The Ruvelsky- Ettenson Family
Raisel Solomon, who at one point ran a hotel in Vilkaviskas, was first married to Charles (Bezalel) Fligeltaub, who died when he was kicked in the head by a horse. They had a daughter, Chia Riva who was born in 1840. She married Nachum Ruvelsky. They had Charles Ruvelsky (1864 -1938), Louis Ruvelsky (1867-1964), Rachel Mindel Ruvelsky (1873- 1951), Solomon Ruvelsky (1876-1970), and Mirjam Lea (Merel, Mary) Ruvelsky (1881 - 1955). All these children were born in Vilkaviskis. She died in Chicago, Illinois, USA in 1926.
Louis, Charles, and Solomon emigrated to the United States unmarried. Raisel brought her grandson, Louis to Leavenworth, Kansas, United States about 1880, to an uncle named Henry Ettenson (to be discussed later). Raisel then returned to Vilkaviskis. Charles followed Louis to Leavenworth in 1886 to and so did Solomon in about 1889. Charles married Gertrude Gumbiner (born Abt. 1867 in Vilkaviskis) in Leavenworth, Kansas in February 1890. Her parents, father ---Gumbiner and Rebecca Ettenson were also from Vilkaviskis. My husband, Philip Alan Reicher, is a grandson of Louis Ruvelsky.
Rachel married Harry Tartak in Vilkaviskas in 1893. They moved to Yanova, Lithuania where they had Beile(1894 -1997), Abraham (1895 -1980), Sone( 1897 - 1986), Rosa (1898 - 1984), Devorah (1899), Dorothy (Dine 1900 - 1985), and Pesach(1905 - 1979). The family, excepting Devorah, who died as an infant, immigrated to Chicago, Illinois, United States in October 1909.
Mirjam Ruvelsky married Abel Grungard (Gringart, Greengard) in Vilkaviskis . Their children, Mine (1905 - 1971), Reise (1907 -1971), and Nechame (1909 - 1993), were born in Vilkaviskis. Abel and his mother-in-law Chia Riva came first. They immigrated to Chicago, Illinois, United States in July 1910. Mirjam arrived in Chicago with their children in November 1911.
Raisel married a second time to Charles Ettenson. His children were: Marcus (1834-1912), Aaron (1840-1932), Harris (1848-1917), and Henry (1850-1909). Harris and Henry probably were Raisel's children as well as Ettenson's. All these brothers (or half brothers) were born in Vilkaviskis and immigrated to the United States to both Missouri and Kansas by 1870. Marcus married Eva --- in Vilkaviskis and had sons Charles Marcus (1854 - 1928) and David (1859 - 1915) before their immigration to the United States. All of their descendants have been documented.
In 1909 Henry wrote a will. It is a very interesting document. He disinherited his children, leaving them each only $1.00, except for one to whom he left his real estate. BUT he left many dollars to his sister, Chia Riva Ruvelsky Kohauski,and Mary Lea Gringart (MirjamGrungard), niece, who were still living in Vilkaviskis at the time of the will. Others living in Vilkaviskis in 1909 named in Henry's will were: Gittel Ettenson, Esther Ettenson, Sarah Ettenson, sisters of Israel Ettenson, Ezekial Ettenson, and Ephraim Mendil Pustapetsky. He also left monies to Chia Riva, Israel Ettenson and Ephraim Mendil Pustapetsky, which was to be dispersed to other poor relatives in Vilkaviskis not mentioned by name in this, will. His children and grandchildren challenged this will in Court. After five years of battling, the Court in Leavenworth, Kansas, overturned Henry's will. His children and grandchildren each received their fair shares of his monies BUT the original will document remains. It has been a real boon in tracing this branch of the Ettenson family because of all the names mentioned in it.
