52 Ancestors: At Worship

I don't know too much about how my ancestors worshiped - Dad's family was Jewish, Mom's was Christian - and I don't think any of them were terribly religious.  Because of the mixed faith of our parents, we weren't really raised in a religious fashion, either.  Although Mom 'converted' to Judaism when they married, I know that some of the Christian traditions were still buried deep inside her.  But it was important to Dad that we practice some religion so we were raised as much as possible in the Jewish faith.

So while I don't know much about my ancestors, I do have very vivid memories of our time at Temple Emanu-El in San Jose.

Temple Emanu-El, San Jose, California
google.maps.com

Just a few of my memories:

When my brother was Bar Mitzvahed, I remember quite a discussion about which Jewish male family members would stand up to recite prayers.  Of course, coming from a very small family, that was a difficult task and at some point, my sister and I were called in to action.  Thank goodness that we were able to recite the prayers in English!

One year (7th grade, maybe?) my dad was late signing us up for Religious School so we had to go on Saturday instead of Sunday.  Not many of my friends went to church or Religious School on Saturdays.  Lesson learned, Dad.

I loved the holiday celebrations, especially the Purim carnival.

There were some sad times, too.  After my uncle's death in Atlanta in 2004, my dad just couldn't face not having a memorial for his only sibling.  So as only my dad could do, he made it happen and we had a small memorial at the Temple attended by a few family members and friends.

I wonder if Dad ever thought about the fact that the next time we would all join together at the Temple would be just 15 months later when we came together to say goodbye to Dad.  Not only was it goodbye to him, but it was also September 11 so a difficult day all around.  But we all met in the Temple House after the service and as his only great grandchild would proclaim, "then we had a party".

But the greatest, most meaningful, memory I have of the Temple was our long time Rabbi, Joseph Gitin.  Rabbi Gitin, and his wife, Rosalie, was there for us at almost every important religious event as we were growing up.

My brother's (and ultimately my father's) baby naming event.  I think one was named Herman, one was named Isaac but I can't be sure.  Wonder why little brother didn't make it into the photo?

Back row:  Loraine (Gunzendorfer) Levy, Dad, Sig Levy, Rabbi Gitin
Front:  Gerry (Martin) Levy, Me, Sister

In 1974, Rabbi Gitin was there.  I remember Dad saying he didn't care who married us but he felt like it should be someone who knew us and was meaningful in our lives.  Of course we asked Rabbi Gitin!  And he was kind enough to not just say the prayers in Hebrew, but also in English.

We were so young!

And then eight months later came Bar Mitzvah day.  Although my memory is completely shot of most things, I can remember that day vividly.  I was a few months pregnant with my first child so finding something to wear was a difficult task.  But I can visualize that dress all these years later - just wish I had a photo to share.

The following year Mom and Dad renewed their vows for their 25th anniversary.  I don't remember the story exactly but I know that when Mom and Dad were married in 1950, for some reason at the last minute the Rabbi could not be there so they had to scramble to find a fill-in officiant.  Which explains why Dad wanted us to be married by someone who was important to us.  And when it came time to renew their vows, who else should be there but Rabbi Gitin?

I'm not sure who had the biggest smile that day

In 1982, Dad was the recipient of The Legacy Medal, awarded each year by the San Jose Hospital Foundation to a member of the community for years of professional and public service to the citizens of Santa Clara Valley.  It seemed fitting since Dad had recovered from a heart attack at San Jose Hospital in 1978, and then from a 5 way bypass in 1979.  Of course, Rabbi Gitin was there, along with Rosalie, seated at the head table with us.

Mom, what was so funny?

Five years later, another wedding in the family as my sister was married.  Of course you know who officiated - yep, Rabbi Gitin.  I think one of my very favorite Rabbi stories was the night of the rehearsal dinner.  Mom was so excited to organize the venue for the dinner and since we all loved Chinese food, she made arrangements for the wedding party and family to join together at Fung Lum, a 'famous' restaurant in San Jose.  She always did the ordering when we had Chinese food and this night was no exception.  And remember, Mom was not raised Jewish and none of us were really strict with our dietary restrictions so I'm sure she didn't pay too much attention to any of that.  But when the waiter showed up at our table (of course I was at the same table as Rabbi and Rosalie) and set down Moo Shoo Pork in front of the Rabbi and his wife, there was not only a gasp from the table, but you could just see the color draining from Rosalie's face.  PORK?  She looked in astonishment at the Rabbi as he quietly said "Rosalie, just shut up and eat it".

Rosalie, shut up and eat it!

Dad and Rabbi shared their lives together - not just religiously but also as lifetime Rotarians and friends.  And it was apparent as they shared a special moment together after the bride and groom were named Mr. and Mrs.

