52 Ancestors: Loss - Levy Bros. Profit & Loss Records

I've had this book, which belonged to my grandfather Sig Levy, for many years sitting on a table.  I'd glanced through it a few times but it wasn't until this blog prompt came up that I spent more time with it.  Remember, my grandparents saved everything.

Here's the first page.

When I looked at this it occurred to me to search for it to see if I could find any history on it.  While I didn't find history, I did find an identical book selling on eBay for $31.45.

Look at that - a Profit and Loss Statement for May.  Actually, there are pages and pages for each month but this is just an example.

And on the opposite side of each month is individual years - this is 1931-1936.

Even though my father thought I'd be a good accountant, I quickly realized that profession was not for me.  So I'd really have to study this to figure out what it all means.

I found the salary detail interesting - this is from Jan 1-June 30, 1941.  I laugh to myself that each time the four brothers were listed it is always in age order - Herb, Leon, Sig, Ben.  So they each made $1500 dollars over 6 months or $250 per week.  In today's dollars that would be $4618 per month.  

And look at that - a couple of other Levys were working with the firm.  Herb Levy, Jr. was Herb's only son.  And Robert Levy was Sig's oldest son and my uncle.  In 1941 Rob would have been just 21 years old and about ready to enlist.  I can see that the following 6 months (July 1 - December 31, 1941) he earned $117 and the following six months was just $18.  Probably just a part time job.

And Herb's daughter, Barbara, also worked for the firm in 1944 and made a whopping $92 for the year.  

The commission page was especially interesting to see what properties sold for back then.

I looked up the house at 647 No. Van Ness Avenue, built in 1932, and Zillow shows the estimated value of $260,000 today.  And the house at 610 Pine Avenue, built in 1935, has an estimated value of $592,352.  

Levy Bros. was a successful business until 1965 after Ben's death left Sig as the only remaining brother.  Hopefully, the business never experienced a "Loss".

 

52 Ancestors: Work

This week’s blog prompt is Work.  I come from a long line of “work until you die” ancestors and unless something happens that I’m not expecting, I am NOT going to carry on this tradition.  Retirement here I come!

I decided to focus on the work of my paternal grandfather, Sig Levy.  Through much of his life Sig was a partner, along with his three brothers, in Levy Brothers, a real estate and insurance firm.  I always felt so proud to have a business named for my family.





Remember, my grandparents saved EVERYTHING, and my parents followed suit, so it’s no surprise this sign was found with all of my parents’ things.  Since my brother was the only grandson and only person with the last name Levy, we sent it home for him to treasure and I’m sure he has it hanging in a special place in his home.  Above the mantel, perhaps?

Preparing this blog post caused me to look again at Sig’s obituary to see what I could learn and, once again, a second (or third or fourth) look provided me with new details.

On the day Sig graduated from Fresno High School in 1906, he became a police reporter for the old Fresno Tribune.  Within months he joined the business staff of the Fresno Republican and handled the paper’s promotion activities. 

Occasionally he served as a reporter, with his largest assignment covering the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.  Sig graduated in January, 1906 so it makes sense that he would be working in April, 1906.  And it also makes sense as to why I’ve found photos of the destruction – my grandfather must have had quite a fascination with the event.  Who knew?  Of course now that I’m looking for the photos in the boxes and boxes of things I have yet to go through, I can’t find a single one.  But I did find this photo in Sig’s brother’s (Ben) autobiography.




In 1912, Sig became advertising manager of the Republican and in that same year he pioneered the idea of newspaper delivery by airplane when he sent bundles of the Republican to Madera by plane.  I wrote about that HERE. 

On October 1, 1912, Sig’s brothers, Herbert and Leon, formed Levy Bros. Youngest brother, Ben, joined in February, 1913 but it wasn’t until 1917 that Sig joined the firm and all four brothers were together.  About this time he also entered World War I and was in pilot training at March Field when the armistice was signed.  After the war he returned to the firm and specialized in property management, leasing and real estate.

