John Zelig Jacob Karklinsky Broida and his second wife, Fannie Rubenstein Cohen Broida, in Tel Aviv, Palestine (now Israel), 1927. (Sorry for quality- this is an older photocopy.)
Broida Family
John Zelig Jacob Broida was born in Eišiškės, Lithuania, around March, 1857. He was the first of the Karklinsky family to immigrate to the United States, sometime during 1874-1875. We are not sure if he arrived in New York or Pennsylvania, but he changed the family name to “Broida.” (It was not changed at Ellis Island by officials- Ellis Island had not yet been built, he is not listed at its predecessor Castle Garden, and the family story is that John chose ‘Broida’ himself.) John may have lived in New York for a while and worked as a ‘rag picker,’ collecting and possibly processing the rags before selling them to a company. He moved on and settled in the Pittsburgh PA area. We don’t know if he married his first wife, Sarah Gitel Frank, in New York or in Pittsburgh, as we have not found any marriage license, but they married sometime probably in 1881. She too was born in Lithuania (around Nov 1859), and we do not know if the two knew each other in Lithuania, if it was an arranged marriage, or if John and Gitel met in New York or Pittsburgh. We think we have found Gitel’s immigration and arrival to the US on 13 July 1881 in New York, so the marriage would have been after this time, since she traveled under her maiden name, but before the birth of their first surviving son, Joseph Jacob Broida, who was born 15 May 1882 in Pittsburgh.
John’s ‘rag’ business was stepped up in Pittsburgh, because he became a “jobber of notions” and then dry goods. He eventually sold “men’s furnishings”- including fine men’s clothing, a profession followed by a number of his sons. John and Gitel had 7 sons who survived into adulthood, plus one son and two other children who did not survive their infancy or young childhood. (If the 1890 US Federal Census had survived, we might know more about these children.)
Gitel succumbed to tuberculosis in 1901, and the children went to live with relatives, some in other cities such as St. Louis, around the time of her death. On 14 April 1904, John applied for a marriage license in Jefferson County, Ohio, (about 45 miles west of Pittsburgh) to Fannie Robinstein/Rubenstein; she had previously been married to Jacob Cohen and they had a daughter, Ethel (1892-1973). Upon the marriage the Broida household finally added a girl, this daughter Ethel, to the household, and some of the sons may have come back to live with John and Fannie, since the youngest was just seven at the marriage.
John “Zelig” Broida and his second wife, Fannie (Rubenstein) Broida, 2 November 1924, possibly taken in Palestine.
John’s granddaughter, Gertrude Broida Cooper, stated that he always spoke with a thick accent. John yearned to be a part of the new state of Palestine, to be with his own people. The last record we have of John as a resident in the US is a St. Louis, Missouri City Directory for 1917. John and Fannie emigrated to Palestine in September of 1920. John was 63 that year, and starting over- again. Fannie was 46.
We recently ‘found’ the above wonderful image of John and “Auntie”- most probably Fannie Rubenstein Cohen Broida- taken in 1927 in Tel Aviv. It suggests that she was called “Auntie” by John’s sons, although we do not know who labeled the photograph. This is a poor, older photocopy of the actual photo, so we would be very interested in getting a good scan of this photo if anyone out there reading has an actual photo, or a better photocopy. (Please contact us!)
John returned for a visit to the US on 10 June 1930, arriving from Jaffa, Palestine, on the ship Alesia. He appeared to be traveling alone, as we find no mention of Fannie on that passenger list. (Maybe they could not afford passage for two? Or was she ill so stayed in Palestine? She died on 14 Jan 1933.) The famous-within-the-family ‘seven brothers’ photo was taken on John’s U.S. visit.
John Jacob/Zelig Broida and his seven surviving sons. From left- front sitting- Max Broida, standing- Phillip Broida, Joseph J. Broida, Morris Broida, Louis Broida, Theodore “Dave” Broida, Harold Broida. Sitting on right, with beard- John J. “Zelig” Broida.
