Another amazing review of The Women Before Us!

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Thank you to Phyllis Karas, New York Times best selling author of the book  Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger’s Irish Mob and over ten other books as well as a journalist and professor of journalism.

She who wrote this wonderful review of The Women Before Us:

How wonderful to read a historically accurate female driven story that is also charming and intriguing. Cohen creates such a warm and fascinating story of the women who lived such intriguing lives so many years before us. From her first chapter, I was swept into the story and loved getting to know each and every woman Cohen so beautifully describes. She tells such a warm and touching story of each woman that I could easily have read another 100 pages. I can hardly wait for Cohen‘s next delightful historical novel that not only entertains me, but actually educates me of a fascinating time long gone!

Karas’ most recent book is Curse of the Blumenthals, a fascinating exploration of her own family and its history. As described on her website, Curse tells “the history of one close-knit New England-based, Jewish American family and their dark relationship with alcohol, from bootlegging arrests in 1920s Providence, a drunk driver killing six members of their family in 1935, the 1954 murder of a Boston seamstress committed by teenager Ronnie Blumenthal, to Ronnie’s death and burial in 2012 in an unmarked pauper’s grave, ending the curse.” You can purchase Curse of the Blumenthals here.

curse-cover_617_lg.jpg

I had the great pleasure of helping Phyllis with some of her research. She found me through this blog where I wrote that her cousin Ronnie had initially confessed and bragged about his killing of Orna Schornath to my cousin Lois Kane. It was Lois’ brave decision to go to the police that broke the murder investigation wide open.

I highly recommend that you read Curse of the Blumenthals. It is a well-crafted and insightful mix of a true crime story, a revealing look at the history of a tight-knit Jewish family, and the author’s personal reflections on how we face the hard truths about the people we love the most.

And please, of course, I hope you will also read The Women Before Us, which is available here on Amazon.

 

The Children of Therese Spier Baer Marry, and The Family Ends Up with Four Men Named Julius

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We saw last time that Therese Spier and her husband Eisemann Adolf Baer (hereinafter just referred to as Adolf, the name he seems to have been known as) had eight children, four girls and four boys, born between 1893 and 1909. By 1919, those children began to marry and have families of their own.

Paula, the oldest child, married Julius Steinberg on September 13, 1919, in Griedel. Julius was born in Steinfischbach, Germany, on April 8, 1883, to Herman Steinberg and Johanna Kohlmann. They had one child, Kurt Steinberg, born on November 26, 1920, in Lamberg, Germany.1

Paula Baer marriage record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 726, Year Range: 1911-1920, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

Selma, the second daughter, married Julius Siegmann on May 26, 1921, in Griedel. He was born on May 11, 1886, in Mogendorf, Germany. I was only able to find their marriage record after locating a 25th anniversary announcement for them in the Aufbau newspaper, which gave me their marriage date.

Marriage record of Selma Baer and Julius Siegmann, Arcinsys Archives of Hessen, Standesamt Griedel Heiratsnebenregister 1921-1930 (HStAMR Best. 924 Nr. 727)AutorHessisches Staatsarchiv, p. 5

Aufbau, May 17, 1946, p. 36

I, of course, am wondering how Therese and Adolf felt about having two sons-in-law named Julius in addition to their own son Julius. It must have gotten a bit confusing at times! (And it got even more so—see below!)

Selma and Julius Siegmann had three sons: Heinz (Henry) born on August 24, 1924, in Giessen;2 Edward (Adolph) born on October 20, 1926, in Mogendorf;3 and Erich, born on August 30, 1928, in Mogendorf.4

The oldest son, Meyer, married next. He married Friedel Stern, daughter of Moritz Stern and Emma Michels, on March 20, 1925, in Frankfurt. She was born in Frankfurt on November 1, 1900. Meyer and Friedel Baer had one child. Erich Adolf, born in Frankfurt on May 31, 1928.5

Meyer Baer marriage record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 903, Year Range: 1925, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

