Celebrities and Less Famed Americans Married to Women of Bohemian and Czech Ancestry and Their Progeny: Bibliography, Biobibliographies and Vignettes, Historiography and Genealogy

By Miloslav Rechcigl Jr.

This is not an ordinary book. Whereas the American ethnic literature usually relates to immigrants and their accomplishments, this monograph’s focus is on Americans who married them, specifically American men whose spouses were women with Czech or Bohemian roots.

Images on the cover: John Jay (1745-1829), b. New York, NY, was a lawyer, American statesman, a patriot, diplomat, and one of Founding Fathers of the US, and 2nd Governor of New York and the first Chief Justice of the United States (1789–1795) who directed U.S. foreign policy for much of the 1780s.

Sarah Van Brugh Livingston, whom he married, was a highly educated American socialite who was a strong support to her husband, astutely networking with the movers and shakers of the time. She radiated such beauty and charm that she was mistaken for Marie Antoinette. Sarah was of Bohemian ancestry, having descended from Frederick Philipse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728347042

Miloslav Rechcigl Jr.

Míla Rechcigl, as he likes to be called, is a versatile person with many talents, a man of science and organization professionally, and Renaissance man by breadth of his knowledge and scholarly interests. Born in Czechoslovakia to a son of the youngest member of the Czechoslovak Parliament, he spent the War years under Nazi occupation and after the Communist’s coup d’état escaped to the West and immigrated to the US. He received training as biochemist at Cornell University and later served as a research biochemist at NIH. Following his additional training he became a science administrator, first at the DHEW and later at US Department of State and AID. Apart from his scientific and science administrative pursuits, he served as an editor of several scientific series and authored more than thirty books and handbooks. Beyond that, he is considered an authority on immigration history, on which subject he had written extensively. He was also one of the founders of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) and for many years served as its President.

Book preview

CELEBRITIES AND LESS FAMED AMERICANS

MARRIED TO WOMEN OF BOHEMIAN AND CZECH

ANCESTRY AND THEIR PROGENY

BIBLIOGRAPHY, BIOBIBLIOGRAPHIES AND VIGNETTES,

HISTORIOGRAPHY AND GENEALOGY

MILOSLAV RECHCIGL, JR.

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2020 Miloslav Rechcigl, Jr. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  02/21/2020

ISBN: 978-1-7283-4705-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-4703-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-4704-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020902996

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

In affection, to my devoted wife Eva,

loving children Karen and Jack,

adorable grandchildren Kristin, Paul, Lindsey, Kevin and Greg,

dear daughter-in-law Nancy

and

in memory of our beloved parents

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

LISTINGS

I. Pioneers

A. Moravian Missionaries

B. Forty-Eighters

C. Jewish Pioneers

D. Other Pioneers

II. Leadership

A. Public Affairs Figures, Socialites

B. Cultural Leaders

C. Community Leaders

D. Religious Leaders

1. Clergymen

a. Episcopalian Priests

b. Moravian Ministers

c. Other Protestant Ministers

d. Rabbis

2. Laypersons

III. Activism, Reforms, Anarchism

A. Social Activists and Reformers

B. Political Activists

C. Loyalists

D. Travelers, Explorers, Adventurers

E. Spies

F. Political Refugees

G. Mobsters

H. Philanthropists

IV. Business

A. Pioneer Planters and Farmers

B. Landowners

C. Early Merchants and Other Businessmen

C. Later and Contemporary Retail Merchants and Wholesalers

F. Manufacturers

G. Corporate Executives

H. Bankers & Financiers

I. Brokers

V. Education & Learning

A. Teachers

1. Pioneer Teachers

2. Contemporary Teachers

B. School Superintendents

C. College Presidents and Administrators

VI. Government

A. US

1. Executive Branch

2. Legislative Branch

3. Judicial Branch

4. US Diplomats

5. Military Service

B. State and Municipal Government

1. Governors

2. State Legislators

3. Mayors

4. Judges

5. Other Officials

C. Other Governments

VII. Law

A. Lawyers

1. Pioneers Attorneys

2. Later and Contemporary Attorneys

B. Jurists, Legal Scholar

C. Paralegals

VIII. Medicine and Medical Science

A. Pioneer Physicians

B. Later and Contemporary Physicians

IX. Allied Health and Social Services

A. Clinical Psychologists

B. Public Health Specialists

C. Physical Therapists

D. Social Workers

X. Media

A. Journalists

B. Radio and TV Correspondents and Hosts

C. Publishers - Editors - Printers

XI. Creative & Nonfiction Writing

A. Novelists and Essay Writers

B. Poets

C. Playwrights

D. Children’s Authors

E. Non-Fiction Authors

XII. Museum and Library Services

A. Librarians and Archivists

B. Curators and Museum Directors

XIII. Dramatic Art

A. Actors

B. Dancers - Choreographers

C. Directors - Producers

D. Scenic and Production Designers

E. Screenwriters

F. Talent Agents and Talent Scouts

XIV. Visual Arts

A. Painters

B. Illustrators

C. Graphic Designers

D. Animators

E. Sculptors

F. Photographers

G. Architects

H. Interior Designers

I. Costume and Fashion Designers

J. Art Directors

K. Art Historians

L. Art Collectors and Art Dealers

XV. Music

A. Composers

B. Conductors

C. Musicians

1. Pianists

2. Organists

3. Violinists and Violists

4. Cellists

5. Wind Instrument Players

D. Popular, Jazz and Pop Music Performers

E. Classical Singers

F. Popular Singers and Songwriters

G. Musicologists

H. Music Instrument Makers

XVI. The Humanities

A. Historians

B. Genealogists

C. Language and Literary Scholars

D. Philosophers

E. Theologians

XVII. Social Sciences

A. Anthropologists

B. Economists

C. Education Specialists

D. Geographers and Area Specialists

E. Management and Business Administration Specialists

F. Political Scientists

G. Psychologists (Social)

H. Public Administration Specialists

I. Sociologists

XVIII. Biological Sciences

A. Animal Scientists & Veterinarians

B. Anatomists

C. Biochemists

D. Ecologists

E. Geneticists

F. Microbiologists

G. Pathologists

H. Physical Anthropologists

I. Physiologists

J. Zoologists

XIX. Physical Sciences

A. Astronomers

B. Chemists

C. Physicists

D. Mathematicians

E. Earth Scientists

XX. Engineering

XXI. Inventions

XXII. Sports

A. Team Players and Athletes

B. Sport Team Owners & Executives

XXIII. Not Classified

XXIV. Historiography and Reference Resources

A. General Surveys

B. Archival Materials & Library Holdings

C. Genealogy - Family Trees on GENi

Abbreviations to Frequent References

Other Abbreviations and Acronyms

FOREWORD

Writing on the diaspora of any nation is a specific  genre, in which it is relatively difficult to come up with any dramatically new point of view, illuminating the well-known subject from a completely different angle. Nevertheless, the idea to concentrate on the partners, husbands, and wives of the diaspora instead of focusing on the members of the diaspora themselves is a new approach to diaspora research.

What made Czechs attractive to Americans? Was there anything specific that attracted Americans to these partners? If there is, what type of American was missing somewthing which these newcomers might have brought with them to the New World? Is it possible to describe the essence of Czechness in so many different personalities over such a long period of time? Is it even conceivable to describe anything like that in any nation and to be able to see a pattern of behavior that would be more than just an illusion to the eye of the observer?

This is exactly what this book aims to do.  It claims to see a pattern of behavior where the Czechs in America were somehow more focused, more organized, and more independent than was the norm of the day and, as the book claims, it attracted a very specific segment of their new American partners for life.

This book is a unique way to approach topics, which are seldom touched due to the notoriously challenging ability to coin bulletproof definitions as well as the fear of being branded for simplifying generalizations, the possibility of offending someone’s sense of political correctness, and many other imaginable reasons.

Mila Rechcigl is well aware of all these complexities; still, he delved into this massive undertaking. Now, it is up to you to decide if he persuaded you that there really is a reason as to why you have a Czech in your family tree.

Hynek Kmoníček

Czech Republic Ambassador to the USA

February 18, 2020

Washington DC

PREFACE

This is not an ordinary book. Whereas the American ethnic literature usually relates to immigrants and their accomplishments, this monograph’s focus is on Americans who married them, specifically American men whose spouses were women with Czech or Bohemian roots.

