February 3rd, 1901, was a special day for Helen Freda Cooper and her second cousin, Joseph Baer Cooper- it was the day they were married in Elmira, Chemung, New York, USA. Both were immigrants from Russian Lithuania, with Helen only in the United States for about a year before their marriage. Joseph was 27, Helen 22 on their wedding day.

Helen’s parents are unknown to us, and her Uncle, Irving Cooper, and Aunt, provided the wedding:

 [Click on images for larger pictures.]

The invitation reads:

“Mr. and Mrs. I. Cooper,
request the pleasure of your company at
the marriage of their niece
Miss Helen Cooper
and
Mr. Joseph Cooper,
Sunday evening, February 3d, 1901,
at six o’clock.
119 Orchard Street,
Elmira, N.Y.”

 Helen and Joseph lived in Montgomery, Lycoming, Pennsylvania from about 1903 until Helen’s death in 1934. They were married for 33 years and had four children: Ann Cooper (Hesselson) (Poser), 1903-1981; Rose Cooper (Gale), 1904-1988; Loretta Cooper (Ribakow), 1907-1955; and Irving Israel Cooper, 1908-1982.

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Family oral and written history, plus the above photo and invitation.

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Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

“The hand hammered brass mortar and pestle given … Dec. 1967 by Aunt Mary Green- who inherited it from her Mother Rose Brafe Green Jan. 1935.”

Transcription: “Rose Brafe Green’s Mother Sarah Brafe who owned it for many years brot [sic] it to the United States in Mar. 1888- We do not Know if she inherited it or purchased it before coming here to live- but its origin we believe was Kovna (Kaunas) a state in Russia near the German border.”

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) The family name has also been spelled “Braef” or “Brave.”

2) Family oral and written history.

3) Kovna/ Kovno was the Yiddish form of Kaunas, which is in Lithuania. The Russians controlled the country at the time the Brafe-Green family immigrated to the US.

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm/jrw.