Elias Alex (Eliahu Shmuel) Lipson (1880-1942) was born in Jerusalem, October 1, 1877. He was one of 4 children born to Leib and Beila Kanestin Zasler. He had two older sisters (Zlatha Lipson Cohen and Chaika Lipson Zoberg) and one younger brother (Isak Jacob Lipson). He was the first sibling to come to the US and the story was that when he arrived at Ellis Island they asked what his name was and he said “Leib’s son” however, the veracity of that is uncertain. He married Zlata “Lottie” Kansteroom (she may have been his first cousin) in Jerusalem and their oldest son Harry was born there. He was a carpenter when he first came and then became a real estate manager. He came to the US in 1902 and Zlate and his oldest son Harry followed him in 1905. They went on to have 3 more sons and a daughter, all born in Brooklyn. He died 10 July, 1942 in Brooklyn.
“Ellen Messing says he was a builder and a house manager, very stern, austere, not emotional…this was told to Ellen by her Aunt Chaike Kanster … she also said that Lottie and Alex were cousins. They lived in the New City of Jerusalem. Alex decided to go to NY. Lottie didn’t want to leave. She had just given birth to son Harry. Alex said to her if you don’t come on the next ship I’ll go to California and you’ll never find me. She and Harry went on the next ship.
Harry and Lottie went first to Marseilles and from there took the ‘Hudson” to Ellis Island. They had a cabin, not in steerage.
Ellen’s Uncle Ruben said that Alex walked overland from Russia to Palestine [but why would he do this if he was born in Jerusalem? Maybe Alex’s father?] and said the house that Lottie was born in, in Jerusalem, was still standing.”
1905: Gershon Kanster (tinsmith), his wife Mollie Blum Kanster, his brother-in-law Alex Lipson (Alex is the husband of Gershon’s sister Zlate), and Gershon’s brother, Leib Kanster. They were all living together in 1905 at 282 Monroe St.
1912: Below is page 1 and 2 of the ship Manifest for Isak Jacob Lipson. I have put this on Isak’s brother Elias’s page because on it we can see how Isak is coming to the US a few years after his older brother and shows Elias’s residence at 1760 Prospect Place in Brooklyn.
Isak arrives on the S.S. Cincinnati sailing from Hamburg on August 2, 1912 and arriving in NY August 14, 1912. You can find him on line 21. He is age 33, his occupation is listed as “compositor” (I have no idea what that is), he is from Russia, his race is Hebrew, he is from Jerusalem, nearest relative from where he comes is his wife Pesche Lipson in Jerusalem, his final destination is Brooklyn, NY. On the second page, back to line 21, he is going to join his brother Elias Lipson at 1760 Prospect Place in Brooklyn, NY. He is 5’6″ with black hair and brown eyes. Interestingly it lists his place of birth as Sosle, Russia (aka Zasliai, Lithuania) but I am pretty sure he was born in Jerusalem.
1916: on the above Land Grant document we can see that in 1916, Zlate “Lottie” Lipson (wife of Alex) gave land to her sister-in-law Mollie Blum Kanster, the widow of Gershon Kanster, (Lottie’s brother), who committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the Neurolgical Hospital in NY in 1911. Then Alex and Lottie gave land to Lottie’s other brother Louis Kanstor, in 1917.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition of St. Louis
1904
29831
Monthly Pass
Non transferable
Pass: E. Lipson
Account: Supplies Env Co. Salesman
Div: ? A.
Dept: Con
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition – aka the St. Louis World’s Fair, held in St. Louis from April 30 to December 1, 1904 – to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 – I don’t know why he was there, maybe for work with the Supples Envelope Company?
Timeline for Alex (aka Elias) Lipson
1877, Oct 1 -Birth in Jerusalem
1899 – aprox. – Marriage to Zlata Kansteroom- in Jerusalem
1900- birth of son Herschel Lipson
1901 – Alex immigration to US according to 1930 Census
1901 Brooklyn City Directory: Alex Zaszler 229 Bleecker Brooklyn, Cabinetmaker
1905 Arriving Passenger List: Zlate Lipson and Hirsch Lipson meeting husb Elia Lipson 282 Monroe St., NY
1905 Arriving Passengers: Zlate Lipson and ch. meeting husb Alex 282 Monroe, NYC
1906-birth of son Benjamin Lipson
1907-birth of son Ruben Lipson
1909-birth of son David Lipson
1910 Fed Census: Alex Lipson with Laura, Harry, Benjamin, Rubie and Joe at 1760 Prospect Place in Brooklyn, NY
1912 – birth of dau Ruth Lipson
1917 US, NY Land Records 1630-1975: Alex & Slota Lipson grantors to grantee Louis Kanstor Aug 10 1917
1918 WWI Draft: Alex Lipson 2035 Bergen St. Brooklyn NY, carpenter, Lottie Lipson
1920 Census: missing
1925 NY State Census: Alexander Lipson, w Lottie, Harry, Benjamin, Rubin, David and Ruth at 653 Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
1930 Fed Census: Alex Lipson w Lottie, Benjamin, Ruben, David and Ruth at 653 Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn, NY; Builder, owned home.
