 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
You have selected:
March 29. 2005
The Eker-Mayer Family Connection
by - Glen Eker
My great-great-grandfather’s name was Benjamin Eker. I know nothing about him, e.g., when he was born, where he was born, what his occupation was, when he married, whom he married, how many children he had, etc. I only know of him, as his name appears on the 1938 Nova Scotia death certificate of his son, my great-grandfather, Ruben Eker, who emigrated with his family from the Ukraine to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1900.
Benjamin Eker had at least one other child, a daughter, Lotta or Lottie Eker. Ruben Eker’s granddaughter and my father, Paul Eker’s first cousin Rose (Zilbert) Title has always claimed that the Ekers are related to Louis B. Mayer of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio. Because of this her life could have been very different.
I have often wondered if there was any validity to these observations. What was the connection? Her claim, based on personal knowledge, was that a sister of my great-grandfather Ruben Eker was married to Louis B. Mayer or a relative of his. She was unclear on whom in the Mayer family Ruben Eker’s sister was married to.
My exploration of the family relationships has shed light on the relevant connect as follows:
Ruben Eker (1861-1938) and his wife Sophie Shore (1862-1939) had five children: Libby (1885-194?), Lillian (1889-1925), Lottie (1891-1919?), Morris (1892-1947), and Benjamin (1894-1948). The family left Tulchin, Ukraine for Hamburg, Germany and sailed on the Hamburg America Line ship, the Siloia, on October 7, 1900 for London, England. They sailed from England to St. John, New Brunswick arriving in 1900 and then travelling to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia to reside.
Lottie Eker and Benjamin Eker were two of Ruben Eker’s children. This Lottie Eker married Morris Zilbert in 1910 in Glace Bay and was the mother of Rose Title. Benjamin Eker married Bella Bishinsky in 1921 in Montreal and was my grandfather.
There was, however, another Lottie Eker, the one who was the daughter of Benjamin Eker and the sister of Ruben Eker. I discovered her when I searched the California Death Index on ancestry.com and on rootsweb.com. In that search a listing was found for a Lottie Myers, born December 23, 1863 outside of the U.S.A. and who died on March 22, 1951 in Los Angeles. Her maiden name was listed as Eker. This was clearly Ruben Eker’s sister.
A search of the 1901 Census of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, M1, p. 54, Dwelling House 410, Family or Household 428, Lines 15-21, Mine Street GB Convant Sled, T-6443, had revealed the names of Ruben and Sophie Eker and their five children:
Eker, Ruben; b. March 3, 1862; Russia; Merchant
Eker, Sophie; b. May 10, 1861; Russia
Eker, Lebbia; b. March 17, 1885; Russia
Eker, Elkis; b. September 29, 1889; Russia
Eker, Lotia; b. October 30, 1891; Russia
Eker, Morris; b. November 2, 1892; Russia
Eker, Benece; b. June 15, 1894; Russia
The year of immigration for the family is listed as 1900.
A search of the 1901 Census of St. John, New Brunswick, Dufferin Ward, I1, p. 17, Family or Household 177, Dwelling House 83, Lines 3-8, 27 Acadia, T-6443, had revealed the names of Jacob and Sarah Myers and their four children:
Myers, Jacob; b. 1854; Russia; Merchant
Myers, Sarah; b. December 25, 1856; Russia
Myers, Ida; b. February 15, 1882; Russia; Clerk
Myers, Louis; b. July 12, 1894; Russia; Clerk
Rubin; b. April 1, 1888; United States
Myers, Jeremiah; b. April 12, 1891; United States
The year of immigration of the family is listed as 1890.
Jacob and Sarah Myers also had another daughter, Yetta b. 1876 Russia, who married Abraham Reider in Manhattan in 1896 and who was residing there at the time of the 1901 census.