Fresno Bee Republican, 8 Jan 1937, page 11, “Twenty Years Ago”

In the early days, Levy Bros. was located at 1933 Fresno in Fresno.  In 1917, the California Real Estate Directory, Volume 1-2, showed the firm there.  And in 1918, Jackson’s Real Estate Directory did the same.  But the real proof for me was the letters my grandmother wrote to Sig before their marriage and up until February, 1919 (the month of their marriage), her letters were all addressed to 1933 Fresno.  And we all know that true love wins!

In 1922, the Directory of Brokers & Salesmen (non-PC today), Volume 3-4, the firm was located at 1233 Broadway.  Sig even used some of their envelopes to store his cigar wrappers (more on that in a later post).



In 1929, the ‘boys’ posed for a photo.  I have several photos from different time periods but this one seems the most natural.  Grandpa, why didn’t you join your brothers and wear a bow tie?

Ben, Herb, Leon Levy (back row), Sig Levy (front), 7 Aug 1929

As you may have read HERE, my grandfather was an avid scrapbooker – it’s a blessing and a curse!  There is so much historical information in his scrapbooks, much of it regarding Levy Bros., that I will never have the time to document everything (I’m a realist).  So once again I’ve packed them away for later but I did pull one out to include in this post.



This one is titled Business and Industry, Fresno County.  And there are pages and pages and PAGES of newspaper articles about Fresno County.  Here’s a few examples.

The Fresno Bee, Sunday, January 25, 1959

I wonder what stands there today.

And is the shopping center still there?  If I’ve got my directions right, it looks like its an assortment of restaurants, banks and other services.

Date unknown, likely 1956-1959

I always knew that something happened to ‘break up’ the brothers as a result of the business but never seemed to get all of the details.  But, Ben Levy wrote this in his autobiography:

“This foursome went along for years, then the break came.  It was a matter of principles involved.

The second generation was coming along and there was a difference of opinion between my brother, Herbert, and myself.  In the old days, the oldest male son was looked to as the one that should take over and carry on.  As far as I was concerned, what was fair for one was fair for the other.  In other words, if the second generation was to receive favorable consideration, this consideration should apply to the females as well as the males and all should be given the same opportunity.  I had two daughters, both very capable, and why should I not protect their interest.  As, my father was opposed to the granting of woman suffrage, the same feeling existed, as to women assuming responsible positions.  Today, our office has very capable women that can do as well as men, or maybe better.  I guess I was a little ahead of my time.  It caused my brother, Herbert, to sell his interest in the firm and establish his son, Herb, Jr. in business.  This was a situation that was not too pleasant and caused some family dissention, not, as far as I was concerned, as I tried to be pleasant, but received no reciprocation.  A new situation has just developed due to the sudden death of my brother, Leon, who died, in our office, of an acute heart attack.  He had planned to retire July 1st, but it wasn’t to be that way.” [Leon died 23 May 1962]

Herb died before I was born but I never remember hearing about him and I’m not even sure I knew about him before I started this journey.  And he spent the end of his life living around the corner from my grandparents and not once did anyone drive by and say “this is where Herb lived”.  The home has remained in the family since and his grandson lives there now.

Ben died 4 Mar 1965 which left Sig on his own.  I vaguely remember him joining a new firm (geez, he would have been 77 years old at this point) but I really had no idea when or why.  So he packed up his stuff and moved next door to Pearson Realty at 1225 Broadway.

Fresno Bee Republican, 1 Apr 1965, Page 35

If my memory serves me correctly, about a week after his 80th birthday he worked in the morning and then checked into the hospital for surgery.  He never came home and died about a week later on 16 Aug 1968.

My grandfather, and his brothers, spent their entire lives in Fresno and were instrumental in the growth of the city.  And while it ended on a bad note, Levy Brothers was a very large part of that.

Scrapbook #2 – This and That

As we come to the close of the scrapbook (one more page to go), there were several miscellaneous articles and photos of interest.



I don’t remember the specific office building but the Levy Bros. logo will be etched in my mind for the rest of my life.  I always thought it was cool to have a business with my last name.  This photo of Sig is marked February, 1952 – he looks pretty dapper all dressed up and ready for work.

After the death of his last brother, Ben, on March 4, 1965, Levy Bros. was dissolved and Sig went to the office next door, Pearson Realty, to finish out his career.



