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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Judaic or not Judaic? A Jared Lee Loughner genealogy

by Michael Hoffman

Lois Totman was the mother of Jared Lee Loughner’s mother, Amy Totman Loughner.

Lois Totman was the daughter of Anton and Jessie Bleifuss.

According to census records, Anton Bleifuss was born in Bremen, Germany. Bleifuss may be a Judaic name. (The journalist Joel Bleifuss is Judaic.)


Therefore, Anton Bleifuss, Jared Lee Loughner's great-grandfather, may have been Judaic.

The Zionists are desperate not to have Loughner labeled as being of Judaic descent: 

Reporter Ron Kampeas asked researcher Nate Bloom about this, in a column for the Jewish Telegraph Agency (Jan. 12, 2011). Bloom states flat out: "Loughner’s family was in no way Jewish, nor was his mother...”

There you have it. The “expert” Nate Bloom has declared the belief we must all accept — but...

A bit down in his paragraph, Bloom concedes that even though Loughner’s mother is "in no way Jewish," lo and behold, she is a little (but not too much):

“ — but she might have mentioned her Jewish grandfather, beloved enough to live on in her brother's name, with pride or interest.

"Under those circumstances Loughner, who sought ‘chaos' according to Tierney, might have sought to provoke his mother and his uncle by pretending to admire (or actually admiring) Adolph (sic) Hitler. He might have told Tierney that his mother was Jewish as a shorthand, or might have seen her as Jewish...Or he might have explained the lineage, and Tierney might understandably have conflated it as 'mother Jewish.” (End quote; emphasis supplied).

Loughner’s Jewish mother? Not so much
By Ron Kampeas | Jewish Telegraph Agency | January 12, 2011

I noted the other day that an acquaintance of Jared Lee Loughner, the accused gunman in Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Tucson, believed his mother was Jewish.

Bryce Tierney told Mother Jones that Loughner listed Mein Kampf as a favorite book in part to provoke his Jewish mother.

Nate Bloom, the noted Jewish roots columnist and researcher, has done the legwork -- and pretty much buries this notion.

I'll hand it over to him:

It is appalling how one comment---a friend of Jared Loughner telling a Mother Jones’ reporter that Jared Loughner’s mother is “Jewish”---goes viral in an instant.  In hours, "this fact" was all over on anti-Semitic sites.  And, of course, there are the “commentators” who love to ‘blame the victim’ via some pop psychology theory that Jared acted out of “Jewish self-hatred.”

I figured that this was the moment to try and get “truth” dressed, and into the public arena a lot faster than usual.  In other words, to use the tools of the internet to determine the veracity of what this friend told Mother Jones.

I cover Jews in popular culture for Jewish newspapers and I know how often famous people are mis-identified as Jewish or mis-identified as not Jewish. I also know that a lot of people are not outright lying about claiming someone is Jewish---they just get it wrong.

So, with my friend Michael, we ran down everything we could from public records on Jared Loughner’s mother’s family background.  It took a lot of “search terms” and databases to find what we did.

Here’s what we found:

Jared Lee Loughner’s mother is Amy Totman Loughner;

Amy Loughner---Known Parentage from Public Records:

Her [Amy’s] parents were Lois May Totman and Laurence Edward Totman.
----Lois M. Totman died in 1999 and Laurence E. Totman died in 2005. Both were registered nurses. Laurence worked at a VA facility in Tucson. We both found this info via google news archives, social security death index.

From 1930 census records:
Laurence E. Totman was born in Illinois in 1925.
His (Laurence’s) parents were Laurence A. Totman and his wife, Mary.
Laurence Totman pere (the elder) was born in Kansas to a Pennsylvania father and an Illinois mother. Mary was from Illinois, as were both of her parents.
A sister-in-law named Myrtle M. Brennan is listed as living with them also.

