Frieda

Frieda was the second child born to Isador and Anna. She was born in Poland circa 1900 and travelled to the United States with her mother and 3 other siblings in 1907. She told her grandchildren that she remembered when she was 4 or 5, her family fled across fields at night to get out of Poland.

Below is her mother’s ship manifest listing the names of Frieda and her siblings.[1]

Anna Rothman's Ship Manifest

She grew up in Paterson, New Jersey.

In 1911, she and her siblings, Otto and Ruth helpd to raise $2000 for the Passiac County Children’s Home. The girls patroled the streets of Paterson along with over 250 other children. They worked from early in the morning to nine o’clock at night. (Since it was September, I imagine it was dark by the time they finished.) Every little bit helped! Frieda raised $3.22, Otto raised $2.90 and Ruth raised $.24.

This article appeared in The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey) on September 25, 1911, Thursday, Page 8.

Rothman siblings help oney raised for charity

In 1919, she married Milton Berkowitz. [2] They lived in Paterson, New Jersey, According to the 1930 Federal Census [3], they lived near her parents on Albion Street. Her parents were #11 and Frieda and her family lived at #15.

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Frieda's marriage record to MIlton
1930 Census for Frieda's family

Here she is in the early 1930’s with her brother, Paul, her mother, and a friend of the family.

Frieda, Paul, their mother Anna, friend

They moved to Yonkers, New York, some time before the 1940 Federal Census. (see below) [4] At that time, Milton was a mattress maker. They had a 19 year old daughter and a 13 year old son

1940 Census for Frieda's family

Milton died in 1949 and at some point after 1950, we know that Frieda’s father lived with her before his death in 1953. When Milton was alive, he liked to grow grapes and Isadore enjoyed making wine from them.

Her older brother, Arthur, convinced her to move to California with him and she did. She died in 1994 in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California. [5] At some point she went by the name Frieda Berk instead of Berkowitz.

Frieda's death record

Sources

  • [1] Anna (Chana) Rothman’s ship manifest: The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 – 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, Title New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 Author Ancestry.com
  • [2] Marriage record for Frieda Rothman: Title New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937Author Ancestry.com Publisher Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
  • [3] 1930 Federal Census for Frieda and MIlton Berkowitz Year: 1930; Census Place: Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 2341113, Title1930 United States Federal Census Author Ancestry.com
  • [4] 1940 Federal Census for Frieda and Milton Berkowitz: Detail Year: 1940; Census Place: Yonkers, Westchester, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02864; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 68-37, Title1940 United States Federal CensusAuthorAncestry.com
  • [45 Death Record for Frieda Rothman Berkowitz: Place: Los Angeles; Date: 14 Nov 1995; Social Security: TitleCalifornia, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997 Author Ancestry.com