While the date was not included with the article in the scrapbook, I was able to find it electronically – this is from the Fresno Bee Republican, April 1, 1965.

This article from the Fresno Bee Republican, April 4, 1965, was not included in the scrapbook but I found it interesting and tells a bit more of the story.



The real estate and insurance business was in the family’s blood.  Sig’s oldest brother, Herb, had his son, Herb Jr., follow him into the business.  I don’t know the complete story but I know that at some point, this caused a disagreement between the brothers which, ultimately, led to them parting ways.

I belive this article was from February-March, 1965 – most likely also from The Fresno Bee Republican.



One last photo really hit home – this photo of Sig’s father, and my great grandfather, Herman Levy.  Years ago I blogged about him HERE and was so pleased to finally determine the identify of the mystery photo I had.  And now I have confirmation again.



I can’t help but think about Sig cutting the photo out in order for it to fit in the scrapbook but I’m sure glad he did!

A to Z Blog Challenge: What I Remember – Part 2

For the last few years, I’ve seen a lot of bloggers posting as part of the A to Z Blog Challenge.  From the website a-to-zchallenge.com the challenge began in 2010 and the challenge was this:   Can you post every day except Sundays during the month of April?  And to up the bar, can you blog thematically from A to Z?

I never took the challenge, even though it looked interesting and I enjoyed reading many of the posts.  So this year I’m doing my own abbreviated challenge – What I Remember from A to Z.  And I won’t do it daily but will condense it into several posts.  You can read Part 1 here.
 
J = June Bugs

As I wrote in Part 1, we spent a lot of time in Fresno as kids since all of my grandparents lived there.  And I remember that I always, always hated to visit in the May-July time frame because there were – GASP! – June Bugs.  Anyone who has been around me for more than about 3 minutes knows that I HATE bugs and as far as I’m concerned, they can all be eliminated from this planet and the world would be a much better place.

But sadly for me, we did visit during June Bug season and I can still remember trembling at night while those damned things were smashing into the upstairs windows as we tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to sleep.  Even though it was hot and that house had no air conditioning, those windows had to stay CLOSED!  Splat, splat, splat against the window!  Ugh, I’m shuddering now just thinking about it – although it could also be from scanning the internet for a picture of the stupid thing.



I’m not even sure if this is what they really looked like because I ever got close enough to one of them to actually look at it.

K = KLIV

KLIV was an important part of my past in a couple of different ways. 

First, KLIV was one of “the” radio stations to listen to when we were growing up.  KLIV has been on the air since 1946 (before my time) and was originally KSJO, a daytime only AM station.  In 1960 it became a top 40 station, which is what it was as I was growing up.  The station changed hands in 1967 when it was purchased by Robert “Bob” Kieve and James Trayhem, Jr. and then became a big band station in 1981.  I remember my dad talking about Bob Kieve and, in fact, Bob spoke at my dad’s memorial service in 2005. 

In 1991, KLIV became an all news station and somewhere after that time, when I had long since moved from San Jose, it became important for another reason.  My dad, a long time stock broker/financial advisor in the Santa Clara Valley, became one of the KLIV “voices” when he began to report the financial news on the radio.  Since I didn’t live in the area, I rarely heard my dad’s voice coming across the airwaves but I do remember once driving in the car while I was visiting and poof, my dad was talking to me.  I blocked everything else out and drove along with a smile on my face listening to him tell the listeners how the Dow Jones had performed that day.  After he passed away, a KLIV listener even signed the on-line guest book saying “I miss his voice already.  He was such a staple that it will be strange not to hear him.  My prayers are with his family, I know they will miss so much more than just his voice.”

L = Levy Brothers

My grandfather, Sigmund Levy, and his brothers operated an insurance and real estate business, Levy Bros.  I always thought it was so cool to have a business using my last name!  But what I didn’t know is that it was that business which, in the end, tore the brothers apart.  I wrote a little about the brothers here.  That business was such an important part of our family history and one day, I want to learn more about it.