John returned to Palestine and Fannie. She died in 1933, and he on 9 Nov 1938. Both are buried in Israel’s Mount of Olives Cemetery, not far from each other.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Thank you to the dear aunt who shared this treasure of an image after her pandemic cleaning unearthed it!
Many other Heritage Ramblings posts tell the stories of John, Gitel, and Fannie Broida and their children. You can use the search box on the left side of the website to learn more. Also, please keep in mind that older posts have not always been updated, so use the more recent posts as the most current data if some is conflicting.
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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.
Morris Broida was born 13 Jul 1896 in Pennsylvania, likely Pittsburgh, as the seventh son of John Zelig Broida and Sarah ‘Gitel’ Frank Broida. When his mother became ill with tuberculosis, the family’s young children were sent to live with family while John and Gitel went to Colorado with their youngest and oldest sons. Sadly, Gitel did not survive despite the clean mountain air and Denver ‘sanitariums’ for tuberculosis patients, and passed away on 14 April 1901 in Denver; Morris was not yet 5 years old.
Morris Broida, cropped from family portrait that included his mother, Gitel Frank Broida, circa 1894.
We believe that Morris and his brother Harold had been sent to live with his father’s cousin Jacob Broida in St. Louis, though we cannot find him/them in a 1900 census. They are listed in the 1910 enumeration with the census noting the relationship of the boys as ‘nephew.’ Their older brother Philip Broida may have lived there as well, but was not enumerated on that census- nor any others that we can find anywhere.
The boys stayed in St. Louis after their mother’s death, we believe- it would have been very difficult for John Broida to raise seven sons alone while trying to earn a living. John did remarry, about 1904, to Fannie Rubenstein.
The tintype picture below is from a portrait about 1908 that included Philip, Morris, and Harold with their father, and may suggest that three of the boys went to St. Louis, since only the three sons are included. (Alternatively, Philip may have accompanied his father to visit them.)
Circa 1908, Morris Broida, cropped from a tintype of his father, John Broida, and sons Philip and Harold. Likely taken in St. Louis, Missouri.
By the 1910 census, Morris and Harold were enumerated in St. Louis with their “Uncle” Jacob, but the other sons were listed in Pittsburgh, living with their father, step-mother, and their ‘sister’ Ethel, who we believe was Fannie’s daughter by a previous marriage. (See previous posts listed below for a discussion of this time period for the Broidas.)
Morris married about 1915, thus the first photo and these following may have been of a honeymoon with his new wife Rose L. __.
Rose and Morris Broida at Conneaut Lake, Exposition Park, Pennsylvania, a summer resort. Taken 19 Aug 1915.Reverse of Rose and Morris Broida at Conneaut Lake, Exposition Park, Pennsylvania, a summer resort. Taken 19 Aug 1915.
Rose’s parents were also born in Lithuania, as were Morris.’ Rose may have been born 13 Dec 1897, and records vary as to whether she was born in Pennsylvania or Russia.
Their daughter Sylvia was born about 1917:
Sylvia Broida, about 1917?Sylvia Broida, about 1917?Rose ___ Broida and daughter Sylvia Broida, about 1917-1918.
The family was living in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania during the 1920 census enumeration, and Morris was working on his own account as a retail grocer. “Rosie” was listed with her family from Lithuania as well as Morris’ and they spoke “Jewish” at home. Their son Saul was born about 1921, and son Daniel about 1926.
Morris Broida, cropped from family portrait of John Broida and his seven sons taken 25 July 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In the 1930 US Federal Census, the Morris Broidas were living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and owned their home that was worth $6,500; they had a radio, too. Morris was listed as a buyer for ladies underwear, and the family spoke Yiddish at home.
The family moved to Coral Gables, Dade, Florida sometime between 1935, when they were still in Philadelphia, and the April, 1940 census. Sylvia was likely married by then? and not enumerated with the family. Morris was working as a buyer in a department store, and had worked 52 weeks of the previous year, making $2500, or about $48 per week, and stated he was working 50 hours per week. He did report income form other sources as well. Son Saul was 19 and after completing 4 years of high school, was working as a stock boy at a department store- possibly the same store as Morris? Saul had worked 26 weeks and made $800 (about $30/week) for his 44 hour weeks. Daniel was 13 and still attending school, in 8th grade. The census notes that both Morris and Rose had completed 7th grade- they definitely provided for their children so that their lives could be even better.
