An American Baby

I decided to ask my mom about my great aunt Nettie who passed away a couple years ago. She has an incredible story that is meant to be told.

My great aunt Nettie’s father was named David-Noah and her brother, Isadore (Izzie). The two of them escaped from hiding in Poland and fled to America in 1912, before Nettie was born. They started a life in Chicago and began to save money so they could bring the rest of their family to the U.S. s soon as possible. In 1913, Nettie’s older sisters Bessie and Rebecca came to America on their own. Finally, Nettie’s mother Malka, her sister Anna, her brother Ben, her sister Rose, her sister Ceilia, and her sister Evelyn were fortunate enough to hop onto the last boat that sailed to the United States in 1914. When the rest of the family arrived in Chicago, they found David selling lemons on the street, five for a nickel. Almost every family member began working to try to save up enough money so that David could start his own business. They reached their goal and David and Malka bought a stand on Maxwell Street. My great aunt Nettie was then born in 1915. Being the only child in the family born in America, she received the nickname “American Baby.” At first, the small apartment they lived in barely fit the family. Nettie was in her parents’ room, the four girls were in one room with one full size bed, and the two boys shared the final room. Soon, Izzie, Rebecca, Bessie, and Anna were all married and the apartment became more capacious. Their family set up little schuls in their stores and the Jews in their community met there to hold services. In high school, Nettie met a man named Marvin. Marvin first asked Nettie if she wanted to attend a boxing fight with him. On their first date, they took a street car to the Chicago Theatre. At the theatre, Nettie happened to put her bag down on the seat next to her before someone swiped it. Marvin’s cousin worked at a shoe store that also sold handbags. Soon after their date, Marvin had the almost exact bag delivered to Nettie. Marvin and Nettie dated for the next three years and married in 1939, she was 24 and Marv was 26. In 1951, Nettie delivered her only daughter, Joyce. By then, Nettie and her family had decided to move to Los Angeles. From there on out, Nettie’s life just got better and better, until 1987 when her husband passed away.

I was lucky enough to know my great aunt for most of my life and was devastated when she passed away. This incredible story portrays the life of an American immigrant traveling to America.

aSchwerer Gustav (1942/1943) Tomáš Marounek via Compfight

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