Czech women, including those in America, apart from being beautiful and charming,¹ are known for their extraordinary distinctive character, i.e., independent spirit and nonconforming behavior.² And, Lest we Forget, their cuisine art has no equal. It is for these reasons, why the Americans like to marry them.

This book focuses on celebrities and renowned men, as well as those less famed, who chose Czech and Bohemian women for their spouses, be they Czech-born or descendants of the Czech immigrants. A number of these women were descendants of the 17th century pioneer Bohemian settlers, Augustine Herman³ and Frederick Philipse,⁴ who must have been held in great respect, considering that their female descendants married, for the most part, notable American spouses, the men of distinction.

Some of the marital relationships are not always readily discernible, because, frequently, they are not publicly known, or may have been, even purposely, kept secret, and, what makes the matters worse, some of the spouses, after getting married, have kept using the surnames of the men they may have divorced, many years before.

Included is also their progeny, who, more often than not, have exceeded the parents’ personal abilities and their accomplishments. This should not be surprising, because their offspring can be equated to hybrid vigor,⁵ which has been known to exist, since the times of the famed Czech-born Father of Genetics, Gregor Mendel.⁶

Some of the names may surprise you. It is not just American Presidents, like the late George H. W. Bush (1924-2018)⁷, or for that matter, Donald Trump (1946-),⁸ but also such eminent personalities as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, the statesman John Jay (1874-1829), ⁹ or one of the wealthiest and most influential bankers and future vice president of the US Levi Parsons Morton (1824-1910),¹⁰ eminent politician, the New York Governor and later US Senator, Herbert Henry Lehman (1878-1963), ¹¹ renowned banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller(1915-2017) ¹² and influential historian and President John Kennedy’s Advisor and biographer Arthur Schlesinger (1917-2007). ¹³

There were some bad lot among them, to be sure, including disloyal Loyalists and Confederates, as well as a few oddballs. The example of the latter is the mobster John Roselli (1905-1976) and the rather bizarre behavior and practices of once highly reputable psychiatrist Dr. James Tyhurst.¹⁴

Apart from David Rockefeller, there were other billionaires, who married Czech American women, including Jay Pritzker (1922-1999) and Carl Icahn (1936-). One can also find a number of other known American entrepreneurs, such as high-level executives of the Gimbels Department Store - Bernard F. Gimbel (1885-1966) - and the A&P chain of grocery stores - Edward V. Hartford (1870-1922). Interestingly, among the 20 richest families in America is the Cullman’s family, who happens to be of Czech ancestry.¹⁵

Not all women were just housewives, to be sure. Many of them were professionals in their own right. What is striking, that these professional women were frequently of a higher intellectual capacity and caliber than the American husbands who married them. ¹⁶ ¹⁷ For that matter, the men they married were usually in applied professions, rather than being counted with scholars, and other learned persons.

What is also astounding is that, of all the men’s professions, there was a high percentage of businessmen, politicians, lawyers, physicians and clergymen, as well as men in the military.

Some of the professional women have kept their husbands so inconspicuous, or incognito, which makes it difficult to ascertain the occupation of the latter, or that they even existed. Genealogical tools may be helpful in this regard, if the data exist. However, one has to be careful because the amateur genealogists sometimes mismatch the progeny with the wrong parents, in case of multiple marriages of either of the two spouses, or of both.

Much of the bio information is based on Wikipedia or GENi, as duly noted in the cited literature, which is not always reliable, however. It is mind-boggling that the data reported on the usually reliable GENi are sometime in deviation from those reported on the classical Roots Web or on the websites of Find A Grave. The Wiki Genealogy is generally unreliable it this regard. One can, of course, contact the related living person, however, this may be difficult, since the contact information may not be available. It is a vicious circle, and, in the end, one ought to use common sense, when the data, especially the years of birth and death, look odd. Frankly, in some cases, it has taken this author over an hour to figure out a particular marital relationship, while in other cases, he was unable to do it, at all, because of the lack of information.

What is most frustrating however, when you finally ascertain the name of the spouse, you are unable to find anything about that individual, or what that person did. I have put some of these, more interesting, individuals in the Not Classified section.

Be that as it may, some marriages may appear odd, considering that the two spouses may be in entirely different fields, and, moreover, that they may be working in places that are quite distant from each other. If I have, inadvertently, mismatched some spouses, I apologize for it.

In case of the men who were married more than once, the names of their spouses, sometimes have not been reported, which makes it difficult to ascertain whoever the mothers of their progeny were. This applies to women as well.

The haphazard way the progeny has been reported by different sources, is also perplexing. More often than not, only some of the surviving children have been listed, irrespective of their importance, while in other cases, they did not bother mentioning any kids at all. Various sources have thus need to be consulted, to get the information right.

The number of children in some of the families is astounding, many of whom died before reaching maturity, while in other families, the survival rate has been considerably higher, which must be the reflection of their inborn superior genes.

One must appreciate, what a tedious undertaking it has been to put this compendium together, although from the author’s perspective, he found the deciphering of various intricate relationships challenging, thrilling and fun to work on, just as working on multiple-piece, or crossword, puzzle.

As one entangles various relationships, it is surprising to find that a number of families are interrelated, either by blood or marriage. The number of divorces is also striking, although this should not be surprising, considering that the US has one of the highest divorce rates.

Talking about the divorces, one of the oddest marital relationship this author found, was between an individual who was a biochemist and eminent AIDS researcher and a woman of a prominent Portland family (her Czech-born mother was a noted portrait photographer and sculptor. The couple was presumably happy and had three children. However, in 1964, the husband announced, that he was gay, having vowed to do so before his 30th birthday, in order to be true to himself and others." The wife later filed for divorce. The resulting child-custody battle ended in the Supreme Court and became a test case for child-visitation rights of gay parents. The referenced individual then devoted the rest of his career to the enhancement of the gay rights. In 2016, he was, actually, honored as an icon for LGBT History Month for his pioneering work in gay liberation.¹⁸

This is pioneering work, since nothing like this has even been contemplated before. The closest to it was this author’s recent attempt to put together a listing of Czechoslovak American women married to rich, famous and powerful Americans.¹⁹ The present undertaking is exclusively focused on men married to Bohemian or Czech American women, although a few Slovak American women may have been, inadvertently included, when their ethnicity was in doubt.

The monograph has been organized by subject areas and, generally, it follows an outline used in the author’s recent publication, American Jews with Czechoslovak Roots.²⁰

One of the novelties of the publication is the inclusion of an archival material subsection which provides information relating to family papers in various archives, and the genealogical GENi subsection, an excellent source of family trees about specific families. Both sources also provide a wealth of reliable biographical information.

This monograph should be of interest not only to immigration historians, but it should also be of great value to genealogists and individuals doing research on family histories.

LISTINGS

I

PIONEERS

A. Moravian Missionaries

²¹

Hans Christian Alexander de Schweinitz (1740-1802), b. Nieder Leube, Germany, came to Bethlehem, PA in 1770, where he was charged with the administration of the affairs of the Moravian Church in this country.

In 1779, he married Anne Dorothea Elizabeth von Watteville (1754-1813), a native of Herrnhut, the daughter of Bishop Johannes von Watteville and Henrietta Benigna Justina von Zinzendorf, the latter being of Bohemian ancestry.

They had 7 children, 3 sons and 4 daughters; 2 died in infancy. The surviving children included:

1. Lewis David de Schweinitz (1780-1834), b. Bethlehem, PA, was a famed botanist and mycologist.

2. Augusta Sophia de Schweinitz married George Maximilian von Heuthausen;

3. Mariane Elizabeth de Schweinitz married Frederick Emanuel Knothe.

Ref.: Hans Christian Alexander de Schweinitz, in: History of North Carolina: North Carolina Biography. Chicago and New York: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1919, Vol. 5, p. 6; Lewis David de Schweinitz, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_David_de_Schweinitz; Anna Dorothea Elisabeth von Watteville, in: Wiki Tree. See - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Von_Watteville-4

John Leonard Gattermeyer (1721-1755), b. Ratisbon, Regensburg, Bavaria, was a blacksmith and Indian interpreter. He immigrated to the US, as a member of the John Nitschmann Colony (Third Sea Congregation) on the boat ‘Irene,’ which arrived in New York on May 12, 1749. Subsequently, they were all moved to Bethlehem, PA.

