Levy Death Records

In the registration records of Metzervisse, Departement of Moselle, France, there are several death records for the Levy family that I am posting here with basic information transcribed. Note that spellings of names can vary in the records.

Death of Rachel Moyse Cerf

On June 20, 1849, at 6 a.m., in her house, death of Rachel Moyse Cerf, 76 years of age, born in Buding, living in Metzervisse, the wife of Leman Benjamin Boeles, 86 years of age, living also in Metzervisse, a daughter of the late Moyse Cerf and Caroline Levy, who were merchants living in Buding, and died in that town. Notified by Moyse Heuman, 36 years of age, a teacher, living in Thionville, and Leopold Levy, 42 years of age, a grocer, living in Metzervisse. Both of them are her sons-in-law.

One of the witnesses, Moyse Heuman, is probably the M. Heumann who gave Phoebe Levy Cerf the prayer book that is in my blog of November 15, 2011. Now we can assume that the prayer book came from her uncle.

Death of Catherine Boeles

On September 20, 1849, at 3 a.m., in her house, death of Catherine Boeles, the wife of Libmann Levy, 37 years of age, born in Breda, Holland, a daughter of Leman Benjamin Boeles, formerly a teacher and of the late Rachelle Moyse Cerf. Notified on the same day by her husband, 44 years of age, a grocer, and Marx Cerf Cahen, 45 years of age, also a grocer, all living in Metzervisse.

Death of Leman Benjamin Boeles

On November 8, 1849, at 8 a.m., death of Leman Benjamin Boeles, 84 years of age, living in Metzervisse, born in Amsterdam, Holland, the widower of Rachel Moyse Cerf. Notified by Leopold Levy, 44 years of age, his son-in-law, a grocer, and Cerf Israel, 62 years of age, a baker and a neighbor of the deceased, both living in Metzervisse, who declare that the names and places of residence and of death of the parents of the deceased are unknown.

Death of Fleurette Crehange

On July 1, 1874, at 11 a.m., the death of Fleurette Crehange, 50 years of age, born in Corny, wife of Libmann Levy, 69 years of age, a grocer living in Metzervisse, a daughter of the late Oury Crehange and the of the late Sara Fribourg. Fleurette Crehange was the second wife of Libmann Levy.

Death of Libmann Levy

On February 26, 1890, at 5 p.m. at home, death of Libmann Levy, a landowner living in Metzervisse, 84 years of age, born in Uhrweiler (district of Haguenau), a widower of Fleurette Crehange, his last wife, a son of the late Gustav Levy, a salesman, and of the late Ester Isaac Schener, notified by Sylvain Bonn, a horse dealer on February 27, 1890.

Location of Towns

Metzervisse (current population of 1,600) is located about 30 kilometers northeast of Metz. Buding (about 500 population now) is 3 miles northeast of Metzervisse. Corny (population of about 2,000) is 9 miles southwest of Metz, on the River Moselle. Uhrwiller (Uhrweiler in German language, about 700 population) is about 30 kilometers north and a little west of Strasbourg. Thionville (population of 41,000) is about 30 kilometers north of Metz.

Levy Birth Records

I have copies of the registration pages from Metzervisse, France, where the births of the children of Leopold Levy and Catherine Boeles were recorded. These records are valuable genealogical documents, and even the names of the witnesses can be valuable in some way to someone. I begin with the first child.

Birth of Julie Levy

On November 20, 1835, at 7 a.m., birth of Julie Levy. a daughter of Libmann Levy, 29 years of age,  a salesman, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 23 years of age, notifed by Leopold Levy on November 21, 1835. Witnesses: Cerf Israel, 51 years of age, a baker, and Marc Cerf Cahen, 30 years of age, a tradesman, all living in Metzervisse. Note that the father signs Leopold Levi in gothic script.

Death of Julie Levy

On February 14, 1836, notification of the death of Julie Levy, 3 months of age, a daughter of Leopold Levy and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, notified by her father, 28 years of age [he lost a year], and by her grandfather, Leman Benjamin Boeles, 70 years of age, a Hebrew teacher, all living in Metzervisse.

