Goldfoot Genealogy

 Nadene Goldfoot                                   

                                             
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  This baby is me, and I'm now a senior of 88.  Dad died way too young at 59.  His buddy was a pharmacist, and Dad had a dresser filled with vitamins.   Now that we're living longer lives, what do we do when we can't take care of ourselves?  Here's a history of what has happened to our family.  So far, we've been pretty lucky.  I'm still able to live alone.  

Those of us who are lucky reach a senior age past 65.  That's when physical problems start to show up, regardless of what era you are living in.  Today's 2022 happens to find seniors in much better condition than in the past, but that is not a sure thing.  I've seen a lot of seniors live till almost 100 in the past in our genealogy.

Our paternal grandmother, Addie Zlata "Hattie" Jermulowske,  was born  on January 11, 1886 on a Monday in Lazdijai, Suwalki, Lithuania,  and died on a Saturday at the age of 64 years, 10 months and 28 days.  Lazdijai is 54" 14'N,  23"  31'E in Lithuania.  Also spelled as Lozdzieje and it is in Suwalki.    It is 4.3 miles from Poland's border.  For several centuries the territories of Suwalki, Lomza, and Trakai were part of a unified political unit in Greater Lithuania. After that, Suwalki and Lomza were together in the Duchy of Poland while a smaller Trakai was part of Lithuania.  Suwalki is the Gubernia.  Since WWI, Northern part is in Lithuania, southern part in Poland.  Lazdijai was partially in Poland, a major town. She had a hard life, immigrating from Lithuania to Washington and living in a wee little mining town first with her family further away in Council, Idaho.  She washed dishes at a bar/restaurant there at age 17 and she was so tiny.  Her legs were broken in a pogrom in Lithuania, stunting her height even more.  

10/12/06  According to the marriage certificate, both Addie and Nathan lived in Council, Idaho when they married on 20 Nov. 1905.  Sam and Harry Criss were witnesses.  Other witnesses were C.J. Urdrick and Jamy (possibly Jenny) Criss.  D.J. Richardson was the JP that married them.  Frank E. Smith was the County Recorder.   She said she immigrated from Hamburg, Germany. on the vessel "Altverten" and said she was married.  That means Nathan and she came together though they married in Council, Idaho.  She arrived at New York City port in New York around 6th of May, 1903. (Think she didn't understand the question as she never learned to speak

 English.) 

                 Ann, Bubba and Ann's first daughter-Harriett

Starting with  Bubba, my Dad's tiny, petite mother, Zlata (Addie, Hattie, Ettie) Jermulowske (1/11/1886-12/9/1950) ,  Bubba was a widow with 4 children by 1912  when she was only 26 years old. 

    1926 Portland, Oregon's South Portland with SE Portland 

 Her oldest, Charlie, married Helen and they moved to their own home.  My father, Morris, married Mom-Mildred and they lived with Bubba until they moved to SE Orange Street in Ladd's Addition, and then a few months later to their permanent home on Spruce Street.  Elsie married Al and Don, an important grandson, was born.  He would be a major help to Bubba as she lived alone at times by living with her.  Don learned Yiddish this way as that's what Bubba spoke.  Ann was left, and married Werner. They lived with Bubba, and  had 5 girls.    

Ann and Werner's 5 girls were lucky to have had Bubba take care of them as they were living with Bubba until they moved to their home off of Hawthorne Avenue, the last to leave South Portland.  Ann (11/11/1912 died 9/19/1972 during the high holidays or just after of a heart attack, leaving Werner and her last daughter, Sandra.  The other 4 had moved elsewhere through marriage or work.  Harriett had married Bill in 1971;  Darlene married Bob in 1964;  Francis married Larry in 1965;  Rose married Art in about 1970, and Bubba had died on December 9, 1950 and Sandra was born in April 1949.  She was lucky to have been born while Bubba was still with us and doing well.  So Bubba spent her life living with her children.  Harriet( 6/25/1941-1/17/1999), the first daughter, has died at age 57 years  6 months  23 days from throat cancer.   Darlene (9/9/1942-11/11/2020), 2nd daughter  died at age 78 years  2 months 2 days. 

Zlata's husband, our grandfather Nathan Abraham Goldfus/Goldfoot, was born on August 5, 1871in Telsiai, Lithuania and died in a horse and wagon accident 110 years ago where he was thrown out of his wagon and had hit his head on a Friday and never woke up and so died on July 19, 1912.   Zlata didn't know what happened as he hadn't come home for Shabbat.  A friend came and told her later.  He was buried on Sunday.  

• Fri, 19 July 1912 = 5th of Av, 5672
• ה׳ בְּאָב תרע״ב

                          

He died in  St. Vincent's hospital on Westover Road where it was in 1912.  His great grandson, Steve, would be a nurse in the new St. Vincent's hospital many years later. 