M = Ming’s

Ming’s was a Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto that was the site of many, many family dinners over the years.  Ming’s was the first Chinese fine dining restaurant on the mid-peninsula and opened in 1956 on El Camino Real.  It was a favorite gathering place for Stanford staff and the Stanford football team ate there after every home game.  This must have been what enticed my parents to dine there.  When El Camino was widened, it displaced the restaurant and it was relocated to Embarcadero, east of the Bayshore Freeway.

I remember getting dressed up for dinner – jeans, shorts or casual clothes were not appropriate attire for a visit to Ming’s back in those days – and we’d pile in the car for the approximate 30 minute drive to Ming’s.  Once seated, Mom would be the only one with a menu as there was really no point in the rest of us even looking at it.  Mom always, and I mean always, did the ordering for the table no matter how many people were there or who they were.  We’d start with Won Ton soup, sometimes she’d add their signature Chinese Chicken Salad, Ming’s Beef, and Leechi Pork (yum, my favorite) were also staples.  If there was a special occasion or guests in town, we’d always make a visit to Ming’s.

I’ve learned that Ming’s was closed in December, 2014 and will be demolished to make room for an extended stay hotel and a newer, smaller Chinese restaurant.  One day I hope to be able to visit again and rekindle some old memories.

Photo by Veronica Weber December, 2011

N = Needle

I probably shouldn’t share this memory but since my dad is no longer here, I’m probably safe.  I will say that Dad was never really the type to get ‘mad’ but he did have a habit of reminding us about something over and over and over again.  And this was clearly one of those times.

I can’t imagine why I loved to sit on the floor of my room, propped against the foot board of the bed, watching TV, and doing whatever it was I wanted or needed to do.  I do remember sitting there doing some mending or hemming or something that involved a needle.  The other thing I liked to do was walk around the house barefoot – really, what California teenager actually liked wearing shoes?  I’m sure you know where this is going – suffice it to say that needles on the carpet and bare feet really don’t go together and the next thing you knew, I stepped on the needle that should have never been on the floor in the first place and surely should have been put away when I was done.  But hey, I was 15 years old and I knew everything.

I pulled it out, or so I thought, and went about my day.  Ouch, my foot sure hurt!  I didn’t want to admit how much it hurt because I had a school scavenger hunt to attend that night which I was really excited about and I wasn’t going to miss it.  I did go on the scavenger hunt but by the end of the night the boys (oh, I loved being the little sister of a popular senior girl with lots of boy admirers) were literally carrying me on and off the bus and around town trying to find whatever it was that was next on our list.

The next morning I tried to get out of bed and literally could not put any pressure on the foot.  Uh-oh, I guess I had to admit to Mom and Dad now what was really going on.  Thankfully, our next door neighbor (and like a second dad to me) was a physician and even though he was an anesthesiologist, he took one look at my foot and announced that it was time to get in the car and go to the emergency room.  And within a few hours on that fall Sunday morning, I found my second dad back by my side getting ready to put me to sleep so that I could be taken to the operating room to get that darned thing out of my foot.

After an overnight stay and a week on crutches, I was pretty much back to the pre-needle incident.  And all these years later (and it’s been A LOT of years since I was 15) I still have a little scar and lump on the bottom of my foot thanks to the dreaded needle.  Probably a good reminder to not sit on the floor to sew and to never, ever walk around bare foot.  And if that wasn’t reminder enough, my dad was always there to remind me!

O = Organ

My dad not only played the accordion, but he also played the piano and later in life, the organ.  What special memories I have of Dad playing the organ and as the years went on, he shared those memories with my daughters.  He took lessons (usually weekly or bi-weekly) until shortly before his death and there were so many hours spent in that house listening to the beautiful sounds that would come from his hands and feet. 



P = Pets

Mom and Dad had pets since they were first married (maybe even before) and I can never, ever remember them being pet-less until the last few years of Mom’s life.  There were many but, sadly, I haven’t run across pictures of many of them. 

Their first pet was Fluffy, a beautiful silver Persian cat.  The story goes that Mom was home alone one night (I believe before they were married) and Fluffy started growling and hissing.  I don’t know any of the particulars but Mom always said there was an intruder trying to get in the apartment and Fluffy’s behavior must have scared him off.  Good girl, Fluffy!



