotin; Kamenets) N: see Terfus. N: from `talepus' [Yiddish] big-bellied person." Or maybe it means "Tarfus: from `tarfu' [Hebrew] food forbidden by Jewish law." (Note: I have not checked the most recent revised edition. My information is from the first edition). Either way, the description is apt for me these days, but I digress. Over the years, I've sought out anyone I could find with the TELEFUS surname, and they all seem to have a Khotin connection. I've always assumed that we are all simply related, but couldn't see exactly how to discover this relationship.

Looking through US census, immigration, naturalization, and vital records - and the family stories of those I've discovered with TELEFUS connections, I've identified three major families in the US. I've tried to remove the information for any living family members for privacy considerations. Incidentally, my family is "Telefus Family 1." The numbers in parentheses are index numbers to keep things straight for discussion.

So, the question is, how are these three families related? In my next post, I'll share the results of research by an archivist in Moldova - research that revealed more questions than answers.

Telefus Family 1

Chiam Hirsh Telefus (41), b. at Bessarabia, Ukraine, d. after 1909 at Bessarabia, Ukraine

+Mary Cohen (69), m. before 1865

├── Rachel Telefus (70), b. circa 1865

│ +(--?--) Marcus (71)

│ └── Bluma Marcus (72), b. 1897

└── Sheava Telefus (44), b. c 1873, d. 1955

+Aron Fisherman (46), b. c 1870

├── Louis Fisherman (47), b. 1894

│ +Sadie (--?--) (65), b. 1901, d. 1929 at NY

│ +Rose (--?--) (68)

├── Minnie Fisherman (52), b. 1898 , d. 1987

│ +Melvin Presser (53), b. 1903, d. 1988 at FL

├── Anne Fisherman (51), b. 1901, d. 1984

└── Mickey Fisherman (49), b. 1902

+Roberta (--?--) (50)

+Leah Berenstein (58), m. circa 1875

├── (--?--) Telles (45),

├── Pesach Telefus (42), b. at Bessarabia, Ukraine, d. at Isreal

├── Anna Telefus (43), b. 1887, d. 1968 at NY

│ +Chaim Telefus (67), b. 1887, d. 1922 at NY

│ +Max Lichtenstein (66), b. 1877 at Ukraine,, d. 1961

└── Isador Telles (20), b. 1891 at Bessarabia, Ukraine, d. 1951

+Sarah Birnberg (21), b. 1893, m. 1913 at NY, , d. 1965

├── Meyer Jack Telles (22), b. 1913, d. 2003 at CA

│ +Helan Konsky (23), b. 1915, m. 1936, d. 1994

├── Sam Telles (6), b. 1917, d. 1972 at NY,

│ +

└── Harris Telles (31), b. 1923, d. 2002 at TX

+

Telefus Family 2

Chiam Telefus (116), b. before 1862, d. between 1898 and 1910 at Bessarabia, Ukraine

+Sarah (--?--) (115), b. 1858 at Ukraine, d. 1923 at NY

├── Rachel Telefus (134)

├── Boruch Telefus (133), b. circa 1878 d. circa 1942 at Ukraine

├── Joseph Telefore (123), b. 1880 at Ukraine

│ +Sadie (--?--) (129), b. 1893 at Ukraine

│ +unknown spouse

│ ├── Lyman Telefore (124), b. 1903 at Ukraine

│ ├── Annie Telefore (125), b. 1907 at NY

│ ├── Yetta Telefore (126), b. 1910 at NY

│ ├── Jacob Telefore (127), b. 1911 at NY

│ └── Louis Telefore (128), b. 1913 at NY

├── Benjamin Telefus (96), b. 1885 at Ukraine

│ +Yetta (--?--) (97), b. 1887 at Ukraine, m. 1904

│ ├── Sam Telefus (98), b. 1906 at NY

│ ├── Harry Telefus (99), b. 1908 at NY

│ ├── Ethel Telefus (100), b. 1909 at NY

│ ├── Lillian Telefus (120), b. 1911 at NY

│ ├── Morris Telefus (121), b. 1915 at NY

│ └── Jacob Telefus (122), b. 1918 at NY

├── Nathan Telefus (117), b. 1888 at Ukraine

├── Jennie Telefus (118), b. 1890

└── Julius Telefus (119), b. 1898

Telefus Family 3

Yitzchak Telefus (87)

+Ida Hamburger (203)

└── Joseph Tellis (88), b. between 1879 and 1881, d. 1947

+Anna Wasserman (89), b. 1886, m. 1904, d. 1948

├── Lewis Tellis (94), b. 1905, d. 1953

│ +Mae Glucha (155), m. 1927

├── Ada Tellis (93), b. 1907, d. 1963

│ +Morris Gandelman (156)

├── Lena Tellis (91), b. 1911 at NY

│ +Jerry Grenadier (160)

├── Harry Tellis (90), b. 1914 at NY, d. 1962

│ +Mary (--?--) (163)

└── Albert Tellis (92), b. 1916 at NY, d. 1959

+Rose (--?--) (166)

+unknown spouse

├── Sam Tellis (101), b. 1885, d. 1950

│ +Lena Kashlinsky (102), b. 1890, m. 1909, d. 1961

│ ├── Dianah Tellis (180)

│ │ +Mel Bornstein (181)

│ ├── Frank Tellis (173)

│ │ +Mildred (--?--) (174), m. 1947

│ ├── Irma Tellis (176), d. 1950

│ │ +Murray Brauer (177)

│ ├── Edward Tellis (184), d. 1959

│ │ +Belle (--?--) (185)

│ └── Max Tellis (103), b. 1910 at NY, d. 1961

│ +Fay Benowitz (189), b. 1910, d. 1972

├── Efriam Asher Telefus (74), b. before 1890 at Bessarabia, Ukraine

│ +Hinde (--?--) (75)

│ ├── Leika Telefus (81)

│ ├── Rubin Telefus (76), b. at Bessarabia, Ukraine

│ └── Chana Telefus (80), b. circa 1901

│ +Jacob Gandelman (82), b. 1900, m. circa 1924 at NY

└── Louis Tellis (104), b. 1891

+Yetta (--?--) (130), b. 1887

├── Benjamin Tellis (131), b. 1913 at NY

└── Harry Tellis (132), b. 1918 at NY