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Barnett and Eva Sodensky were both from Poland in an area that was sometimes controlled by both Poland and Russia. I believe that area was located in the southern portion of Poland. Barnett escaped to America during the Bolshavik Revolution and Eva was sent to America, sponsored by a couple in New York City, NY. Eva's last name was polish, but the closest American name was Rachel. Her 2 sisters were later gased to death in a concentration camp in Poland.
Barnett's family were butchers and he opened a butcher shop in Baltimore as well as Annapolis some years later. Eva was a seamstress or tailor while living in NY, but left her sponsors because her weekly salary was not enough money. Boy, did that take a lot of spunk in those days! Eva relocated to Baltimore, Maryland where she was paid by the piece, and she was even making approximately $60./week - a handsome amount of money in those days. Barnett and Eva met in Baltimore, and they were soon married.
Barnett and Eva produced four children, Paul, Albert, Jeanette, and Mildred. After living in Baltimore for many years, the family moved to Annapolis where the Sodenskys were members of the Kneth Isreal Synogogue. The new Butcher shop proved profitable enough to raise the 4 kids, but during the depression Paul had to help make money for the family to live on.
Paul married Mary Clifton Barksdale and they produced two daughters, Edythe Elaine and Deborah Ann. Edythe Elaine was named after Eva's 2 sisters who had died in the camps. And once again, those names were the closest names in America to the Jewish Polish names. Albert never married. Jeanette married a man named Al Einhorn, and they produced 2 children named Benjamin and Diane. The Einhorns lived in Wheaton, Maryland. Mildred (Micky) married Bob Brittingham from Rising Sun, Maryland, and they produced one son named Leslie Brittingham. Years later and after Bob's death, Mildred married a man in California whose last name was Jeffries, and they produced a daughter named Eva.
Paul died in February 1971; Albert died in February 1972, Jeanette died in October 2000, and Mildred has not been heard from for approximately 13 years (circa 1988), and she is presumed to be dead.
The Sodenskys came to America through Ellis Island in New York, but no records could be found at the time of Debbie's visit in May 1991. Paul told his family that his father had cousins in Texas, but that they had cut off the "sky" of Sodensky so that they would "fit-in" better. At that time, even people in America were prejudiced against Jews - and some still are! Therefore, when this branch of the family moved to Texas, they became the Sodens.
If anyone recognizes any of these names or knows any information (no matter how small), please contact me at my e-mail address. God Bless you.
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