Another early pet was Bruce, a beautiful Collie.  I think they brought him home as a puppy shortly after they were married.



Bruce must have become a dad because I found this photo of Mom holding puppies which was labeled “Bruce and the Children, July 25, 1952”.  I think the mom’s name was Lassie (duh) and there were a total of five pups. 



I do remember that while Bruce was fine with us, he wasn’t too fond of children so we had a special section of the backyard fenced off so he would be away from our friends when they would come to play.

After Bruce left us, we started on the poodle craze and had a miniature silver poodle named Penny, followed by two smaller poodles named Buffy and Tinka (after my mom’s hairdresser).  The poodle craze was over and then started on the Sheltie band wagon. 

Tinkerbell

Dad wanted to name our next dog Tinka after the apricot/buff poodle who died so young but we didn’t want to hear it.  What a shock when we walked into the house to meet a Sheltie and the owners said “meet our dog, Tinkerbell”.  It was fate and her name was never changed!

Several other dogs followed Tinker – Mandy, the beautiful Sheltie who died in Dad’s arms after a hit and run outside their house, and then the wacky Cherry Pie (boy, that dog was weird).  By then it was time to try a large breed (what couple in their 70’s decides they need a big dog?) and Cody, the Golden Retriever, joined their family.  Cody was a faithful friend to Mom once she was alone but then, sadly, he left her, too.  And those last few years of Mom’s life was probably the only time I remember the house being pet free.

I even had a short stint as a lamb owner when I raised Lil Abner as a 4H project.  It was a sad day when I sold him at auction but I ended up getting quite a high price for him.  I wonder if it had anything to do with Dad’s Rotarian friend who bought him?  He did invite us over for lamb dinner one night and while I can’t remember if Mom and Dad went, I politely declined.  And I haven’t eaten lamb since.

Lil Abner and Me August, 1968

Q = Quilts

I have a couple of quilts that I rescued from the storage unit which had been left to die in that dark, dusty hole.  I brought them home, had them dry cleaned, and left them wrapped in the plastic in order to pass down to descendants at some later date.  My mother thought they were made by her great grandmother, Rebecca Moriah Waller McAboy, but she couldn’t be 100% sure.  Here’s one – does it look like something that would have been made in the late 1800’s or very early 1900’s?



A very long time ago, my mother gave me this quilt which she thought had been made by her grandmother, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald.  I always thought it was so fun with all the little girls in their sun bonnets.



I have a lot of memories about this quilt.  I remember being sick and lying on the couch to watch TV, covered in love with this quilt that my great grandmother, Mabel, made.  I always loved the scalloped edges.



R = Rabbi Gitin

While my family wasn’t deeply religious when I was growing up, there was one constant in our lives that provided us with a spiritual upbringing – Rabbi Joseph Gitin.  Not only was Rabbi Gitin the Rabbi of our Temple, but he and Dad became great friends due to their shared love of Rotary.

I’ve run across many photos of Rabbi and his beloved wife, Rosalie, and I’m sure there are more to come.  In fact, Rabbi Gitin probably deserves his own blog post at some point in time. 

Rabbi Joseph Gitin, Geraldine Levy, Gordon Levy Date unknown

Rabbi Gitin officiated Mom & Dad’s renewal of their wedding vows on their 25th wedding anniversary in 1975 – perhaps this was taken at that time.

Rabbi Joseph Gitin and Rosalie Gitin Date unknown

Rabbi Gitin was a major part of the most intimate and meaningful day of my life.  And, as always, he beamed that ever present smile.



Another very important event that Rabbi Gitin shared with us was a celebration for Dad when he was awarded the Legacy Medal in 1982.  Of course they sat at the table with us – Dad wouldn’t have had it any other way.  I’m not sure what my mom was thinking but something sure put a funny smile on her face.

Gordon and Gerry Levy, Rabbi and Rosalie Gitin March, 1982

Several years later, he officiated at my sister’s wedding – he and Dad spent some time together on the lawn during the rehearsal.

