➡ 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.

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

Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm/jrw.

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.

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

Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

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’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 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.

Harold died in 1953 at the age of 55.

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

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.