1940 Fed Census: Alex Lipson, (index says Lifson) head, m w 63 married, Palestine; Lottie Lipson, wife, f, w, 61, married, Palestine; Ruby, son, 19, W, 31, single, NY, clerk Brokers office; David, son, m, W, 29, NY, operator, ladies?; Ruth, dau, F, W, 26, Single, NY Insurance, all at 653 Rockaway Parkway.
1942 WWII Draft: Alex Lipson, 653 & 334 Rockaway Ave .Brooklyn, NY, son Benjamin Lipson
1942 NY, NYC Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949, Alex Lipson, 10 July 1942, Brooklyn, 653 Rockaway Parkway, 64, married, Real Estate Manager, b. 15 Oct 1877 in Palestine, Burial 10 Jul 1942 Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Brooklyn, f. Louis (Russia), m. Bella Ranster (Russia), Spouse-Lottie, cert number is 13248
1942 NY Extracted Death Index: Alex Lipson
1942 Find A Grave: Alex Lipson, Brooklyn, 10 July 1942, Mt. Lebanon Cemetery
1942? SS record: Alex Lipson, wife Lottie Kanser, son David Lipson
1942? SS record: Alex Lipson, wife Lottie Kanster, dau Ruth Ray Lipson
These timelines are a research tool for me to work out the mysteries and details of an individual’s life, but there are lots of interesting details for you to explore. If you would like to view images more closely, click on the image and use the magnifying glass icon to zoom into the document.
Alex Lipson and his brother Isak (my gr grandfather) were born in Jerusalem. His mother was Bella Kansterin and his father Leib Zassler.
Alex and Zlata were married in Jerusalem around 1899. They were probably first cousins (as family lore has it), meaning that Bella Kansterin (Alex's mother) and Israel Hirsch Kansteroom were likely siblings.
Hirsch or Harry Lipson was born in Jerusalem in 1900. The birthdate of Dec 25 was probably chosen at random.
This date, according to the 1930 Census, which says he came to US in 1901.
Look at the top line, for Alex, in yellow, on part two the first cell has the date 1901, the year he came to the US.
You can also see he is listed as a builder.
This excerpt from the 1901 City Directory for Brooklyn, shows Alex Zassler living in Brooklyn soon after his arrival in the US. His home is at 229 Bleecker Street, in Brooklyn, and he is working as a cabinetmaker.
1905: Gershon Kanster (tinsmith), his wife Mollie Blum Kanster, his brother-in-law Alex Lipson (Alex is the husband of Gershon's sister Zlate), and Gershon's brother, Leib Kanster. They were all living together in 1905 at 282 Monroe St.
Manifest: Alex's wife - Zlate Lipson and her son Herschel, sail on the Hudson, leaving Le Havre on 26 August, 1905, arriving at Ellis Isalnd 9 Sept, 1905. They are numbers 14 and 15 on the Manifest. , Zlate is 25 and Hersch is 4 years old. It says she is a citizen of the U.S.A. (not sure if that is true), that her race is Hebrew, and her last residence was Jaffa. Their final destination is N.Y., she is in possession of a ticket to that destination, paid for by her husband. In the column where it asks if she has been in US before, it says citizen, which is crossed out and above it is written "no". She is going to see her husband and Hersch's father, Elias Lipson at 282 Monroe St., NYC.
Record of Detained Aliens:
Zlate Lipson and her child are on line 7; cause of detention is that they are waiting to meet her husband, Alex 282 Monroe St. NYC, they are discharged on 9 Sept, 1905 at 3:40...presumably PM. They were served dinner.
Certificate of Death
Certificate No. 13248
1. Name of Decedant: Alex Lipson SSN 054-18-7620
2. Usual Residence: 653 Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY
Length of time in NYC - 40 years
3. married
4. Wife's name: Lottie
5. Date of Birth: October 15, 1877
6. Age at death: 64 Years, 8 months, 25 days
7. Occupation: Manager, Real Estate
8. Birthplace: Palistine {sic}
9. Where was Decedent a Citizen: Palistine
10. Was decedanat a veteran? No
11. Name of father: Louis
12. Birthplace of mother: Russia
13. Name of mother: Bella Kanster
TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW INSCRIPTION
Here lies
My husband and our dear father
Eliahu Shmuel
Son of Aryah Leib
Died 28 Tamuz 5702
May his soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life
TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW INSCRIPTION
Here lies
Our dear mother
Zlata Leah
Daughter of Tzvi
Died 29 Tevet 5715
May her soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life