The next of Therese and Adolf’s children to marry were not the two sons next in birth order, but their daughter Jenny. She married—Yikes, another Julius!—Julius Goldschmidt on January 19, 1927, in Griedel. Julius, the son of William Goldschmidt and Lina Isenberg, was born in Gossfelden, Germany, on March 11, 1897. Jenny and Julius Goldschmidt had one child, Lore, born on January 12, 1929, in Marburg, Germany.6

Jenny Baer Marriage record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 727, Year Range: 1921-1930, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

The remaining four children of Therese and Adolf—Eugen, Julius, Arthur and Klara Baer—-all married in 1929. I know weddings weren’t the lavish affairs we have these days, but can you imagine having four of your children marry in one year?

Eugen married Hedwig Samuel in Reichelsheim, Germany, on January 20, 1929. She was born October 15, 1904, in Reichelsheim, Germany.  Eugen and Hedwig Baer had one child, Adolph, born on January 7, 1930, in Griedel.7

Julius Baer was also married in 1929; he married Erna Wertheimer, who, according to secondary sources, was born July 19, 1907, in Nonnenweier, Baden, Germany. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find an actual marriage record or a birth record for Erna, and I don’t know her parents’ names. Secondary sources report that Julius and Erna Baer had two children, Arnold, born on February 3, 1931, and Rolf, born on September 20, 1933, both in Butzbach, Germany.8

Arthur Baer, the youngest son of Therese and Adolf, also married in 1929. He married Erna Kraemer on June 2, 1929, in Nieder-Weisel, Germany. She was born on August 22, 1906, in Nieder-Weisel; her marriage record did not include her parents’ names, nor could I find a birth record for Erna online. Arthur and Erna Baer had one child, Erich, born in Nieder-Weisel on July 18, 1932.9

Arthur Baer marriage record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 1376, Year Range: 1921-1930, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

And finally Klara Baer married Hermann Fuld on November 6, 1929, in Griedel. Hermann was born on January 19, 1901, in Sickenhofen, Germany. Klara and Hermann Fuld had one child, Helga, born May 13, 1931, in Frankfurt, Germany.9

Klara Baer marriage record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 727, Year Range: 1921-1930, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

Eisemann Adolf Baer died on August 31, 1925, in Griedel, at age 61.

Adolf Baer death record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister; Bestand: 733; Laufende Nummer: 924, Year Range: 1921-1930, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1958

Every one of his children who had a son after that date seems to have honored their father by naming a son for him. Selma had two sons Edward (Adolph) and Eric; Meyer had a son Erich Adolf; Eugen’s son was named Adolph; Julius had a son named Arnold; and Arthur had a son named Erich. Only Paula, whose son Kurt was born before her father died, and Jenny and Klara, who did not have any sons, did not have the opportunity to name a child for their father.

Therese Spier Baer lived long enough to see all those grandchildren born (and thus, none of them was named for her). She died on July 26, 1935, in Griedel, Germany, at the age of 64. (Thank you to Cathy Meder-Dempsey for correcting the Google transcription of this death record that had transcribed it for someone with a different name.)

Therese Spier Baer death record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister; Bestand: 734; Laufende Nummer: 924
Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1958

The burial index on LAGIS had a photograph of Therese’s gravestone with other relevant information about her, her family, and her death. In fact, it was here that I discovered the eighth child of Therese and Adolf, their daughter Klara.

Therese Spier Baer headstone, Bär, Therese, née Spier (1935) – Griedel”, in: Jewish Gravesites < https://lagis.hessen.de/de/personen/juedische-grabstaetten/alle-eintraege/18212_baer-therese-geborene-spier-1935-griedel > (accessed on 29.06.2026)

Her gravestone translates to:

Here rests
the precious woman,
the ornament of her husband,
a virtuous woman, that is,
a woman who feared
God and did
good all her days:
Mrs. Reize [short for Therese], the daughter of
Nathanael, the wife of
Adolf Bär. She died
on the eve of Shabbat (=25th Tammuz)
and was buried in good standing
on the 26th Tammuz in the
year 695 according to the Lesser Census. May
her soul be bound up in the bundle of life.

