 Her parents, Nathan and Celia, were married on February 10th in the 30's. They constructed a home and were located central to both families in Brooklyn, New York. Celia continued working and kept a meticulous home while enjoying their young married life. Some years later, to their delight, it was confirmed that Celia was pregnant with their first baby. This baby would be the first grandchild for the Marshall family, but the 5th grandchild for the Katz family. There were 4 granddaughters in the Katz family and everyone bet on Celia's baby to be a boy. Surprise.......Girls were still running in the family. On May 4th, Celia gave birth to a baby girl. This baby girl would have the "Katz blue eyes" and be destined to be an only child. She would be brought up always under the watchful eye of her Mother. She would excel in school, always have a boatful of friends, be curious, inventive, flirtatious, and a hard worker. She would love her family unconditionally. She was destined to have 2 marriages, 4 children, 9 grandchildren, live in New York most of her life, and ultimately reside in Florida. She was an American child and would have deep connections to Israel and remember the events of World War II. In her youth, she would give time to B'nai Brith and go on campaigns for the creation of the Jewish State. She would always be grateful that her grandparents had the foresight to come to America. She would attend Brooklyn College and go on to a successful corporate career in New York City and Long Island. She would mix modeling, writing, and business and personal relationships to get to where she wanted to go. She would eventually use her maternal grandmother's name as a pen name and spend time authoring books when she retired. Her pen name would ultimately have her known as: CAROL- ROSE MARSHALL 
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 In our continuing saga, the Universe and the biological parents provided children.
The fifth-born child of Rose and Benjamin Katz, a boy named Nathan, and the second-born child of Rose and Samuel Marshall, a girl named Celia, were growing up in New York simultaneously. NATHAN Nathan grew up in a family of 10 children. His family was situated in the lower east side of Manhattan, and when Nathan was small, they moved to Putnam Street, in Brooklyn, New York. He had a rough and tumble youth and learned to protect himself, as they were the third Jewish family on his block. His first job was in a haberdashery store and there he developed his fastidious and stylish manner of dress. Notably, Nathan was one of the few in his neighborhood who went to college, and he graduated with a business degree. He earned a reputation for being extremely smart, ambitious, and aggressive. Personality-wise, he was adventurous, but very dedicated to his large family. He enjoyed social events and whenever free, would participate in local social clubs. CELIA Parallel to Nathan was Celia Marshall, also living in Brooklyn, New York. She was the third born, but second living child, born to Rose and Samuel Marshall. Hers was a family of 7 children, and only 4 were fortunate to make it to adulthood. The home in which she grew up, was Orthodox, and Kosher laws and the Sabbath were observed. Upon graduation from Franklyn K. Layne High School, Celia secured a position as a secretary in a New York City company. Celia pursued music as her personal hobby. At an early age, she begged her parents for piano lessons and became quite accomplished at playing the piano. She also self-taught herself the harmonica and banjo. Her distinctive characteristic was in personal neatness and it showed in her style of dressing. She and her sister Nora would attend dances at the local synagogue and be invited to various social clubs in the neighborhood. CELIA & NATHAN BASHERT! (Yiddish for Meant to be) Although they resided in different neighborhoods, by a twist of fate, they were both given invitations to attend a Sunday social club party. Celia attended with her sister, brother, and her brother's friend, Alex. Nathan attended with his brother and a group of friends. When Celia arrived at the party, she spent a few minutes observing all the guests. She zeroed in on a young man with a thin mustache. He looked just like Harry James, a popular bandleader who was famous at that time. The young man was wearing a double-breasted suit with pointed lapels and wide shoulder pads. A perfect suit for the thirties. He was debonair and dashing, and his two-toned shoes were polished to a spit shine. Just the kind of neatness, Celia loved. To make matters even better, his eyes were blue and he was dancing. Celia asked her brother's friend, Alex, to dance with her and move her around the floor to this gentleman. They did a fast dance called The Peabody. Alex, being a kidder, made sure to bump into the gentleman who caught Celia's eye. He made small talk by asking if he played football at Franklyn K. Layne. The young man said his name was Nathan, and asked Alex if that was his girlfriend. Alex replied, "NO, it is my friend's sister...Let me introduce you.” Nathan described his first encounter with Celia..."The earth moved! She was dressed so perfectly and had a great figure. Her hair was shiny and she could dance!” She had the best-shaped nose he had ever seen. Daringly, he asked if he could cut in and dance with Celia! Celia was delighted and took the dance position with Nathan and observed his perfectly manicured nails. The year was 1931. She was 21 and he was 23 years of age. Yes, it seemed as though this encounter had all kinds of possibilities After all, he had blue eyes and they were the neatest couple on the dance floor. They both had the same thought, “Who knows where this will lead?” BASHERT !!!  