From “Paper Life,” by Louise Goldstein, with additional information.
In April of 1913, paper life became real life. Lev and Fenya, now known as Louis and Fannie, went on to have four children: Jesse (1914-1973), Herbie (1916-1974), Lucy (1918-2016) and Ethel (1922-2008). The three eldest were born in New York; Ethel was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where the family had moved for Louis’ work as an engraver.
Eight years later they moved to Boston (Roxbury), where several of Louis’ sisters lived with their families. For a period of time during the Depression, Louis worked in Rhode Island, coming home on weekends; indeed, the 1930 US Census lists Fannie as the head of the household at 77 Dunkeld Street[1] and Louis’ name does not appear. By the time Jesse was in his last years of high school, the family moved back to New York, to Brooklyn; Jess stayed with Louis’ youngest sister, Fannie Schultz, and her husband Boris in Boston to finish high school.
Eventually Louis established Master Tool & Dye, co-owned with Harry Krim. During World War II he had security clearance in the New York Ports. The company received commendatory letters from International Banding Machine, Remington Arms Company and Colt’s Patent Firearms for the work it did on behalf of the war effort. Incidentally, he had to register for both the World War I (document) and World War II (document) drafts.
In 1945 Louis and Fannie purchased the two-flat home at 1320 East 7th Street in Brooklyn, between Avenues L and M, which became for me “der heim,” the quintessential family home.
Louis died during surgery for Hodgkin’s disease on February 7 1951, 15 days before I was born in Detroit, Michigan; thus, I was named for him. Fannie became ill with cancer (bone cancer?) within the following year, and died at home on December 4, 1952.
Fifteen great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren were born of Louis and Fannie’s enduring love. We all owe them a debt of gratitude not only for our lives, but for the courageous decision they made to leave their homes in the Russian Empire and for their hard work to make a better, safer and freer life for their family in the United States. May we never take that life for granted.
[1] 1930 US Census, Boston District 657