Next. How did those eight children and their families fare during the Nazi era?

 

  1. Kurt Steinberg, Gender Male, Race White, Birth Date 26 Nov 1920, Birth Place Camberg Taun, Federal Republic of Germany, Death Date 15 Mar 1996, Father
    Julius Steinberg, Mother Paula Baer, SSN 212122078, Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 ↩
  2. Henry Siegmann, Gender Male, Race White, Birth Date 15 Aug 1924, Birth Place Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany, Death Date May 1986, Father Julius Siegmann, Mother Selma Baer, SSN 079188596, Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 ↩
  3. Edward Adolph Siegman, Race White, Age 18, Birth Date 20 Oct 1926, Birth Place Mogendorf, Germany, Registration Date, 20 Oct 1944, Registration Place
    New York City, Bronx, New York, Next of Kin Selma Siegman, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York City, 10/16/1940 – 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147, Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 ↩
  4. Eric Siegmann, Race White, Age 18, Birth Date 30 Aug 1928, Birth Place Mogendorf, Germany, Registration Date 30 Aug 1946, Registration Place New York City, New York, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York City, 10/16/1940 – 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147, Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 ↩
  5. Erich Adolf Baer, Eric Adolph Baer, Race White, Age 18, Relationship to Draftee Self (Head), Birth Date 31 May 1928, Birth Place Frankfurt, Germany, Residence Place Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Registration Date 1946, Registration Place Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Maryland, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 16, Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 ↩
  6. Naturalization petition of Julius Goldschmidt, stating birth of daughter Lore, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; NAI Title: Index to Petitions For Naturalizations Filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts in New York City, 1792-1906; NAI Number: 5700802; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Rg 21, Description: (Roll 1412) Petition No· 419644 – Petition No· 420058, Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 ↩
  7. I could not find a marriage record for Eugen and Hedwig online because the online marriage records for Reichelsheim do not go as late as 1929; thus, I have to rely on Hedwig’s statement in her Declaration of Intention for her birthdate, marriage date, and her son Adolf’s birthdate. Hedwig Baer, Declaration of Intention, The National Archives at Philadelphia; Philadelphia, PA; NAI Title: Declarations of Intention For Citizenship, 1/19/1842 – 10/29/1959; NAI Number: 4713410; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, (Roll 587) Declarations of Intention For Citizenship, 1842-1959 (No 460501-461500), Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943.  ↩
  8. This information came from family trees on Ancestry that unfortunately did not have citations to any sources. Thus, I cannot be certain about its reliability. I am searching for primary sources. ↩
  9. Klara Fuld’s Declaration of Intention includes her daughter Helga’s birthdate and birthplace. The National Archives at Philadelphia; Philadelphia, PA; NAI Title: Declarations of Intention For Citizenship, 1/19/1842 – 10/29/1959; NAI Number: 4713410; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, Roll 486) Declarations of Intention For Citizenship, 1842-1959 (No 364301-365300), Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 ↩ ↩

Therese Spier Baer and Her Eight Children, Part I

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My cousin Therese Spier Baer, the first child of Samuel Spier, had eight children with her husband Eisemann Adolf Baer between 1893 and 1909, and amazingly all eight survived to adulthood, and they all survived the Holocaust as did their children. Almost all of them then lived remarkably long lives.

Therese’s first child was her daughter Paula, born on June 14, 1893, in Griedel, Germany.

Paula Baer birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 721, Year Range: 1891-1900, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Then came Selma, born February 19, 1895, in Griedel.

Selma Baer birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 721, Year Range: 1891-1900, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Next was her first son, Meyer Manfred, born on November 8, 1896, also in Griedel.

Meyer Baer birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 721, Year Range: 1891-1900, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Her fourth child and second son was Eugen, born July 13, 1898, in Griedel.

Eugen Baer birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 721, Year Range: 1891-1900, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Then came Julius, born May 15, 1900, in Griedel.