In 1749, he married, in Bethlehem, PA, Dorothea Uhlmann (1726-1755), whom he may have met on the same boat, on which she and her sister were also travelling. She was a native of Suchdol, Moravia. Together, with her husband, she served the church in various capacities until the time of their death in October 1755, when they were killed during an Indian raid at Gnadenhutten.

They had 2 children:

1. Sophia Dorothea Gattermeyer (1751-), unmarried; and

2. John Leonard Gattermeyer (1755- died within 4 months).

Ref.: Dorothea Gattermeyer, in: Neisser, p. 66.

Charles Augustus Grosh (1802-1882), b. East Hempfield Township, PA. He settled in Lititz and worked as a blacksmith. For 38 years he served as sacristan of the Moravian Church. He prepared the coffee on lovefest days and for the trombonists on Easter morning. Served as pallbearer for General Augustus Sutter and many others.

In 1826, he married Susanna Shober (1807-1886), a native of Lancaster Co., PA, the daughter Andreas Shober, Jr. of Moravian ancestry.

They had together 14 children, including:

1. Maria Grosh (1827-1900) married Elias Buch

2. Sarah Sophia Grosh (1831-1860) married James Harvey Wolle.

Ref.: Charles Augustus Grosh, in: Find A Grave: See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/164108023/charles-augustus-grosh; Susanna Shober Grosh, in: Find a Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83000052/susanna-grosh

Gottlieb Haberecht (1700-1767), b. Lower Silesia, was a weaver by trade. In the great revival in Silesia (1715-20), he was converted.

In 1723, he married Rosina Schneider (?-1736) from Moravia.

Together they often entertained Moravian exiles. In 1732, they were united with the Herrnhut congregation. In 1734, they came to Georgia, where his wife died. In 1736, he moved to Pennsylvania, where he remained for three years with the Seventh Day Baptists at Ephrata, Lancaster County. In 1743, he moved to Bethlehem, and later returned to Europe with Count Zinzendorf. In 1747, he served in Algiers, as assistant to Brother Notbeck, the missionary. Ten months later, he returned to Germany and, in 1749, to London. In 1754, he went to Jamaica, W.I., with Brother Caries, the first missionary to that island. In 1759, to Bethlehem and then to Christian’s Spring.

Ref.: Gottlieb Haberecht, in: The Moravian Graveyards of Nazareth, PA. See - https://christiansbrunn.web.lehigh.edu/node/451

Dr. F. C. Kampmann (1780-1808), b. Philadelphia, was a Moravian-Brethren physician;

He married A. R. Heckewelder (ca 1781-?), a native of Philadelphia, the daughter of Christian Renatus Heckewelder and Anna Maria Nitschmann, both being of Moravian ancestry.

Their son

1. Rev Francis Kampmann (1817-1884) was a Moravian pastor, serving in various Moravian congregations, last being to the church at York, PA (1879-84); he also served as the first president of Moravian Theological Seminary at Bethlehem. Later, for 12 years, he was a member of the Provincial Board of the Church.

He was married to Maria Louisa Oerter (1821-1898).

Of their eight children, only 2 survived:

a. Laura Kampmann (1850-1884), married to Rev. W. H. Vogler; and

b. Mary Kampmann (1854-1876).

Ref.: A. R. Heckewelder, in: Heckewelder Family; Rev. Lewis Francis Kampmann, in: Find A Grave. See - https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/69155796/lewis-francis-kampman

Daniel Neubert (1704-1788), b. Annaberg, Saxony, Germany, was a tanner by trade. Having come to Bethlehem in 1742, he started the first tannery in this town, and also was the first miller. In 1754 he was ordained a Deacon, and subsequently preached at Emmaus and Schoeneck, but eventually he returned to his trade as tanner.

In 1734, he wedded Rosina Hauer (1715-1780), a native of Kunin, Moravia, in the first marriage ceremony which was performed in Herrnhut. She was one of the 18 young women of Herrnhut, who in 1730 joined in the first covenant of complete consecration to the Lord's service. They immigrated to America in 1742, having arrived in Philadelphia, PA in September 1742 and settled in Bethlehem, PA.

Their union lasted more than fifty years but was not blessed with children.

Ref.: Deacon Daniel Neubert, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68510087/daniel-neubert; Rosina Hauer Neubert, in: Find a Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68870477/rosina-neubert

John Gottfried Roemelt (1712-1799), b. Breslau, Silesia, was a nail-smith by trade. He came to America in 1748.

He was married to Juliana Haberland (1715-1790), the daughter of George Haberland. In her 9th year she came to Herrnhut and, in 1749, she accompanied Bishop John Nitschmann to America, who had married her sister.

They had 1 surviving child:

1. Anna Rosina Roemelt (1753-1791), who became dropsical and was for ten years an inmate of the sick-room in the sisters’ House.

Ref.: John Gottfried Roemelt, in: Find a Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68630079/john-gottfried-roemelt ; Juliana Haberland Roemelt, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68872203/juliana-roemelt

Johann Georg Stoll (1717-1801), b. Balgheim, Oetingen, Germany, immigrated to America in 1749. He was first employed on the Church farms in Nazareth, PA. Later, he took charge of the sawmill and flour-mill in Bethlehem. For three years he also had charge of the Inn south of Lehigh, PA.

In 1768, he was married to Anna Rosina Rohleder (1727-1811), a native of Suchdol, Moravia. She immigrated to America in 1749, arriving in New York on ‘Irene’ with the Third Sea Congregation, on May 12.

Ref.: Rosina Stoll, in: Neisser, p. 64.

B. Forty-Eighters

Lewiss Naftali Dembitz (1833-1907) b. Zirke Prussia, whose mother, Franziska Wehle, was from Prague, Bohemia, from a noted Wehle family, was a legal scholar. He attended gymnasium in Frankfurt, Sagan, and Glogau. After one semester at the Charles University in Prague studying law, he emigrated to the United States in 1849. He continued to train American law in offices at Cincinnati, Ohio, and Madison, Indiana. After doing journalistic work for a time, in 1853, he began the practice of law at the Bar of Kentucky, in Louisville, which practice he has continued for the remainder of his career. Also, politically active, Dembitz was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention, assistant city attorney of Louisville, 1884–1888, and was a commissioner for Kentucky to the Conference for the Uniformity of State Laws. In 1888, Dembitz drafted the first Australian ballot law ever adopted in the United States, to govern elections in Louisville. His legal works include: Kentucky Jurisprudence, 1890; Law Language for Shorthand Writers, 1892; and Land Titles in the United States, 2 vols., 1895. He is the author of The Question of Silver Coinage, in the Present Problem Series, 1896, No. 1; and has written a number of book-reviews for The Nation, 1888–97, besides articles in other magazines and in newspapers.

He was married to Wilhelmine Wehle (1837-1911), the daughter of Ludwig Lazar Wehle and Theresia Wehle, both from Prague, Bohemia.

They had numerous children, including

1. Henry Clay Dembitz (1861-);

2. Stella Dembitz (1865-1949);

3. Abraham Lincoln Dembitz (1868-?);

4. Martha Dembitz (1870-);

5. Arthur Aaron Dembitz (1870-?);

6. Ruth Dembitz (1873-);

7. Emily Dembitz (1874- 1962);

8. Milly Dembitz (1875-);

9.Annette Dembitz (1878-?).

Ref.: Lewis Naftali Dembitz, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Lewis-Dembitz/6000000014234605029?through=6000000015521517571; Lewis Naphtali Dembitz, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Naphtali_Dembitz; Wilhelmine Dembitz (Wehle), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Wilhelmine-Dembitz/6000000014233879101?through=6000000014234605029

Dr. Siegmund Dembitz (1795-?), b. Bratislava, was a military surgeon for revolutionaries during an 1848 Polish uprising. He escaped to the US in 1848.

He married Franziska Wehle (1798-1840), a native of Prague, Bohemia.

