January 18, 2005
Gerstmans of the World
I was checking my referrals when I noticed that Soccer Dad was the fourth result for a Google search on Gerstman.
Result #1 is a Statistics Primer from B Burt Gerstman at San Jose State University.
Results #2 and #3 are to the patent law practice of George Gerstman in Chicago. George Gerstman is the holder of the valuable gerstman.com domain. A little digging shows me that Gerstman, Ellis and McMillan has merged with a larger law firm.
Soccer Dad is result #4. My home page didn't make the top 10. I guess I have to put a new one up with verizon. I've been lazy about that.
I can't figure out what result #5 has to do with Gerstman.
Result #6 is for Raskin and Gerstman LLP. The Gerstman of that legal team is Bradley Gerstman who wrote "What Men Want."
The next two results are for graphic designer Evana Gerstman's website.
Rounding out the top ten is Harvey Gerstman Associates. When I check out the associates, I see that one of them is the aforementined Brad(ley) Gerstman. So I guess that he's Harvey's son.
What's interesting is that of those on this list that I've heard from (Evana, and Harvey's son Dan) there's no indication that I'm related to either. I figured that there aren't that many Gerstmans in the world, but even at that, that doesn't mean we're all related.
My father's family comes from a town in what is now NW Ukraine called Horchiv/Gorokhov. The name means "Barley Man," which suggests brewers or grain merchants. I heard from an Israeli a number of years ago whose family name was originally Gerstman. His family came from a nearby city of Lemberg/Lvov/Lviv. They were wheat sellers. We never were able to establish a family tie there.
While I wasn't successful in establishing a family connection with Harvey's son Dan. My father said that when he was stationed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he'd get asked if he was related to Harvey Gerstman who was also from New York by locals. I really should ask Harvey if he also had been there, or if there's another Harvey Gerstman
Through the Jewish Geneaology website, I've located a few other cousins. (i.e. 3rd or so cousins.) And my cousin Stephen has located me over the internet and we've stayed in touch for the past 7+ years.
I still hope to find more relatives, maybe I'll contact some of those in the search whom I haven't heard from yet.