Sorry this thread posted twice! I have a follow-up since this investigation is a work in progress.
I tried to find any verification that this was a Russian or Jewish name and I found a site that listed "Simha". Then it hit me, "
Simcha"! (I'm Jewish). The Hebrew word & name meaning
Joy.
Is it likely that her name was
Simcha and it was written as
Sima because the ch is not a sound Americans can say?