They had 12 children: including:

1. Wilhelm Dembitz (1836-);

2. Frederick Dembitz (1826-1901), married to Adolph Brandeis; and

3. Lewis Naftali Dembitz (1833—1907), b. Zirke, Prussia, was a legal scholar. His nephew Louis Brandeis, who admired him greatly, chose law as a profession because of Dembitz. After one semester at the Charles University in Prague studying law, he immigrated to the United States in 1849. He continued to study American law in offices at Cincinnati, Ohio, and Madison, Indiana. After doing journalistic work for a time, he began in 1853 to practice law in Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained for the rest of his career. Politically active, Dembitz was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention, assistant city attorney of Louisville (1884–88) and was a commissioner for Kentucky to the Conference for the Uniformity of State Laws. In 1888, Dembitz drafted the first Australian ballot law ever adopted in the United States, to govern elections in Louisville. His legal works include: Kentucky Jurisprudence (1890); Law Language for Shorthand Writers (1892); and Land Titles in the United States (2 vols., 1895). He is the author of The Question of Silver Coinage, in the Present Problem Series, 1896, No. 1; and has written a number of book-reviews for The Nation (1888–97), besides articles in other magazines and in newspapers. Dembitz was strongly attached to conservative Judaism. He was one of the early members of the executive board of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and in 1878 a member of the commission on the plan of study for the Hebrew Union College. In 1898 he acted as chairman at a convention of Orthodox congregations, and was elected a vice-president of the Orthodox Jewish Congregational Union of America

He was married to Wilhelmine Wehle (1837-?). the daughter of Ludwig Lazar Wehle from Prague, Bohemia.

Ref.: Siegmund Dembitz, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Dr-Sigmund-Dembitz/6000000009370051948?through=6000000009370013791; Franziska Dembitz,’ in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Franziska-Dembitz/6000000009370013791?through=6000000009370051948

Dr. Joseph Jakob Goldmark (1819-1881), b. Poland, studied to be a physician in Vienna. He was an accomplished as a chemist, discoverer of red phosphorus. A revolutionist in his youth, Goldmark took part as a leader in the Revolution of 1848. When the revolution was stamped down, Goldmark was sentenced to death but managed to escape in 1849 to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, NY. There, he built his medical practice and continued his chemistry research, which led to several patents. One of these allowed him to manufacture superior percussion cartridges for the Union Army during the Civil War, a coup for both his business and political loyalties. While developing the Brooklyn factory of Goldmark and Conried, he continued to be active in politics during the rest of his life. He amassed a great deal of property to leave to his large family,

He was married to Regina Rozine Wehle (1835-1924), a native of Prague, Bohemia.

They had numerous children, including:

1. Henry C. Goldmark (1857-1941), b. New York City, was a civil engineer, who designed and installed the Panama Canal locks. He was an 1874 graduate of the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering.

2. Helen Goldmark (1858-1948), married to Felix Adler, involved herself in the Ethical Culture Movement and her husband’s work. She passed Harvard’s entrance exam, although, at that time, women could not attend Harvard. She was an extremely intelligent and articulate writer, and could write fluent German, excellent French, and some Italian.

3. Christine Goldmark (1860-1933), married to Adolphe Openhym;

4. Alice Goldmark (1866-1945), married to Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, was advocate for women’s suffrage, workers’ rights, child protection, and Zionist causes;

5. Charles Joseph Goldmark (1867-ca 1945), b. Brooklyn, NY, was a consulting engineer, practicing independently in New York City. He studied electrical engineering at Cornell University

6. Pauline Goldmark (1874-1962), b. Brooklyn, NY, was a social reformer, focused on equal pay and the health aspects of women's work. She graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1896 and studied two more years at Columbia. From 1918 to 1920, she managed the Women’s Service Section of the U.S. Railroad Administration, supervising the work of over a hundred thousand women workers. She wrote or oversaw many publications on the conditions that women faced entering in ever-larger numbers the unregulated workplaces of the time.

7. Josephine Clara Goldmark (1877-1950), b. Brooklyn, NY, was an advocate of labor reform. Between 1903 and 1930, she shaped laws regulating child labor, the legal length of the working day, and minimum wage. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College in 1898, Goldmark studied and taught at Barnard College.

Ref. Joseph Goldmark, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goldmark; "Regine Rozine Goldmark (Wehle), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Regine-Goldmark/6000000009370269470

C. Jewish Pioneers

Edmund H. Abrahams (1839-1890), b. South Carolina, son of immigrant father, Alexander Hezekiel Abrahams, from Germany.

In 1870, he married Cecilia Bush Solomons (1849-1920), a native of Charleston, SC, the daughter of Lizar Solomons and Perla Sheftall, the latter being of Czech descent, having descended from Mathias Bush from Prague, Bohemia.

They had 3 children:

1. Alexander H. Abrahams (1872-1934), b. Savannah, GA, who was married to Evelyn Kaufman (1890-?), with whom he had a daughter Cecilia Perla Abrahams (1919-?), b. Charleston, SC.

2. Perla S. Abrahams (1875-1934), b. Savannah, GA, who was married to Dr. Walter Maness Brickner

3. Edmund H. Abrahams (1881-1945), b. Charleston, SC, who was married to Mildred Lee Guckenheimer (1890-?), with whom he had a daughter:

a. Marion Cecile Abrahams (1917-2019), who married Benjamin Hirsch Levy.

Ref.: Edmund H. Abrahams, in: GENi. See- https://www.geni.com/people/Edmund-Abrahams/6000000013484464087?through=6000000013484423100; Cecilia Bush Solomons, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Cecilia-Solomons/6000000006783735129?through=6000000013484464087

Augustus Block (1818-1896), b. Virginia, was son of Abraham Block who immigrated to US from Bohemia.

He was married to Lucia Jonas (1830-ca 1901), the daughter of Abraham Jonas and Louisa Block, the latter’s father was from Švihov, Bohemia.

They had 11 children, including:

1. Bertha Block (1857-1918), was married to Phineas Moses Mayer (1856-1928).

2. Theodora J. ‘Dora’ Block (1861-1928), b. New Orleans, LA

3. Robert Lee Block (1865-1866)

4. Louise Jonas Block (1867-1920), b. New Orleans, LA

5. Gustave Augustus Block (1870-1924), b. New Orleans, LA, was married to Anna Lucille Conway (1870-1937), b. Louisiana

6. Frederick Block

Ref.: Augustus Block, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Augustus-Block/6000000015937374004?through=6000000015937318265; Lucia Block, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Lucia-Block/6000000015937318265?through=6000000015937374004;

Edwin Brittin (?-bf. 1844), was a grandson of two Revolutionary soldiers, a grocer by trade.

In 1838, he married Rosina Block (1817-1880), a native of Virginia, the daughter of a prominent merchant Abraham Block and a Frances Isaiah Isaacs, the former having been born in Bohemia.

They had 6 children together, including:

1. Abraham Ludlow Brittin (1840-1840);

2. Abraham Brittin (1841-1932), b. Washington, AR, was married to Emma Shaw.

They had 2 daughters:

a. Celeste Shaw; and

b. Adele Shaw, who was married to Dr. Allan Eustis of New Orleans.

3. Frances ‘Fanny’ Brittin (1838-1880), b. Arkansas; was unmarried;

4. William Isaacs Brittin (1844-1846);

5. Flora Brittin (1845-1894), who was married to Col. Richard Gaines

Ref.: Edward Brittin, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Edward-Brittin/6000000015937265510?through=6000000015936943987; "Rosina Brittin (Block), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Rosina-Brittin/6000000015936943987?through=6000000015937265510

Eleazer Hart Cohen (1819-1887), b. South Carolina, was a well-known merchant in Madison, GA.

In 1856, he married Octavia Cohen (1833-1897), a native of Savannah, GA, the daughter of Isaac M. Cohen and Rebecca Benjamin Sheftall, the latter being of Czech ancestry, having descended from Mathias Bush of Prague, Bohemia.

They had at least 3 children, including:

1. Samuel Barnett Cohen (1857-1909), b. Savannah, GA, married, in 1903, to Augusta Carolyn Isabel Copelan (1877-1979), who bore him a daughter Victoria Billups Cohen (1906-1999). She was married to George Miller Clarke, Jr. (1901-1956), with whom they had a son George Miller Clarke, 3rd (1930-1998).

