In 1921, Seri writes a letter begging her son Irving to come home to take care of her.  Why?

Gutman Tobias, aka Tobias/ Tuvia / Towie and Seri / Serl Hutner Wosnitzer are Irving’s parents.

Tobias was born on January 20, 1860, at 103 Zablocie, Tarnow, to Jochene and Dobre Hutner.

Gutman's birth record

From a translation of his birth record we learn where and when he was born, the rabbi’s name and the witnesses name.

This translation is from:

Poland, Jewish Records Indexing-Poland, Births, 1550-1993AuthorJRI-Poland Shtetl CO-OP Volunteers, compPublisherAncestry.com Operations IncPublisher date2008

Gutman Tobias Birth Record, 1860

He married Serl Hutner (a possible relative of his mother?) and died in 1921.

Seri / Serl / Serel was born to Mayer and Beile Hutner of Chrysow.

Serel Hutner's parents

In 1921, Seri sent a letter to her oldest son, Isador (Jakob Izak) in the US begging him to come home and take care of her.  Did Issie get home in time to see his father one last time and was this the reason she sent the letter?  There were other children at home to take care of her, so it seems strange she was begging Issie to come home for that reason. The letter was attached to Issie’s passport application.

It read (spelling mistakes left in)

June 2nd, 1921

Dear Son?

First I am writing you about our health, Dear Son and Daughter-in-law, I am asking you once more that you shall come home, while I am very sick, I am suffering on the old sickness, gold stones about 15 years, how I suffer from that sickness, the Father is sick and cant help me anything, I am praing for you to come home, you are promising since seven years that you are coming to help me, when you will not come home now it will may be too late, then I feel very sick the doctors are advicing me to go Karlsbed, but  I dun go by myself, so I am asking you to come soon home, I am very weak, I cant walk my feet are swollen I am praying to God that you shall come home Dear Daughter-in-law I am asking you to favor and let you husband and my son to come home to help me, you known very well how your Mother is dear to you, so is his Mother dear to him.  I cant write any more because I am weak.

               Regards to your wife and child your Father sends also regards to you.

               I am hopping to see you home in the best of health, from your Mother Serel Wanisen, your sister are send you also regards,

Tobias (Tuvia) died on October 17, 1921 so Irving did get home in time to see his father one last time.

He is buried in Tarnow, in the WYNIKI WYSZUKIWANIA Cemetery.

Tobias Wosnitzer's headstone, 1921

After Tobias died, did Seri start a business?  Or was this their business? Or was this a different Sara?

Sara Huttner Polish Business Directory 1926

Seri was born abt. 1869.  She died in the Holocaust.

Sara Hittner Wosnitzer
Sara Huttner from Tarnow

Tobias and Seri had the following children:
(Note: in the National Archives of Krakow most of their children were listed with their mother’s name of Hutner in their birth record.  This was a common practice during that time period. if a couple did not pay for a civil wedding ceremory and only had a religious one)


  • Jakob Izak b. Dec. 1, 1883 in Tarnow
    • This is our grand-father, Irving.  Learn more about him under the Irving menu under Wosnitzers

Irving Wosnitzer
          (Irving Wosnitzer)


  • Feiga Hutner  + Icek Eliasz Zylberman (b. 1889 in Tarnow)
    • Born December 5, 1885 in Tarnow
    • Married Icek Eliasz Zylberman
    • Her son, Mayer perished in the Holocaust
Mayer Zylberman Shoah Victim

  • Reizel Hutner
    • Born September 15, 1888 in Tarnow
    • Attended Juliusz Slowacki School 1896 – 1900

  • Juda Leib
    • Born in 1889 in Tarnow

  • Perl  Hutner
    • Born in 1891 in Tarnow

  • Beila Hutner
    • Born April 8, 1893 in Tarnow
    • Attended Juliusz Slowacki School 1900 – 1905

  • Rachel Hutner
    • Born in 1894 in Tarnow
    • She married Meir Gros and had at least 4 children
      • Tuvia Hutner Gris
      • Chana
      • Hanka – a seamtress
      • Bella
    • Rachel, and her daughters, Bella, Chana, and Hanka perished in the Holocaust.  Her son Tuvia survived.
Hanka Hunter Gris
Rachel Hutner
Rachel Hutner's Children

  • Mojzesz Mayer Hutner + Chaja Malka Mayer Spielvogel (b. 1895 in Tarnow)
    • Born in 1896 in Tarnow
    • served in the Austrian Army
    • married Chaja Malka Mayer Spielvogel
    • Moses Mayer and some of his family members perished in the Holocaust
    • Moses Meeyer Wosnitzer in WWI Austrian Army  Moses Meyer Wosnitzer 1919Moses Meir Wosnitzer postcard back

Moses in the Austrian-Hungarian Army             Moses in 1919 (age 23)

Note:  The belt buckle on Moses’ Uniform is a standard issue Austro-Hungarian army buckle showing the double-headed Hapsburg eagle.  World War I began in 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and lasted until 1918.  The Austro-Hungrarian Army fought on the side of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire) and against the Allies (Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States)

Moses Mayer Shoah Victim

  • Ester (Estera)
    • Born in 1887
    • Attended Juliusz Slowacki School 1894-95
    • Immigrated to the US in 1906
    • To learn more about her, see the Irving’s Sibling’s Page

  • Bella
    • Born in 1901 in Tarnow
    • Immigrated to the US in 1922
    • To learn more about her, see the Irving’s Sibling’s Page

  • Jochene
    • Born in 1902

Jochene Wosnitzer 1919 Jochene Wosnitzer 1919
                   (Jochene 1919)

In 1929, May gets a postcard from Uncle Jochene and another man. Is that her father? Or is that a brother who looks just like Irving?

Postcard  to May from Poland, 1929
Postcard  to May from Poland, 1929

  • Szaja
    • October 8, 1903 – April 8, 1908

  • Debora Hutner
    • July 21, 1907 – July 24, 1907

  • Abraham Hutner
    • Born 1908 in Tarnow

Sources:

  • National Archives of Krakow
  • JewishGen.org Poland Database
  • YadVaSheem.org
  • https://www.avotaynuonline.com/2015/08/the-jewish-surname-process-in-the-russian-empire-and-its-effect-on-jewish-genealogy/
  • https://forward.com/opinion/395078/why-do-so-many-jewish-last-names-come-from-women/
  • http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-events-first-world-war-wwi-military-soldiers-austrian-soldier-full-24099798.html
  • http://www.continentalmilitaria.com/zbozi-317-AUSTRIAN-ARMY-WWI-WW1-REPRO-EQUIPMENT-BELT-BUCKLE
  • http://ahmilitary.blogspot.com/
  • https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history
  • Tarnow Schools https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/jripl/jridetail_2.php

Outstanding Questions:

  • What happened to the other children?
  • What last name did the children use throughtout their lives?  Hutner or Wosnitzer?
  • Are Seri Huttner and Dobre Huttner related and if so, how?