I am the Great-Grandson of Joseph Samons (Shishe/Sischy).
I am working with David Jackson (Family line Gershon Shishe) and Dr Martin Been (Family line Gershon Shishe) to try and solve this age old mystery. I only recently got to know David and Martin, wail trying to get in contact with someone researching my Ancestral History. I posted on JewishGen after finding info of a possible Surname match.
In Summary here is my story:
My Great-Grandfather was born as the son of a Rabbi (Shishe) in 1887 in Vieksniai, Lithuania in either March or April.
He fled to South Africa in 1901 at age 13 as a stowaway on a ship and arrived at Cape Town. A very good friend of his whom accompanied him, died at sea.
He had family in South Africa - most likely an elder Sister/Sisters and relatives of both Martin and David.
His surname got changed to Samons somewhere between 1901 and 1910.
in 1908 he took on the Apostolic Faith and was immediately treated as being dead by his family. (Thus my predicament - all traces/records, etc. were lost to generations to come, except for the life-testimony told to all of us and carried by every generation thus far)
On the 29th of March 1910 he got married to Johanna Maria Samons (Campher), SM/PROG
They had 10 or 11 children of which 3 died (I found proof of 2 that died as infants)
He bought farmland in Wolwespruit, Wolmaransstad in 1922 up to 1949.
He was therefore both a Stock-farmer as well as an Apostolic Evangelist with the AFM Church.
He was only given Naturalization by the South African Dept.of Home Affairs, Pretoria, on the 16th of January 1950
He died at age 63 and 2 months on the 9th of June 1950.
His live is a mystery between 1901 and 1908/1910.
Even more so between Birth in 1887 and coming to South Africa in 1901.
AND EVER-SINCE, we are try to put the pieces of the puzzle together and making sense of all. Trying to find out who we really are and where we are coming from.
There is a lot of records proving the existence of Rabbi Leib Myer Shishe from Vieksniai, Lithuania, his wife and children of which there were 15, but only the names of 14 were ever mentioned among the relatives and family on the sides of David and Martin. We never knew that part of the history, until I made contact with David and Martin.
I'm desperately trying to get answers, as myself has been searching for more than 30 years. Me being Afrikaans, doesn't make it any easier. Especially understanding the Russian/Lithuanian/Jewish written records.
Info as follow:
Joseph Samons (Joseph (Josef) Samons, SV/PROG)
Most likely his Father:
Leib Myer Shishe
Son of Yankel Sischy and Chane bat Meyer Shishe
Husband of Sara Hene Shishe
Father of Nachmanas Leizer Shishe; Sophie Sischy; Aron Zvi Sischy; Chaya Rifka Sischy and Rachel Sischy
Brother of Ovsey Shishe; Gershon Shishe and Malke Shishe
Most likely his mother:
Sara Hene Shishe (Gruslavski)
Daughter of Aizikas Gruslavski and Dora Gruslavski
Wife of Leib Myer Shishe
Mother of Nachmanas Leizer Shishe; Sophie Sischy; Aron Zvi Sischy; Chaya Rifka Sischy and Rachel Sischy
Joseph (Josef) Samons, SV/PROG