After settling in America, Samuel Marshall wrote to Rose Danzig in Minsk. He swore to her that he would save his money and purchase her passage to America! As promised, he added his good intentions. "When you arrive, we will be married!" Rose would patiently wait for his letters. She told her mother, Sarah, "I will be an old maid if you do not let me go and marry Samuel. I love him." Sarah wondered if she would ever see her daughter again, and told Samuel, that her family must remain together and intact. "If I allow this, you must promise to send for me and my other children." Finally, at age 18, two years after Samuel's departure, a letter came and the long-awaited passage ticket for Rose arrived. Excitedly, Rose boarded a ship to America. Upon her arrival, it was agreed that they would immediately be married. There were many tears, but Rose forged on. She had packed 3 changes of clothing plus a beautiful, handmade wedding dress that had been handsewn by her, these past 2 years. She was frightened and only 18 years old. She was separated from her family and on her way to her beloved. She knew the United States would be scary and foreign to her but her goal was to be married, become a citizen of this free land, and raise her future children. It would be the fairy tale ending she was hoping for. The journey was long and she befriended a young girl of 17 years of age. Together they saw the Statue of Liberty in the harbor, and through their tears promised to become lifelong friends. And so, armed with one friend, one wedding dress, and her trust in 20-year-old Samuel, she valiantly arrived in the new land to marry Samuel..... "AMERICA, I AM HERE!”, SHE SHOUTED..................... Rose disembarked and was subjected to the usual immigration process. It consisted of medical exams and questions. She only spoke Yiddish and the procedure was very frightening to her. After many hours at Ellis Island, by some miracle, Samuel found her and finally, they were reunited. She said she could not remember how it happened, but she was sure that G-d made it happen. She was in New York City and this would be her home and future. The trip to her new home was bewildering to her. She saw droves of people. She saw pushcarts and crowded streets. She could have never imagined this. She asked Samuel if he had Sabbath candles and candlesticks. Where would she find them? There were so many questions. She asked if he was taking her to the Rabbi. He told her not to worry.....everything was in order. Samuel had moved into a small, one-room apartment on Hester Street, in the lower East side of Manhattan, to accommodate his bride. When they arrived at the apartment, there were several people waiting. They were: the couple that Sam had lived with, his foreman and wife (from his job.) a Rabbi to marry them, and a photographer who came all the way from Brooklyn to document the occasion. The photographer painted houses with Sam on Sundays to make extra income. The apartment had little in it but it was beautiful to Rose. There was a bed, two chairs, a small table, a tiny ice box, a delicious Challah, and homemade grape wine. Samuel brought her a flower and told her it was a "Rose," just like her name. He was thrilled at the sight of his bride. Rose was more at ease, as now a picture could be sent to her mother, Sarah. She would see that Samuel was true to his word. The picture clearly shows the magnificent handmade wedding dress and veil she carried so lovingly, for so many miles. Her new friends were warm and welcoming. And so, they were married. A MOMENT IN TIME The date was December 5, 1905, (for them, it was modern times!) Rose did not leave her apartment for one whole week, as the prospect of walking outside was terrifying to her. Finally, she ventured out and much to her delight, she realized that she had stepped into a Jewish world. Everyone spoke Yiddish. The Jewish immigrants had established synagogues, libraries, and everything familiar to Jewish life. She was relieved and told that the garment industry was hiring seamstresses. "I can do that!" She was paid 74 Cents a dozen for trousers, and 4 cents a piece for blouses. Samuel continued his job and was promoted to Foreman. He supplemented their income on Sundays by painting private homes. Rent was $2.00 a week. They both worked 6 days a week and observed the Sabbath on Friday night until Saturday sundown. In 1906, Rose was pregnant and gave birth to her firstborn, a son, who was sadly stillborn. In 1908 she gave birth to another son, named David, who survived. At this point in time, they had accumulated the passage money for her Mother Sarah, and siblings to join them in America. To accommodate everyone, they moved to a larger apartment in Brooklyn, New York. Samuel had completed the promise he made. Everyone was here! On August 29, 1910, their first daughter was born. Rose gave her a Jewish name and the Irish doctor who attended her, insisted an English name must be on the birth certificate. He said that she would go to an American school and it was required. The doctor named her, after his own Mother, Celia. Her name now and forever was: Celia Renee Marshall.   