Isadore was born to Meyer and Ethel (Ida) Kirsch circa 1889 in the Lodz area of Poland/Austria. He was 15 when he emigrated to the United States with his mother and 3 of his siblings. [1]
They joined their father and two other children who had previously emigrated. He first lived in New York City but by the 1905 New York State Census, his family had moved to Brooklyn, New York. [2]
Here we see a young Isadore Kirsch on the right. Could this be his wedding picture? And if so, is that a brother or his father on the left?
Isadore married young and before he was 20 years old, his first child, Leah, was born. He had married Katie Drucker on June 17, 1909 [3], and in the 1910 US Census [4], they are living at 1a Rivington Street in New York City. Isadore’s sister, Leah, is also living with them. Like his father, he is working as a tailor.
Rivington Street was located in the crowded, tenement section of the Lower East Side. People lived in crowded, unsanitary conditions. [5]
By the 1915 Census, Isadore moved his family to DeKalb Avenue in the Bedford–Stuyvesant, section of Brooklyn, NY. In 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge was erected. After that, the Bedford-Stuyvesant area became a popular area with its easy access to Manhattan. The area was known for its brownstones but as the population grew, they were subdivided to fit several families. [6] We can see this in the 1920 Census record.
Isadore filed a World War I Draft Card in 1917-1918 [7]. From that we learn he described himself as being short and stout. He worked as a ladies tailor in New York City, obviously commuting across the Brooklyn Bridge each day.
They were still living on DeKalb Avenue in 1920. [8] By 1920, Isadore and Katie now had five children.
The picture on the right is an example of a building built in 1931 at 909 DeKalb Avenue. This is how it looks today in 2023. [9]
By the 1930 Census, Isadore moved his family to Paterson, NJ, bought a house valued at $8000 and started his own business. He ran his business in a little building next his home at 742 E. 24th Street. [10]
Based on the age of George in the photo at his father’s tailor shop, it looks like they probably moved in the early to mid-1920’s. Also, Isadore’s naturalization papers were issued in New Jersey in 1926.[11] Did he choose to move there because his father and mother had moved there before1910?
In 1930, his oldest daughter was 20 years old, and his youngest child was eight. They were all living at home.
In 1936, his son Sidney became engaged to Lillian (Lakey) Rifken. The family looks very happy at their wedding.
top row: George, Sidney, Bill, Helen, Paul Rothman
bottom row: Katie, Lakey, Isadore, Lillian
His daughter, Lillian, married Paul Rothman a year or so later. At some point in the 1930’s, he gave up tailoring establishment and became the owner of a gas station. Or did he do both?
In 1935, Isador was slightly injured when a car hit his car as he was turning into a gas station on Market Street. He sounds like he might have been turning into his own gas station.
This article appeared in The News (Paterson, New Jersey) on Thursday, February 14, 1935, page 25. It was found in Newspapers.com.
By the 1940 Federal Census, at least 2 of Isador’s sons were working at the gas station. [12] It was his plan to leave the station to his 3 sons, and the house to his 2 daughters. Note that Isadore was now going by Isaac and Katie was going to Katherine.
Kirsch Oil & Sons grew to be a successful business and was eventually run by his three sons. You can read more about the company on the Kirsch Oil Page under the Kirsch menu.
Although the youngest of his children, his son, George married before two of his older siblings. George married Estelle Ultan in 1942. His son, Bill, married Florence Wiegan in 1946, and his daughter, Helen, married Abraham Warren also in 1946. Isadore got to see all of his children settled.
His death was announced in The News (Paterson, New Jersey) on Monday, October 6, 1947, on Page 39. This can be found on Newspapers.com
Isadore died on September 27, 1947, and is buried in Passaic Junction Hebrew Cemetery in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. He was only 54 years old.
His grandson, Joe Kirsch, remembered him as being mild-mannered. Joe, Isadore’s first grandchild, also remembered riding his bike over to his grandparent’s house. Joe treasured the warmth he felt from his grandfather and grandmother.
From the description of his will, we learn that his wife, Katie, was to get property he owned, government bonds, his bank account and his mortgage.
He sons were to get equal shares in I. Kirsch and Sons Oil Company and that Sidney was to be the head of the firm.
He also left $300 to each of his grandchildren, his car and diamond ring to Sidney, a watch to George, and a watch and chain to William. Everything else went to his wife.
Note that his 2 daughters were not mentioned in his will, except that his older daughter, Lillian, was appointed as an executor along with her brother, Sidney,and a man named Martin Krugman. [13]
Sources
- [1] Isadore’s ship manifest listing – 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, 1897-195 Title New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957Author Ancestry.com
- [2] 1905 NY State Census -New York, State Census, 1905 Author Ancestry.com
- [3] Marriage Record for Isadore and Katie – New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Marriage Licenses; Borough: Manhattan; Year: 1909 Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Index to Marriage Licenses, 1908-1910, 1938-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT: 2020.Original data: New York City Department of Records & Information Services. New York City Marriage Licenses.
- [4] 1910 US Census for Isadore Kirsch – Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 17, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1031; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0869; FHL microfilm: 1375044 Title1910 United States Federal Census AuthorAncestry.com
- [5] Rivington Street Photo from the Library of Congress collection
- [6] Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn history
- [7] WWI Draft Card for Isadore Kirsch – Registration State: New York; Registration County: Kings; Roll: 1754299; Draft Board: 035 TitleU.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Author Ancestry.com
- [8] 1920 US Census for Isadore Kirsch – Detail Year: 1920; Census Place: Brooklyn Assembly District 6, Kings, New York; Roll: T625_1153; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 354 Title1920 United States Federal Census Author Ancestry.com
- [9]DeKalb Avenue Building Example
- [10] 1930 Census for Isadore Kirsch and family – Year: 1930; Census Place: Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 0045; FHL microfilm: 2341115 Title1930 United States Federal Census AuthorAncestry.com
- ]11] Isadore Kirsch Certificate of Naturalization – from family papers
- [12] 1940 Federal Census for Isadore Kirsch and Family – Year: 1940; Census Place: Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; Roll: m-t0627-02431; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 26-80B Title1940 United States Federal Census Author Ancestry.com
- [13] Newspaper article about the Kirsch Estate was found in The News (Paterson, New Jersey), 23 Oct 1947 Thursday, Page 3