And then the unthinkable happened and Dad was gone.  All of us kids had moved away from home but we gathered to plan a service for Dad.  I remember thinking that Rabbi Gitin MUST be there.  But, sadly, at the age of 99 and having just lost Rosalie a few months prior, Rabbi Gitin was unable to attend the memorial.  He sent a nice message via the current Rabbi, Dana Magat, so we felt like he was with us that day.  I know he would have moved mountains to get there if he could - the friendship the two shared was very special.

Dad's final resting place
Rabbi Magat on the right

Just five years later and at the age of 104, Rabbi Gitin was at peace.  And he is now at rest with his beloved Rosalie at Home of Peace Cemetery, the Jewish portion of Oak Hill Memorial Park where Mom & Dad rest.  Dad always said he didn't want to be in the Jewish section but rather up on the hill overlooking the valley (the picture above is from his final resting place) but maybe if he'd thought about Rabbi Gitin being buried there one day, he might have felt differently.  I'm glad to know, though, that they aren't that far apart and when I visit Mom & Dad, I can also visit Rabbi and Rosalie.

Apparently Rosalie didn't want people to know how old she was

Thank you for the memories, Rabbi Gitin.  Know that you were a very, very special member of our family.

52 Ancestors: Out of Place

Is Louis Schwartz, my 2x great grandfather, out of place?

There has been something nagging me for quite some time and is now causing me to further explore Louis' final resting place.

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? 

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.

Santa Cruz Sentinel, Saturday, 27 May 1893, page 3

Louis even bequeathed $250 to the Cemetery upon his death.

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?

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.

52 Ancestors: Brick Wall

We all have them, right?  You know, brick wall ancestors who don't want to be found.  I have more than a few but the ancestor who haunts me the most is my paternal great grandfather, Herman Levy.  I've connected with some Levy cousins and I'm hoping we can figure it out but for now, he's a mystery.  It could be that he was known as Herman Levi before coming to America but for now, he's staying hidden.

I have so many brick wall ancestors who are staring me in the face but I have no idea who they are or even if they are MY ancestors.  Why, why, why did my grandmother not label these beautiful photos?  Even one might have led to a new discovery but no, nothing.  So I scan them and file them in my "unidentified" folder.

What makes it even more challenging is that my great grandfather, Abraham Gunzendorfer, was a photographer so I can't even be sure that these people were anything more than a subject for Abe.  And while I believe those who are related to me are either Gunzendorfer, Schwartz, or Steen ancestors because they were in the same box as some identified by those names, it's a crap shoot.

So here I'll post some of these unidentified characters in the hope that maybe, just maybe, someone can help me out.

I love seeing photos of children - there is so much promise in their eyes and I can just imagine the lives they had ahead of them.  But who are they?

I think these two might be Gunzendorfer boys since the photographer was J.B. Johnson in Gilroy, California.  The four boys were Gustave (b. 1864), Adolph (b. 1866), Abraham (b. 1869) and Jacob (b. 1871) and the family lived in Gilroy in 1870.  Clearly taken on the same day but who are they?

I don't know - the top could be Gustave and the bottom could be Adolph but for all I know, they don't even belong to me.

And until today I thought this gentleman might be my 2x great grandfather, Louis Schwartz, but now I've noticed that it was also taken by J.B. Johnson in Gilroy - and to my knowledge, Louis never lived in Gilroy.  So maybe it was the father of the two boys.  And maybe, just maybe, it was their father, Ferdinand Gunzendorfer.

It sort of looks like Ferdinand as an older man but maybe it's just because I want it to be him that I think that.

Ferdinand Gunzendorfer

And then there's this cutie.  Since the photographer was in Santa Cruz and my Steen and Schwartz ancestors lived there, it could be one of them.  Joseph Schwartz?  Milton Schwartz?  Colman Schwartz?  All brothers of my great grandmother, Bertha Schwartz.  They were born in 1867, 1878, and 1884 so maybe?

And what about this family?  Who are they?

Taken in San Francisco - that's no help since just about every one of my ancestors lived or worked in San Francisco at some point in their life.  

And these dapper young men could be Milton Harry Schwartz, younger brother of my great grandmother, Bertha Schwartz.  He was born in 1878 and lived in Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Francisco so it could be him.  Or not.

Could this also be the same boy?  It's the same Santa Cruz photographer.

I have a photo that I know is him - same guy?

Milton Harry Schwartz

Since it's the same photography studio I vote yes.  But I could be wrong.

And how about this lady?  Who is she?

Or this lady?  Oh boy, she looks stern!

And another stern lady in San Francisco.  Who are you?

I could go on and on and on.  I know so many people would just love to have the photos I have inherited but geez, it boggles my mind to not know who these people are.  Please, will one of you come forward and tell me who you are?

