Land of my Grandfather - Part II

Iasi University

My Great-Grandfather died at forty years of age on October 9, 1890, five months before the birth of his son. So young! I know that his wife, my Great-Grandmother, was twenty-four years old when she gave birth. That was in the birth papers of my Grandfather. It makes me wonder if theirs was an arranged marriage, as was common so long ago. Did a yenta find him a mate? Or, did he finally fall in love with a much younger woman? How and why did he die so young. sigh.

I'm sure we will never know the answers to these questions. So much the pity.

There is more mystery. My great-grandparents were living in Adjud in the Province of Bacau, Romania - which I am told is about 180 kilometers SW of Iasi (approximately 110 miles). Today Adjud is an important rail train hub. I suspect it may have been the same in the 1890's, or at least a major cross-road if trains had yet to make their appearance there. 180km is quite a distance in the 1890's, and my great-grandfather's wish was to be buried in Podgoria Coupo - a vinyard region near Iasi. That is quite a distance to transport a body just to be buried. These people were Jewish, and I had always heard that it is imperative to bury the dead as soon as is possible. How did they transport the body from Adjud to Iasi? According to the death certificate, he had died two days before the recording of the death. It looks like it took them two days to get from Adjud to Iasi.

I know that my questions are of no matter, and even if answered, the answers would be of little or no consequence. Yet I am left wondering because I know so little about my family's origins...

Here is the translation of my Great-Grandfather's death certificate:

(From the Death Certificates Register, of the year 1890)

From the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety, the month of October, on the eleventh day, at the tenth hour in the morning. This is the death certificate of Mr. Haim Heller, of forty years of age, and of mozaic religion, married of his own free will to Mrs. Rasel Heler, living in the comune Adjud, province Bacau, dead since the day before yesterday, on October 9th, at the fifth hour in the afternoon, in the house on White Street, number 45. Witnesses were Mr. Meir Ionina, thirty years of age and, Mr. Moise Grimberg, forty five years of age, both servants, living in the IVth sector, who as witnesses declared to us the wish of the deceased to be buried at the Israilit Cemetary, in comune Podgoria Copou and they signed this certificate, after reading it together with Doctor Vasile Bejan, checker of the dead, who lives in the III-rd sector, who certified this case of death. This document is drafted by us, Teodor Tautu, deputy mayor and justor of the peace of the comune Iasi.