Sarah Michalowitz, my great grandmother

Isaac Levin married Sarah Michalowitz in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 14, 1884.  They appear to have initially settled in Minneapolis, where their first son was born the following year, but moved quite a bit between Minneapolis, St. Paul and Princeton, until Sarah returned to Minneapolis in 1902. 

Sarah was the daughter of Boruch (Benjamen) Michalowitz and Dora (Michalowitz?).  She had one sister, Ida Gittel, who married Jacob Aronsohn.  Jacob later became a well known Rabbi in St. Paul.  I’ll discuss the Michalowitz family more in later posts. 

There is some interesting indirect evidence that suggest that Sarah was born in Mariampole, Lithuania.  In 2000, Gladys Spratt, a descendent of Sarah’s sister Ida Gittel, published a history of the Aronsohn family, “Set in Amber”.  This history states that Jacob and Ida were born in Mariampol, from where they emigrated in 1886, settling in St. Paul.  It would not be unreasonable to assume that Sarah was born in the same place as her sister!

The 1905 Minnesota state census shows Sarah living with her children on Emerson St. in Minneapolis.  However, the notes show that three, Nathan, Moses and Leo, were at an orphanage in Ohio.  This was no doubt the Cleveland Jewish Orphan Asylum, now known as Bellfaire, in Cleveland, although I’ve never contacted them to see if they have any records.  This record shows that David, the oldest son, was in the Navy, and that the oldest daughters, Eva and Etta, were working as clerks, and no doubt supporting the family.  It must have been a very difficult life as a widow with so many children, especially having to temporarily give up three of them!

The 1920 census shows Sarah living in Ashley, SD with her son Moses (listed as Morris in the census).  They lived a few doors away from her daughter Etta, who had married Louis Strauss.  The 1930 Census shows her living in Kansas City, in the home of another daughter, Fanny.  She died a year later and was buried in Sheffield Cemetary, Kansas City Missouri.

Evelyn Dale, a granddaughter, remembered Sarah when I spoke to her in 1988.  She recalled that she was very Orthodox, kept a kosher home, and was diabetic.  Evidently, she also did not get along with her sister by this time.  “Family differences.” “Something was wrong there.”  Evelyn did not ask for details. 

A few more notes on Isaac Levin

The first evidence of his new life in the US is his marriage license and an entry in the Minneapolis city directory for a Isaac Levin, peddler, in 1885/6.  Over the next 19 years, until his death in 1904, he lived in a variety of places in Minneapolis, St. Paul (1886-8, according to city directories) and Princeton, MN, where he lived with his family and father in 1900, as recorded in the 1900 census.  Although I have not found any death record for him (having searched in a number of Minnesota counties from Mille Lacs to Ramsey and Hennepin), I found his grave in the Minneapolis Jewish Cemetary outside Minneapolis.  The 1885 Minnesota State Census shows him living in Minneapolis with his wife, son David and father in law.  The 1895 census shows him living in Princeton, MN with his family and father. 

Interestingly, the Minneapolis city directories for 1902-04 list a Mrs. Sarah Levin living there, at the same address as an Eva Levin.  In 1905, the listing changes to Sarah Levin (widow).  No doubt these are Isaac’s wife and daughter.  There are no records regarding where Isaac was in this time. 

Court records show that Isaac and Sarah Michalowitz, his wife, were married on April 14, 1884 in Minneapolis.  They had their first child (of eight) the following year.