Hyman Steen was born 8 Jan 1877 in Santa Cruz. He was one of seven children born to Jacob Steen and Pauline “Lena” Jacobson. The children were Jennie, Bella, Estella, Hyman, Harry, Julius, and Myrtle. (Jacob was previously married and had a child, Amelia, prior to marrying Lena).
In 1880, the family (minus Julius, who had not yet arrived) was living on Lincoln Street in Santa Cruz. In 1990 it was just Hyman and Jacob living in District 86, San Lorenzo – Lena was listed as a “widow” in Oakland with children Jennie, Stella, and Julius. Since Jacob didn’t die until 1909, I’m not sure why she would have stated she was a widow.
1910 found Hyman on Baldwin Avenue in Felton with his “companion” George Ley. I know that George and Hyman were business partners but it seems that usually people are listed as “boarders” when they are not related. A new mystery to solve.
In 1918, Hyman registered for World War I. He lived at 768 54th Street in Oakland and listed his mother, Lena Steen, as his nearest relative.
In 1919, Hyman Steen and George Ley founded what would later be known as Santa Cruz Lumber. The offices were located in Santa Cruz with a mill in Bonny Doon and later moved near Pescadoro Creek in San Lorenzo Valley.
In 1920, Hyman was living at 768 54th Street in Oakland with his sister Bella, her husband Morris Benas, and their son, Lionel Benas. It was Bella and Morris whom I believe may have ‘introduced’ my grandparents as not only was Bella Hyman’s sister, but Morris was the brother of my great grandmother, Goldie Benas Levy (mother of Sig Levy).
In the letters that I’m transcribing between my grandparents from 1916-1919, my grandmother, Loraine Gunzendorfer, writes about the many times she and “Hymie” went rowing on the lake [I believe on Lake Merritt as this was within blocks of where Loraine lived with her great uncle, Samuel Steen, and his wife, Rachel]. Although Loraine and Sig seemed a bit secretive about their relationship since the two families were intertwined, I think Hymie could have been one person she was honest with. Since he was 20 years her senior, I like to think he was protecting her as she stated she didn’t want to go rowing without him.
On 23 Feb 1924, Hyman died from double pneumonia at the age of 47. He never married.
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| Santa Cruz Evening News 23 February 1924 page 1 |
The next day the Santa Cruz Evening News reported that his body was being taken to San Francisco for internment.
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| Santa Cruz Evening News 24 February 1924 page 1 |
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| Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Original data - San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985. Microfilm publication, 1129 rolls. |
Other than the notice above, I have not found anything referencing Hyman living in Cleveland, although I know others in the Steen/Stein family lived there.
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| Enlargement of notice above |
Hyman is buried in Hills of Eternity Cemetery in Colma, along with his parents Jacob and Lena, and sister Estella and her husband, Leon Boas. I wonder if my grandmother was at the service.
And with just 28 words, Hyman Steen left all of his $50,000 estate to his mother, Lena. The executors were his brother, Harry, and his former partner, George Ley.
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| Santa Cruz Evening News 13 March 1924 page 1 |
Thanks for being a cousin and good friend to my grandmother, Hyman Steen.
Women often listed themselves as widows instead of admitting to divorce. I have seen it numerous times in my research.
ReplyDeleteHymie sounds like a sweet guy!
Hymie seemed very good to my grandmother.
DeleteI hadn't thought about the widow aspect since they are buried together. But I went back and looked at Jacob's obituary and it mentions he died surrounded by his children but no mention of Lena. Thanks!