Making Whoopie

The Watch

Marcie and I were married September 12, 1948 and we went to live with her parents. I could not find a job so we decided to use my last year of eligibility under the G.I. Bill and get a Masters’ at Johns Hopkins University. All school expenses were paid and we were given $105.00 monthly for living expenses. That is what we had. We were poor! We helped in Sam Hoffman’s business, Marcie helped in the house, I looked for a job and went to school. We discussed the matter continuously and as the year wore on, Kenmar Food Market was conceived. We borrowed $5,000.00 from my parents and bought the store in early August, 1949. Risa, Marcie and I moved in upstairs from the store on September 12, 1949, on our first wedding anniversary. Our bureau consisted or empty orange crates and we slept on a spring and mattress on the floor. We had no refrigerator; our food was kept in the walk-in box in the store.

We did well. I had experience as a meat cutter pre-war and my Bachelors’ degree was in Business. We were able to pay our parents within the year. Marcie did not drive so she would place Risa in baby carriage and walk in the neighborhood when she got the opportunity. One year soon after, she decided to buy an anniversary gift for me. She walked down to Richmond Brothers, a jewelry store where she had previously worked and bought Seiko wristwatch which probably cost the grand sum of at least $30.00. I don’t know where she got the money; probably the cash register. We had a very loose security system. I treasured that watch through the years and only wore it on special occasions.

Flash forward to September, 2015. I made an emergency medical trip to Baltimore and stayed with Dorathy and Arnold. The watch promptly died and I borrowed one of Arnold’s. He promised to replace the battery, but was told that the watch needed a complete overhaul. So, when I returned to Florida, I left the watch with him.

Several weeks ago I received a small package in the mail. Inside in a soft purple sack was the watch, alive and ticking. Arnold had it refurbished; it was alive and well. I decided to save it for special occasions. And then I thought, “ I am 91 years old. Every day is a special occasion.” I wear it every day and it is the only one I wear.

Substance and Procedure

There are two parts to religion; substance and procedure. Substance includes, but it not limited to how we treat our fellow persons, how we do business, etc. You [Lauren] and my other grandchildren and children and great-grandchildren have learned much substance from those who came before them. Procedure is the actions we take to bring substance to our thoughts. As I grow older, I find that procedure is so much less important than substance.

Groundhog Day

Today is Marcie’s birthday. She was born February 2, 1927. She would be 89 years old.
We were married on September 12, 1948. We were married 64 years, 5 months and 19 days.
This year Marcie’s Yahrtzeit falls on March 3^rd, according to the Hebrew lunar calendar.
On the evening of March 2^nd, I will light a Yahrtzeit candle and chant El Moleh Rachamim and Kaddish.

Family Matters

The accompanying photos were taken on the Hebrew Orthodox Memorial Society Cemetery, 5820 German Hill Road, Baltimore Maryland 21222 (by Larry, who else?) and are the monuments of family members.

Dora, Chana Leibe and Manye (nee Rissin) were sisters. Manye married Simon Malkin who migrated from the Ukraine in the early 20^th century. He established a hardware store at Pratt and Central Avenue in Baltimore and sponsored Dora and her children. Dora’s husband, Konstantine Golberg     (for whom I am named) owned and operated a bakery in the Ukraine. Early one morning while making deliveries, (remember Tevye, in Fiddler?) a mishap occurred. Konstantine contracted pneumonia and died at an early age. With Manye’s assistance, Dora and her four children came to Baltimore in 1914 and established residence on the third floor of the hardware store. William, age 16 worked in the hardware store and supported the family. Dora begat Sophie, William, Goldie and David.

Manye and Simon begat Phyllis, who married Eli (Ginny) Paul and Sarah married Harry Spritz, a dentist.

Chana Leibe begat two daughters, Sonia and Lizzie.

Sonia married Nathan Janoff and begat Harry, Jesse, Louie, Gloria and Betty. Harry was an Optometrist and married ( I don’t remember who) and moved to Danville, Illinois. Jessee married Ruth Owings, who died young  ( they are both buried on the Beth Jacob Cemetery in Finksburg) and worked in his Father-in-law’s business. Louie was a night club entertainer and constantly moved around. Gloria married Robert Snyder who owned Snyder’s Cleaners on Liberty Road. Betty married Nolan Chipman, a lawyer.

Lizzie married Philip Peril who owned a hardware store in the 4800 block of Park Heights Avenue. She begat Selma, a Registered Nurse and Annabelle, a legal secretary. Selma married Leon Hillman ( who died young) and begat Alan and Barry. Annabelle married Henry Caplan and was childless.
William’s descendants will note that that William’s brother, David died at age 92, Dora, Sophie and Goldie lived into their middle and late 80;s, William died at age 80 and Esther, William’s wife died at 90 years of age, indicating a long-life gene.

Engagements

When I was notified that Natalie and Alex became engaged, I was reminded how Marcie and I became engaged. Marcie was living at home with her parents. Late one Sunday morning I came to her house and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was awake but still in bed. I sat on the side of the bed and said, “Marce, I think that we should get married. What do you think?” She replied, “Okay” and that was that! She was 21 and I was 23. What did we know?!

Appointments

Yesterday I went to the auto dealership to get some maintenance work done. (Of course I had a coupon; two, in fact). When the service writer asked if I had an appointment, I replied, “Son, I’m 90 years old. I don’t make appointments anymore.”