Julius Baer birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 721, Year Range: 1891-1900, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

The third daughter and sixth child, Jenny, was born in Griedel on November 25, 1902.1

A fourth son, Arthur, was born on August 28, 1905, in Griedel.2

And finally a daughter, Klara, was born on January 21, 1909, in Griedel.3

Eight children, four girls and four boys, born in just over fifteen years! Most of the children were born less than two years apart.4

Next we will see who these children married and who their children were.

It’s not too late! Please consider reading and reviewing The Women Before Us, available on Amazon here.

 

 

 

  1. See, e.g., marriage record of Jenny Baer, Jenni Bär, Gender weiblich (Female)
    Age 24, Birth Date 25 Nov 1902, Marriage Date 19 Jan 1927, Marriage Place Griedel, Hessen (Hesse), Deutschland (Germany), Civil Registration Office Griedel, Spouse
    Julius Goldschmidt, Certificate Number 3, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 727, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930 ↩
  2. Marriage record of Arthur Baer, Gender männlich (Male), Age 23, Birth Date
    28 Aug 1905, Marriage Date 02 Jun 1929 (2 Jun 1929), Marriage Place Nieder-Weisel, Hessen (Hesse), Deutschland (Germany), Civil Registration Office Nieder-Weisel, Spouse Erna Krämer, Certificate Number 4, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 1376, Year Range: 1921-1930, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930 ↩
  3. Marriage record of Klara Baer, Gender weiblich (Female), Age 20, Birth Date
    21 Jan 1909, Marriage Date 06 Nov 1929 (6 Nov 1929), Marriage Place Griedel, Hessen (Hesse), Deutschland (Germany), Civil Registration Office Griedel, Spouse Hermann Fuld, Certificate Number 7, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 924; Laufende Nummer: 727, Year Range: 1921-1930, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930 ↩
  4. At first I only had found the first seven children and was surprised that Therese did not have more children after she was 34; then, while searching for a death record for Therese, I found a reference to Klara, who was born when her mother was 37. ↩

More Five Star Reviews of The Women Before Us

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I have received two more five star reviews on Amazon for The Women Before Us. Here are excerpts from the reviews by the authors of two wonderful family history books:

From Joy Neal Kidney, author of Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II:

“This is a compelling historical novel based on the lives of women in the author’s life, Jewish women who immigrated to the US. It’s a story of daughters marrying and moving away, births and losses, Jewish customs, lost hopes and dreams …. The realities of life through generations of women.”

From Helen Joyce, author of Good for A Single Journey:

“A thoughtful and moving story of three generations of diverse women from one Jewish family. Spanning a period from the late 19th century to post-WWII, the tale moves between Philadelphia, Denver and Santa Fe. Describing women with different lives relationships and experiences, the book ties together the universal themes of love, marriage, childbirth, grief and loss. Matriarchy and its evolving role over time is a central theme. Thoughtful, well written and researched.”

I highly recommend both of their books as well.

You can purchase The Women Before Us here.

Momberg, The Ancestral Town of the Blumenfelds

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The article below was written by my fifth cousin, Richard Bloomfield, who recently visited our mutual ancestral town, Momberg, Germany, with his first cousins (and my fifth cousins) Jim and Steven Bloomfield. Momberg is where our mutual four-times great-grandparents Abraham Blumenfeld I and Geitel Katz lived and raised their children, including my three-times great-grandmother Breine Blumenfeld Katzenstein and Richard, Jim, and Steven’s three-times great-grandfather Jakob Blumenfeld.

In this article, Richard discusses the construction and history of the Momberg synagogue, including the terrible story of how it was damaged on Kristallnacht and of the Torah scroll that the Blumenfeld family rescued and brought to America. Richard mentions many Blumenfeld relatives whom I’ve mentioned and written about on this blog, including Abraham Blumenfeld IIA,  Sitta Blumenfeld Spier and her daughter Gisela Spier-Cohen, Fritz Blumenfeld, Kathinka Blumenfeld Rosenberg, and some of their descendants including my cousins Simeon Spier, Michael Rosenberg, and Alan Blumenfeld, all of whom have helped me with my research and with whom I’ve exchanged emails and zoomed.

