Will You Help Me Find Paula (married surname GINSBERG) and Tell Me How We're Related?
I came across the following letter (no envelope or return address)indicating that the writer was a cousin of my grandmother (or perhaps my grandfather).
Paula GINSBERG addressed it to my grandmother, the former Ida KRAMER,who became Mrs. Samuel Harry COHEN. Ida and Sam lived in Des Moines,Iowa U.SA. where Ida was born in 1901. (Sam, whose birth surname was WARSZAWICZ) was born in Russia/Poland in 1887.)
I would like to be able to establish Paula's exact relation to my family- I know of no GINSBERG relatives and don't know Paula's maiden name. However, I do have a family photo taken in Des Moines in 1928 that includes "Paula" (no surname). I am able to fully identify and establish the relationships of everyone else in the photo and have (virtually) cropped it just to show Paula, so that I could do a Google reverse image search but couldn't find any other photos of women who even resemble Paula.)
Paula's letter to my grandmother is dated "Tel Aviv, Nov. 19. 46" and reads
"My dear cousin Ida, I have received two weeks ago your letter of Sept. 5. 46. You can imagine that I was deeply affected about the death of your dear mother. Though I never saw her, in her letters were reflected her character, her purity and her goodness!
"I don't forget the letter she wrote me 3 years ago in my distress, when we lost our son of her love and interest for my mother. I beg to write me, what was the cause of her death. Was she ill? Did she suffer much?
"I send to you all my heartfelt regret. It is a hard fate, to lose a loving mother.
"So goes one after the other of our dears!"
"The $20 I have not received up to now, but I will not delay sending this letter.
"Thank you for your offer to send some clothes for mother. If it is possible: some Macco chamieses, some stocking (Macco) but a large number, warm dressing gown, a raincoat, a cardigan, perhaps a suit or overcoat for my sister's children (not black).
"Here during the war and even now after it, all materials and clothes are still very dear. I hope you will excuse these requests, but I should be sorry if you took all the trouble of sending things not suitable to the persons or climate.
"Thanking you in advance and with my best regards to all of you.
"I am affectionately yours, Paula Ginsberg
"Best Greetings from my husband and daughter."
In sum, from the letter we know that Paula was either figuratively or literally a cousin of my grandmother (or my great-grandmother), that in November of 1946 Paula was living in Tel Aviv, that she was married and the mother of a daughter, that she had lost a son about 1943 and that Paula's mother was living at that time.
I've searched census records and immigration documents but can't come up with a fit. (From the 1928 photo, Paula appeared to have been born around 1900 or shortly thereafter.)
Any help in solving this mystery would be most appreciated.
Answers
-
Hi there @Sue Harris_1
You have quite a challenge on your hands.
Apart from joining a research group here in communities to help you in your search.
One suggestion that you could do, is to contact the person by message that has added a person by the name of Paula Ginsberg to an ancestral line in FamilySearch FamilyTree: Its a long shot but if you check out this record on FamilySearch FamilyTree: Paula Ginsburg 8 October 1907 – Deceased ID: G3V2-8R2 She does seem to fit the date for around 1900 or Shortly after.
You will note that the person who added in information in the latest changes which shows in the right hand column is named HowardGinsburg as we explained it is a long shot, but worth a try.
Good luck in your search
All the best
Miriam Rimmer
0 -
Thanks so much!
0