Morris passed away at the young age of 66, in April of 1963 in Dade County, Florida. Rosie survived him by four years, passing away on 8 Feb 1967, also in Dade, FL.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Images are from the Family Treasure Chest of Photos. They may be used freely by family members, but may not be published by others on any commercial website.
Death dates are from Florida and Social Security death indexes, and need to be confirmed that these are the correct people.
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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright of our blog material.
Harold Broida’s hobby show entry of stamps. Young Men and Women’s Hebrew Association Weekly, 15 October 1937, Vol. 12, No. 7, Page 2. Posted with the kind permission of the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project. (Click to enlarge.)
Harold Broida was the baby of the seven surviving children of John and Sarah Gitel Frank Broida. He married but never had children, so when this article popped up while searching for John Broida in Palestine, we felt we had to post it. It is sad that he had no children to carry on his legacy, so we will do that for him here at HeritageRamblings.net.
Too bad Harold did not patent his unique way of displaying his stamp collection! In subsequent years, maps with coins, rocks, and all sorts of collectibles have made a tidy profit for their inventors.
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright of our blog material.
John Jacob/Zelig Broida and his seven sons. From left- front sitting- Max; standing- Phillip, Joseph J., Morris, Louis, Theodore, Harold. Sitting on right- John J. “Zelig” Broida. Taken 25 July 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Click to enlarge.)
One of the first Broida artifacts shown to a new married-in is the July 1930 picture of John Jacob “Zelig” Broida with his seven sons. It is a wonderful picture of them all, taken on a visit John made back to the US from Palestine, where he had immigrated in 1920. (Note all the nice suits!)
Gertrude Broida Cooper, John’s granddaughter through his son Phillip Broida, mentioned a couple of times that there was talk of a sister, in addition to the seven sons, but no one knew anything about her. She obviously was not important enough be in the family picture (but sons were the most important in a Jewish family of that time), and the sister is in no other images known to the immediate family, so that was Mystery #1.
We recently found a death notice for an infant named Samuel Broida, and he was listed as a son of John and Gitel Broida. The 1900 US Federal census states that Gitel had borne 10 children, 7 of which were still alive, so could one of the other 2 children who likely died young have been the mystery daughter? (Mystery #2)
Mystery #3 is that searches for the name “Broida” often bring up a woman by the name of Ethel Broida Pincus, but no one in the immediate family knew exactly who she was or how she was related.
Mystery #4: A 1910 US Federal Census entry for 206 Hull Alley in East Pittsburgh (Ward 3), Pennsylvania, listed a ‘Jacob Broida’ as head of household, age 54, and proprietor of a clothing store. As we have seen John listed before with the name Jacob and the occupation is correct, we can assume this is the same man. A wife named Fannie, age 35, to whom he had been married 6 years seemed correct, as John’ s first wife Gitel Frank Broida died in 1901, and we knew Fannie was the name of wife #2. Fanny was 19 years younger than John if the census is correct, and pictures of them together do suggest that she was quite a bit younger. So this is consistent with known facts.The census notes this marriage as John’s second-again, consistent- and Fannie’s first, BUT- it states Fannie had 2 children, both still living in 1910. So was John her first husband, or second? Family oral history states they had no children together since they married later in life. Who are the 2 children she had per the census? New Broida researchers might think that the youngest child on the census list could possibly be Fannie’s- Theodore, at age 17 would have been born when Fannie was 18, which is plausible, but she would have been just 13 when Phillip was born.
These aren’t her children though. Many of us already knew that.
This census also included in the household five of the eight (or more) sons born to John and Gitel Frank Broida: Joseph, age 27; Louis, 25; Max, 24; Philip, 22, and Theodore, 17. Yes, this had to be ‘our’ John Broida. (See notes for the other 2 ‘missing’ surviving sons.)