I am so grateful to Richard for sharing this article and his photographs so that I can share them with my readers, especially all the Blumenfeld cousins I’ve been so lucky to connect with through my blog and my research.

Samuel Spier and Amalie Adler, Part I: A Growing Family

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The first born child of Sarchen Frank and Isaac Spier was their son Samuel, born as we saw on December 18, 1842, in Schrecksbach, Germany. On March 1, 1870, in Langendiebach, Germany, Samuel married Amalie (Malchen) Adler, the daughter of Markus Adler and Dolce Rosenstrauch; she was born in Hintersteinau, Germany, in about 1849. 1

Samuel Spier and Amalie Adler marriage record, Arcinsys Archives of Hessen, HHStAW, 365, 515, p. 19

Samuel and Amalie had at least five children. Their first born, Therese, was born on February 18, 1871, in Langendiebach, Germany. (Her marriage record states that she was born in Grosskrotzenburg like some of her later-born siblings so it took some searching to find her actual birthplace and birth record.)

Therese Spier birth record, Arcinsys Archives of Hessen, HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 514, S. 6

A second child, Lina, was born on February 24, 1872, in Langendiebach. Her birth record reveals that Samuel was a teacher and religious leader in the community:

Lina Spier birth record, Arcinsys Archives of Hessen, HHStAW, 365, 514, p. 7

Samuel and Amalie must have moved from Langendiebach to Grosskrotzenburg sometime between February 27, 1872, and June 29, 1875, because their third child Leopold Saly was born in Grosskrotzenburg on that date.

Leoopold Saly Spier birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland
Year Range: 1875, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Isidor, their fourth child, was born on August 11, 1880, in Grosskrotzenburg.

Isidore Spier birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland, Year Range: 1880, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Finally, Selma was born on September 3, 1886, in Grosskrotzenburg.

Selma Spier birth record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland, Year Range: 1886, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901

Given the rather large gaps between Leopold and Isidor and between Isidor and Selma, I am wondering whether there were other children born in between that I’ve missed or miscarriages. I will continue to search for any children I may have missed. There was a male child with the surname Spier who was stillborn in Grosskrotzenburg on January 5, 1888, who could have been another child of Samuel and Amalie, but I can’t be certain of that.

Male Spier stillbirth jan 5 1888, from JOWBR, JewishGen.org

The oldest of these children, Therese Spier, married Eisemann Adolf Baer on August 31, 1892, in Grosskrotzenburg. Known primarily as Adolf, he was born on November 20, 1863, in Griedel, Germany, to Mayer Baer and Marianna Stern. Therese and Eisemann Adolf would have eight children, as we will see in the next post. In fact, all of the sources for the grandchildren of Samuel and Amalie will be discussed in later posts.

Marriage reocrd of Therese Spier and Eisemann Adolf Baer, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland, Year Range: 1892, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

Lina Spier married Ferdinand Gruenwald on March 1, 1898, in Grosskrotzenburg. He was the son of Abraham Gruenwald and Rebekka Schloss and was born in Allendorf, Germany on May 25, 1869. Lina and Ferdinand had one child.

Marriage record of Lina Spier and Ferdinand Gruenwald, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland, Year Range: 1898, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

Leopold Saly Spier, known as Saly, married Lina Wrzeszinski in Labischin, Poland, then part of Prussia, allegedly on April 12, 1907. She was born in Labischin on September 18, 1877, to Adolf Wrzeszinski and Ernestine Lewin. I could not find a marriage record for Saly and Lina or Lina’s birth record online, but later immigration documents revealed some of this information. Their marriage date, however, came from another tree that had no sources, and when I asked the tree owner for her source, she could not identify where she got the information. Saly and Lina had two children.2

The youngest sibling, Selma Spier, married Julius Bauer on August 29, 1909, in Grosskrotzenburg. Julius, the son of Jonas Bauer and Fanny Markus, was born in Weilburg, Germany, on February 28, 1881. Selma and Julius had four children.