2. Rebecca Cohen (1859-1948), b. Morgan Co., GA, married, in 1881, to Edgar Pou of Madison. They had several children together:

a. Edna Pou (1886-?);

b. Lewis Cohen Pou (1882-1952), residing in Tupelo, MS;

c. Maud Lucille Pou (1883-1883), b. Madison, Morgan Co., GA;

d. Caroline Pou (1887-1968);

e. Octavia Pou (1890-?).

3. Eleazer Isaac Cohen (1862-1913), b. Savannah, GA.

Ref.: Eleazer Hart Cohen, in: Find A Grave. See - https://nl.findagrave.com/memorial/203177394/eleazer-isaac-cohen; Octavia Cohen Cohen, in: Find a Grave. See - https://nl.findagrave.com/memorial/122545515/octavia-cohen

Jacob Cohen, Jr. (ca 1810-aft 1841), a veteran of the Seminole War of 1836.

In 1836, he married Rebecca Phillips (1807-1840), a native of Charleston, SC, the daughter of lawyer Zalegman Phillips and Arabella Solomons, the latter being of Czech ancestry, having descended from Mathias Bush, of Prague, Bohemia. She was apparently an unusually attractive girl, for she had a number of beaux.

They had two children:

1. Rebecca Cohen (1838-1838); and

2. Zalegman Cohen (1840-1841).

Ref.: "Rebecca Cohen (Phillips), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Rebecca-Cohen/6000000016013013553; Rebecca Chen Loses her Baby, in: The American Jewish Woman: A Documentary History. By Jacob Rader Marcus. New York: KTAV Publishing House, 1981, pp. 144-145.

Solomon Etting (1764-1847), b. York, PA, was a Jewish merchant, civic leader and politician, who moved to Baltimore in 1791. As an elected member of the Baltimore City Council, he was the first Jew to hold public office in the State of Maryland. He helped organize the successful campaign that, in 1823, eliminated a clause in the Maryland Constitution requiring public office holders to affirm the divinity of Christ when taking their oath of office, a requirement that effectively prohibited observant Jews from holding office.

He married Rachel Gratz (1764-1831), a native of Philadelphia, PA; the daughter of Barnard Gratz of Silesia.

They had eight children:

1.Richea Gratz Etting (1792-1881);

2. Frances Gratz Etting (1794-1854);

3. Samuel Etting (1796-1862), a Private, serving during the War of 1812 - he was a merchant in Baltimore;

4. Rebecca Etting (1798-1799);

5. Kitty Etting (1799-1837), married to Benjamin Israel Cohen (1797-1845), a Baltimore banker;

6. Ellen Etting (1802-1877);

7. Shinah Etting (1803-1878); and

8. Bernard Gratz Etting (1806-1862).

Ref.: Solomon Etting, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Etting; Rachel Etting (Gratz), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Rachel-Etting/6000000008500692441 Rachel Gratz Etting, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51958189/rachel-etting

Edwin Eger Hertz (1819-1867), b. Charleston, SC

He was married to Frances Sheftall Cohen (1829-1886), a native of Savannah, GA, the daughter of Isaac Cohen and Rebecca Benjamin Sheftall, the latter being of Czech ancestry, having descended from Mathias Bush, from Prague, Bohemia.

They had at least six children, including:

1. Edwina E. Hertz (1855-1942), b. Savannah, GA, married to David M. Ehrlich (1851-1923), b. Germany.

2. Isaac C. Hertz (1849-1919), b. Savannah, GA, was a lawyer;

3. Henrietta M. Hertz (1862-1907), married to Walter Richardson Crosby (1859—1909), b. Sommerville, MA;

4. Rebecca C. ‘Bessie’ Hertz (1852-1937, b. Savannah, GA, married to Colby;

5. Jessie Hertz (1865-1955), b. Savannah, GA, married to Charles Butters (1854-1933), b. Haverhill, MA

Ref.: Edwin Eger Hertz, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133925064/edwin-eger-hertz; Frances Sheftall Cohen Hertz, in; find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133925017/frances-sheftall-hertz

Frederick Eger Hertz (1829-1868), b. Charleston, SC.

He was married to Rebecca Seixas Cohen (1838-1908), a native of Savannah, GA, the daughter of Isaac Cohen and Rebecca Benjamin Sheftall, the latter being of Czech descent, having descended from Mathias Bush of Prague, Bohemia.

They had 2 children:

1. Edwin Eger Hertz (1863-ca 1875); and

2. Nellie Hertz (1866-ca 1921), married to H. W. Dietz.

Ref.: Frederick Eger Hertz, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Frederick-Hertz/6000000016014864332; Rebecca Seixas Hertz (Cohen), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Rebecca-Hertz/6000000016014631915?through=6000000016014864332

Isaac Eger Hertz (1812-1877), b. Charleston, SC.

In 1850, he was married to Nellie S. Cohen (1831-1865), a native of Savannah, GA, the daughter of Isaac Cohen and Rebecca Benjamin Bush Sheftall, the latter being of Czech descent, having descended from Mathias Bush of Prague, Bohemia.

They had about seven children, including:

1. Nellie Cohen Hertz (1857-1858);

2. Emma Eger Hertz (-ca 1937), married to J. B. Culp;

3. Rebecca C. Hertz (1852-ca 1921), married to David Weisbein;

4. Isaac Eger Hertz, Jr. (1859-1860);

5. Harry Hertz;

6. Frances Sheftall Hertz (1856-1856); and

7. Goodwin Eger Hertz (1863-1885)

Ref.: Isaac Eger Hertz, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33833011/isaac-eger-hertz; Nelly Sheftall Cohen Hertz, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81116251/nelly-sheftall-hertz; Nellie Sheftall Hertz (Cohen), in: GENi. See- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81116251/nelly-sheftall-hertz

Abraham Jonas (1801-1865), b. Exeter, England; was the first permanent Jewish resident in Quincy, IL. He was a member of the Illinois and Kentucky State Legislature, a leading lawyer, and a valued friend of Abraham Lincoln.

He was married to Louisa Block (1809-1867), a native of Virginia, whose father immigrated to the US from Švihov, Bohemia.

They had 10 children, including:

1. George Jonas (1840-?);

2. Edward Jonas (1844-1867);

3. Julian J. Jonas (1836-1872);

4. Capt. Charles Henry Jonas (1832-1910);

5. Maj. Sidney Alroy Jonas (ca 1838-1915);

6. Lucia Jonas (1830-ca 1901, married to Augustus Block;

7. Rosalie Jonas (ca 1828-1922), married to Adolph Meyer;

8. Anne Elizabeth Jonas (1842-1926), married to Rev. T. B. Wells.

9. Benjamin Franklin Jonas (1834-1911), b. Williamsport, KY, served as a Major in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Served as a US Senator from Louisiana from 1879 to 1885. He also served as a Member of the Louisiana State House of Representatives in 1865.

Ref.: Louisa Block Jonas, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70978177/louisa-jonas; Abraham Jonas, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Jonas_(politician); Benjamin F. Jonas, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_F._Jonas

Salomon Isaac Joseph (1749-1866), b. Richmond, VA, was son of Eleazer (Lazarus) and Gertrude Joseph of Germany.

In 1835, he married Emily Cohen (1809-1841), the daughter of Solomon Levi Cohen and Hannah Moses Samuel, the latter being of Czech ancestry, having descended from Phineas Philips of Bohemia. Phillips, from Prague, Bohemia.

They had 3 surviving children:

1. Lucy Hannah Joseph (1839-1887), unmarried;

2. Laurens Joseph (1837-1886), married to Florence Grace Hart (1848-1927), with whom he had 2 surviving children:

a. Theodore Harold Joseph (1875-1950); and

b. Rupert Laurens Joseph (1880-?).

3. Wilfred Joseph (1833-1884).

Rev.: Solomon Isaac Joseph, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Solomon-Joseph/6000000019262779523?through=6000000016659588609; Emily Joseph (Cohen, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Emily-Joseph/6000000028674187831?through=6000000019262779523

Alexander Lewis (1810-1877), b. Charleston, SC, son of David Philipson of Wurzburg.