But wait- here is MYSTERY #5 (capitalized because this is a biggie)- there is an “Ethel Broida” listed as a sister (which would be to John as head of household, theoretically) on this enumeration, age 49, single, and born in Pennsylvania. So if the census is correct, Ethel Broida was John Broida’s sister. Indeed, many online family trees list Ethel Broida as John Broida’s sister, probably because of this census; some instead list her as his daughter. (We’ll explain where that may have come from in a minute.)
1910 US Federal Census excerpt for ‘Jacob’ (John) Broida and family. (Click to enlarge.)
The 1910 census states that John, Fannie, and Ethel were all born in Pennsylvania. The age listed for Ethel, 49, could work if she was John’s sister, since he was 54. It could also work if she was a sister to Fannie- a 14 year age span did happen with large families, BUT the census suggest Ethel’s surname was Broida, not Fannie’s maiden name (whatever that may be). Ethel, however, could NOT be John’s daughter or even Fannie’s daughter if the listed ages are correct.
The age of 49 in 1910 would place Ethel’s birth in 1861. Does the woman below look like she could have been born in 1861? Does the photo look of that era? (approx. 1900s) Doesn’t seem to be, to me.
Ethel Broida Pincus (Click to enlarge.)
Mystery #6- John Broida’s obituary after his death on 12 November 1938 lists his seven sons as surviving him, 2 brothers, and one sister, Mrs. Rachael (Broida) Goldstein (wife of Morris I. Goldstein) of Pittsburgh. No Ethel Broida is listed as a sister or a daughter, but Ethel was still alive in 1938.
Mystery #7- The obituary for John Broida’s son Joseph J. Broida on 26 Dec 1958 lists his brothers Theodore and Morris as surviving him, and along with those siblings, “Mrs. Ethel Pincus of Miami.” So this is why some researchers list Ethel as a daughter of John Broida, instead of a sister.
Confused yet? (Yep.) Maybe a bit crazy? (Definitely.)
So what is the solution to these mysteries? Is there another sister to John Broida, or a daughter?
Research over the years has only found a few pieces of information about who we believe is this same Ethel Broida. She does have an entry on the MyHeritage website, and it and other research indicates she married a Jacob Mordechai Pincus (1880-1956).
February 1920 passport picture of Jacob M. Pincus. via Ancestry.com.
It is highly unlikely that Jacob would have married a woman born in 1861- she would have been 19 years older- and that they would have had three sons, beginning when she was age 51. Again, the age on the 1910 census has to be wrong if they are the same person.
Jacob and Ethel Pincus had three sons:
Irwin Jacob Pincus, 1912-2000, married Lena L. Magaziner; he was a physician in Beverly Hills, California;
Bernard B. (or E.) Pincus, 1914-2001, born Pennsylvania, died in Southfield, Michigan;
Max J. Pincus- possibly born as Jacob M. Pincus Jr.? Born about 1923, died 1987 in Detroit, Michigan. May have married Lois Padover per Ancestry.com members.
In his obituary, Jacob Pincus is noted as having married “the former Ethel Broida.”
11 Apr 1956 Obituary of Jacob M. Pincus, Philadelphia Inquirer, page 23, columns 1-2. Posted with kind permission of fultonhistory.com. (Click to enlarge.)
The Social Security Death Index listed Ethel Pincus as being born 26 December 1892 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She died 13 Sep 1973 in Beverly Hills, California, per the SSDI.
The naturalization papers of Ethel’s husband Jacob Pincus state that she was born in Ostrow, Russia but other records, such as census, state Pennsylvania; Jacob Pincus was also born in Russia. If this is the same Ethel Broida as in the 1910 census with John Broida’s family, she would have actually been 18 at the 1910 census, using the SSDI birth date. She could still be Fannie Broida’s sister, but questionable as to John’s since he was 54, unless Ethel was from a second marriage of his father to a much younger woman. (Such a marriage is not known for John’s father, Joseph Broida.) Additionally, for Ethel to bear two children that were still living in 1910 when Ethel was just 18 does not seem likely, though it was possible, so again, most probably some of the 1910 census information is in error.
