My father’s first cousin Betty Sykora wrote this story in 1975, with a list of our family, at that time the list consisted of all descendants of Peter & Elizabeth Rosenzweig (my great grandparents). Because I had a copy of this list I had the names of my great-great-grandparents...I have always treasured this list, and today I am so excited that I can add 5 generations - all because I was lucky enough to find "Glogon”. So I just thought I would share her story with you.

Rosenzweig Family Story

In November of 1900, Peter Rosenzweig and Elizabeth Weber were married and lived in Glogon, Austria Hungary. Here they started their lovely marriage of 39 years, and in 1903, Josephine was born on August 15.

In 1905, Peter came to the USA, worked as a General Laborer, he did anything he could find and made arrangements for his family to follow. Elizabeth stayed in Austria-Hungary, pregnant and with one small child. On March 25, 1906, Steven was born.

Later that year, Elizabeth, with her two small children entered the USA, through Ellis Island, New York, and here she joined Peter. From New York they traveled by train to Los Angeles, CA. They lived on Omar Street. Peter was a Gravedigger in a Jewish Cemetery on Whittier Blvd.

On July 23, 1908, Anna was born. They all went by train to Saskatchewan, Canada. Here is where they were Prairie farmers. Also Peter’s brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Josephine Rosenzweig, and their three sons, Joe, Frank and Pete, made the trip together with them. They all lived with the Neverka’s (Josephine’s parents) until they built their own home.

First they built Frank’s house in Horizon, Saskatchewan, Katherine was born on August 15, 1910 in Frank’s new house. Josephine was Elizabeth’s midwife, they took care of each other during childbirth.

Then they built Peter’s house in Viceroy, Saskatchewan, a town with two or three stores and a post office. This was barren land, no trees, or mountains. They had to plant their crops, cut them and gather them by pitchfork and wagons. They had beautiful gardens and did a lot of canning. Elizabeth always told stories of their hard times and struggles. They survived on what they grew and traded. She hated the Prairie and cried when telling her stories. Still in all, she said there was always love and plenty to eat.

She also told of the storms—hail as big as tennis balls that killed the chickens and broke their windows. Snow so deep that Peter had to tie a rope from the house to the barn so he wouldn’t get lost. She told of the times the bed covers froze to the wall, when the wet clothes she had just hung to dry, froze stiff. When they kept the small animals inside the house so they wouldn’t die.

On May 25, 1912, Nick was born. By now they’d been living here for four hard years. Two years later, in June of 1914, David was born. Nobody remembers too much about him except that he was cute and sweet.

In 1917 David and Katherine had double pneumonia and bronchitis. A traveling doctor cared for David but they didn’t like what he did so they refused to let him take care of Katherine. It’s believed that maybe that’s the reason David died. Elizabeth could not attend her son’s funeral, after she had dressed him and put him in the coffin his dad built for him, because Katherine was too sick and couldn’t be left unattended. Elizabeth talked about him with tears in her eyes. His death must have hurt them terribly.

On April 29, 1918, Liz was born and they had five children to care for. For two more years they lived here and in 1920 they couldn’t take anymore so they all moved to Kelowna, B.C. Peter worked in a brickyard and Elizabeth worked in a cannery. The older kids took care of the smaller ones and helped to run the house. Also Elizabeth worked many hours after the others were in bed, especially if she was pregnant. That’s when she would secretly crochet or sew baby clothes. Babies were always a big secret.

On July 8, 1921, Eva was born. The following year, 1922, they all moved bag and baggage to Los Angeles. They departed from Victoria, B.C. and traveled by boat on the “Dorothy Alexander”, dollar Line Steamship. And on December 3, 1922, through the Port of Wilmington, San Pedro, they came to settle in California.

After arriving in Los Angeles, they lived with Mrs. Kastner on Fourth Street. A year or so later, they built a shack to live in on 73^rd Street and Hooper Ave. Next they built a garage and finally their house in front, which is still standing.

In the meantime, Peter worked for Foster-Kleiser (billboards) a short time, then Webber Showcase. Elizabeth took the streetcar twice daily down town , early in the morning, then again in the late afternoon and did janitorial work in the office after hours. On March 18, 1924 Grace was born. They all continued to live the best they could. Both working hard, and by now the older ones were also working and bringing in what they could.

For years, Peter was suffering from bleeding stomach ulcers. Then around 1938, he found a lump on his leg and had the lump removed. Yes, it was malignant. Some time later he broke his arm and it wouldn’t heal, so they had to amputate it. He suffered a lot and finally died of Cancer on July 20, 1940 in his house on 73^rd St.

In the following years, Elizabeth enjoyed the love and companionship of all her children and grandchildren. She gave us all so many memories to cherish and to pass on to our children. We’ll never forget Christmas and Easter festivities, and all the holidays. We’ll remember her laughing and singing with us--- lining us up to scrub our necks.

On December 9, 1967, Elizabeth died after a week in Southeast Doctors Hospital, Maywood, Ca. She died with all her children and many grandchildren by her side with love.