52 Ancestors: In the Paper

Just in time for this week’s blog prompt, I received this newspaper article from George, the author of my #1 Genealogical Find of 2017 Between the Redwoods and the Bay.  Now THAT was good timing.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
26 Aug 1945, page 7

What really struck me is that this article is from 1945 when Louis Schwartz, my 2x great grandfather, had been dead since 1893.  WAIT – WHAT?  I had never, ever thought about looking for newspaper articles so many years later.  But, fortunately, Louis was pretty well known in Santa Cruz and contributed to so much history that it makes sense that they were talking about him 50 years after his death.

The second thing that struck me was that the address of the house he built was 105 Mission Street – I’d always heard that the address was (and is) 222 Mission Street.  So where did 105 come in?

So I couldn’t stop there and have spent some time looking for newspaper articles about Louis after his death.  Which has led me to many different discoveries.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
30 Sep 1894, page 3

In 1894, the house was at 99 Mission Street.  So now we've gone from 99 to 105 to 222.  Puzzling.  Google Maps shows me that there is currently a 99 and 105 Mission Street but they are NOT the house Louis built as it is at 222 Mission Street.  Did the numbering conventions change along the way?  I have connected with someone who has been researching the house so I'll need to ask her what she knows.

Now this article from 1977 is interesting - a Mission Hill Historic Unit was torn down.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
24 Aug 1977, page 35

This is the part of the article that really caught my attention.

My mother once told me that she remembered a small studio behind the house where my great grandmother, Bertha "Birdie" Schwartz, used to do artwork.  When I connected with the current (now former) owner of the home a few years ago, he confirmed that the art studio was no longer in existence.  So this is probably the structure they were referring to except my great grandmother's name was NOT Rose.  Must have been a typo.  But it secretly (or maybe not so secretly) makes me happy to know that people were so angry at this historic structure being demolished.  I'll bet Louis and Birdie would have been happy, too.

And just by searching on Louis Schwartz, I found some other interesting articles about Birdie and her husband, Abraham Gunzendorfer, and their living arrangements.  This one is COMPLETELY new to me - I thought Birdie and Abe lived in Monterey until Abe died in 1944.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
27 Jul 1943, page 3

I assumed the corner of Jeffenson and Larkin Streets was in Santa Cruz since this was a Santa Cruz paper.  But, I couldn't find anything like that currently.  I also tried Jefferson - no luck.  But after further review, I found a corner of Jefferson and Larkin in Monterey.  I guess it was big news in Santa Cruz since Birdie grew up there.

And just shy of a year later, Abe died and left Birdie on her own.  I knew she spent the last years of her life in a hotel - looks like she moved there in 1948.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
4 Jul 1948, page 12

The 1948 San Francisco City Directory, page 788, shows Birdie at 490 Geary which was either the Hotel Maryland or Hotel Warwick.   I'm fairly certain she lived there until her death in 1950.  It's crazy how many people in that time period lived in a hotel.  I'm sure it was safer for an elderly, single woman to be a resident with so many people just a step away to help her.

I just love to peruse newspapers - it sure tells us a story of the details of their lives.

Louis Schwartz Home
99 or 105 or 222 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, California
Birdie on the left, Louis on the right behind the fence

52 Ancestors: Large Family

This week’s blog prompt doesn’t seem like it would be difficult but for someone with a VERY small immediate family (one uncle, one cousin, plus my two siblings), this was a bit challenging for me.  I’d always longed for a big family – in fact, when I was about 10 I even made up an older brother who, I told people, was away in the Army.  Ahhh, the imagination of a child.

I’ve written a lot about my Waller family so I decided I’d focus my attention there and see what I could find out.  When I first started on this journey I was ecstatic when I would find a shaking leaf and boy, those Wallers produced a lot of those!  But I’ve since learned that these aren’t always correct so I need to research and research and research some more.

I wrote about Phineas Waller, my 6x great grandfather, HERE when the unusual name prompt came up.  While Phineas seems like an unusual name, it actually is somewhat common in my tree. 

Phineas and his wife, Rhoda Taylor, were married 19 Apr 1749 in Cornwall, Connecticut and had 10 (or 11) children.  What I’ve learned today is that not only were women hard to find from 250 years ago, I still have A LOT of research to do here.  And here are the children of Phineas and Rhoda:

Rhoda, b. 21 Jul 1750, Cornwall, Connecticut.

Mercy, b. 9 Oct 1751, Cornwall, Connecticut.

Nathan, b 7 Mar 1753, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Married Elizabeth Weeks 4 May 1773.  Died 11 Jul 1831 Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne, Pennsylvania.

Lydia (per Starr copy of the Barbour Collection) or Gideon (per the Arnold copy of the Barbour Collection), b. 10 May 1756 in Cornwall, Connecticut.

