Katie Kirsch was the oldest child of Sarah and Abram Drucker. She was probably born in the Otomin area of Austria / Poland circa 1889. Her father emigrated to the United States around 1900. In 1902, she emigrated to the United States by herself at age 14.
She sailed from Liverpool on May 28, 1902, and arrived in New York on June 6, 1902. She sailed on the steamship, the S.S. Germanic. [1]
On her ship manifest we learn that her father, Abram Drucker, paid for her passage and that she was working as a servant. [2]
How did she get from her home to Liverpool? Young girls were often subject to thieves and worse. How did she manage to escape them and get safely to the steamship? Did she stay at the Poor Jews’ Temporary Shelter in Liverpool while waiting for the steamship to sail? Too bad we cannot question her and find out about her journey.
She posed with her father for a picture when she was about 16. Did they send a copy home so her mother could see that they both looked well?
She is not listed on the 1905 New York State Census with her father. However, there was a Katie Drucker working as a servant in in the home of Charles Minks in Manhattan. [3] Although it says she was from Germany, I believe this could be our Katie. Based on the origin of the census taker and how the census taker understands the spoken accent of the person proividing the information, there were often mistakes on the census records. Also, the person providing the information might have just guessed the answers for Katie. However, the fact that she listed servant as her occupation on the ship manifest and now we have a Katie Drucker of about the right age working as a servant, I do believe this could be her.
On June 19, 1906, her mother and three younger sibings arrived. They went to live with her father at 152 Allen Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Did Katie join them right away, or did she continue to live with the family she worked for? We don’t know. However, in 1909, she applied for a marriage license and married Essie (Isador) Kirsch. At the time of her application, she was living at 151 Orchard Street, and in the 1910 Federal Census for her parents, they were also living at 151 Orchard Street. [4]
By 1910, she was living on Rivington Street with her husband, new baby, and her sister-in-law. [5]
Katie, son Sidney, Isador, Daughter Leah (Lillian)
The family had moved to DeKalb Avenue by the 1915 New York State Census. They were still living there in 1920. [6] They now had 5 children.
At some point in the 1920s, the family moved to Paterson, New Jersey, where Isador opened his own tailoring business. They also bought their own home at 742 E. 24th Street in Paterson.
By the 1930 Federal Census, their oldest child was 20 and their youngest was 8. All were still living at home. [7]
In 1936, her son Sidney got engaged to Lillian (Lakey) Rifken. Katie looks very happy and proud at the wedding.
top row: George, Sidney, Bill, Helen, Paul Rothman
bottom row: Katie, Lakey, Isadore, Lillian
Her daughter, Lillian, married Paul Rothman a year or so after Sid’s wedding. Her husband, Isador, bought a gas station and by the 1940 Federal Census, at least 2 of his sons were working there. Isadore was not going by Isaac and Katie was using the name Katherine. [8]
The 1940s proved a busy time for weddings. Although the youngest of her children, her son, George, married before two of his older siblings. George married Estelle Ultan in 1942. Her son, Bill, married Florence Wiegan in 1946, and her daughter, Helen, married Abraham Warren also in 1946. Isador got to see all of his children settled.
Helen and Abe lived with her until they found their own apartment.
During the 1940s they welcomed several grandchildren, including their daughter Lillian’s son, Stanley. They sent a card to welcome the new baby.
However, Isador, died on September 27, 1947. He left the house to Katie and the business to his sons. He also left Katie whatever property he owned, government bonds, his bank account and his mortgage. [9]
The family gathered together to celebrate their friend’s son’s bar mitzvah
Bottom Row: Paul and Lillian Rothman, Katie, Florence and Bill Kirsch, Helen Warren
Top Row: Sid and Lakey Kirsch, Estelle and George Kirsch, Abe Warren
Katie gets together with her sister and her husband, and her brother, Ben and his wife.
Here Katie poses with her sons: Sid, George, and Bill.
Her grandchildren remember going to her house for Sunday dinners. They remember playing outside in the driveway. One of them felt that she was the disciplinarian and that Isador had been easier on the children. They described her as being a typical Jewish housewife meaning she took care of the house and her husband took care of the business. They remember her rendering smaltz (chicken fat) and serving it on everything. Most of all, they all felt the love she had for her grandchildren.
Her she is with some of her children and grandchildren. At this time we are not sure who the people in the middle are. Could they be from the Drucker family?
Seated on the left is Paul and seated on the right is Lakey. In the top row, we see Joe, Sidney holding Alan, Lillian holding Stan, and Katie
Katie died on July 25, 1960. She was about 69 years old. She was buried at Zion Camp 6 Cemetery in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. The family sat Shiva at her daughter, Lillian’s, apartment.
[11] Her Hebrew name was Kayleh Hodes (Hod-es) daughter of Mr. Avraham.
Sources
- [1] The S.S. Germanic
- [2] Ship Manifest for Katie – 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 Source information Title New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 Author Ancestry.com Publisher Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Publisher date 2010
- [3] 1905 Residence of Katie – New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1905; Election District: A.D. 31 E.D. 11; City: Manhattan; County: New York; Page: 46 Source information Title New York, State Census, 1905 Author Ancestry.com Publisher Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. ublisher date 2014
- [4] Marriage License Info for Katie – New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Marriage Licenses; Borough: Manhattan; Year: 1909 Source InformationAncestry.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.
- [5] 1910 US Census for Isadore and Katie 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
- [6] 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
- [7] 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
- [8] 1940 Census for Isadore Kirsch and family – 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
- [9] Newspaper article about the Kirsch Estate was found in The News (Paterson, New Jersey), 23 Oct 1947 Thursday, Page 3
- [10] Katie Kirsch Obituary – The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey, Wednesday, July 29, 1960, page 14, offered by Newspapers.com
- [11] Gravestone of Katie Kirsch on FindAGrave.com