Birth of Emmanuel Leopold Levy

On January 1, 1837, at 5 a.m., birth of Emmanuel Leopold Levy, a son of Leopold Levy, 31 years of age, a peddler, anad of Catherine Boeles, 23 years of age, a housekeeper, his wife, notified by Leopold Levy on the same day. Witnesses: Leman Benjamin Boeles, 72 years of age, a former Hebrew teacher, and Isaac Wimphen, 22 years of age, a butcher, all living in Metzervisse.

Birth of Pauline Levy

On July 14, 1838, at 11 a.m., birth of Pauline Levy, a daughter of Leopold Levy, 34 years of age, a peddler, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 25 years of age, a housekeeper, notified by Leopold Levy on July 15, 1838. Witnesses: Leman Benjamin Boeles, 72 years of age, and Salomon Gouguenheim, 57 years of age, a tradesman, all living in Metzervisse.

Birth of Barbe Levy

On June 16, 1840, at 5 a.m., birth of Barbe Levy, a daughter of Leopold Levy, 35 years of age, a peddler, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 28 years of age, notified on the same day by Leopold Levy. Witnesses: Leman Benjamin Boeles, 74 years of age, and Samuel Lazard, 55 years of age, a livestock dealer, all living in Metzervisse.  [Note: Barbe Levy is also known as Phoebe Levy, who married Aaron Cerf.]

Birth of Fanny Levy

This registration is full of mistakes. It is for the birth of a daughter, but they mistakenly put the name of the father for the name of the child.  Also, the ages of the parents are wrong.  This must be the registration for Fanny.  Here is the translation [with the mistakes]:  On August 25, 1842, at 6 p.m., birth of Leopold Levy, a daughter of Leopold Levy, a grocer, 30 years of age, living in Metzervisse, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 34 years of age, notified on the same day by Leopold Levy, the father. Witnesses: Leman Benjamin Boeles, 72 years of age, and Borus Israel, 48 years of age, an innkeeper.

Birth of Mayer Levy

On October 8, 1844, at 5 a.m., birth of Mayer Levy, a son of Leopold Levy, 37 years of age, a grocer, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 32 years of age, notified on the same day by Leopold Levy. Witnesses: Georges Bolzinger, 49 years of age, an innkeeper, and Nicolas Guille, 32 years of age, a teacher, all living in Metzervisse.

Birth of Estelle Levy

On November 8, 1846, at 1 a.m., birth of Estelle Levy, a daughter of Leopold Levy, 34 years of age [?], a grocer, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 36 years of age, notified on the same day by Leopold Levy. Witnesses: Georges Bolzinger, 51 years of age, a laborer, and Jacques Bolzinger, 61 years of age, a weaver, all living in Metzervisse.

Birth of Sara Levy

On March 22, 1849, at 4 a.m., birth of Sara Levy, a daughter of Leopold Levy, 43 years of age, a grocer, and of Catherine Boeles, his wife, 36 years of age, notified on the same day by Leopold Levy. Witnesses: Israel Israel, the younger, 26 years of age, an innkeeper, and Nicolas Grausem, 68 years of age, a laborer, all living in Metzervisse.

Birth of Victoire Levy

On April 3, 1851, at 3 p.m., birth of Victoire Levy, a daughter of Leopold Levy, 46 years of age, a grocer, and of Fleurette Crehange, his wife, 29 years of age, notified by Leopold Levy on the same day. Witnesses: Jacques Bolzinger, 64 years of age, a weaver, and Nicolas Schneider, 27 years of age, a laborer, all living in Metzervisse.

Two Levy Property Sales in France

Over twenty years ago, I hired a researcher in France to locate where Phoebe Levy's family came from. Phoebe Levy was the wife of Aaron Cerf, and they married in California. All I knew is that the Levys came from the Alsace-Lorraine area of France, probably near Metz. People often say, however, they are from a large city, even if they really came from a village, because the city is more well known.

The researcher was lucky, finding two real estate sales in the archives of Metz that matched the name of the father, Leopold Levy, and the names of his children. The town where the property was located was Metzervisse, 25 kilometers north of Metz.

The first sale occurred in 1859, and it is reported in French.