While the paternal grandparents, Rose and Benjamin K. were establishing their life in America, there was another young man living in Minsk, Russia, and experiencing turmoil. His name was Samuel Marshak. Samuel fell in love with a beautiful young girl, also named Rose, who worked in her family’s bakery in a small town outside of Minsk. This was the Danzig family. Her mom’s name was Sarah and was a widow with 4 children. Sarah was known for her exceptional Challah in the district. Every Friday at daybreak, Samuel would go on horseback to retrieve a Challah for his family’s Shabbos, and would woo Rose D. He had made his intentions known, even though Rose was only 16 years old, and he, only 18 years old. Their future would decree them to be the maternal grandparents of Carol-Rose. Sadly, there were many daytime and midnight raids by the Russian Cossacks in these small Jewish towns. The purpose of these raids was to take over their homes and possessions and eliminate the Jewish population. Samuel’s family was very close with his mother’s sister’s family, the Levines. In particular, his cousin, Simcha, being the same age. The two families worked their farms in tandem and stayed close. One day, Samuel and Simcha were in the field working. Suddenly there was screaming, and Samuel’s two sisters were running wildly and yelling, “We have been attacked.” Embracing their sisters, the two young men carefully made their way to their home. The sight was terrifying. Their home had been burnt to the ground, all their possessions ransacked, valuables stolen, and with great horror, their eyes told them that their respective parents were killed by the Cossacks. Fearfully, Samuel and Simcha took their sisters and hid in the forest, praying for their lives to be spared. They lived off wild plants and carefully devised a plan. They called themselves brothers and vowed their devotion to each other. It was decided they would try to reach America, a land that was free. Certainly, if they stayed, they would be killed. Samuel, then carefully entered the town, where his beloved Rose resided, and told her of his plight. He pled for permission, to her mother Sarah, for his betrothal to Rose and swore that he would send for Rose when established in America, Simcha did the same, with his betrothed Gittel, from a nearby family. They would travel towards the sea to accomplish this dream. Despite Samuel’s pleadings, his sister Chana, chose to stay with her intended family and would take her sister with her. She cried that America was too far, and they would be migrating to Germany. Although Sam argued with his sister that America was the destination, it was to no avail. They separated and Samuel and Simcha continued alone. They would be part of the mass migration of more than two million Russian Jewish people, leaving Russia to escape the Pogrom and settle in America.  In later years, Samuel’s account of his voyage was short. He said, “We went through the forests on foot towards port cities. We were determined to get to America.” The exact path of their journey was unclear. But after two years of traveling, they had passage on a ship. He refused to discuss the hardships endured and insisted it would be forgotten and never spoken about again.
They ultimately boarded a ship with minimum accommodations. They were young, strong, determined, and approaching age 20. The ship was headed to New York Harbor, and they would be sent to Ellis Island for indoctrination. The older passengers on board prepped them for their acceptance to this new land. They were told to say they were very healthy, had a reasonable amount of money, and would be staying with cousins. Of course, their health would be tested They were pushed, stamped, examined, and then sent to a line to determine which state they would be sent to. There was a quota system in place. The agent asked Grandpa Samuel his name. Samuel said, “Marshak, Marshak.” The agent wrote down, “Marshall.” The agent asked where he was going. Samuel said, “New York.” Thankfully, the agent wrote, “New York.” The agent asked his occupation. Samuel answered, “I do beautiful work in farming.” The agent sent him to the line for construction workers in New York. Cousin Simcha answered his agent, “I am Simcha Levine.” The agent wrote down, “Samuel Levin.” The agent asked his occupation. Simcha replied, “I sew.” Thankfully, the agent wrote down, “Tailor.” The agent asked where he was headed. Simcha, or now Samuel, answered, “I am on the road with my cousin, wherever he goes.” The Agent wrote down, “Rhode Island.” So there it was. After sharing a hard life in Russia, going through an impossible journey together, with only themselves for comfort, their fate was decided. One would go to New York and the other to the state of Rhode Island. They communicated through a friend’s address in New York as to their whereabouts. Miraculously, Samuel Marshall reached Hester Street in New York and praised God for allowing him to safely come to these shores. Samuel Levin was sent to Providence, Rhode Island, and got a job working in a shop for clothing, In months to come they would try to reunite. Everything changes, nothing stays the same. Episode 4 continues next month. “Rose Danzig Comes to America.”  EVENTS AND FACTS-1900-1939…Setting the Scene