The obituary for Mrs. Jacob Pincus, of Beverly Hills, California (where her son Dr. Irwin J. Pincus lived) stated that she was the “former Ethel Broida,” and listed their three sons by name.
So more data was needed. A marriage license has not been found for John and Fannie Broida, and we still do not know her maiden name, nor very much about her at all. We now think they were in Pittsburgh when they decided to marry, rather than when they lived in Florida; neither place has a marriage record that we have been able to find online. Dead end there after a lot of searching over the years- for now, anyway.
OK, how about a marriage record for Ethel Broida and Jacob Mordecai Pincus? Not an easy find there, either, but if it listed her parents, it would be a winner. The search continued…
MyHeritage.com was helpful in having the 15 Aug 1911 engagement notice of ” Miss Ethel Broida of East Pittsburgh and Mr. Jacob Pincus of Monessen…” The article continues: “Miss Broida is the daughter of Mrs. J. Broida….The marriage will be an event of the early fall.”
Oh my- this Ethel is the daughter of the wife of a J. Broida, and from East Pittsburgh. There were a number of J. Broidas in Pittsburgh during these years, but could it be our John/Jacob/Zelig Broida? Ethel was living with John & Fannie Broida in East Pittsburgh for the 1910 census one year earlier- could this be our solution?
Then, of course, the great research find happens in the wee hours when there is no one around to proclaim the exhilaration to, and do the happy dance, with, (note second line below):
Marriage record of Ethel Rubinstein to Jacob M. Pincus in Delaware, 06 Sept 1911, part 1, via Ancestry.com. (Click to enlarge.)Marriage record of Ethel Rubinstein to Jacob M. Pincus in Delaware, 06 Sept 1911, part 2, via Ancestry.com. (Click to enlarge.)Marriage record of Ethel Rubinstein to Jacob M. Pincus in Delaware, 06 Sept 1911, part 3, via Ancestry.com. (Click to enlarge.)
So Jacob M. Pincus, age 30, born in Russia and a merchant in Monessen, Pennsylvania, married Ethel Rubenstein, age 20, born in Russia but residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The record gives Jacob’s parents as Isaac Pincus and L. Freeman, and other research verified that. Thus this has to be the Jacob we are seeking, and the wedding date was confirmed by other researchers (though the license has not been shown on any family group records I have seen).
Did you notice the interesting part- the Happy Dance inspiration?
The bride’s name was Ethel Rubenstein.
The bride’s parents were Jacob Cohen and Fanne Robenstein.
Lightbulb moment- Is Fanne Robestein/Rubenstein the second wife of John Broida?
And how did those names work out? Was Fannie first married to Jacob Cohen, and then he died (or they divorced, etc.), and Fannie married a Rubinstein (marriage #2), then Ethel took that name? Or was Mr. Cohen a bad memory and Fannie reverted to her maiden name of Rubinstein, giving that to Ethel as they started a new life?
Is there a sibling somewhere for Ethel, since the 1910 census noted that Fannie had two children who were still living of the two born to her?
And then, when Fannie married John Broida, she became the “Mrs. J. Broida” listed as Ethel’s mother in the engagement announcement. Note that there is no father of the bride listed- his absence is suspicious; even if Fannie had remarried he might have been mentioned if he had taken an active role in his daughter’s life.
So here is a solution hypothesis for your consideration:
Ethel Cohen was born to Jack Cohen and Fannie Rubinstein (maiden name or a second marriage name?) 26 December 1892 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ethel Cohen’s name was changed at some point to Rubinstein- whether by her mother’s next marriage or if her mother reverted to her maiden name at some point. (There is also the possibility that Jack and Fannie were not married thus the child took the mother’s name, but highly doubtful in that era/ group of people.)
