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Samuel Broida- An Unknown Son of John (Zelig) Broida and Gitel Frank?

Samuel Broida death record, 02 Oct 1891, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Samuel Broida Death Record, 02 Oct 1891, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Broida Family

Phillip Broida

(Zelig) Broida and Gertrude (Gitel) Frank had seven sons that were known in the family, and there is a wonderful photo of them all with their father when they were grown men. (Another post…) A recent query of FamilySearch, however, revealed this death record for a Samuel Broida who was unknown by Broida researchers. It states the parents were J. Broida and G. Broida, and the child was buried at McKees Rock, which had a Jewish Cemetery where other Broidas are buried. Samuel was just 2 yrs, 9 months old at his death on 02 Oct 1891, so would have been born about January, 1889. There is a break in the years of the births of Zelig and Gitel’s sons- one of the known sons, Philip, was born in 1887; the next documented was born in 1893, so this makes Samuel as another child plausible. Is this a preponderance of evidence? Probably not yet. New memorials on Find A Grave may help to solve the mystery, as photos have been requested and may give us more clues.

This record adds another story to the Broida family…how sad to have a child die young, and to watch helplessly as it happens. Samuel died of “membranous croup.” Any of this current generation who has been up all night with a child with the croup- that includes me- will know the terror that stabs at the heart with that first hint of a soft barking cough – that soft cough is a living nightmare that can wake up a parent in the midst of a deep sleep. You know the croup is coming- how can you minimize it? You know, if the cold damp outside air or running a shower does not work, that you can go to the emergency room where medications and oxygen can help your child live through it, though not all do, even today. How horrible for previous generations who did not have the drugs, and must hold their ill child close, rocking and cooing, trying to soothe a precious child, and knowing that the odds are not good that the child will survive.

These types of stories connect us closer to our ancestors, and make them more than just names, dates, and places- these family stories become written in our hearts.

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Find A Grave Memorial #120538146, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=120538146. Created and accessed 11-19-2013.

2) “Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths, 1870-1905,” index and images, FamilySearch: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16552-15367-0?cc=1810412&wc=M94D-86Y:1999585304. Accessed 18 Nov 2013.

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Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm/jrw.

 

Mystery Monday- Mabel Mulhollen

"Mabel Mulhollen, cousin to Dottie Lee."
“Mabel Mulhollen, cousin to Dottie Lee.”

This photo was found in with the papers and photographs of Dorothy Adele (Aiken) and Samuel J. Lee. We do not know how the Mulhollen and Aiken families are connected. Dottie, as she was called, was born 01 June 1884 in Black River, Lorain Co., Ohio to William Hanford Aiken (1859-1942) and Dora J. Russell (1864-1935).

There is a Mabel Mulhollen found in the 1910 US Federal Census in Reade, Cambria, Pennsylvania. Mabel was living with her parents, Fleming and Hester (?) Mulhollen and she was 6 years old. Her father was a farmer. She is found in the same family and place in 1920, working as a telephone operator at age 16. This Mabel would have been 20 years older than Dottie, but that is possible with cousins.

Find A Grave has a listing for Mabel Mullhollen North. It states her mother’s maiden name was Glasgow, and that Mabel was married to Blair S. North (1901-1973). Their children were Betty, Ruth, Jack, and Walter Blain North. Per FAG, she died 06 Jul 1976 in Pennsylvania, and is buried in Allemansville Cemetery,  Allemans, Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

We would be very interested in learning how Mabel was related to Dottie- please contact us if you know.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) 1910 US Federal Census for Mabel Mullhollen: Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Reade, Cambria, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1324; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0149; FHL microfilm: 1375337. Accessed 11/18/2013 on Ancestry.com.

2) 1920 US Federal Census for Mabel Mullhollen: Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Reade, Cambria,Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1547; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 219; Image: 942. Accessed 11/18/2013 on Ancestry.com.

3) Find A Grave Memorial for Mabel Mullhollen North, Memorial # 89226566. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=89226566, accessed 11/18/2013.

 

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Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 

Headstones of Frederick P. Horn and Hepzibah (Clark) Horn- Sandhill Cemetery, Cedar Co., Iowa

Headstone of Frederick P. Horn in Sandhill Cemetery, near Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, prior to restoration.
Headstone of Frederick P. Horn in Sandhill Cemetery, near Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, prior to restoration.

We think of today’s society as being so much more mobile than in “the old days,” but Americans have been on the move for generations. Americans moved west after those first steps on the east coast in the 1600s, and continued that westward movement through the 1890s. Exhausted land, crowded conditions, large families with many to inherit and divide the land, cheap land on the frontier, and the freedom of wide open spaces called to our ancestors and enticed them away from the family homestead.

