There has been something nagging me for quite some time and is now causing me to further explore Louis' final resting place.
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| Louis Schwartz |
I know that Louis, along with his wife Rebecca (Steen) Schwartz (1848-1918) and their sons Marks (1873-1877) and Colman (1884-1920) Schwartz, are buried in Home of Eternity Cemetery in Oakland, California. While I cannot say with 100% certainty that his remains are actually there, I have stood before the grave so I know there is at least a stone for him there.
Since Louis is buried with his wife and two of his sons, I think he is in exactly the right place. But I don't know if that was always the case.
Louis died on 23 May, 1893 in Byron Springs, California. I know that Louis had gone to Byron Springs "in search of health". He had been "ailing for almost a year, his trouble having been Bright's Disease.'" [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 24 May 1893, Wed., page 3].
Other than the fact that Louis was only 59 years old, not too much seems out of place at this point. I'm sure his family were devastated as they made arrangements for Louis' final resting place. Which seems to have been Santa Cruz. WHAT?
Not just that, but there was a service performed and then a procession to the Jewish Cemetery in Santa Cruz.
Louis even bequeathed $250 to the Cemetery upon his death.
So, you'd think he would be buried at the Home of Peace Cemetery in Santa Cruz, right?
Was he "out of place" and moved to Home of Eternity when Rebecca died in 1918? I know that Rebecca was living in Oakland with her brother, Samuel Steen, and his wife, Rachel (Letter) Steen, and MY GRANDMOTHER, Loraine Gunzendorfer, when she passed away on 7 Jan 1918. So it makes sense that she was buried in Oakland.
As I was researching for this post I found some new information on Ancestry.com - the probate records of Rebecca! Where did that come from? I was ever so hopeful that there would be some mention of her burial but, sadly, not to be.
I've written to Temple Sinai, owners/operators of Home of Eternity Cemetery, to see if they might, just might, have some records describing when Louis was interred and who made the arrangements. With any luck, I'll get some questions answered about whether Louis was out of place in Santa Cruz and later moved to be next to his wife of nearly 30 years, Rebecca. I always like a good love story.
Louis died on 23 May, 1893 in Byron Springs, California. I know that Louis had gone to Byron Springs "in search of health". He had been "ailing for almost a year, his trouble having been Bright's Disease.'" [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 24 May 1893, Wed., page 3].
Other than the fact that Louis was only 59 years old, not too much seems out of place at this point. I'm sure his family were devastated as they made arrangements for Louis' final resting place. Which seems to have been Santa Cruz. WHAT?
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| Santa Cruz Sentinel, Wednesday, 26 May 1893, page 3 |
Not just that, but there was a service performed and then a procession to the Jewish Cemetery in Santa Cruz.
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| Santa Cruz Sentinel, Saturday, 27 May 1893, page 3 |
Louis even bequeathed $250 to the Cemetery upon his death.
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| Santa Cruz Sentinel, Friday, June 2, 1893, page 3 |
So, you'd think he would be buried at the Home of Peace Cemetery in Santa Cruz, right?
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| Home of Peace Cemetery, Santa Cruz, California |
Was he "out of place" and moved to Home of Eternity when Rebecca died in 1918? I know that Rebecca was living in Oakland with her brother, Samuel Steen, and his wife, Rachel (Letter) Steen, and MY GRANDMOTHER, Loraine Gunzendorfer, when she passed away on 7 Jan 1918. So it makes sense that she was buried in Oakland.
As I was researching for this post I found some new information on Ancestry.com - the probate records of Rebecca! Where did that come from? I was ever so hopeful that there would be some mention of her burial but, sadly, not to be.
I've written to Temple Sinai, owners/operators of Home of Eternity Cemetery, to see if they might, just might, have some records describing when Louis was interred and who made the arrangements. With any luck, I'll get some questions answered about whether Louis was out of place in Santa Cruz and later moved to be next to his wife of nearly 30 years, Rebecca. I always like a good love story.
Will be interesting to see if the cemetery can solve the mystery!
ReplyDeleteI hope so, Mary. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteGood luck with that all right. My brother baby Stephen who died in 1941 is supposed to be at Home of Eternity, but there's no stone & the cemetery doesn't know the actual location but thinks he may be under the grassy space between Mildred Bern & baby Kerbel; Sinai didn't respond to my query.
ReplyDeleteI hope I have better luck - if I don't hear from them in a few days, I'll give them a call.
DeleteWhat a puzzle. A genealogical game of Hide and Seek.
ReplyDeleteAnd even with a stone there, I am not 1000% sure Louis is underneath it. I guess there are some things we will never know.
DeleteAlthough it's uncommon for Jews to be moved once buried, it definitely happens. My uncle decided that the cemetery where my aunt (his wife) was buried was not nice enough for her and too far from where he was living. So he had her moved to a different cemetery a few years after she died. Then he was buried there with her. I bet that's what happened here---that he was moved so he was closer to where she was living after he died.
ReplyDeleteGood point. I didn't even think about her moving him to Oakland while she was still alive but more like her children buried her in Oakland and then moved him to be with her. I know someone who is researching the Jewish cemetery in Santa Cruz and while he doesn't know anything about it, he knows to keep his eyes peeled.
DeleteThank you Ms. Debi Austen for sharing your precious family stories and personal experiences of Rabbi Joseph and Rosalie Gitin.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Gitin was a favorite professor of mine at the university. His many fine examples and personal passions became powerful influencers in my own life.
Although my faith practice is Christianity, I prefer an eclectic approach to understanding spirituality, my own and that of others'.
Through my work with Rabbi Gitin, I have always wanted a Mezuzah present in my home to remind me of who I belong to and represent. The small vessel and scroll speak to how I should contain a word of wisdom and a better way of conducting myself as I come and go. This instrument is a tool that reminds me of a reverent elder and great teacher as well.
Sincerely