In 1854, he married, in Peoria, IL, Esther Philipson (1825-?), the daughter of Jacob Philipson and Elizabeth Block, the latter being of Bohemian ancestry, her father, Simon Block (orig. Bloch), having been born in Švihov, Bohemia.

Their children included:

1. Jacob Frankel Philipson Lewis (1856-?);

2. Rebecca E. Lewis (1856-?);

3. Laura Lewis (1861-1861);

4. Rosa Lewis (1862-?);

5. Eva May Lewis (1865-1866).

Ref.: Alexander Lewis, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Alexander-Lewis/6000000015938055008?through=6000000015937931289; Esther Lewis (Philipson), in: GENi. see- https://www.geni.com/people/Esther-Lewis/6000000015937931289?through=6000000015938055008

Adolph Henry Mayer (1827-1869), b. Philadelphia, PA, son of Elias Mayer of Besancon, Doubs, France.

In 1848, in Cincinnati, he was married to Rosa Adelaide Philipson (1829-1922), a native of Petosi, MO, the daughter of Jacob Philipson and Elizabeth Block, the latter being of Bohemian ancestry, her father, Simon Block (orig. Bloch), having been born in Švihov, Bohemia.

They had 5 children:

1. Henry Clay Mayer (1850-1916), who was married to Mattie (?-1893);

2. Leo Adolph Mayer (1853-1889), b. Cincinnati, OH, was married to Mary Terry Kyle (1854-1937). They had 2 children:

a. Augusta Kyle Mayer (?-1899); and

b. Walter Scott Mayer (1883-1957), was married to Pearl Elizabeth Rye (1895-1987).

3. Phineas Moses Mayer (1856-1928), who married Bertha Block (1857-1918). She was the daughter of Augustus Block (1817-1896), who was of Czech ancestry. Interestingly, Phineas Mayer and Bertha Block were related through the Block family;

4. Kate Mayer; and

5. Walter Scott Mayer, who was married to Laura Schwed. They had 2 children:

a. John Schwed Mayer; and

b. Laura Schwed Mayer.

Ref.: Adolph Henry Mayer, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167292969/adolph-henry-mayer; Rosa Adelaide Philipson Mayer, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134337119/rosa-adelaide-mayer

Phineas Moses Mayer (1856-1928), son of Adolph Henry Mayer of Philadelphia and Rosa Adelaide Philipson

He was married to Bertha Block (1857-1916/18), a native of New Orleans, LA, the daughter of Augustus Block (1818-ca 1896), whose father, Abraham Block was from Bohemia.

They had 3 children:

1. Herbert Block Mayer (1888-1957), b. New Orleans, LA, married to Florence Buchanan (1891-1965), with whom he had a daughter, Millicent Mayer (1923-2004). She was married to Hoyt M. Peters (1927-1994).

2. Arthur Philipson Mayer (1892-1959), b. New Orleans, LA, was a veteran of World War I, who was retired from F.H.A. for disability. In civilian life he was engaged in real estate.

3. Rosa Block Mayer (1895-), b. New Orleans, LA, was married to Richard Hatch Grant, Jr. (1889-1933) with whom she had one daughter, Patricia Bert Grant (1927-);

Ref.: Phineas Moses Mayer, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167300023, Bertha Mayer (Block, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Bertha-Mayer/6000000015795724673?through=6000000015937281493

Jacob Philipson (1778-1885), b. Poland, was the second identifiable Jewish settler in St. Louis, who arrived there in 1809, becoming a successful merchant. The Missouri Gazette advertised the opening of his new general store on November 8, 1808, where the St. Louisans could find ‘a seasonable supply of dry goods and a general assortment of groceries.’ The merchandise included blankets, ladies’ Morocco leather spangled shoes, linseed oil, coffee and tea, hymn books, imported liquors, chocolate, sugar, writing paper, German and English bibles, salted shad and mackerel, etc. Jacob operated several general stores in the St. Louis waterfront business district during the next two years. In January 1811, he moved to Ste. Genevieve, about seventy miles south on the Mississippi River. He opened a general merchandising store in Ste. Genevieve which ran until 1814, when wartime constructions forced him to close. He also built and lived in a stone house in Ste. Genevieve. That building, known as Philipson-Valle house still remains as one of the historic sites in Ste. Genevieve. For a time, he also lived in the Petosi area.

He married Elizabeth Block, the daughter of Simon Block, of Švihov, Bohemia. After the wedding, Philipson returned with his bride to St. Louis, where they remained the rest of their lives. Apart from merchandising, Jacob collaborated with his brother Joseph in extensive real estate holdings and lead mining. In 1819, the Panic of 1819 and the ensuing depression devasted many businesses, including that of Jacob’s. He then abandoned his career as a merchant and businessman and became a teacher. Fluent in several languages, he gave private lessons in English, German and French.

Jacob and his wife Elizabeth had at least seven children, most of whom married within their Jewish faith.

1. Esther Philipson (1825-?), b. Missouri, who married, in 1854, Alexander Lewis (1810-1877) of Charleston, SC;

2. Philip Philipson;

3. Theodore Philipson;

4. Joseph B. Philipson;

5. Anna Mirree Philipson, married to Alexander Moses;

6. Rosa Adelaide Philipson (1829-1922), b. Petosi, MO, married to Adolph Henry Mayer (1827-1869); and

7. Lavinia Philipson, who was married to Antonio Prietto, a non-Jew.

Ref.: Walter Ehrlich, The First Jews, in his Zion in the Valley: The Jewish Community of St. Louis. Columbia and London: University of Missouri Press, 1997. Vol. I 1807-1907, pp. 14-32;

Annals of St. Louis in its Territorial Days, from 1804 to 1821. By Frederic Louis Billon. St. Louis: The Author, 1888, p. 111, 115,120, 228; Jacob Philipson, in: GENi. See https://www.geni.com/people/Jacob-Philipson/6000000015937908697?through=6000000015937935618; "Elizabeth Philipson (Block) in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Elizabeth-Philipson/6000000015937935618?through=6000000015937908697

Jacob Rudolph Polak (1837-1925), b. Kampen, the Netherlands, the son of I. M. Polak, was probably a merchant

He was married to Alice Rebecca Cohen (1852-1933), a native of Savannah, Ga, the daughter of Moses Sheftall Cohen and Virginia Ziporah Seixas, the former of Czech descent, having descended from Mathias Bush of Prague, Bohemia.

They had five children:

1. Alice Virginia Polak (1878-1967), unmarried;

2. Holland Rudolph Polak (1880-1934), married to Adele H. Hanson, was an attorney;

3. Julian Seixas Polak (1881-1945);

4. Henri Austin Polak (1883-1934), married to Willie May Berkshire; and

5. Albert Van Amerongen Polak (1886-1970), married to Margaret Boone.

Ref.: Jacob Rudolph Polak, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Jacob-Polak/6000000016013430841?through=6000000016013672041 Alice Rebecca Cohen Polak, in: Find a Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55451784/alice-rebecca-polak

Myer S. Solomon (1740-1800), b. London, England, moved to Baltimore, MD, where he became a merchant.

In 1778, he married Hyah Catherine Bush (1761-1825), a native of Philadelphia, PA, the daughter of Mathias Bush of Prague, Bohemia.

They had as many as 7 children, including;

1. Samuel Solomon (1783-1864);

2. Sarah Solomon (1796-1844);

3. Henry Solomon (?-1833) and

4. Arabella Solomon (1786-1826) married Zelegman Phillips, who, in 1799, was the first professing Jewish lawyer in Philadelphia. They had numerous children, including

a. Henry Mayer Phillips (1811-1884), a noted lawyer, US Congressman and financier; and

b. Jonas Altamont Phillips (1806-1862), a prominent attorney, a who in 1847-48 was the Democratic candidate for the mayoralty of Philadelphia;

Ref.: Hyah (Catherine) Solomon (Bush), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Hyah-Solomon/6000000015945956453; Arabella Solomon Phillips, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74632146/arabella-phillips; Hyah Catherine Bush, in: Bush Family.

