The Family of Albert and Rosa Gunzberger: A Summary of Genealogical Source Material

 

Compiled by Jeff Dreifuss, February 2013

 

At the time she emigrated from her home in Altdorf, Baden, Germany Rosa Dreifuss was the youngest living child of Isaac Dreifuss and Rosina Bernheimer Dreifuss.  She was the fourth and last of the Dreifuss children to be sent to Pennsylvania by relatives of her father after the death of her parents, Rosina Bernheimer Dreifuss and Isaac Dreifuss.  In Pennsylvania she married Abraham (Albert) Gunzberger, also an immigrant from Schmieheim, Baden Germany, a town very near to Altdorf. They were married at Rodeph Shalom Synagogue in Philadelphia on August 5, 1884.  Albert was living in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania at the time of the wedding.  The fact that Rosa Dreifuss lists her residence as Philadelphia would suggest that she had other relatives there.  We can only speculate as to who these relatives were.

 

There is evidence is that Albert and Rosa raised their family in Selinsgrove and nearby Middlebury, Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania land records indicate several property purchases by the family in Middlebury and Selinsgrove.

 

We found birth records in Snyder County, Pennsylvania for daughter Rachael, born September 5, 1895 and twins, Leon and Aaron Gunzberger born November 28, 1897.  Also filed in Snyder County was a “Delayed Birth Certificate” for Gunzberger daughter, Ester Cleveland Gunzberger who was born on November 17, 1905.

 

Rosina had two older brothers, Aaron and Henry Dreifuss who had immigrated earlier and lived in and around Selinsgrove during that same period.  Another brother, Leopold, had immigrated to live in Selinsgrove, but very soon after left to spend his life in Brooklyn New York.  Leopold was Pete and my great grandfather.

 

It appears that at some point the entire Gunzberger family moved from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania to Chicago, Illinois.  Exactly when they made the move and why is less certain.  In the 1910 census Albert and “Rosie” are living in Selinsgrove with seven children: Samuel age 16, Ray age 15, Leon age 13, Aaron age 13, Sarah age 10, Emmal (Emma) age 7 and Ester age 5.  The census states that Albert and Rose had a total of ten children living at the time.  Two of the missing brothers, Isaac and Israel had preceded Albert and Rosa in the move to Chicago.

 

The third missing brother was Sol (Solomon?).  It is unclear where Sol was in 1910, since the first census record I found for his is 1920 when he and his wife Ida were living in Minnesota where Sol worked as a clerk for a railroad.

 

We have been unable to find the three missing brothers in the 1910 census but Cook County (Chicago) marriage records indicate that Israel married in Chicago in 1908.  Isaac married in 1914, also in Chicago, but we know he was in Chicago prior to that time because in 1906 his parents conveyed the property on Chestnut Street in Selinsgrove to him and the deed cites his residence to be in Chicago.  Israel died in 1911.  We still do not know how he died, but his young widow married a man named William Gottlieb two years later and Isaac (Ike) Gunzberger married Clara Schaffner in the Gottlieb home on August 9, 1914.

 

The 1908 newspaper announcement of Isaac’s wedding states that, at the time, he was working as a tailor for a company known as Hamilton & Co.  Israel’s 1911 death index indicates that prior to his death he was working as a clerk.

 

Some sources state that Isaac was the oldest of the Gunzberger children, and marriage and military records indicate that he was born in 1885.  Israel’s death information indicates he was born in 1888, which may have made him the second oldest son.  However Sol’s death certificate also gives us an 1885 birth date so the exact birth order is unclear.  It can be assumed, however that Isaac and Israel were among the oldest and were living in Chicago prior to 1910.

 

By the 1920 census it appears that the rest of the Gunsberger family has left Selinsgrove.  Albert and Rosie are now living in Chicago with six children.  It appears that son Leon has left the nest (no longer living with Albert and Rosa).  Leon is living independently in 1920, still in Chicago and lists his occupation to be a grocer, employed in a grocery store.  Leon’s twin brother Aaron is still living with the rest of the family.  The census records suggest that by 1920 the family has acquired a grocery business and Albert, Aaron and Sam are working there.  Perhaps Leon also was employed by the family business.

 

In 1920 Isaac and his wife Clara are living with Clara’s parents, David and Sarah Shaffner, who appear to be retired.  Isaac and Clara have two children, 4 year-old Geraldine and 2 year-old Paul.  Isaac lists his profession as “merchant tailor.”

 

The 1930 census shows Albert and “Rose” still in Chicago.  Apparently the family still owns the grocery store.  Leon has returned to the nest and appears to be working for the family grocery store with brothers Aaron, Sam and sister Sarah.  Sister Rae is living at home but shows no employment.

 

Apparently the family grocery business was booming in 1930 because the 1930 census shows Isaac (now using the first name of “Jack”) now stating his profession as a retail merchant for a grocery store.  It is unclear whether he is now working with the family business, or for a competitor, but I found two advertisements published in 1930 in a Chicago newspaper that announce the grand opening of a new branch of what was apparently an existing grocery business referred to as “Great Western Stores,” to be managed by a Jack Gunzburger.  I have seen no record indicating that there could have been another Jack Gunzberger in 1930, but I also found a 1928 article in a Chicago newspaper reporting a robbery of “the delicatessen of Jack Gunzberger.”  This may have been another business of Isaac/Jack before entering the grocery business.

 

Chicago papers contained several other advertisements for “Great Western Stores” in 1930, announcing the opening of the new store, and suggesting two other stores, but I discovered no additional advertisements in later years.

 

It appears that the Gunzberger grocery store no longer existed by the time of the 1940 census.  We have information that Samuel married a Bertha Rabinowitz at some point but we found no evidence of such a marriage nor do we find him in 1940 census records.  California Death Index indicates that this Samuel Gunsberger, born on Feb. 22, 1884 (which date agrees with our records) in Pennsylvania died on April 23, 1958. Chicago death records indicate that Rose died in 1932 and that Albert survived until 1941.

 

Although death records state that Albert died in 1941, I have not yet found Albert in the 1940 census, and presume he was living with one of his children whose census records have not been found.  Isaac no longer uses the name Jack in the 1940 census, but now has apparently goes by the name “ Isaac Dale.”  Isaac is still living in Chicago in 1940 at age 54 with 52 year-old Clara and 15 year-old daughter Joan.  He no longer purports to be in the grocery business but states he is a salesman in the wholesale liquor business.  There is a 35 year-old “roomer” living with the family in 1940, a Polish immigrant who lists her profession as newspaper reporter, but there is nothing to indicate a family relationship to the Dales or Gunzbergers.

 

Sol and Ida Gunzberger are still living in Minnesota in 1940 according to census records.  At 55 Sol is an auditor, and still working for a “steam railroad.”  Our information is that after Ida died in 1949 Sol re-married a woman named “Clarice,” and Social Security Death Records indicate that he died in Minneapolis in December of 1980.

 

The 1940 census taker found Aaron Gunzberger and wife Katherin (Kitty) living in Chicago but no longer selling groceries.  Aaron lists his profession as a wholesale beer salesman.  Aaron’s twin brother, Leon is in Los Angeles in 1940 and list his profession as clerk in a delicatessen.