Rabbi Joseph Gitin and Gordon Levy August, 1987

After the rehearsal, we went to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant (not Ming’s) and as usual, Mom did the ordering.  Of course since my mother wasn’t raised Jewish, she didn’t think about what foods Jews might or might not eat.  Once again, Rabbi and Mrs. Gitin were seated at the table with us.

Rabbi and Rosalie Gitin August, 1987

Imagine Mrs. Gitin’s surprise when the waiter arrived at the table with Moo Shu Pork!  Yikes, Mom didn’t think about the fact that Jews don’t eat pork.  I will never, as long as I live, forget Rabbi Gitin leaning over to Mrs. Gitin and whispering “Rosalie, just shut up and eat it!” 

Come back next time for the last installment of A to Z Blog Challenge – What I Remember.

Was Grandma a Cover Girl?

I first found this poster a few years ago and then stashed it away to come back to later.  I finally dug this out of the box today and decided that later had finally come!



Is this my grandmother, Mildred Loraine Gunzendorfer Levy?  I’m about 80% convinced that it is but would love other opinions. 

The date on the newspaper states it was 9 March 1916 - here’s a photo of her from about the same time frame.

Mildred Loraine Gunzendorfer

It’s not just her face that makes me think it’s her but her manner of being slightly bent forward.

Here is a side-by-side close up of the two pictures.


Oh, I just don’t know.  The more I look at it the more doubts that I have.

Looking again at the original poster, there is a man holding the copy of the newspaper, The Fresno Republican.  Guess who worked at The Republican during that time frame?  My grandfather, Sigmund Levy!  He was an ‘advertising solicitor’ until about 1911 when he became the Advertising Manager, a position he held until sometime between 1915 and 1917 when he joined the family firm of Levy Bros. Real Estate.  So was this poster a form of advertising featuring his future wife?  Could he be the man holding the newspaper in the poster? 

The paper itself has a lot of detail, although it’s tough to see here.



So what do you think?  Could my grandma have been a cover girl?

Levy Brothers

In honor of National Siblings Day (who knew there was a designated day?) it’s fitting to highlight siblings in my family, starting with the Levy brothers.  These brothers worked together in commercial real estate in Fresno in the early 20th century but, sadly, they didn’t all end up together at the end of their lives.  I hate thinking about the squabble that caused them to separate and I’m saddened that until recently, I wasn’t in touch with some of their descendants.  But I am now and for that I’m grateful!



The brothers were Herb (1884-1952), Leon (1886-1962), Sigmund (my grandfather, 1888-1968), and Ben (1892-1965).  Additionally, there was another brother, Arnold (1890-1890), who I wrote about here. 

Here are the boys in about 1889, before Ben was born.

Leon, Sigmund, Herbert Levy c. 1889

Here’s the young family in about 1890. 



The family looks so small in this photo – here’s a close up. 

Goldie and Herman Levy Herbert, Leon and Sig

And by 1892 Benjamin had joined the family.

Benjamin Levy

The house had sure changed by 1907!



Although I don’t know the date this was taken, the family were all together and posed for a photo.  My best guess would be that this was taken somewhere about 1906-1908 based on the ages of the boys.

Standing – Leon, Sig, Ben, Herb Levy Seated – Goldie Benas Levy and Herman Levy

By 1920 Levy Brothers was a thriving business and it looks like there were a number of people working there besides the four brothers. 



I can’t make out much in this photo except I do see my grandfather, Sigmund Levy, second from the right. 

The Levy Brothers ventured out for a photo in 1929 – boy do they look dapper!

Ben, Herb, Sig, Leon Levy August 7, 1929

And they were together again in later years.

Standing – Ben and Sig Levy Seated – Herb and Leon Levy

And that’s about where the trail runs cold as the brothers had a falling out and some never talked to each other again.  I didn’t know until recently that my grandparents lived almost around the corner from Herb and his family.  All those years of visiting Grandma and Grandpa and there were my dad’s cousins so close but yet so far.  I’ve reconnected with Herb’s grandson and hope that one day we’ll be able to meet in person (Fresno, here I come!).  These brothers may have stopped communicating in their later years but their descendants will put a stop to that!