AND SO, DURING THIS TIME, ROSE AND BENJAMIN K. WERE MARRIED !! It was unclear exactly how many children Benjamin and Rose parented. One story is 12 or 13, but we only knew of the ten who made it to adulthood, and the 11th, who died as a small child, named Katie. Two boys and two girls comprised the first four children born. The fifth child was a boy named Nathan, the middle child in a family of ten. It was clear that this large family required a lot of provisions and fortunately, Grandpa Benjamin flourished in his trade. He won the bid to be the Tailor for the Office of the Army and made all of their dress outfits. The family eventually moved from the lower east side of Manhattan to 662 Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Grandma Rose was a tiny woman and did not work outside the home. She was known for her wonderful cooking skills and ability to manage her brood. Unfortunately, Grandpa Benjamin died at age 54. He suffered from internal bleeding caused by a Gallbladder attack. A malady that in today's world, would not have been fatal. Rose settled into a life without Benjamin, always surrounded by her children. She loved card games such as poker, gin, and pinochle. She was a strong Matriarchal figure for the entire family. There was never any question about taking care of "Mom." Every Friday night, all 7 sons would gather at her home, without their wives. Everyone chipped in money each week for her support. It was certainly a positive for having so many children, but a negative for the daughters-in-law's budgets for their own households. The 10 children would produce 18 grandchildren for this now-Americanized family. We are told that the reason Grandma had so many children, was that she was HARD OF HEARING. Every night when Benjamin and Rose would go to bed, Benjamin would say to Rose, "Do you want to go to sleep or “WHAT?” Rose would answer him, "WHAT?" Therein lay the problem and the result was the wonderful, large family they produced. To be Continued: Chapter 3 - The Matriarchal Side of Carol-Rose Marshall  I sometimes wonder myself, but then I refer to the book I wrote for my family titled. "Everything Changes, Nothing Stays the Same"...and I remember...  Paternal Grandparents We can only trace these beginnings to the year 1884 which is the birth year of Carol-Rose's paternal grandmother, Rose E. She was born in Sborov, Austria and came from modest beginnings. Rose E's, father was Moses, and her Mother was Miriam. Not much is known of their life in Austria. Grandma Rose would tell the story about how she washed the floors for her mother in Austria. She had the innate ability to make this laborious job sheer fun. She devised her own method of tying scrub brushes to her feet and whirled through their abode as though they were skates. While accomplishing what some people would call "toil", she sang songs and pretended their humble home was a ballroom. In her village, she was applauded for having the cleanest floors. In reality she was enjoying herself with this ingenious method and fantasizing about her beautiful grand ballroom. Antisemitism was growing in the confines of Europe. It was always a dream for Moses to come to America,, flourish, and keep his family safe. When Rose was 16 years old, in the year 1900, Moses decided that he would make the journey, to the land of golden opportunity and establish a home. Her Mother, Miriam, stayed behind with the younger children and allowed her daughter, Rose, to accompany her father and pioneer their future. In time, through hard work and sacrifice, Moses was able to send for his wife and children. They resided on the lower east side of Manhattan, New York. Rose reached the age of 18, and her parents decided it was time to get married. Rose became engaged through an arrangement made by her parents. She was not a happy girl when she met her betrothed. Unbeknownst to her, help was on the way. At that time, it was customary for you to rent sleeping space to a new immigrant arriving from Europe, and more than likely from your home town. And so, shortly thereafter, Benjamin K. arrived from Austria and was afforded a bed in Rose's household until he could establish his own. He was what was known as, "The Boarder." Benjamin was considered a respectable boarder, as he came from "the other side" with a trade. He was a tailor and specialized in men's pants. By being a boarder, he was able to save money to bring his 3 brothers to the new land. THE AFFAIR OF ROSE E. AND BENJAMIN K. EAs it seemed, Rose was terribly unhappy with her arranged marriage. One day, she went up to the tenement penthouse, (then known as the roof) to cry. There, she came upon the boarder, Benjamin K., who took the opportunity to profess his secret admiration and love for her.
Benjamin told Rose, "I think you are beautiful. I love your cooking and admire your sewing talents." And, what else could a man ask for???? Rose responded, "I think you are handsome and am pleased that you have a job." And, …what else could a woman ask for???? She agreed to tell her parents that she would be married to Benjamin. It was a "Mitzvah" and the beginning of the Rose and Benjamin K. family. IT WAS A GREAT MATCH!! To be continued... Watch for the next chapter... Episode 2, ...next month. |
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