1920/1910 census records---Totman Family:
In 1920, Lawrence Totman, (Jared’s) great-grandfather, is living with his aunt, Rosa Clarke, who was born in illinois to two Irish-born parents.
Rosa is his mother's sister. On the 1910 census, his (Laurence, the elder) maternal grandparents are listed as Irish-born.
Father, Orvie Totman was born in Ohio to Ohio-born parents.

Amy Loughner’s Mother’s Line:

See obit, below, from Arlington (Illinois) Daily Record, June 24, 1999---Obituary of Helen Medernach of Virgil, Illinois. Helen was the sister of Lois M. Totman (the mother of Amy Totman Loughner). Helen was the great aunt of Jared Loughner.

As you can see, Helen’s funeral (mass) was held at a Catholic church. Helen (and Lois) were the children of Anton Bleifuss and Jessie Bleifuss (nee Anderson).  Lois M. Totman died just days after her sister, Helen.

According to the census records, Anton Bleifuss was born in Bremen, Germany, to German parents. Jessie Anderson Bleifuss was born in Illinois to a father born in Denmark and a mother born in Illinois.
Conclusion---It is exceedingly unlikely that Amy Loughner has any Jewish ancestry. The only “line” not traced his Amy’s father’s mother’s family. The other three lines (Amy’s father’s father, Amy’s mother’s father, and Amy’s mother mother)---show, to all but the most obtuse, that these were/are not Jewish families. Moreover, it is quite clear that Amy’s mother, Lois Bleifuss Trotman, came from a Catholic family.

At OpEd News, Rob Kall interviews Rabbi Stephanie Aaron of Giffords' shul, Congregation Chaverim, she dispenses with any notion that the Loughner's were in any way associated with the community:
 "We had a meeting of the Tucson Board of Rabbis. We all looked at our rosters from many years back. No one has ever heard of the family -- him, his parents, any of them. I can say with absolute certainty that we do not know him in pretty much the entire affiliated community.”

I would add this: Bleifuss may be a Jewish name. (The noted investigative journalist, Joel Bleifuss, is Jewish.) Anton Bleifuss, Jared Lee Loughner's great-grandfather, might then have been Jewish -- but not so committed that he didn't defer to his wife when it came to raising the children as Roman Catholics.
As I noted in my earlier posting, Jared Loughner is not the most reliable of reporters, and Tierney's recollection was added as an aside. Mix into this the fact that Amy Loughner's brother is Anton Totman -- apparently named for his mother's father.

Loughner's family was in no way Jewish, nor was his mother -- but she might have mentioned her Jewish grandfather, beloved enough to live on in her brother's name, with pride or interest. Under those circumstances Loughner, who sought "chaos" according to Tierney, might have sought to provoke his mother and his uncle by pretending to admire (or actually admiring) Adolph Hitler. He might have told Tierney that his mother was Jewish as a shorthand, or might have seen her as Jewish -- like I said, not the most reliable reporter. Or he might have explained the lineage, and Tierney might understandably have conflated it as "mother Jewish.”

It sets up a fascinating contrast: Gabrielle Giffords, who plunges into public service when she is 30, just the same age she delves into her father's Judaism and chooses to embrace it; and Jared Loughner, who learns of a distant Jewish connection deep in his family's past -- and reviles it as he retreats into madness.
An obituary for Loughman's great aunt, Helen Medernach, is after the jump.

Date: June 24, 1999
Section: Business
Edition: Cook
Page: 10
Column: Obituaries

Helen Medernach of Virgil

A funeral Mass for Helen Medernach, 77, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, at S.S. Peter & Paul Church. Fr. Aloysius Neumann will officiate.

Born Sept. 21, 1921, in Sycamore, the daughter of Anton and Jessie (nee Anderson) Bleifuss, she passed away peacefully Sunday, June 20, 1999, at Bethany Care Center in Sycamore, where she had made her home since May. Interment will be in S.S. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Virgil.

Helen grew up in Sycamore and graduated from Sycamore High School, class of 1939. She went on to take business courses which shortly landed her a job at Anaconda Wire Company in Sycamore. She went to California with her sister, Lois, and was employed in a business office for a few years before returning to work in Chicago. The last 20 years of her working career were spent in the business office at the Duplex Company in Sycamore.