Selma Spier and Julius Bauer marriage record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Signatur: 1426, Year Range: 1907, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930

Samuel Spier died on September 4, 1909, in Grosskrotzenburg, less than a week after his youngest daughter Selma was married. He had lived to see all but his son Isidor marry and lived to see the births of most of his grandchildren. He was 66 years old.

Samuel Spier death record, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister; Signatur: 1460, Year Range: 1907, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1958

The last child to marry was Isidor. He married Pauline Mayer on December 14, 1920, in Guntersblum, Germany, where she was born on November 12, 1891, to Simon Mayer and Eva Morgenstern. As with Saly and Lina, I could not locate a marriage record or a birth record for Pauline but am relying on later documents. Isidor and Pauline had one child.3

Amalie Adler Spier, the widow of Samuel Spier, died on February 24, 1924, in Weilburg, Germany, where her youngest child Selma had settled after marrying Julius Bauer. She was 75 years old and had lived to see the births of all her grandchildren.

Amalie Adler Spier death record. Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister, Year Range: 1924, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1958

The stories of those grandchildren and their parents—-Therese, Lina, Saly, Isidor, and Selma—will be told in the posts that follow.

 

 

  1.   According to her death record, Amalie was 75 when she died in 1924. I was unable to find a birth record for her. Amalie Spier, Maiden Name Adler, Gender weiblich (Female) Death Age 75, Birth Date abt 1849, Death Date 24 Feb 1924, Death Place Weilburg, Hessen (Hesse), Deutschland (Germany), Civil Registration Office Weilburg, Certificate Number 21, Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Sterberegister, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1958 ↩
  2. Lina Sara Spier, [Lina Sara Wrzeszinski], Gender Female, Marital Status Widowed, Birth Date 18 de set de 1877 (18 Sep 1877), Birth Place Labischin, Arrival Date 1939, Arrival Place Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Father Adolf Wrzeszinski, Mother Ernestine Levin, Traveling With Children No, FHL Film Number 004921080, Ancestry.com. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965. ↩
  3. Pauline’s birth and marriage information was reported in her naturalization papers, Pauline Spier, Gender Female, Race White, Petition Age 55, Record Type Naturalization Petition, Birth Date 12 Nov 1891, Birth Place Guntersblum, Germany
    Marriage Date 14 Dec 1920, Marriage Place Guntersblum, Germany, Departure Place
    Kobe, Japan, Petition Date 1946, Petition Place California, USA, Naturalization Place USA, Ship ”nitta Maru” Court District Court, Northern District, California: San Francisco, Relation to Head Self (Head), Spouse Irving Isidor Spier, Child Lotta
    Petition Number 87852, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Petitions For Naturalization, 8/6/1903 – 12/29/1911; NAI Number: 605504; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009,
    Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1888-1991. Her birthname and parents’ names came from secondary sources. ↩

Another wonderful review of The Women Before Us!

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Thank you so much to Luanne Castle for her wonderful review of The Women Before Us.  Luanne is an amazing award-winning poet and author (as well as a genealogy blogger at The Family Kalamazoo), so her words of praise mean a great deal to me. I recently reviewed her latest book, Scrap, one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Here are a few excerpts from her review:

As a genealogist and family history blogger, Cohen has completed the mountains of research necessary to delve into the lives of these people. But Cohen doesn’t leave it at the usual pedigrees and timelines. Her research leads her to explorations of personality and motivation. She does this in her books and on her blog.

