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Family Tree of Yellen, Morris

{geni:about_me} Hebrew name: Yisrael Moshe Yartzheit: 19 Kislev FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46333078/morris-levin Bio by Esti: Morris Levin, was born Moshe Yisrael Yellen on January 15, 1889 to Shia and Elke (Mydenbaum) Yellen in Rujan, Poland. Shia and Elke had 7 children: four sons; Yelke, Jacob (Yankel), Benjamin, and Morris; and three daughters; Rayza, Ruchel, and Freema. Morris was the youngest. The circumstances and exact time of Shia’s passing are unknown, but it must have been sometime between 1889 and 1905, because at the point Morris left Poland for America, his oldest brother Yelke had taken over as the head of the family. Around the time Morris was sixteen, he decided to make the trip to America. He had been hiding from the draft into the Polish Army and needed an escape route other than bribery—which the family most likely could not afford—or serious personal injury. When he suggested the idea to emigrate to his family, his mother and brother were outraged. Stories were going around that most of the Jewish people who had immigrated to America had assimilated completely and lost touch with their heritage. Morris didn’t listen to them and looked for a way to the United States. He went to Germany for a while before getting on a cattle boat, and eventually boarded a regular passenger ship headed for New York. In customs, the official was unable to spell “Yellen” and changed the family name to Levin. "Moshe" became the more americanized "Morris". He made his way to Detroit where there were other immigrants from his village of Rujan. During the next five or six years, Morris worked in a bakery and did well for himself. He returned to Poland in 1912 to visit his family and convince his brothers that they would be better off in America. His brother Benjamin was impressed by Morris’ wealth (by Polish standards), and came back with him to America. In 1913, when he had saved up enough money, Benjamin sent for his family. The two brothers lived under the same roof on Montcalm Street in Detroit for ten years. From a military draft registration card for World War I, filled out in 1917 by Morris Levin, we know that he was working for the National Baking Company on St. Antoine Street in Detroit. He was a man of average height, with red hair and blue eyes. He had not yet become a citizen. Eventually, Morris and Benjamin opened their own bakery on Hastings Street, the Levin Brothers Bakery. This shop became an important family business, with a bunch of close relatives working together. The baking proffesion had been handed down from Shia Yellen, who was also a baker in Poland. In 1921, Morris and Benjamin’s nephew, Meyer, Jacob’s son, came to America from Poland, also to escape the draft. He too, joined the bakery industry as an apprentice to his uncles. Morris married Esther Barck November 11, 1923, and Jacob Levin came to America around the same time. A month earlier, Benjamin had been killed in a car-train accident. Morris and Esther helped support Benjamin’s widow and orphans. Over the years, Morris and Esther had 3 children: Alice, my grandmother, born November 13, 1924; Betty, born August 16, 1927; and Saul, born April 20, 1930. By 1930, Morris had officially become an American citizen. He and his wife rented a home in a neighborhood that was mostly populated by Eastern European immigrants. Morris started a construction company with his nephew Meyer Levin. One by one, the children were married off. Alice married Myer Mandelbaum, my grandfather, on August 17, 1952. Betty married David Lefko on December 20, 1953. They lived in Detroit and had two sons, Mark and Gary. Eventually the family moved to California. Betty died January 25, 2004. Saul married Natalie Ackerman on August 28, 1960. They also lived in Detroit and had one daughter, Zoe. Saul died July 9 1996. Alice died May 2, 2007. Morris lived out the rest of his life, uneventfully as far as I know, surrounded by his family and taking pride from his grandchildren. He died December 2 1966 in Detroit at the age of 77.
15 JAN 1889
2 DEC 1966
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This information is based on family tree no. as recorded at the Douglas E.Goldman Jewish Genealogy Center at ANU Museum of the Jewish People.
Family Tree
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Family Tree of Yellen, Morris
15th of January, 1889
died
on
2nd of December, 1966
Father of
15th of January, 1889
{geni:about_me} Hebrew name: Yisrael Moshe Yartzheit: 19 Kislev FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46333078/morris-levin Bio by Esti: Morris Levin, was born Moshe Yisrael Yellen on January 15, 1889 to Shia and Elke (Mydenbaum) Yellen in Rujan, Poland. Shia and Elke had 7 children: four sons; Yelke, Jacob (Yankel), Benjamin, and Morris; and three daughters; Rayza, Ruchel, and Freema. Morris was the youngest. The circumstances and exact time of Shia’s passing are unknown, but it must have been sometime between 1889 and 1905, because at the point Morris left Poland for America, his oldest brother Yelke had taken over as the head of the family. Around the time Morris was sixteen, he decided to make the trip to America. He had been hiding from the draft into the Polish Army and needed an escape route other than bribery—which the family most likely could not afford—or serious personal injury. When he suggested the idea to emigrate to his family, his mother and brother were outraged. Stories were going around that most of the Jewish people who had immigrated to America had assimilated completely and lost touch with their heritage. Morris didn’t listen to them and looked for a way to the United States. He went to Germany for a while before getting on a cattle boat, and eventually boarded a regular passenger ship headed for New York. In customs, the official was unable to spell “Yellen” and changed the family name to Levin. "Moshe" became the more americanized "Morris". He made his way to Detroit where there were other immigrants from his village of Rujan. During the next five or six years, Morris worked in a bakery and did well for himself. He returned to Poland in 1912 to visit his family and convince his brothers that they would be better off in America. His brother Benjamin was impressed by Morris’ wealth (by Polish standards), and came back with him to America. In 1913, when he had saved up enough money, Benjamin sent for his family. The two brothers lived under the same roof on Montcalm Street in Detroit for ten years. From a military draft registration card for World War I, filled out in 1917 by Morris Levin, we know that he was working for the National Baking Company on St. Antoine Street in Detroit. He was a man of average height, with red hair and blue eyes. He had not yet become a citizen. Eventually, Morris and Benjamin opened their own bakery on Hastings Street, the Levin Brothers Bakery. This shop became an important family business, with a bunch of close relatives working together. The baking proffesion had been handed down from Shia Yellen, who was also a baker in Poland. In 1921, Morris and Benjamin’s nephew, Meyer, Jacob’s son, came to America from Poland, also to escape the draft. He too, joined the bakery industry as an apprentice to his uncles. Morris married Esther Barck November 11, 1923, and Jacob Levin came to America around the same time. A month earlier, Benjamin had been killed in a car-train accident. Morris and Esther helped support Benjamin’s widow and orphans. Over the years, Morris and Esther had 3 children: Alice, my grandmother, born November 13, 1924; Betty, born August 16, 1927; and Saul, born April 20, 1930. By 1930, Morris had officially become an American citizen. He and his wife rented a home in a neighborhood that was mostly populated by Eastern European immigrants. Morris started a construction company with his nephew Meyer Levin. One by one, the children were married off. Alice married Myer Mandelbaum, my grandfather, on August 17, 1952. Betty married David Lefko on December 20, 1953. They lived in Detroit and had two sons, Mark and Gary. Eventually the family moved to California. Betty died January 25, 2004. Saul married Natalie Ackerman on August 28, 1960. They also lived in Detroit and had one daughter, Zoe. Saul died July 9 1996. Alice died May 2, 2007. Morris lived out the rest of his life, uneventfully as far as I know, surrounded by his family and taking pride from his grandchildren. He died December 2 1966 in Detroit at the age of 77.
15 JAN 1889
2 DEC 1966