About 1900, Jake Lurey (1880-19460, immigrated to the United States from Russia with his parents, Zalick Lurey (1856-1931) and Masha Leah Lurey (1856-1932), and siblings, Annie Lurey Rosenthal (1883-1962), Morris Lurey (1884-1963), Samuel Lurey (1889-1960), and Hymen Lurey (1890-1965). After his arrival, Jake Lurey lived in Rhode Island with his family until about 1909. He and his family then moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina where his wife, Annie Hecklin Lurey (1880-1951), had family. There, he opened a shoe store, which he ran with the help of his father and his brother Morris. Lurey closed the store in 1910, and moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he opened another shoe store.