Person:Kapel Kovarsky (1)

Karl Kovarsky had seven children with his first wife, name Pauline Malatsky, who died at age 30 ca. 1883 delivered of her eighth child who also died due to lack of a wet nurse. Karl married again and his 2nd wife also died in childbirth after about a year of marriage, but this time they got a wet nurse and daughter Belle survived. Karl married a third time, but the bride's family tried a switch, putting the "ugly older sister" under the veil at the wedding to this undoubtedly much older man, father of eight, so Karl immediately had that marriage annulled. His fourth wife came from Moscow and apparently took things in stride, enjoying the chocolates and oranges she had shipped to herself. She got along with her stepchildren and had none of her own. All of Karl's children immigrated to America except the first born son and possibly Belle. Karl was a prosperous man in his town, possibly a mill owner, but also a religious man who insisted on welcoming poor students of the Talmud to join his family for dinner as his guests. [From the stories of Morton Elkind who never met Karl, but learned the stories from his mother Eva (Karl's daughter), and told them to me, his daughter, Elisabeth]

Another of Morton Elkind's recollections was that Karl/Kopel always hosted the poor students at his dining table each evening. One day, he arrives home for dinner to find no students at the table. He asks his wife, where are the students? She says, I made them eat in the kitchen. Karl says nothing, but picks up his plate, and goes into the kitchen to dine with the students. From that day forward the poor students were never again banished from the family's dining table.

My name is Jeff Malet ([email protected]). I am related to this family thru Pauline Malatzky Kovarsky. Karl is not of course a Jewish name. A check with the JewishGen Tax and Voter, and Revision Lists confirmed that his name was not Karl but Kopel Kovarsky son of Elyash, an owner of a "stone shop". Underneath is the record of a son Yankel. He had a 'stone shop' indicating he was a miller of flour. In her notes, Elisabeth indicated "Karl" was "possibly a mill owner." So everything checks out there.

The Kovarsky's appear as early as 1811 living in Vidz according to that year's revision list. The name means that the original owner of the name came from the town of Kovarsk. -Jeff M.

Jeff thinks Pauline is the granddaughter of Osher Malatzky, b. 1809 (source: JewishGen)

1. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:249F-P28, in Son Nathan's marriage record.

   His son Nathan Kovarsky's marriage record cites the groom's father's name as "Kopri".

2. ↑ Daughter Rose's gravestone inscription.

   The Hebrew inscription on his daughter's gravestone reads: "Rishka daughter of Kapel". (Translation courtesy Jeff M.)

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} JewishGen tax and revision list entries.

   1877 Vidzi Taxpayers-Box record: Without property
   1885 Vidzi Box Taxpayers record: 1 family member, well-to-do
   1889 Vidzy Box Taxpayers record: well off
   1914 Vidzi Taxpayers -realestate record: owns a stone shop; to pay 1rub 44kop tax

4. ↑ Son Solomon's gravestone inscription.

   In Hebrew: Shlomo son of Kapel

5. ↑ His descendants amongst the Elkind family always called him Karl. Thanks to Jeff for discovering his actual name.
6. ↑ Kapel as a name for boys is a Hebrew name, and the name Kapel means "he who supplants". Kapel is a Yiddish form of Jacob (Hebrew) --thinkbabynames.com