For families, cemeteries had been places of quiet contemplation, a place to go to honor ancestors and stroll on a Sunday. Some cemeteries were like parks with beautiful monuments, and people would stroll the lanes on an afternoon with family and friends, even if they did not have family buried there. In earlier times, people paid for a plot only, not ‘perpetual care’ as is done now. Families were expected to care for the gravesite themselves. Americans on the move, however, caused less family to be nearby to maintain the cemeteries and ancestor headstones, and many fell into disrepair.  The small cemeteries on family land or out in the country were the hardest hit- as family moved away, land was sold, or descendants aged, there was no one around who was able to, or who cared about, maintaining the cemetery. Headstones fell over as graves subsided, stones weathered until they could not be read, or broke into pieces with the freeze-thaw cycles of many winters. Vandalism occurred too- whether during a war or a boring afternoon, stones were broken, thrown around, and defaced by those who had no respect for ancestors “quietly resting.”

People finally began to feel the need to improve our aging cemeteries, in hopes of preserving a part of the past. Headstones were sometimes righted, and even collected and placed along a cemetery wall, such as the cemetery that was a Civil War encampment and ancestor-of-the-enemy headstones were thrown about to allow spaces for tents.

The genealogy resurgence in this country, along with people involved in “Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness” (RAOGK- no longer in existence) and websites like “Find A Grave” have increased interest in, and searching of, old cemeteries for lost ancestors. Our ‘digital age’ has also allowed cemeteries and historical societies to post an index online so that those far away can find where their ancestors are spending their final repose. Cemeteries are now being cared for, often by ‘perfect strangers’, i.e. people not related to anyone in the cemetery.

Headstone of Frederick P. Horn in Sandhil Cemetery, near Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, after being repaired.
Headstone of Frederick P. Horn in Sandhil Cemetery, near Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, after being repaired.

In some places, it is not known where some of the persons are buried, or which headstone belongs to which gravesite. Some of the old county cemetery listings done by historical societies note a grave in a specific cemetery, but the grave cannot be found- it may be covered by many inches of soil, have eroded away, or may have only been a rock or wooden cross to mark the spot. (We have ancestors that have headstones that cannot be found, but a cemetery listing includes their name.)

When cemeteries are restored, it cannot always be done just the way it was previously, especially if there are no records. The following headstone, for the above Frederick P. Horn’s wife Hepzibah Clark, was repaired and placed facing east, with Frederick’s facing west! (We do not have an image of her completely repaired stone.)

Headstone of Hepzibah (Clark) Horn in Sandhill Cemetery, near Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, prior to restoration.
Headstone of Hepzibah (Clark) Horn in Sandhill Cemetery, near Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, prior to restoration.

Thank you to all who help families find the final resting place of their loved ones, and to all those who care for those places of quiet repose.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Photos used with permission of photographer, who was paid to take the photos.

2) Find A Grave: findagrave.com.

Please note that not all the information posted on FAG is correct- just like with any other website, one needs additional sources of verification.

3) These photos and family information will be added to the FAG memorials for Frederick P. Horn (Memorial# 52049381) and Hepzibah (Clark) Horn (Memorial# 52049366).

 

Please contact us if you would like a higher resolution image.

Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Harold Broida and Leah (Schreiber) Broida of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Leah Schreiber and Harold Broida, possibly around the time of their wedding c1917.

Harold “Harry” Broida was the last of eight sons born to John (Zelig) Broida (1857-1938) and Gittel (Gertrude) Frank (1859-1898). Born December 25, 1897 in Pennsylvania, his mother passed away the next year, and he was living with his Uncle Jacob Broida, and Jacob’s wife Annie, in St. Louis, Missouri in the 1910 US Federal census. His brother Morris was living there too.

[Correction 12/2/13: Harold/ Harry and his brother Morris were not living with their Uncle Jacob, even though the 1910 census states they were nephews of the head of household. Jacob was actually the cousin of their father, John. John’s father was Joseph, and Joseph’s brother  Theodore was the father of this Jacob (1857-1932, lived in St. Louis after he immigrated to US in 1886). This solves a mystery that Hilda, grand-daughter of Morris who was the son of Peter, always had- she wanted to know who “Yankel” (Hebrew for ‘Harold’) was that lived with Jacob. Thanks to AG for the correction- and the 2 nice chats on the phone.]

Leah Schreiber immigrated to the United States in 1906 from Russia when she was just 5 years old. Her parents are unknown. She was working at Frank & Seder, a clothing store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when she was just 15, as a clerk. In the 1917 Pittsburgh City Directory she was listed as a Stock Girl at Frank & Seder. She may have met Harold Broida there, as he was the Head Stockman in September, 1918, per his World War I Draft Registration. Harold married Leah Schreiber about 1917-1918- he was 20, she just 16.