A summary of the most important information given by the registration of the sale is that on April 13, 1859, Libmann, known as Leopold Levy, a grocer, living in Metzervisse, sells property in his name and answering for his seven children:

1. Emmanuel Levy, of age, a salesman, living in California.
2. Pauline Levy, of age, in service (a domestic), living in Paris.
3. Barbe Levy.
4. Fanny Levy.
5. Estelle Levy.
6. Mayer Levy.
7. Sarath Levy.

The five names of the youngest children were minors and living in Metzervisse. 

The price received for the property is 275 francs. The property is described as a vegetable garden situated in Metzervisse and belonging to him, and to his seven children as heirs of their late mother, Catherine Boeles [who died on September 20, 1849]. Also mentioned is that Leopold Levy has a new wife, Fleurette Crehange.

The first son is always named Emmanuel, though he changed his name to Emile after emigrating. There was no daughter named Phoebe, but she is the daughter named Barbe, which is French for Barbara. The researcher said the explanation was possibly that she was really called Phoebe by her family, which is more Jewish, but that name wouldn't have been accepted as a given name by the employees of the registration at birth.

The second sale, occurring in 1891, was reported in German and in a gothic script that is not very easy to read. Between 1870 and 1919, the departements of Moselle, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin were German. Before 1870, many Jewish families emigrated to the United States because they were loyal to France and didn't want to live under German rule. In the new country, they often formed French social clubs. The 1891 sale shows the residences of the Levy children, who had all emigrated to the U.S. except for Sara.

A summary of the most important information given by the registration of the sale is that on December 28, 1891, Sara Levy, an unemployed woman, the separated wife of Sylvain Bonn, a tradesman living in San Francisco, she living in Metzervisse, sells property in her name and as a proxy of:

1. Emmanuel Levy, a tradesman in San Francisco.
2. Pauline Levy, the wife of Simon Abraham, a tradesman, living at 28 1/2 Washington St., Portland, Oregon.
3. Barbe Levy, the wife of Aron Cerf, a tradesman, living in Ukiah, Mendocino County, California.
4. Fanny Levy, the wife of David Lobree, living in Middletown, Lake County, California.
5. Mayer Levy, a tradesman living in San Francisco.
6. Estelle Levy, the wife of Leonce Loeb, a tradesman living in Sehome, Washington.
7. Victorine Levy, the wife of Leon Levy, a merchant, living at 1517 Webster St., San Francisco.

The property is sold for the price of 900 francs. It was originally purchased by their parents, Leopold Levy and Catherine Boeles, on January 20, 1836, from David Morhange and his wife, Madeleine Weil, of Metzervisse. [Leopold Levy died on February 26, 1890, in Metzervisse.]

Victorine is the daughter of Leopold Levy with his second wife. She was called Victoire at her birth on April 3, 1851.

Sara was married in Metzervisse on March 9, 1875, and her two children were born there in 1876 and 1878. U.S. records indicate that her husband and at least one of her sons emigrated just prior to the sale of this property. Sara stayed behind as the representative of the family for the property sale, and possibly she was also a caregiver for her elderly father prior to his death. Her father's second wife, Fleurette, died on July 1, 1874, at 50 years of age. She was the wife of Libmann Levy, 69 years of age, a grocer living in Metzervisse. [Fleurette was the daughter of the late Oury Crehange and the late Sara Fribourg.] After the property sale, Sara Levy Bonn went to the U.S.

The researcher told me he was only able to find the village and the correct family because they had made property sales, which were important enough to be indexed in the Metz archives. Otherwise, the only option would have been to search more than 700 towns, each one having its own books for registrations of births, marriages, and deaths. We were lucky.

References:

April 13, 1859, Register 429 Q 221, pages 2 (both sides) and 3, Direction des Services D'Archives, Departement de la Moselle, Hotel du Departement, 9 place de la Prefecture, Metz.

December 28, 1891, Register 429 Q 832, pages 176 to 179 (both sides) Direction des Services D'Archives, Departement de la Moselle, Hotel du Departement, 9 place de la Prefecture, Metz.

Various birth, marriage and death records from the registration book in Metzervisse, Moselle, Lorraine, France.