She was united in marriage to William H. `Willie' Medernach on May 16, 1959.
They made their home in Sycamore for a short time before moving to Virgil where they lived across the street from the church for many years.

Survivors include her sisters, Virginia Stran of DeKalb, Irene Luty of Covina, Calif., Lois (Lawrence) Totman of Tucson, Ariz. and Dorothy (`Trig') Troeger of Sycamore; several nieces and nephews; and a family of dear friends. In addition, she leaves the quiet, simple legacy of one who cared. Her many thoughtful words of thanks, encouragement and friendship were patiently penned into countless cards that found their way into the hearts of many friends and neighbors through the years.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 1997; and brothers, Albert, Lyle, Leslie and Donald Bleifuss.
***

15 comments:

Maurice Pinay said...

The best I can tell, if Loughner's reputed writings and videos are authentic, this kid's problem is that he was weak minded enough to actualize the alternative media hucksterism he apparently imbibed. If there was any mind control operant, I believe that was it.

Most people engage that nonsense at the entertainment level. Here's someone who really tried to live it. While "conscious dreaming" may account for his bloodbath and arrival in a prison cell, it will not get him out. Neither will the hucksters who sold him on the idea that he can create his own reality be there for him now.

But in truth, this isn't isolated to to the David Icke's and their little corner of the world. It's in the yoga centers, self-help books, philosophy curriculum and in churches of every denomination. It's in magazines and bookstores. It's on Oprah. The internet is flooded with it. It's decidedly Eastern and foreign to the West and this is highly problematic to the establishment who brings us this foreign, New Age crap. They need Jared Loughner to be an angry European Christian "Jew Hater" but the evidence trail clearly leads to the New Age and the nihilism that it engenders.

The way the establishment backed off on digging into his ideology and dismissing him as just plain crazy was highly conspicuous. He may have been crazy but the evidence in his reputed writings and videos and his friend's testimony clearly point to a non-Western ideology that they're not in the business of defaming.

Mr. Mcgranor said...

Its interesting that first he's a Rush Limbaugh enthusiast, now he's a Jewish commie.

aferrismoon said...

I doubt he would have acted out of 'self-hatred' had not certain factions invented the designation 'self-hating jew' or as I found on the net a list called ' Self-hating Israel-Threatening'.

It is the way blame can instantly be lain at the 'right-wingers' [ which is short hand for white-euro/ nordic. not-jewish, internet-users etc without really much evidence versus the 'what does it matter if he's a tiny-weeny bit Jewish, I'm shocked' routine.

It doesn't actually matter but when 'calling names' , well, play the game - all name's called and all possible reasons researched.


The speed with which the ADL and other fostered the victim within Judaicism would put Usain Bolt to shame.

Perhaps privately Loughner believed that American Jews should support the US first and not Israel/Zionism - a wild hypothesis I admit.

Had he been Moslem - lockdown!

Ironically calls for Palin to be shot have now been tweeted.

The season of the Pharmakos.

As it happens the word after Jared in the Hebrew dictionary is Yareh which means 'to shoot', 'gun', 'loose'.

cheers

Anonymous said...

I don't know how much scholarly repute Texe Marrs has, but he has made a separate allegation that Loughner is genetically Jewish.

If mental illness can be genetically determined, Loughner's Jewish genes may be related to Loughner's anti-social behavior.

Further, it seems that Loughner believed himself to be Jewish - although the belief of an insane person is obviously not the most striking element of this case.

Jason said...

Questions have been asked as to why the accused's website was linked on the Congresswoman's own website. Could an ethnic connection be the reason?

enigmatica said...

I've been told by a Jewish acquaintance in Arizona that both Rep. Giffords and Loughner's family were members of the same synagogue. She added that the Loughners didn't often attend, but it seems that in a small synagogue such as Chaverim, even those not in frequent attendance would be at least somewhat known by other members.

It's hearsay, granted, but it's from a source I consider reliable.