This time, Cohen focuses on the lives of the women of three generations of Jewish women and how their lives are determined by who they marry. This can lead to happiness or it can lead to misery….The brains of this book is the way it demonstrates how dependent women were on their marriages. These women were not Orthodox Jews, but like all women of their time, they had little chance of a life outside of marriage. And who they married dictated whether their lives would be hard or less so, happy, or even unsafe. …

All night I dreamed about the book, the characters inhabiting every dream I had. Edna, Mae, James, Harriet, and the others. It’s hard to believe that these are not Cohen’s actual relatives, but these fictional people were touched with the magic of Cohen’s sympathetic understanding of her own grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

You can read Luanne’s whole review here.

A reminder to those who read the book: I am happy to speak with your book groups or libraries about The Women Before Us. Just let me know.

 

 

Happy Fourth of July!

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Happy Fourth of July!

I remember when I was growing up how much I enjoyed celebrating the Fourth of July. The fireworks, wearing red, white, and blue, ice cream that was red, white, and blue, celebrations at camp, singing patriotic songs. Parades and flags. It was all so innocent. I was so innocent. In 2026 as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I am no longer innocent, and the holiday is tinged with nostalgia, sadness, and gratitude.

People ask, “Are you proud to be an American?” But to me that’s the wrong question. It’s not about pride; it’s about gratitude.

I am grateful that 250 years ago some very wise and courageous people decided that it was worth risking their lives to free themselves from the tyranny of King George III. When they wrote, “All men are created equal,” it did not reflect the reality of our society, but it was a message to the king that he, like the rest of us, was a mere mortal and not a superior being entitled to deprive others of their rights. Those brave people saw a vision that was radical and frightening—and they put their lives and the lives of their neighbors and families on the line to stand up for that vision. So I am grateful to them all—-Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, Hancock, Washington, and all those who stood with them.

And I am grateful personally to all my ancestors who also were wise and courageous enough to recognize the potential America held for them and left their homes in Europe to find a better life with more freedom, less antisemitism, more opportunities. All my novels were inspired in part by those brave immigrant ancestors of mine. In Pacific Street, it’s the story of my fifteen year old grandfather who walked out of Romania to escape oppression and pogroms. In Santa Fe Love Song, it’s the story of my great-great-grandfather who came as a teenager to America and traveled the Santa Fe Trail to find economic freedom and opportunity. In Simon’s Secret, Simon came to America as the place to start over after being imprisoned for years in Germany. And in The Women Before Us, there are the stories of my great-great-grandparents Hava and Gerson and my three-times great-grandparents Joshua and Jette, all of whom left everything they knew and all their relatives to come to this country when it was still fairly new in the 1840s and 1850s so that they could create better lives for themselves and their children.

I am thus deeply grateful to and proud of those who created this country back 250 years ago and deeply grateful to and proud of my ancestors who came here to reap its benefits. I am grateful that this country exists, and I have faith that it will return to its founding principles and provide sanctuary and hope for all people looking for a better life.

 

Another Five Star Review!

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Another five star review of The Women Before Us! This one is from Helen Joyce, the acclaimed author of the wonderful book, Good for a Single Journey. I am so pleased that she enjoyed my book! She wrote:
A thoughtful and moving story of three generations of diverse women from one Jewish family. Spanning a period from the late 19th century to post-WWII, the tale moves between Philadelphia, Denver and Santa Fe. Describing women with different lives relationships and experiences, the book ties together the universal themes of love, marriage, childbirth, grief and loss. Matriarchy and its evolving role over time is a central theme. Thoughtful, well written and researched.
I hope you all will also enjoy The Women Before Us.
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Sarchen Frank Spier: Ten Children, Seven Who Survived Their Childhoods

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The first-born child of Sprintz Blumenfeld and Samuel Frank was their daughter Sarchen (Sarah) Frank, born in Momberg, Germany, in about 1816, as determined by her age of 78 on her 1894 death record (see below).

Sarchen married Isaac Spier in Momberg on May 25, 1842. Isaac was the son of Samuel Spier and Telsa Katz, and he was born in Schrecksbach, Germany, in about 1812, according to his age of 30 on their marriage record. Sarchen was 26 when they married.