Ethel’s mother Fannie married John Jacob Zelig Broida after his first wife died, and when she assumed his surname, so did her daughter, who became Ethel Broida. She would have been the step-sister to all seven living sons. Because Ethel lived with the family at least in 1910, she was probably treated like a sister in the household.
15 Aug 1911- engagement to Jacob Mordechai Pincus announced; fall ‘event’ planned.
Ethel and Jacob decided to elope and marry in Delaware. (There is no date of registration prior to the marriage, so it may have been a spur-of-the-moment event.)
07 Sep 1911- Ethel Broida and Jacob Mordechai Pincus marry in Delaware.
For a marriage license, however, Ethel likely needed to use her legal name, Rubenstein. Perhaps that is why they traveled to Delaware to marry- so announcements would not mention her real name or biological father?
Son Irwin J. Pincus born in 1912.
Son Bernard B (or E.) Pincus born in 1914.
Son Jacob M. Pincus, Jr/ Max J. Pincus born about 1923.
He husband Jacob was the founder and President of Pincus Brothers, a clothing manufacturer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jacob belonged to Temple Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh. (We might be able to gather more information from them about Ethel as she likely was a member as well.)
Jacob M. died 08 Apr 1956 in Miami, where they had a second home.
Ethel moved to Beverly Hills, California to be near her son Irwin.
Ethel Cohen Rubinstein Broida Pincus died 13 Sep 1973 in Beverly Hills, California.
What do you think?
Next time: a most interesting document that more clearly delineates the relationship of Ethel Broida to John Broida. Of course, it has been in my possession for a while… Just have to wait until the genealogical muses sing before one can see the connections, sometimes.
Notes, Sources, and References:
1) 1910 US Federal Census for John Broida, listed as ‘Jacob Broida’-
Year: 1910; Census Place: East Pittsburgh Ward 3, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1293; Page: 21A; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 1375306
2) Morris Broida, in 1910, at age 14, was still living with his father’s cousin Jacob Broida in St. Louis, where he had gone at age 4 when his mother became ill and moved to Denver, where she died of tuberculosis. Harold, who had gone to Denver as the baby of the family, was 13 in 1910, and apparently was sent to live with their St. Louis relatives after the death of Gitel- he was only 4 when she died in 1901. They are listed as ‘nephews’ to Jacob Broida and his wife Anna, but Jacob was actually a cousin to John Broida. See 1910 US Federal Census- Year: 1910; Census Place: St Louis Ward 4, Saint Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T624_812; Page: 23A; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 1374825.
3) 1910 US Federal Census for Jacob Broida (a cousin of John Broida) in St. Louis, Missouri-
Year: 1910; Census Place: St Louis Ward 4, Saint Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T624_812; Page: 23A; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 1374825
4) 1900 US Federal Census for John Broida and family-
5) “Engagement of Local Man” in the Daily Independent, Monessen, Pennsylvania, 15 Aug 1911, Vol. 10, No. 59, Page 1, Column 6, via MyHeritage.com.
6) Delaware marriage record for Ethel Rubinstein and Jacob M. Pincus-
Ancestry.com. Delaware Marriage Records, 1806-1933 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Delaware. Delaware Vital Records. Microfilm. Delaware Public Archives, Dover.
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright of our blog material.
Gerald Broida in Wrestling Tourney at 8:20, May 6, 1935. In “The West End Press”, May 3, 1935, (no vol.) No. 64, page 4, column 1. digitaldu.coalliance.org
Incredible resources spring up on a daily basis, whether they are just becoming available online or whether they are just now showing up in my search results. A recent find is the University of Denver’s “Digital DU.”
Some of our Broida family went to Denver around 1900 (John and Gitel Broida, and their sons Joseph Broida and Harold Broida), then returned to Pittsburgh after Gitel died; Pittsburgh was where many of the family had settled earlier. (See previous posts, including this one about the Broidas in Denver.) A son who had stayed in Pennsylvania with family while his mother was ill, Theodore “Dave” Broida, married in Aurora, CO, in 1916, then lived in the Denver area and raised a family. It was puzzling why Dave moved to Denver, of all places, but the recent repository find gives us some clues. So do recent serendipitous comments when talking with the generations that were closer to the time and people.
