Lost family My history by Dale mcMurray (reading e books .TXT) 📖

It seems that I have become the keeper of my family's history. In containers there are pictures of people frozen in time. Yet I have no idea who they are or what eventuly happened to them. But I do know that somehow I am connected to them. They are what define who I am.
I often wonder who take on this role when I am no longer able to do so. I dedcided that I would share these photos and stories of my family with you. I hope to inspire you to make sure the next generation can look back and see where they came from

For the young Ones
I want you to see what our elders saw, what they did, what they wore and how they lived. you will never hear the stories your great-greatgrandpa and great-great grandma told your Grandma, Grand Uncles and me.
You will see kids in clothes that you probably would never be caught dead in. All these photos show the places and times that no longer exist. And yet these are pictures that define a world that was changing. From care free living to more complicated lives. Our lives are so caught up in technology that we cannot see the pure joy that they had in their own way of living.
Let me introduce our great,great grandparents and our grandparents.
The stately gentleman with the skull cap is the patriarch Rabbi Horwich. He was a Orthodox Jewish Rabbi. If he saw the world today I think he would be shocked to learn his grandaughter married out of the faith. He lived by the Torah and the laws set down in it.

He was the "Head of the house" in the Jewish religion, the only law , But His wife was the one who made sure the house ran smooth so that he could study the torah to his hearts content. She was the "power" behind the man.
The lovely lady of fashion is Mabel my grandmother. She was a lady of society. She and her sisters had the best of both worlds. On one hand was bound by thier traditional father, but then they were living in Chicago a wonderous place of parties and the newest things like cars.

next we have the Horwich sisters. After Their father died they continued to explore.Some of them married out of the Jewish faith. Something not considered before. Their father would have been appalled.

There were five but Rose died very young. There were Dinah,Ann,Mabel and Eva. The seated lady is their mother. She was the strenght that keep the family together.
In roaring twenties when electronics was in it's infancy Abe studied to be a technical operator. Along the way he met and married mabel. He A up and coming man of the world. He clearly was one to be in the midst of new and exciting things.

A story from the past

The Rabbi and the Priests.
Mabel told me this story about her father Rabbi Horwich. Some local Semenary priests wanted to learn Hebrew as they wished to study the Torah. They approached The Rabbi but He would not teach them as they were not of the Jewish faith.
Again they tried to get lessons. But this time they asked Great Grandma to help. She told a Little white lie that these young men were never thaught Hebrew as children. She told them how to act as not to raiseany questions. And so He taught them to read and write in Hebrew. Some how I think that he caught on sometime along the way but he loved Great Grandma so, and he did this for her.
I was also told that Great Grandpa worked at the Local Oscar Meyer Plant Blessing the Kosher foods. The plant is no longer there. There were few stories told about them so I have only my memories(that are a littled faded) to go on. I hope these few stories can give you a picture of their lives.

So Much History Lost

I know so little about The early years of the family perhaps because I never asked or perhaps because They never thought to tell. It was a given that we would some how continue to keep the family history. Yet how could one if there were no stories or even letters kept to interest us.
I remember as a child going thru the drawers in the round table that had carved claw feet. Looking among the photos, I asked about who they were and where they were taken because no one had marked them with dates or names.

A Jewish Harvest tradition.

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This photo is of a neighborhood jewish holiday that celebrated the harvest. there were vendors and the trellisses were covered with vines that still had the fruits and vegtables on them. It is called a suka(?). This was celebrated every fall like a farmers market.

Childhood Memories.

After school My sister and I would go upstairs to see Grandma Mabel. She would have us sit on this yellow stepstool was facing away from the stove. WE would close our eyes and hold out our hands. Plunk there would be a piece or two of Dyntene gum. She said the gum fairy lived in the vent over the stove and gave pieces to good girls that did well in school. Eventually we figured out it was her, but we liked the story and let her keep doing for a while longer.
We learned to play soliaire from her and Aunt Eva her sister. But the best times where on Friday nights when We would play a game called Kaluki. It used two decks of cards and making sets of four of a kind. Then there was a board game called POKENO. We played that Saturday nights and talked about things that intersted us or listened to stories of their childhood. Those were special times spent with them. It made us feel grownup. Sometimes when things were just stressfull for a girl of 12 I would sneak down into the basement and read the old newspapers my grandfatehr had saved(He was a hoarder). The head lines were of the Andrea Doria, The wars in Europe both one and two. They talked about the city of Chicago and the things that were happening in thw Early 20th century. After all these years I wonder what ever happened to those papers. Did some relative save them or did they end up trashed. What history would have been saved in those pages. Things that were junk back then, now that they are gone are treasured memories now.

We had a ritual. Every Saturday Mabel, Eva, Sonya, Peggy, my sister and my self would take the no#97 bus to the Howard St. Station then take the EL(elevated train) to downtown Chicago to shop.We would sit in the first car. What a spectacular view from the train. You were suspended over the Streets of Chicago. The train would lurch and you would think that it was comming off the rails. The hairpin turns made it look like the train was only riding on one set of wheels. The squealing of the metak wheels as they tried to hold on to the tracks was so loud that you could not hear your self think. Then sometimes you could here the traffi on the streets below. Looking out there before you were they neighborhoods that made up the Chicago. in all it's ethnic glory. Then it would go under ground. The noise was overwhelming. It was always damp and Smelled gross. We get to the State st. station and up the escalator to Weiboldts dept store. Up to the resturant for lunch by 10:45 A.M. When I was little I would get a Kiddie cocktail and I would feel so special back then. My Grandma and Aunt had their favorite waitress. They would laugh and eat salad and a burger with fries. it was the same every Saturday we went. They would have their cocktail and I would get a Kiddie cocktail. As always they would leave a large tip for the waitress as they were friends . We even got invited to weddings birthday aperties and holiday doings. Things were so much gentler back then. Or maybe thats how I remember them. How I wish that I could revisit those times They were warm, sweet and generally comforting. Of course there were times I am glad are over. The nasty things we say to family when we are angry can stick around for a life time of regret.

Politics

Back then being politically active was a good thing. There was so many ways that you could help your candidate. It was a very visual time. Posters,meetings,radio spots,and photo opportunites. Here My Grandma Mabel posed for Teddy Roosevelt's campaign.




seems I followed in her footsteps and became involved in politics as a young married woman. But as I had major life changes politics seemed to fadein to a very small part of my life.

As I write this I have conficting thoughts. Some memories are emotionally hard . And I wonder if I should mention them. As this book is generally a history of the 20th century as it relates to my/our family. Perhaps later when I feel comfortable I will tell them but for know I want you to see what the world was like before you were born.