Sarchen Frank and Isaac Spier marriage record, Trauregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1828-1907 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 612)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1828-1907, p. 5

Sarchen and Isaac had ten children, all born in Schrecksbach. Their first child was Samuel, born on December 18, 1842.

Samuel Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-188, p.8

Then came Telsa, born just over a year later on January 2, 1844.

Telsa Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 9

The third child was Roschen, born less than two years after Telsa on July 23, 1845. Sadly, she died before her fifth birthday on February 8, 1850.

Roschen Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 10

Roschen Spier death record, Sterberegister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen)SignaturHHStAW 365 613Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv Wiesbaden, p. 8

Beilchen Spier, the fourth child born to Isaac and Sarchen, was born on December 6, 1847.

Beilchen Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 12

Her sister Jettchen was born almost two years after Beilchen on November 11, 1849.

Jettchen Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 13

A boy came next, Liebmann, born two years after Jettchen on November 22, 1851, but like his sister Roschen, he died before he turned five. He died on June 9, 1856.

Liebmann Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 14

Liebmann Spier death record, Sterberegister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1911 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 613)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1911, p. 10

The seventh child of Isaac and Sarchen was their daughter Breinchen, who was born on December 11, 1853.

Breinchen Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 15

Then came another boy, Manuel or Emanuel, born April 20, 1856.

Manuel Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 16

The ninth child was another girl, Beschen, born June 6, 1858.

Beschen Spier birth record, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 18

And then finally on April 12, 1861, Sarchen Frank Spier gave birth to her tenth child, another daughter Fredrike or Rickchen, but that child, like her siblings Roschen and Liebmann, did not survive childhood. She made it just past her fifth birthday and died on April 26, 1866.

Fredrike Rickchen Spier birth, Geburtsregister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1883 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 610)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-1883, p. 20

Frederike Spier death record, Sterberegister der Juden von Merzhausen (Willingshausen) 1824-1911 (HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 613)AutorHessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, WiesbadenErscheinungsjahr1824-191, p. 12

Sarchen had given birth to ten babies between 1842 and 1861, roughly a baby every two years. She was 45 years old when she gave birth to Frederike in 1861. She had seen three of her babies die before or just after turning five years old. Five years of loving and caring for a child, only to see them die, while meanwhile probably pregnant or about to be pregnant with yet another child. It’s a life I cannot imagine.

Of the seven children who survived to adulthood, there were two sons, Samuel and Emanuel, and five daughters, Telsa, Beilchen, Jettchen, Breinchen, and Beschen. I am laughing, thinking about how confusing it must have been with all those B names. I would probably be calling out all the girls’ names, hoping that one of them would respond. At least Telsa and Jettchen had names that didn’t start with B.

Although I cannot locate any record to corroborate this, Geneanet.com reports that Isaac Spier died in 1868 when he was 57. If that is in fact the case, he left behind the seven surviving children who ranged in age at that time from Beschen who was ten up to Samuel who was 26, and Sarchen would still have had all  those children still at home since even the oldest two did not marry until 1870. Of course, by that time Samuel was likely working and the older daughters were available to help with the household chores and the younger children. But nevertheless, Sarchen endured quite a bit during her life.

Sarchen lived until she was 78, dying on January 14, 1894, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Sarchen Frank Spier death record, HHStAW Abt. 365 Nr. 609, S. 5

Now I will turn to the lives of her seven surviving children, starting with the oldest, Samuel.

The first review of The Women Before Us, my latest book, has been published on Amazon, and it’s a five star review!

“What a beautiful story, and what a satisfying read! It’s a beautiful book, not too sweet, full of the deep emotions along life’s twisting paths.  Cohen used great writing dexterity to blend these women’s stories, revealing that our lives often repeat themselves as long as the ingredients of love, longing and humanity are present.”

I hope you will consider reading it and reviewing it. If you are a blogger or podcaster, I’d love to have you review it on your blog. Alternatively, I am happy to do an author interview for your blog or podcast.

And if you are in a book group and are interested in having me talk to your group by Zoom, I am more than happy to do that also.

You can buy the book here.