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Citron-Szczepanski
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Shmuel Sholem Kanarek and Sarah Rivkah would have lived in the mid-19th century. Nothing seems to be known about Sarah Rivkah; it is assumed that Shmuel had some siblings. Shmuel and Sarah had at least two children: Hiam Kiveh and Chayah Gittel.

Hiam Kiveh Kanarek was a fish seller in Serock Poland. He married Ester _____. They had six children: Gussie, Evelyn, Malka, Moshe, Avrum, and Bailah. Bailah (not to be confused with Bailah Sczcepanski Ornstein) did not come to the U.S., neither did Avrum but he had many children who did. Malka married a Mr. Shurl and had a daughter Sura Rifka; Malka was the same age as her first cousin, Eva Szczepanski. Malka never came to the U.S. Gussie married _____ Maizel who came to NYC and then went to Atlanta, where he worked for Feldman Stone [?] on Decatur St. He then brought Gussie to Atlanta. They had three children, two sons, and a daughter named Chava. Moshe and Evelyn came to the U.S. together; Moshe died just one year later. Evelyn met and married her husband _____ Gips in the U.S., they had no children.

Chayah Gittel Kanarek married Pesach Usher Szczepanski (of whom Grandma Sarah kept a framed photograph), who had six half brothers, and a half sister (named Chaya), in Warsaw. Chayah Gittel and Pesach had three children: Bailah, Yaakov Aryeh and Yehudis Chava. According to Grandma Sarah, Pesach kept a tavern in "Popplekover," a feudal estate outside of Serock, under the authority of two princes. [I think she was referring to Pobyłkowo. Poland was a monarchy at the time, with a system of estates and vassals.] Pesach was a tall strong man and well liked by the princes, but Chaya Gittel was afraid for her daughters. Apparently one or both of the princes wanted to marry Yehudis Chava (Eva). Pesach was persuaded to move his family to Serock, where he then kept a grocery store.

Two of Chayah Gittel and Pesach Szczepanski's children are grandparents to Mom: Yaakov Aryeh Szczepanski married Ester Hudis Silberman and is the father of Grandma Sarah ("Little Sarah") while Eva (Yehudis) Szczepanski married Bernard (Dov Berish) Citron and is the mother of Grandpa Abe. In summary, Sarah and Abe are first cousins, with Sarah's father and Abe's mother being brother and sister. [Making their sister, Meema Bailah, everyone's cousin or aunt; more about her under Citron-Szczepanski Family Stories.]

Yaakov Aryeh Szczepanski would have been born in about 1874. He lived in Serock with his parents; he was very religious and well educated and taught the Jewish boys, including his nephew Avrahom (Grandpa Abe). His children Sarah and Shlomo were born in Serock (1900 and 1903 respectively), but when Yaakov was paralyzed with polio at the age of thirty and could no longer support his family, he sent Ester and the children back to Ester's parents' home in Novy Dwor [Sarah spelled it: Nrvidwor] while he remained in the care of his own parents. Yaakov refused to go to a good doctor in Warsaw until it was too late to stop the paralysis. Only once a year did Sarah and her mother and brother go by horse-drawn cart to visit Yaakov in Serock. Yaakov died in 1908, leaving instructions for his parents to take Shlomo into their home and to send money to Ester for Sarah's care. They did both, but very quickly returned Shlomo to Novy Dwor as he was heartbroken without his mother.

The historic narrative continues under Silberman-Wakdrykier, but before we leave the Kanarek family behind, let us pay respects to those who were killed or captured in Serock. Listed among the Serock Martyrs are a number of Kanareks, including Chiam Akiva, Ester Rachel, Avraham, and Shmuel. A"H

Shlomo Szczepanski emigrated to Cuba in 1924, after he had been denied a visa to come to the U.S. with his sister. There he married Anna _____ (from a Polish family that had become well established in Cuba). He worked making the upper parts of shoes. They had two daughters. The family was finally able to come to the U.S. in 1952. Shlomo died in 1960. z"l