A search of the 1901 Census of St. John, New Brunswick, Dufferin Ward, I2, p. 6, Family or Household 55, Dwelling House 38, Lines 32-38, 695 Main St., T-6443 revealed the names Boris and Lottie Myers and their five children:
Myers, Boris; b. April 1861; Russia; Dry Goods Merchant
Myers, Lottie; b. 1865; Russia
Myers, Lillie; b. 1888 U.S.; Student
Myers, Maurice; b. 1892; New Brunswick; Student
Myers; Benjamin; b. 1894; New Brunswick; Student
Myers, Susie; b. 1896; New Brunswick
The year of immigration for Boris, Lottie, and Lillie Myers is listed as 1891.
Boris and Lottie Myers had another daughter, Sarah b. 1884 Russia, who was not residing with the family at the time of the 1901 census.
The book Merchant of Dreams Louis B. Mayer, M.G.M. and the Secret Hollywood, New York: Donald I. Fine, Inc. by Charles Highham, details the life of Louis B. Mayer but makes no mention of anyone with the surname Eker. It describes his life and those of his immediate family including his parents, siblings, and their families, although most of the book deals with the motion picture business rather than providing a thorough family genealogy and history.
The book does however state that the Mayer family came from Dymer/Dumier in the Ukraine. Jacob and Sarah Mayer and their family were in London, England from 1886-1887. Jacob Mayer then went to Ireland while the rest of the family sailed to Long Island, New York or St. John, New, Brunswick between 1887-1892. Jacob Mayer apparently made frequent business trips between New York and St. John. He became a Canadian citizen on June 26, 1895 in Fredericton.
The family is not listed in the 1901 Census of St. John, New Brunswick.
This may mean that they were out of the county when the census was conducted or that the year of immigration of 1890 listed in the 1901 Census of St. John, New Brunswick is incorrect.
The evidence is that my great-grandfather Rubin Eker’s sister Lottie Eker married Boris Myers/Mayer, brother of Jacob Myers/Mayer, who was the father of Louis B. Mayer.
Boris and Lottie’s six children: Sarah, Lillie, Ike, Maurice, Benjamin, and Susie were first cousins to Jacob and Sarah’s five children: Yetta, Ida, Louis, Rubin, and Jeremiah. Borias Myers/Mayer and Lottie (Eker) Myers/Mayer were, therefore, the aunt and uncle of Louis B. Mayer.
Boris and Lottie’s six children were first cousins to Rubin and Sophie Eker’s five children, on their mother’s side, i.e. Lottie Eker’s side.
Rubin and Sophie Eker would be an aunt and uncle once removed to Jacob and Sarah’s five children including Louis B. Mayer. Rubin and Sophie’s five children would be first cousins once removed or second cousins to Jacob and Sarah’s five children. Thus my grandfather, Benjamin Eker was a first cousin once removed or second cousin to Louis B. Mayer.
Rose (Zilbert) Title’s nephew John Touchings of North Sydney, Nova Scotia, who is the son of her sister Lillie Zilbert and Cecil Touchings, informed me that Boris and Lottie Myers/Mayer moved from St. John to Glace Bay and lived at 3 York Street which was near 17 York Street, “The Eker Block”, where Rubin and Sophe Eker lived. Rubin Eker also rented apartments, ran a Kosher butcher shop, and had a farm. Boris and Lottie Myers/Mayer left Glace Bay for Los Angeles 1915. By 1930 all their children except for the eldest, Sarah, who was in Spokane, Washington, followed them to Los Angeles.
As for Jacob and Sarah Myers/Mayer and their family, Merchant of Dreams details that Louis left for Boston in 1904 where he married Margaret Shenberg and set up a junk business. By 1907 he became involved in the motion pictures and the rest is history. By 1921 the rest of the family had left St. John for the United States.
But what about Rose (Zilbert) Title’s life that could have been?
Rose informed me that Boris and Lottie resided in Los Angeles, were quite wealthy and lived in a big house. Boris was involved in the movie business. She said that when she was a young girl, Uncle Boris and Aunt Lottie came from Los Angeles to Glace Bay to visit. They wanted to take her back with them and possibly get her into the movies because she was a very attractive young blonde.
Unfortunately her father, Morris Zilbert, a widower by that time, would not allow her to go. As a result she missed the chance of a lifetime and even at the present age of 89 years she is sad about the lost opportunity and a life that would have been.