One dear cousin who is an incredible, deep well of Broida information told me this week that Gerald Broida told her years ago that young Jewish boys used to ride the trains west, selling candy to passengers; his father, Dave Broida, was one of them. One day Dave got off the train in Denver, fell in love with the place, and decided to move there. Gerald had also commented that the 1916 wedding of Dave Broida and Lucy Shatzke was the first Jewish wedding in Arapahoe County, Colorado.
A second conversation that same night with a different family member revived her memories of Dave Broida sending the three sisters a box of 100 pieces of Double Bubble Bubble Gum from Denver occasionally during the war years, when food and candy was rationed. Bubble gum used latex rubber for its chewiness, but rubber and manufacturing facilities were needed more for tires for jeeps and military trucks, gaskets, seals, inflatable vests, etc., so bubble gum was hard to come by in the mid 1940s. The young girls rationed out their sweet treasure of bubble gum from their great-uncle, and no doubt were envied by friends. “Dave and Lucy [Broida] were in the candy business” she said also, and the light bulb went on. Here was more information to corroborate that Dave had been one of the young boys selling candy on a train as they were off to see the world. A rest stop in Denver with the clean air (compared to polluted Pittsburgh) and beautiful mountains even higher than those of Pennsylvania may have made him realize he had found the home for his heart. He would have had knowledge of candy wholesalers to buy his wares for the train, so getting into the candy business later would have been logical.
In the 1920 US Federal Census, however, Dave was mistranscribed as being a ‘machinist’ but is actually a ‘merchant’ in the furniture business.
The next US census, in 1930, lists Theodore D. Broida as a salesman for novelty goods. That could be candy and all those impulse items at the register. A 1940 census entry has not yet been found for the family, but would be very useful. City directories or newspapers might have more information to verify Dave’s occupation, so a Google search was next. The search found The West End Press article above. While about G. Broida being in a wrestling tourney at a weight of 145 pounds (he was 17 then), Gerald Broida was Dave and Lucy’s son. The link led to “Digital DU.”
There are 633 hits on The West End Press at “Digital DU” but “Broida” does not have any hits, so either the search engine does not go into pages of the newspaper, or else I haven’t figured out how to use the website. (There is an advanced search and even a how-to, but still no Broida results though we know there is at least one mention in the newspaper.) A note to the digital librarian may help, so that is on the agenda. Looking through other areas of the site, however, showed more interesting areas to peruse. There is a “Special Collections and Archives” section that provided more clues to our family story. Apparently Denver, as suspected, was a location that a lot of people with ‘consumption’ (tuberculosis), such as Gitel Broida, moved to, looking for a cure for their disease. It became a problem for Denver to grow so fast, and more sanitariums were founded to serve those who needed medical care. The Digital DU website lists the “Jewish Consumptives Relief Society Records” from the organization founded by Eastern European Jewish men in 1904 (so too late for Broida records), many of whom had the disease themselves. (See image of Patients Undergoing Heliotherapy– likely Gitel Broida underwent the same treatment years earlier.) The Jewish population of Denver was growing and thriving as well, and the Special Collections and Archives contain Jewish artifacts as well as documents.
This website appears to be worth investigating further, especially how to navigate and search more effectively.
Searching nearby universities and their digital libraries is a great resource for family historians- otherwise, how would we have known that Gerald Broida weighed 145 lbs. in 1945 and wrestled in a Jewish league?
Notes, Sources, and References:
1) 1930 US Federal Census for Joseph Shatzke, head of household- Year: 1920; Census Place: Aurora, Adams, Colorado; Roll: T625_155; Page: 18B; Enumeration District: 8; Image: 207. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
2) 1930 US Federal Census for Theodore Broida, head of household- Year: 1930; Census Place: Denver, Denver, Colorado; Roll: 232; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0220; Image: 1045.0; FHL microfilm: 2339967. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
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