Tracking Mira's Children: Hirsch/Harry Marienhoff

This is the eighth in a series tracking the children of Mira Halperin Lefand Marienhoff.  You can see everything in this series to this point here.

 Hirsch Marienhoff was born on April 1, 1893 in Nezhin, Ukraine to Mira and Yitzchak Marienhoff.

Birth Record for Hirsch Marienhoff; Nezhin Metrical Records; 1893

He is the last (recorded) child of Yitzchok & Mira.  Hirsch spent his early childhood in Nezhin, but in 1906 he came with his mother, some of his siblings, and his nephew (who was older than Hirsch and also my great grandfather) to America.

Ship Manifest; Herschel Liffond (line 4); 1906

Herschel Liffond (going under his mother's first husband's name) was listed as a 9-year-old child (he was actually 13) heading to his brother L. Liffond (which would have been his half-brother Louis Leiffand).

By 1910, Hirsch was going by Harry (recorded here with the last name Levant), and he was living with his mother Mira, sisters Elizabeth and Emma, and brother David in Pittsburgh.  Boarders living with them were his brother-in-law Hillel Tolchinsky (my great-great grandfather) and his nephew (my great grandfather) Isadore Tolchinsky.

1910 US Census; Harry Levant (Harry Marienhoff) (line 78)

Harry was a 16-year-old (more accurate) English speaker with no profession (he was likely in school since he was not working).

Harry Marienhoff; Declaration of Intention; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 1913

By 1913, Harry Marienhoff was 19 and was a clerk still living in Pittsburgh.  He filled out his Declaration of Intention, the first step towards his becoming a citizen.  Two years later he filled out his Petition for Naturalization, and his profession was "solicitor."

Harry Marienhoff; Petition for Naturalization; 1915

Interestingly, the two witnesses were his half-brother Louis Leiffand and his sister Emma Marienhoff Nemser's brother-in-law John.

John was also Harry's employer.  Harry registered for the draft in 1917:

WWI Draft Regisration; Harry Marienhoff; 1917

Harry was from Yesen (Nezhin), Russia and was a salesman for his brother-in-law's brother John Nemser.  He was married and had a child; he had married Ethel Wedmedoff.  The poor man is immortalized as being as short and stout.  He had brown eyes and black hair.

By 1920, Harry and Ethel still had that one child Irwin (my grandfather remembered him being called "Itzy," likely after Harry's father Yitzchok).

1920 US Census; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Harry Marienhoff (line 53)

Harry is enumerated as a 26-year-old salesman of household goods.

By 1930, Irwin (here listed as Irving) had been joined by siblings Gertrude and Allen.  (I have a note about another daughter Evelyn who was born around 1923 and died on July 25, 1925.  However, I have no source recorded, and there's no such death in the Pennsylvania death certificates--I can't figure out how I had such a specific date of death for her!)  Harry sold suits and clothing for a living.  He says that he was 23 when first married, so he would have been married around 1917.

1930 US Census; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Harry Marienhoff (line 90)

By 1940, the family had moved to Akron, Ohio; in fact, the 1940 census says that they had been in Akron from at least 1935.  It's unclear why they moved, but Harry was working as a salesman for electrical appliances, so it seems like his sales experience was of use.

1940 US Census; Akron, Ohio; Harry Marienhoff (line 16)

Harry had gone to school through the eighth grade, while Ethel had stopped after the seventh.  However, their children had more education.  Irwin had completed a year of college and was a watchman with the Western Pennsylvania Railroad.  18-year-old Gertrude had completed high school and was employed by an office doing clerical work.  Allan was still in school.

World War II Draft Registration; Harry Marienhoff; Akron, Ohio; 1942

In 1942, Harry registered for the draft.  He was self-employed as a salesman and listed his wife Ethel as his point of contact.  This time (unlike in his WWI draft registration), his place of birth is correct.

Harry, like many of his siblings, died of heart disease.  He was 53 years old, still living in Akron when he died in 1946.  Both of his parents' names are listed as not being known even though the certificate was filled out by Harry's son Irwin.

Death Certificate; Harry Marienhoff; Akron Ohio; 1946

On his grave, though, they did know that his father's name was Yitzchok.

Harry & Ethel Marienhoff Grave; Sand Hill Cemetery; Akron, Ohio

I've had difficulty tracking down living descendents of Harry and Ethel.  Gertrude was killed in a car accident in 1956:

Cleveland Plain Dealer; December 24, 1952

Irwin died in 1987.  His grave says "Beloved Son" but does not mention his being a father, so likely he had no children.

Irwin Marienhoff Grave; Farband and Workmen's Circle Cemeteries; Akron

Allen married Alma Mae Connor.  He died in 1983.  Alma died in 2006; her obituary in the Akron Beacon Journal says she was "survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Catherine Anne and Michael S. Rell of Missouri."  I've tried contacting the person I think may be Catherine Anne, but I haven't received a response.  Maybe she'll eventually google herself and contact me?  Perhaps she'll have pictures of Harry (my great-great grandmother's half brother) or even better, pictures of their mother Mira??