Born: 15 March 1877 in Timkovichi, Minsk, Russian Empire, nowadays Tsimkavichy, Belarus (Belarusian: Цімкавічы, romanized: Cimkavičy; Russian: Тимковичи, romanized: Timkovichi). The date is as per his obituary and death certificate although his 1904 naturalization papers list him as being born in 1878, his World War 1 and 2 registration cards give him as being born in 1879 while his tombstone states 1875!
- Archie Kroloff (1905 - 1964) married Florence Kauffman (1907 - 1992) on 13 March 1932
- Maxwell Nathan Kroloff (1908 - 1959) married Mary Goldstein (1909 - 2004) on 24 December 1933
- Ina Kroloff (1915 - 2003) married Irving Levich (1918 - 2006) on 3 November 1938
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SAMUEL KROLOFF
Samuel Kroloff, 82, 2815 Summit Street, died Tuesday at a
Sioux City hospital.
Mr. Kroloff was born in Russia March 15, 1877. He came to
the United States and New York in 1903. He moved to Sioux City in 1909 and had
resided here since that time.
He operated a grocery at W. Third and Turner streets for 21
years and for several years operated the Kay Cookie Co., retiring in 1952.
Mr. Kroloff was a charter member of Shaare Zion synagogue
and was a member of B'nai B'rith and the Golden Age club.
His wife Sarah died 21 years ago.
Survivors include a son, Archie of Chicago; a daughter, Mrs.
Irving Levich of Sioux City; two brothers, E. Kroloft of Sioux Falls and Archie
Kroloff of Des Moines; a sister, Mrs. Ida Herzoff of Beverly Hills, Cal., and
six grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 1 p. m. today at Shaare Zion synagogue. Rabbi Philip Silverstein and Cantor Felix Glatstein will officiate. Burial will be in Mount Carmel cemetery under the direction of the Rutledge funeral home. Sioux City Journal, 3 February1960
Mordechai Mockewycz oversaw the Tymkowiczer estate's production of manufactured goods. Other prominent figures included Grunem and his wife Esther Rabinowycz, Polye Sodowski, Meyer Goldberg, and Velvel and Nachman Kiewicki, who were grain merchants. Leybel Michol’s family and others from the Sodowski lineage were also engaged in commerce.
Jewish residents traded extensively in livestock, particularly oxen, which were herded to Gorodaj (Zamiriya) for transport by train to foreign markets. The marketplace was bustling, with shops offering a wide variety of goods. Village residents visited twice weekly, on Sundays and Tuesdays, to sell their produce and purchase essentials such as farming tools, kerosene, tar, herring, sugar, and handmade goods.
Twice a year, large fairs filled Tymkowicz with activity, featuring the trade of horses, flax, linseed, and more. Merchants traveled from afar, and gypsies arrived with their swift, trained horses. Four times a week, the famous Slutsker "Oriol" wagon connected Tymkowicz to Zamiriya's train station, transporting goods in both directions. Local drivers, like the well-known Pulka, provided daily transport to Slutsk for passengers and cargo.
Jewish families in Tymkowicz also engaged in farming, working the fields, plowing, sowing, and harvesting. One of the most respected workers was Volf Yelin, who managed estate horses. The town offered inns for travelers and "clinics" for visiting peasants seeking medical care. Notable innkeepers included Areh Tzernogubowski, Shifrin, Fraide Chaya Leibes, and Fruma Tolyes-Kulakowski.
Tymkowicz boasted a provincial hospital with a Christian doctor and a rotating private doctor. Among them were Drs. Gersonowycz, Levinson, and Roginski. For specialized consultations, doctors like Slepian or Katzenelenboigen from Nesvyzh were called. The largest practice, however, was that of my father, Itche Kazhdan, of blessed memory. Known for his dedication, he treated peasants and aristocrats alike, often providing free medicine and assistance, even on Jewish holidays. He passed away in 1934 at age 70, followed by my mother, Taibe, that same year.
A fascinating tale surrounds Tymkowicz’s pharmacist, Cernomordik. It was rumored that Chekhov’s story At the Pharmacy was inspired by a visit to this very town, drawing on the pharmacist’s name and character.
The town was home to various trades: there were brewers, millers, and artisans, including coppersmiths, tailors, shoemakers, and furriers. These artisans served both Jewish and non-Jewish patrons, including local nobility.
One beloved figure was Reb Elye Yessil’s Gowiznianski, a businessman and community leader. He ensured the Beis Medrash was warm in winter, maintained the bathhouse, and supported orphans and poor brides. When he traveled to America for a year, townsfolk remarked that the absence of his generosity made weddings and funerals noticeably subdued.
Education thrived in Tymkowicz. Teachers like Reb Yosef Yudel, Reb Leizer, Reb Nochum Bruks, and Reb Shloime Perles left lasting impressions. Modern education also emerged, with Hebrew schools and a library founded by Nisel Kontor.
Tymkowicz had a rich spiritual life, including a misnagdishe shul, a Chassidic shtiebel, and a "cold" shul. While the Chassidic shtiebel lacked a regular minyan, it was overseen by figures like my father and Pole Sodowski.
