As I wrote in my last post, most of the family of Moses Katz, son of Rahel Katzenstein and Jacob Katz, were still in Germany in 1930. That was also true for most of the children of Moses’ brother Meier and his wife Sprinzchen. Their sons Jake and Ike were in Oklahoma, but Aron, Regina, and Karl were in Germany. Meier Katz died on October 29, 1925; his wife Sprinzchen had predeceased him. She died on June 14, 1917. As I wrote about here, they are buried in the cemetery that overlooks Jesberg.
Meier Katz death record
Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 920; Laufendenummer: 3916
Description
Year Range : 1925
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1955 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
Original data: Sterberegister und Namensverzeichnisse. Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Wiesbaden, Deutschland.
Death record of Sprinz Jungheim Katz 1917
Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 920; Laufendenummer: 3915
Their son Aron had married Sarah Leiser on June 2, 1907. Sarah was born on September 2, 1878, in Niederurff, Germany, a town less than ten kilometers from Jesberg. Aron was four years older than Sarah, born on November 28, 1874, in Jesberg. Aron and Sarah had two sons, Jakob, named for Aron’s grandfather, born on October 15, 1909, and Julius, born March 30, 1913.
In August, 1926, when he was not yet seventeen, Aron and Sarah’s son Jakob left Germany and joined his uncle Jake in Oklahoma. He settled in Stillwater and worked for his uncle there. In the US, this younger Jakob became Jack, presumably to distinguish himself from his uncle Jake. Jack was the only other member of Meier Katz’s family to come to the US before Hitler came to power besides Jake and Ike.
Passenger manifest for arrival of Jakob “Jack” Katz, 1926. Year: 1926; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 3907; Line: 1; Page Number: 145
Description
Ship or Roll Number : Roll 3907
Source Information
Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Jacob “Jack” Katz naturalization petition, National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; ARC Title: Correspondence Relating to Naturalization, compiled 1909 – 1960; ARC Number: 731194; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States; Record Group Number: 21
Description
Description : Oklahoma City Correspondence Relating to Naturalization, 1909-1925 (Box 1)
Source Information
Aron’s younger sister Regina, who was born February 6, 1882, married Nathan Goldenberg on March 10, 1905. Nathan was born in Kestrich, Germany, on June 4, 1876, and he and Regina settled there after marrying. Kestrich is about 50 kilometers from Jesberg. Regina and Nathan had three children: Bernice, born March 16, 1906; Theo, born April 27, 1914; and Albert, born November 15, 1919.
Marriage record of Regina Katz and Nathan Goldenberg, Ancestry.com. Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
Original data: Eheregister und Namensverzeichnisse. Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Wiesbaden, Deutschland.
Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg: Standesamt Jesberg Geburtsnebenregister 1885 (HStAMR Best. 920 Nr. 3816) Jesberg 1885, p. 39
Thus, a fair number of my cousins, the descendants of my 3x-great-aunt Rahel Katzenstein, were still living in Germany when Hitler came to power in 1933. What happened to them once the Nazis were in power?
As I started to research that question, I prepared myself for the worst, knowing that some had in fact survived the Holocaust, but not knowing if any had not. I knew from prior research that I should be prepared for that wincing pain I have experienced every time I learn that another of my relatives was among the six million killed.
Brotmanblog: A Family Journey 
I can understand why you were worried about them all. But how fortunate they were!
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Some but not all…
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Yes. But there was hope.
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I had to read this through, when I noticed the name “Jungheim.” Years ago, when I was teaching engineers, in Bonn, Germany, one of my students was Wilhelm Jungheim. None of my students knew I was a Jew, and Mr. Jungheim (from the same area of Germany described in this article) was the only one who ever voiced the opinion, unsolicited, that “creativity left Germany when the Jews were murdered.” I never asked him about Jewish ancestry, although looking at him I would have sworn that he was indeed from Jewish bloodlines.
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Interesting—perhaps he was Jewish? I haven’t researched the Jungheim line since I am only related by marriage to Sprinzchen, but it would be interesting to know the answer. Thanks for reading and your comment!
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Exciting…perhaps there are US cousin connections left to be uncovered still 🙂 Interestingly now, with my 2, 3rd cousin connections made, both have voiced the question or opinion that there is a cousin who immigrated to Israel; hmmm, I’m on it! Loved the post Amy!
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Oh, I have already uncovered many! And good luck with your own hunt for cousins. Thanks, Sharon!
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I can see why you wanted to learn German – are you able to read these documents yourself or do you have help translating?
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Well, if they are written in the old script, I can’t read them at all. But if they are written in regular script or in print, I can read much of them, but still rely on help to be sure I have read them correctly.
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I’m nervous already. I look forward to hearing about each one that survived and will feel sorrow and loss for those who did not. For many years I have repeated the two words, “never forget” with much feeling. The connection for me now, means so much more.
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Yes, I’d imagine that it does. We can always feel these things more deeply when we identify with the people.
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As I am sitting next to one of the latter relatives of these dear people you wrote about, I read out loud to her this amazing account. Jewish people leaving the domed country of Germany in time. Too many believed that what was happening was soon going to end because it was”that crazy”. But wise people maybe divinely informed somehow knew that the worst was yet to COME. And even though leaving everything you knew as’home’ was difficult it was nothing compared to suffering of the ones staying. To me every every escaped Jewish person is a miracle of the God of Israel.
Am Yisrael Chai!
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Hi Kathleen, thank you so much for your note and for sharing this with one of the relatives—may I ask who? Yes, we are lucky for those who left, like so many of the Katz relatives. And we must always remember those who were not as fortunate. Thank you again!
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Wow…….I have the picture of Bernice, Theo, and Albert on my picture wall…I am named after Albert and am the son of Henry Katz. Your writings filled in numerous gaps in my memory from childhood. Thank you. I would really like it to be able to correspond, talk and even meet, perchance.
Thank you again. Alan Katz
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Hi Alan! You must be Cheryl’s brother—she lives not far from me, and we have talked about getting together, but have somehow not yet pulled it off. (I am in the Springfield area.) I will email you. Thanks so much for reaching out to me!
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