D. Other Pioneers

See - IV. A. Pioneer Planters and Farmers

IV. B. Landowners

IV. C. Early Merchants and Other Businessmen

V. A. Pioneer Teachers

VII. A. I. Pioneer Attorneys

VIII. A. Pioneer Physicians

II

LEADERSHIP

A. Public Affairs Figures, Socialites

Sir Henry Allen Johnson (1785-1860), was student of Christ Church, Oxford (1804-17); appointed aide-de-camp to the Prince of Orange; succeeded as 2nd Baronet.

In 1818 he married Charlotte Elizabeth Philipse (1800-1883), daughter of Frederick Philipse, Jr. and Henrietta Maria F Griffiths, the former being of Czech ancestry, having descended from an aristocratic family in Bohemia.

They had 13 children:

1. Louisa Charlotte Johnson (?-1914), unmarried;

2. Harriet Maria Johnson (?-1900), married, in 1857, to Maj. Gen. H. T. Tucker;

3. Olivia Elizabeth Johnson (?-1894), married, in 1856, to Col. Richard a. F. Steward;

4. Millicent Hamilton Johnson (?-1891), married, in 1868, to H. Whiteside Cooke;

5. Sir Henry Franks Frederick Johnson (1819-1883), 3rd Baronet, married to Emma Patty Barclay;

6.William Victor Johnson (1822-1891), was Captain in the 90th Light Infantry; he was married, in 1854, to Catherine Delicia Walters;

7. Lt. Gen. George Vanderheyden Johnson (1824-1903), was Colonel of the Royal artillery in Crimea; he was unmarried;

8. Gen. Sir Edwin Beaumont Johnson (1825-1893) was unmarried;

9. Rev. Frederick Pigot Johnson (1826-1882), was married to Matilda Carnegy-Arbuthnott;

10. Gen. Sir Charles Cooper Johnson (1827-1905), was married, in 1860, to Jemina Anne Frances Martin;

11. Gen. sir Allen Bayard Johnson (1829-1907), was unmarried;

12. Maj. Gen. Alured Clarke Johnson (132-1889), was married, in 1860, to Sophia Mary Georgina Taylor;

13. Col. Archibald Acheson Johnson (1835-1894), was married, in 1869, to Agnes Sarah Brown.

Ref.: Sir Henry Allen Johnson, 2nd Bt., in: The Peerage. See - http://www.thepeerage.com/p48875.htm; Charlotte Elizabeth Philipse, in: Frederick Philipse Family.

Joseph Lane Kirkland (1922-1999), b. Camden, SC, was as a US labor union leader who served as President of the AFL-CIO for over sixteen years (1979-95). He was an outspoken advocate of freedom. In 1994, Kirkland was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton.

He married Irena Eva Neumann (1925-2007), a native of Prague, Czech, a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. She was a longtime member of the Board at the International Rescue Committee and served on several presidential commissions on refugees and other committees. Irena Kirkland became a familiar figure in Washington, D.C., hosting a stream of dissident figures ranging from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn to members of Solidarity and the Kurd leader Mustafa Barzani at the couple's brick split-level home near Rock Creek Park. She was also known for hosting a Christmas Eve party for the capital's Jews where officials such as Alan Greenspan and Rep. Stephen Solarz would gather to eat her famous pumpkin pie.

They had no children.

Ref.: Lane Kirkland, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_Kirkland; Irena Kirkland, 82, Stood up for Freedom, New York The Sun, January 25, 2007. See - https://www.nysun.com/obituaries/irena-kirkland-82-stood-up-for-freedom/47374

Winthrop Chanler Rutherfurd (1862-1944), b. New York, NY, was a socialite, best known for his romance with Consuelo Vanderbilt and his marriage to Lucy Mercer, mistress to American President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was twice married.

A. In 1902, he married Alice Morton (1879-1917), the fourth daughter of US Vice President Levi Parsons Morton and Anna Livingston Reade Street, the latter being of Bohemian ancestry, having descended from Frederick Philipse. Shortly after their marriage, Rutherfurd and his wife Alice contracted prominent New York City architect Whitney Warren to design for them a Tudor revival style mansion known as Rutherfurd House. The approximately 38-room home was located alongside his brother Stuyvesant Rutherfurd's property in Allamuchy, New Jersey. Besides the mansion, construction included gardens, a boathouse, a swimming beach, a hydroelectric powerhouse, a 9-hole golf course, and kennels. The farm's 1,000 acres became well known for its Holstein cows and Dorset sheep

They had five sons and one daughter:

1. Lewis Morton Rutherfurd (1903–1920), who died age 16;

2. Winthrop Rutherfurd, Jr. (1904–1988), who married Alice Polk (1917–2009);

3. John Phillip Rutherfurd (1910–1987) who was married to Elizabeth Shevlin (1911–1957) and Jacqueline Orr (1923–2004);

4. Hugo Rutherfurd (1911–2006), who was married to Francesca Villa (1922–1995);

5. Alice Rutherfurd (1913–1953), who married Arturo Peralta Ramos, the former husband of Millicent Rogers; and

6. Guy Gerard Rutherfurd (1915–2012), a lawyer, managing partner of the law firm, Morris & McVeigh; married to Georgette Whelan (d. 2004).

B. In 1913, he married Lucy Page Mercer (1891-1948), a native of Washington, DC, the daughter of Maj. Carrol Mercer and Minnie Tunis, the former being of Bohemian ancestry, having descended from Frederick Philipse.

Together they had a daughter:

7. Barbara Mercer Rutherfurd (1922–2005), who married Robert Winthrop Bobby Knowles, Jr.

Ref.: Lucy Page Mercer, in: Frederick Philipse Family; Winthrop Chanler Rutherfurd, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winthrop_Rutherfurd; Alice Kearny Morton, in: Frederick Philipse Family;

B. Cultural Leaders

David E. Finley, Jr. (1890-1977), b. York, South Carolina, was trained as a lawyer. Besides his law practice, he was an American cultural leader during the middle third of the 20th century. He was the first director of the National Gallery of Art, the founding chairman of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a prime mover in the founding of the National Portrait Gallery and founding chairman of the White House Historical Association. During the Second World War, Finley led the Roberts Commission, which led the rescue of much of the threatened artworks of Europe

In 1931, he married Margaret Morton Eustis (1903–1977), a native of Washington, DC, heiress, sculptor and architect. She was the daughter of William Corcoran Eustis and Edith Livingston Morton, the latter being of Bohemian ancestry, having descended from Frederick Philipse.

The Finleys had no natural children, but in 1935 they took into their home Renee and Joan Beauregard, the two orphaned daughters of friends, whom they raised as their wards.

Ref.: Margaret Morton Eustis, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35794411/margaret-morton-finley; David E. Finley, Jr., in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Finley_Jr.

Hamilton Bullock Tompkins (1843-1921), b. Brooklyn, NY, was a graduate of Hamilton College and studied law at the University of New York. Apart from his legal practice, he devoted much energy to literary matters and book collecting. He was director of the Redwood Library in Westport, RI for at least twenty-five years. He was a vice president and director of the Newport Historical Society, the New York Biographical and Genealogical Society and of the American Historical Society. His interest in his alma mater had been continuous and active. He established prizes and founded a library for the mathematical department. In 1897, he donated fifty acres of land to the college, thus doubling its domain. Since 1892 he was trustee of the college.

In 1876, he married Susan Livingston Ledyard (1844-1877), a native of Paris, France, the daughter of Henry Brockholst Ledyard and Matilda Frances Cass, the former being of Bohemian ancestry, having descended from Frederick Philipse.

Ref.: Tompkins, Hamilton Bullock, in: The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York: James T. White & Co., 1909, Vol. 11, p. 108; Susan Livingston Ledyard, in: Frederick Philipse Family.

Charles Scott Venable, Jr. (1924-2011), b. Chester, Delaware Co., PA, graduate of the University of North Carolina; held the position of Executive Secretary of the North Carolina Tuberculosis Association. Prior to this he served three years as a field secretary for the Association, mainly in Western NC.

In 1953, he married Erdmuth McCuiston, a native of Winston-Salem, NC, the daughter of Robert Alexander McCuiston and Margaret Blair, the latter being of Czech ancestry, having descended from Andreas Schober from Moravia.