Levi, b. 10 May 2758, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Or maybe 17 Mar 1758?  Died 1778, Princeton, New Jersey.  He was in the Revolutionary War – did he die in service?

Ashbel, my 5x great grandfather.  b. 18 Oct 1759, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Died 20 Sep 1848, Butler County, Ohio.  Married Sarah Abbott 1 Nove 1781, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Married Elizabeth Blackleach 5 Sep 1820, Butler County, Ohio.  Married Jane Turner, 12 Apr 1842, Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio.  MY TICKET TO DAR!  [get on it you big loafer].  I wrote about Ashbel's inclusion in the first United States census HERE. 

Hannah, b. 6 Jan 1762, Cornwall, Connecticut. 

Joseph, b. 4 Feb 1764, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Died 19 Mar 1849, Elba, Genesee, New York.  Married to Mary Polly McDaniel and Hannah Force.

Daniel, b 17 Mar 1760, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Died in Elba, New York? 

Esther, b. 21 Mar 1768, Cornwall, Connecticut.  Died 27 Feb 1822, Elba, Genesee, New York.  Married John Howe Jr., 21 Dec 1787.

Bonus child – Joseph.  This can’t be true.  Joseph born in 1764 didn’t die until 1849 so why would they have named their 11th child Joseph?  This has got to be an error in one of those Ancestry trees I was so happy to find.

Mercy (pun intended), that’s a lot of kids.  And two of whom were born on the same day (TODAY!) and, thus, share a birthday with my first grandchild who turned 17 years old today. 

And there’s the big family I always longed for!  Who knew?

52 Ancestors: Bachelor Uncle – Hyman Steen

This weeks’ blog prompt is Bachelor Uncle.  When I saw the prompt, Hyman Steen immediately came to mind.  Hyman (or Hymie, as my grandmother called him) was the first cousin, once removed, of my grandmother, Loraine Gunzendorfer.  Hymie was the son of Jacob Steen – Jacob’s brother, Joseph, was the maternal grandfather of my great grandmother, Bertha Schwartz.

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.

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.

Santa Cruz Evening News
24 February 1924
page 1

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.

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. 

Santa Cruz Evening News
13 March 1924
page 1

Thanks for being a cousin and good friend to my grandmother, Hyman Steen.

52 Ancestors: Family Photo

I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones who had packrat ancestors – who doesn’t love to see photos, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks so that we can learn more about those who came before us?  While I love all of them, I especially love photos.  Not just to see their faces but to see their clothes, houses, cars and everything else to help me get a real sense for what their lives were like.

Without a doubt, my favorite find was this photo of four generations of women in my family.

Rebecca (Steen) Schwartz, Bertha (Schwartz) Gunzendorfer,
Mildred Loraine Gunzendorfer, Hannah (Plotzky) Steen

I remember seeing this photo for the first time and hoping, just HOPING, that someone had written on the back of the photo to confirm who I thought I was looking at.  And sure enough, there it was!

I’m pretty sure this isn’t my grandmother’s (baby Loraine) handwriting so I suspect it was “Mama’s”, Birdie (Schwartz) Gunzendorfer.  I’m guessing this writing was added in 1943, which would have been when my grandmother was 47 (cute that someone did the math on the back of the photo) and Birdie would have been 71 years old.  And the writing that says The Four Generations, Santa Cruz, Aug-1896 looks to be that of Birdie’s husband, Abraham Gunzendorfer.  Maybe he wrote that when the photo was first taken and then Birdie came back and identified the people 47 years later.  Whomever did what – THANK YOU!

Another favorite is this photo of the Gunzendorfer Family which was taken not too much later – maybe early 1897?

Back:  Abraham Gunzendorfer, Gustave Gunzendorfer, Minnie (Dauterman) Gunzendorfer,
Adolph Gunzendorfer, Jacob Gunzendorfer
Seated:  Birdie (Schwartz) Gunzendorfer holding Loraine, Ferdinand Gunzendorfer,
Fannie (Goldstein) Gunzendorfer, Inez (Steinberger) Gunzendorfer holding Mervyn Gunzendorfer
Front:  Irene Gunzendorfer

And a new favorite is this one I’ve seen before but finally dug it out of the box and scanned it.  These are the “Levy Cousins” in 1964 – me, brother, sister, and two paternal cousins.  Since my mother had no full siblings and we never knew her half siblings, these are my only first cousins.  The older one has passed away so now there are only four Levy Cousins.  My brother must have really liked watches – notice he has one on each wrist! 

Levy Cousins
Debi, Brother, Sister, Cousin V, Cousin M
August, 1964

I could post a photo every day for a year and still not run out - heck, probably every day for 10 years!