Michael Hoffman said...

To Enigmatica

(Great moniker by the way) - I am publishing your comment for the heck of it, but I wish to add that I am exceedingly leery of Internet rumors. Other than gossip, which I also loath, there is no evidence (thus far) for the rumor that the Loughners attended the same synagogue as Rep. Giffords.

Beware of what may be disinformation seeded by “cognitive infiltrators” who seek to discredit non-official Internet sources. We all need to be more circumspect in this regard. "Reliable hearsay" is an oxymoron.

On Cognitive Infiltration see Prof. David Ray Griffin’s important new book by that very name.

Anonymous said...

Wednesday has posted it's rubbish on my blog as well. I note the profile is kept private, suspicious to say the least.
My friend Kenny posted this link I found interesting. Maybe the synagogue connection between families was planted to legitimize the whole Jewish claim? Not to mention bloggers in general.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Exclusive-Giffords-Rabbi-by-Rob-Kall-110112-823.html

erhine said...

2 links to Loughner insights the Lame Stream is avoiding. He and Rep Giffords attended same synagogue and 2 things he had in common with Columbine shooters...

Lame Stream media is not reporting link that Tucson shooter and Rep Giffords attended same synagogue also very interesting is that on her youtube acct there are two links one to another Rep and other Loughner

http://www.prisonplanet.com/was-loughner-in-love-with-congresswoman-giffords.html

Here's another more revealing article and shows 2 things Loughner had in common with Columbine killers: http://www.texemarrs.com/012011/jared_loughner_article.htm

enigmatica said...

Hi, Michael, and thank you.

I generally give very little credence to internet (or other) rumors, and I saw the synagogue remark first online, so gave it little thought. But a longtime acquaintance of mine, Jewish and from Arizona, said that he'd heard from a friend of his (from his local synagogue, not the one in Tucson) that the Loughner family (or Jared himself -- that's not fully clear to me yet) had very sporadically attended the same synagogue as Giffords in Tucson. As a former reporter/anchor, I don't generally run with rumors, but this one has now come at me from two different directions, which gives me pause on the dismissal I'd given it when it was an online-only rumor to me.

My newswoman's nose, albeit retired from the business for a while, is actually more concerned with sniffing out why Giffords' YouTube page was linked only to two others: one of them a fellow congressperson's and one of them Jared Loughner's. I say "was" because the link to Loughner's page has since been removed, although there are screen captures from earlier showing the link.

Ultimately it probably doesn't matter whether Loughner and Giffords ever attended the same synagogue or not. That he'd had contact with her before (two years earlier at another public event) is clear, that he's mentally unstable is also highly probable... that, or he's clever as a fox, and I can't fully give him that much credit, given what I know of him so far.

enigmatica said...

Oh, a note as to clarity of comment... I've used both genders relating to my acquaintances in Arizona because I originally spoke with the wife, then just now talked to her husband... both have told me the same story, with the same person at synagogue being named as the source.

LaydeeLiberty said...

Sometime we just need to be reminded of this FACT.

"Jews may use lies ("subterfuges") to circumvent a (NON-JEWISH) Gentile"

- Baba Kamma 113a, Jewish Talmud

Anonymous said...

What's the connection between 'Loughner' and 'Loughman'

erhine said...

Mr. Hoffman it would be graet for you to clear this up as Texe Marrs cites you in above link. I was surprised by screenshot link though if he is wrong he should run a retraction and should respond to you since he cited some of your earlier work. Thank you for your time!
Also are those pictures of Loughner's back yard Sukkot from Daily News confirmed?

KurtB said...

Michael,
For what it is worth, I grew up in Sycamore, Illinois and my first wife’s family was from Virgil. I am familiar with the Medernach, Bleifuss and Totman names, but I was not personally acquainted with any of them. Up thru the 1960’s Virgil, Illinois was a town of Catholic Germans to the extent that only one family in town was not Catholic. None of this proves anything of course, as many Jews converted to Catholicism over the centuries for a variety of reasons.
Kurt B