They had four children:

1. Charles Scott Venable, 3rd;

2. Francis Preston Venable;

3. Erdmuth Dorothea Venable; and

4. William Blair Venable.

Ref.: Erdmuth Dorothea McCuiston, in: To the Family as a Whole. See: See - http://www.gmccuistion.com/john1855/b6799.htm#P67; Charles Scott Venable, Jr., in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166347432/charles-scott-venable

C. Community Leaders

Jordan Joseph Popkin (1927-2011), b. Salam, MA, was trained in public administration at University of Michigan (M.A.), He then began a lifelong career in public service as both civil servant and community leader. Having had a full career in D.C., Jordan set out to fulfill his other interests and became a dedicated community activist and volunteer. His activities were many including President of the Friends of Monomoy Theater, founding member of the Cape Cod Opera, member of Chatham First Night, the Democratic Town Committee and Retired Men’s Association, elected member of the Chatham Charter Commission and appointed member to the Community Preservation Committee. A thespian at heart, he also appeared in several Monomoy Theater productions. His boundless energy ensured that despite his many commitments he made major contributions to all these organizations

In 1963, he married Alice Brandeis Gilbert (1928-2018), a native of NYC, the daughter of Jacob H. H. Gilbert and Susan Brandeis, the latter being of Bohemian ancestry, being a granddaughter of Justice Louis D. Brandeis. Being the only granddaughter of Justice Louis D. Brandeis, she followed his footsteps into the law, graduating from Radcliffe College and the Yale Law School. Alice dedicated most of her career to public service law until 1987 when she returned to Chatham, MA, her family’s summer home, and established a family law practice.

After practicing law in New York City and Washington, DC, she joined the Kennedy Administration as one of the first administrators of the newly formed Peace Corps, traveling to India and other countries to establish Peace Corps offices and programs. When she and Jordan returned to Washington from Morocco, she worked for the Georgetown Institute of Criminal Law and Procedure and then was the Special Counsel to the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency chaired by Senator Birch Bayh. In 1976, she became the Associate Administrator for International Affairs for the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1987, she became the first family member since Justice Brandeis to be admitted to the Massachusetts Bar and she became of counsel at Toabe & Riley until she retired in 2010.

They had three daughters together:

1. Susan B. Popkin, married to Leon S. Cahn, a broker-dealer;

2. Anne B. Popkin - She is President, Symphony Asset Management, is responsible for managing Symphony’s non-investment activities including business development, client service, operations, finance, fund accounting, technology and compliance. Prior to joining Symphony, Ms. Popkin was a Principal at BlueCrest Capital Management, Head of their New York office and a member of the Global Operating Committee. Before joining BlueCrest, Ms. Popkin was a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers in the Absolute Return Strategies group. She has also held various senior-level positions at Financial Risk Management and Goldman, Sachs & Co. throughout her 20 year career. Ms. Popkin was a Rotary Foundation Scholar at Oxford University and received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She received a BA in applied mathematics and economics from Harvard University. She is also a member of the Council of Foreign Relations.

3. Louisa B. Popkin - She resides in the Boston area, where she teaches Spanish at Harvard's Division of Continuing Education. She also spends several months each year in Montevideo, Uruguay, and her translations of Latin American poetry, theater and fiction have appeared in such literary journals as Triquarterly, Mid-American Review, Kenyon Review, and Beacons, as well as in numerous anthologies. She is the translator of, among other full-length works, Mauricio Rosencof's The Letters that Never Came (2004). Other writers whose work she has translated into English and published include Claribel Alegría (Nicaragua), Mario Benedetti, Eduardo Galeano, Leo Masliah, Idea Vilariño, Amanda Berenguer, Hugo Achugar, Hiber Conteris, Teresa Porzcekanski (Uruguay), Mempo Giardinelli, Juan Gelman, Daniel Ulanovski Sack (Argentina), Ricardo Elizondo, Héctor Manjarrez (Mexico), Sonia González Valdenegro, Margarita Niemayer (Chile), and Eduardo Del Llano (Cuba). A selection of her translations of Mario Benedetti's poetry appeared in the Fall 2007 edition of Beacons (American Translators Association).

Ref.: Jordan Joseph Popkin, in: Nickerson Funeral Home. See - https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/chatham-ma/jordan-popkin-4669684; In memoriam: Alice Brandeis Popkin, in: Education News. July 25, 2018. See - https://edublog.news/2018/07/25/in-memoriam-alice-brandeis-popkin/; Anne Popkin, in: Reading Partners. See - https://readingpartners.org/person/anne-popkin/; Louise B. Popkin, in: Words without Borders. See - https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/contributor/louise-b.-popkin

D. Religious Leaders

1. Clergymen

a. Episcopalian Priests

Rev. Alden Lewis Bennett (1866-1923), b. Galva, IL was Episcopal priest. He entered Union College in 1883, graduating 1887, with the honors of Phi Beta Kappa and the First Blatchford Oratorical Medal. He graduated from the Episcopal Theological School, Cambridge, MA, in 1890, with the degree of B.D. After ordination to Diaconate he went to Philadelphia to become the Assistant Minister of St. Luke's Church, and was ordained priest by Bishop H. C. Potter in St. George's Church, Newport, R.I., in July 1891. In November of that year he became rector of the church of the Ascension, Waltham, MA. In December 1895, during a period of industrial depression acutely affecting the parish, he relinquished its rectorship but continued to serve upon the Waltham School Board and as a leader in the community's fight against the menace of the saloon. In 1898 Rev. Bennett removed to Montclair, New Jersey, to serve as the Assistant Minister of St. Luke's Church for two years, going west in 1900 for the next two years to be Minister of St. Mark's Church, Milwaukee, and priest-in-charge of Trinity Church, Chicago. Returning to New Jersey, he lived for a year in East Orange, and from there returned to Montclair, where he has resided since 1905, and has at all times been untiring in kindly offices rendered both for parishes and persons. During the World War,] he went to France for the Y.M.C.A., where he served devotedly through a year's ministry of friendship among the sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals of Paris, among men confined at Prison de la Roquette, and among Americans needing friendship while in Paris on duty or leave. In his work at the prison, he served as Chaplain, though without commission. Upon his return from over-seas he continued this ministry of friendship through the Volunteer Prison League and has been engaged in aiding prisoners and the families of prisoners.

He married Helen Dormitzer (1865-1957), a native of Hoboken, NJ, whose father Joachim Heinrich Dormitzer was born in Prague, Bohemia, as was her mother Anna Essroger.

1. Their daughter Violet Helen Bennett (1892-1937), b. NYC, went to France for the YMCA, and after brief service as assistant to the postmaster for the YMCA was made her father’s successor. During the last German drives, when many of the American wounded were brought to Paris, she was one of those temporarily pressed into hospital service and did valuable work. Under her direction, the mailing department of the YMCA grew to large proportions and was widely known for its efficiency. She was one of the founders of the Montclair Chapter of the American Red Cross and belonged to the DAR.

2. Their son John Alden Bennett (1897-1974), b. Waltham, MA, enlisted in the Naval Reserve Force on the first day of our country's participation in the War, serving two years in all and going to France in that service. He had entered Union College previously and returned there for a year after his discharge from the Navy. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.

Ref.: Alden Lewis Bennett, in: GEN. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Alden-Bennett/6000000017236405947?through=6000000015521206892; Helen Dormitzer Bennett (Dormitzer), in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Helen-Bennett/6000000015521206892

Rev. Arthur Chase (1867-1952), b. New Haven, CT, was Episcopal priest at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Ware, MA. He was the author of History of Ware, Massachusetts (1911). He attended Episcopal Theological Seminary, Cambridge, MA (1989-92), Trinity (A.B., 1989) and again Episcopal Theol. Seminary, Cambridge (B.D., 1892). He spent several years teaching in Holderness School, NH and St. Mark’s School, Southborough, MA. He was also president of Salem College. He was Rector of Trinity Church, Ware, MA (s. 1895).

In 1900, he was married to Alice Rondthaler (1868-1930), the daughter of Edward Rondthaler and Mary Elizabeth Jacobson, the former being of Czech ancestry, having descended from John Heckewelder, the famed Moravian missionary, whose parents were from Moravia.

They had five children, including:

1. Eleanor Carlton Chase (1901-1999;