Zlata's first son was Charles "Haskel" Goldfoot (9/22/1906) in Council, Idaho.  and died 12/17/1949.  I remember my father driving there from Portland in the middle of December and bringing back my cousin, Nate.  Charles died at age 43 years 2 months 25 days from smoking.  

Nathan Bernard Goldfoot with cousin Don Eichman at Center.  

Nate just passed away 4/26/2020, born 2/25/1934 at age 86 years  2 months 1 day.  

   Dad was a pro boxer before becoming a butcher.  He kept his boxing gloves in a box in the basement.  He was Billie Meshke in the boxing world;  had a big poster with his picture, etc.  He was tough, a kid who was out on the streets selling newspapers at age 4.  

My Dad, Moses (on the birth certificate) Morris, Maurice Goldfoot was born 7/1/1908 and died 7/23/1967 in Portland at age 59 years 22 days. He had some kind of attack and had died about 3 weeks later.  I think it was the liver from a former blood transfusion. 

Mom, Mildred Elizabeth Robinson, was born 6/29/1913 and died 10/5/2005 at age 92 years  3 months  6 days.  I was living with her in Ontario, Oregon when she passed away.  That was the other end of his business as a wholesale meat dealer with Silver Falls Meat Packing Co.  They had a home there and kept the Portland home, too, where I spent all my life till I moved away.  It was in Ladd's Addition.                                        

                                      Our family in 1947

Ladd’s Addition is named for William S. Ladd, who served as Portland’s mayor way back in the 1850s. He’s also known for founding Oregon’s first bank in 1859 as well as building the first brick building in Portland!

Believe it not, Ladd’s Addition was once a 126 acre farm, owned by William Ladd himself. In 1891, the city of East Portland became incorporated into Portland proper and the plans for creating a residential neighborhood named Ladd’s Addition began.  Our family moved there in 1935.  

 Mom had a stroke on a Saturday.  I was with her in Ontario, Oregon when it happened, so called the ambulance.  Luckily we were only a few blocks from the hospital.  She died on a Wednesday, the 2nd day of Rosh Hashana, several months later.  That stroke had wiped out all her memory, even that was the ability to read or know any of her family.  It came back, though.  

Abraham, our grandfather Nathan Abraham Goldfus/foot's 3rd child,  was born about August 15, 1909 and died January 25, 1910, dying at age 5 months 10 days, probably of crib death. He slept between his parents in a bed with a feather mattress.     

Elsie  was then born March 10, 1911.  She married Al on 2/3/1934.  Don was born in 1937.  Elsie died 6/8/1986 at age 75 years  2 months 29 days.  She died at the Robinson Home (for the aged) where she knew many of the people there.  Her son had been able to get her in there.  She, of course, was able to speak Yiddish as well as all of Zlata's children did, and had many Yiddish-speaking friends there during her life there.  Evidently all of Zlata's children had attended Commerce High School (became Cleveland later). Dad didn't graduate but quit to work (probably in the Kosher Meats store on Lincoln) to help support the family. He was working there when they were expecting me.   Elsie had been a Deli manager  and both she and Ann had worked for Mosler's Bakery making bagels when younger.  

            

Ann Naomi Goldfoot was born  after her father's death on November 11, 1912, and he had died about 4 months earlier on July 19, 1912.  Here she's with her dog, Bonnie and the next, of course, was as a bride in 1939.  

Ann and Werner Oster, a German Jewish immigrant,  married September 1, 1939.  I was the reluctant 5 year old flower girl.  
She died September 19, 1972 at age 59 years  10 months 8 days, almost the same age as her brother, Maurice who died at 59 and 22 days. Dad only smoked a cigar occasionally, not cigarettes, like Charlie and Elsie.  

I have a brother, David, younger than me, and I hope for his reaching 120 years as Moses had.  In fact, the Jewish "Happy Birthday Wish is that the person reaches 120 years.  Just think, 4,000 years ago the air was cleaner, and COVID didn't exist.  It was possible. If anyone reaches that marvelous age, I do hope it's done in good health.

Mom with Great Aunt Jenny(2/14/1882-4/2/1973) , Alice's sister.  My mom was 5'6" so the Jermulowske sisters  were quite short. In those days, women wore a hat and gloves when they went downtown.   

Great Aunt Alice (4/16/1896-4/10/1990)  and Great Uncle Max Turn 12/1/1889-4/21/1986)  The Turns were close to us. 

         Max Tern's grandfather, Saul "Shal" Turshinsky b: c 1845 
My first real Passover was with them and Uncle Max did the whole seder, every word of it.  They moved into the Robinson Home in their old age.  

Labels: Goldfoot Family, Oregon, Robison Home, Seniors