The names of the families discussed on this page include Kaplan, Harris, Malett,
Apple, Supowitz, Supowit, and Klitzner. The origins of these names are from the
Russian-Poland area. This area, along the Polish-Russian border, included our
ancestral towns located in Lithuania and Poland. The family was in this area for
quite some time prior to their arrival in America. While we have some information
from these areas the use of surnames in Lithuania was only mandated by law in
the late 1700’s and is therefore very hard to trace prior to this time period.

My great-great-great grandparents on my maternal grandmothers side were Morris
and Ida Bradebord (Mordechai and Chaia in Yiddush or Hebrew) gave birth to either
5 or 6 children. Rumor has it that two of the children may in fact be the same person
with a changed name! (Updates to come on that.) These children were all born in
Nemunaitis, Lithuania in the Trakai district of Vilnius. Their names were:

· Leona Bradebord
· Nachama (Naomi) Grossbard (Bradebord)
.....(These are the two names which may be synonymous)
· Max Bradebord
· Sara Rebecca Bradebord
· Jenny Bradebord
· Teresa Bradebord

My great-great grandfather on my maternal grandmothers side was Abraham Zelig
Kaplan, also from Lithuania (we know not where precisely). He married Sarah
Rebecca Bradebord and resided in Lithuania with his 9 children.
These children included:

· Issac (A.K.A. Ike, Michael, Michel) Kaplan
· Isadore Kaplan
· Bertha Kaplan
· Anna Kaplan
· Ahuvah Shelamit Kaplan
· Baby Kaplan
· Fanny Kaplan
· Morris Kaplan
· Shukee (Shifki) Kaplan

Baby, Ahuvah Shelamit, and Shukee (Shifki) all died in Lithuania. The others all
came to America. Where Issac was the first to come to Shenandoah the story
goes that he chose Shenandoah because he had family there. The boys moved
to Shenandoah to avoid being conscripted into the army. Issac came to Shenandoah,
married Anna Finkleson and had two children, Minnie and Max. Issac dropped dead
during the Coal Miners strike of 1902 apparently of a heart attack caused by a stray
bullet that whizzed by his ear. His wife eventually moved to New York with her
children. Issac is buried in the Hebrew Cemetery in the Heights.

Isadore Kaplan moved to Shenandoah where he married Rebecca Whitman who
died in 1908 and is buried in the Heights and eventually Sarah Morganstern.
He had 7 children; Max, Esther, Lena, Minnie, Sarah Rebecca, William Magid
(adopted after 1908) and Samuel Magid (adopted after 1908) Kaplan.
Isadore and Sarah are buried in Agudas Israel Cemetery in Hazleton.

Morris married Gussie Seleznick in Lithuania and moved to Shenandoah where
he had 5 children; Sara, Max, Molly, Charles, and David Kaplan. Both Morris and
Gussie are buried in the Heights along with Dorothee Lande Kaplan (daughter in law).

Bertha Kaplan married Simon Samuel Harris in Shenandoah and gave birth to 4
children; Sara, Bess, Dorothy, and Emanuel (Mendel) Harris. Bertha and Simon
Samuel Harris are both buried in the Heights.

Dorothy Harris married Jerome Pollack and gave birth to Ivy and Arlene Pollack
in Harrisburg, Pa. Ivy Pollack married Elliott Singer and gave birth to a daughter,
Mika in Queens, NY and a son Ian (me) in Harrisburg, Pa.

Believing Issac was alive, Abraham Zelig Kaplan immigrated about 1914 with the rest
of his children (Michel and Isadore were already in Shenandoah) and served just
under a Rabbi at the Kehillath Israel Synagogue. His beloved wife, Sara Rebecca
Bradebord died in Lithuania and is buried in Meretz/Merkine. His son Michel had
worked for the Max Supowitz Dry Goods Store until his untimely death in 1902.
We think he was named for Max Supowitz!

The Harris’ (Simon Samuel, Bertha and eventually Mendel and his wife Ethel) owned
and operated the Harris Modern Bakery on Centre Street. This is where they would
make the ever famous ‘pretzel donuts’ invented by my great-grandfather Simon Samuel.
See Sharon Harris’ story.

Sara Harris married Leo Mallet and owned the Kozy Korner in Mahony City.
Both Leo and Sarah are buried in the Heights.

Bess Harris married Moe Apple and after his death married Jacob Klitzner. Moe and
Bess had two children, Allen and Janice. Allen and Moe are both buried in the Heights.

Jacob Klitzner owned Klitzner Ford on the Gold Star Hwy. until he retired. Until his
death last year Bess and Jake resided at 9 Jardin Street, Shenandoah. Her daughter,
Janice married Jerry Malett also of Shenandoah and currently reside in NY with Bess.
Jacob Klitzner is also buried in the Heights. ===========================================================================
Ian Singer, 2007.
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