Harold Broida, Buyer, Women's Coats, Frank & Seder Department Store, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From ad in Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph, 31 Jan 1921, page 9.
Harold Broida, Buyer, Women’s Coats, Frank & Seder Department Store, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From ad in Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph, 31 Jan 1921, page 9.

Harold’s World War I draft card completed 12 Sep 1918 lists him as being short with a medium build, and brown hair and eyes. He stated Leah Broida was his next of kin, and they were living at 114 Wooster Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was just 20 years old, so it is surprising that he was not drafted for World War I.

Harold Broida, possibly circa1930?
Harold Broida, possibly circa1930?

Harold and Leah lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the remainder of their married life. In 1932 they were living at 418 Highland Ave S, Apt. 610 in Pittsburgh, and in 1946 were living at “The Frontenac Apartments.” The 1940 US Federal Census noted that he was working 45 hours per week as a buyer, and made $5,000+ – only 2 others on that census page made that amount, and most neighbors made much less. Harold and Leah never had children.

Leah  Broida, possibly circa1930?
Leah Broida, possibly circa1930?

Harold died in 1953 at the age of 55.

Obituary of Harold Broida, in 27 Feb 1953 issue of The Jewish Criterion, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, p21,c4.
Obituary of Harold Broida, in 27 Feb 1953 issue of The Jewish Criterion, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, p21,c4.

 

Headstone of Harold Harry Broida in Temple Sinai Memorial Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Used with permission of photographer on Find A Grave.
Headstone of Harold Harry Broida in Temple Sinai Memorial Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Used with permission of photographer on Find A Grave.

Leah lived another 18 years, with her death occurring in 1971.

Headstone of Leah Schreiber Broida in Temple Sinai Memorial Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Used with permission of photographer on Find A Grave.
Headstone of Leah Schreiber Broida in Temple Sinai Memorial Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Used with permission of photographer on Find A Grave.

Notes, Sources, and References: 1) Family oral history 2) 1910 US Federal Census: Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: St Louis Ward 4, Saint Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T624_812; Page: 23A; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 1374825. Ancestry.com, accessed 15 Nov 2013. Living at 1448 N. 11th St. 3) World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918: Source Citation: Registration State: Pennsylvania; Registration County: Allegheny; Roll: 1908016; Draft Board: 4. Ancestry.com, accessed 15 Nov 2013. 4) 1932, 1946 Pittsburgh, PA City Directories: Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Accessed 15 Nov 2013. 5) 1940 US Federal Census: Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: T627_3655; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 69-166. Ancestry.com, accessed 15 Nov 2013. 6)  The Jewish Criterion, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, 27 Feb 1953, p21, c4. 7) Find A Grave: Harold H. Broida Memorial # 79579417, and Leah S. Broida Memorial # 79579467. Headstone photographs used with permission of photographer. Accessed 15 Nov 2013.   Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images. Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

George Anthony Roberts- A True Iowa Farm Boy

 

This image of George A. Roberts was cropped from a family portrait. It was taken circa 1904.
This image of George A. Roberts was cropped from a family portrait. It was taken circa 1904.

George Anthony Roberts Jr. was the second of four children born to George A. Roberts, Sr. (1861-1939), and Ella Viola Daniel (1866-1922). Their first child, John Robert, was born 14 Mar 1888 in Jasper Co. and died just three months later, in June. George (Jr.) was born the next year on 11 June 1889 in Monroe, Jasper, Iowa, and was always called Georgie. He was a farm boy, and worked hard his whole life on the family farm. He had knee problems and thus was not able to enlist in the military during World War I. When we visited in the 1960s, I remember him having his knee wrapped as he worked throughout the fields and stock areas of the farm. It must have been very painful for him to do such hard physical labor his whole life.

Georgie Roberts with his great-nieces about 1963, dressed fashionably to gather eggs in the chicken house. (It wasn’t an idyllic farm scene at all- the rooster was in there. The kids got pecked a lot and flown at- quite traumatic for city kids. But they did emerge with unbroken eggs.)

George married Irene Artie deBruyn about 1915 in Knoxville, Marion, Iowa. They had been neighbors as children, and Irene kept a journal that mentioned him numerous times. (More about that in an upcoming series of posts.) They lived in an old Victorian farmhouse on one of the land parcels the Roberts children (George and his two sisters) inherited. Georgie and Irene never had children. They divorced before the 1960s, and Georgie’s little sister Edith tried to take care of him, bringing him baked goods and other foods when she visited. He farmed her land for her and they were very close.

George Anthony Roberts passed away 30 Jun 1965 in Jasper Co., Iowa.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Family oral history

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Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.