"The times here are terrible" is one of the phrases that Alexander Braunhart writes in this long letter to his daughter Anna in Brooklyn. Primarily because of war between the Poles and the Germans in and around Schubin, the Braunhart "homeland."

His most chilling sentence is "But one gets used to everything and one owes only the death."

His family is strewn everywhere. Jakob is nowhere to be found - daughters Martha and Anna are in Brooklyn. His sister Sara is in Oakland, California. Son Theo is in Bromberg, Moritz in Leipzig, and the rest are either still in Schubin or in Berlin.

The war and the cost of goods is wearing on he and his immediate family at home in Schubin. Looting and internment camps are part of the distress reported by Alexander. Yet wife Helene is ever positive as is daughter Frieda in this letter to their beloved Anna.

With many thanks to our translator Matthias Steinke, here is the English translation:

Szubin, street of the 3rd May Nr. 31, 3rd September 1919

Beloved daughter Anna, good son-in-law and sweet grandchildren!

First of all deepest congratulation for your little daughter, and for the coming new year. We got a message from Martha about 14 days ago and we also waited since year and day for yours. All, who have relatives over there are getting letters only we don´t, except the one from Martha, which we directly answered in detail. Hopefully is our answer, which was addressed to you all already in your hands.

We were glad to see, that you are doing well; but it was nothing mentioned about Jakob, Aunt and the bank. I will also write today to San Francisco and Oakland.

How we were doing and will do in future is impossible to describe in a letter. Schubin and the whole county is now Polish and it will probably be. In front and in the city were huge battles with many losses of people. In the beginning the Polish and German soldiers were looting, and Karl had over 15.000 Mark stolen from him. We had been spared of paying contributions and bails.

One day they wanted to intern us, but did not start. All German and Jewish men, who haven't fled were interned or had to pay high bails.

Now they are quite all at home.

Karl is not among those at home, because he had already fled to Berlin before the internments began. And Hedwig moves with both children in the middle of the month to Berlin to Karl. After the children we will longing for, because they were always around us.

We live in a house. Our boys have been soldiers during the war and came back safe and healthy.

Only Theo got an attack of malaria. Coming from the Ukraine he came to Bromberg (Bydgocz). He couldn't come to Schubin and fled to Berlin, where he had a profitable job.

His stuff will Hedwig bring when she moves.

Philipp is doing well, so as Moritz in Leipzig.

Julius and wife and child visit us often. Julius became in the internment camp very serious ill.

We were treated by the military authorities very good. With the people are many problems. In Schubin, which became Polish, the people are being treated fairly, unlike the people in Germany. Nine Jewish families are already away and others will follow. We also don't stay here.

The livelihood is very expensive, but its here better than in Germany, here you can get something for the money at least. A pound meat costs 4 Mark, 1 ... eggs 4-5 Mark, 1 bread 1,70 Mark; 10 butter 5 Mark and more; 1 box old matches 30 Pfennig; 1 cigar 3,50 Mark, coffee 30 Mark, rice 3,30 Mark; 1 package chicory 3 Mark and so on. 

We hadn't any distress so far and we still have some money.

As far as there is something in the stock, we will hold out. We don't expect anything from you, because you also
have hard times. If the bank would pay, it would help us, because the Dollar costs here 14 Mark.

Write your opinions and make inquiries. Write me also the address of Jakob and Aunt. Cylli had against our sake in Graudenz (Grudziądz) a war-wedding with a man who is still in British war-captivity. His name is Horst Eilenberg and he is a finely educated man. Cylli is since 8 days in Berlin and awaits her "Saxon". She was and is very hysterical. 

Selma is and was during the war here and helped Mum. But will probably soon go to Berlin, because here it has no purpose. 

Frieda, who is tall and strong writes for 60 Marks per month. At the moment for shoes which cost 130 Mark the pair. A strikingly beautiful girl.

Mum and I are getting tottery. The times here were terrible.

We spent the nights in the cellar as protection against the grenades. But now its calm and orderly and give God that now everything will be settled soon. Bromberg is still German and every traffic to there closed. We have here always soldiers, that is to say now Polish. We are afraid for the next winter due to a deficit of heating-material. A fathom timber costs 100 Mark and peat, timber and coal are not available. The electric light is limited.

But one gets used to everything and one owes only the death.

As soon as the boys find an apartment for us we will move. At the moment there aren't any apartments available and we pay here 300 Mark yearly. Martha's advised parcel didn't arrive so far, and as soon we will get a message from you we will tell it to you.

What's the name of the little daughter? Has Harry a job? Do you still have the business? Do you live with the Sternbachs and Markheims in harmony?

Greet all, and also you are hearty greeted from your you loving parents.

[from Helene] 

Dear children!

We got Martha's letter and are very concerned being without message from you, my beloved and we expect with huge longing a letter from you. Hopefully you are healthy, so as also the little one to whom we hearty congratulate.

We are doing well, we want to move away. No hope? and inflation is raising.

Martha should wait sending the parcel, it doesn't arrive up to today.

For today farewell and be hearty greeted and kissed by your you heartfelt loving mother Helene

Please greet also Martha, Benny and the lovely children as well as all relatives

[from Frieda]

The heartiest greetings and kisses is sending you your sister and sister-in-law Frieda.

The earliest photos of Braunhart babies and children are from 1900 on. Just for fun, here is a selection of some of them:

In the early 20th century, several of the Braunharts of Schubin immigrated to America. Some were married in Germany and some in the United States. There were many more weddings in the mid-20th century as their sons and daughters tied the knot.

Since this is the time of the year when many weddings occur, we celebrate their nuptials with the photos of these happy events, focusing on those from 1900 through the 1920s. There are more, however many wedding photos have not turned up as yet.

As the title suggests, one is quite the eery photograph - but it is a capture of the wedding party certainly, even if many weren't looking, or were pretending to be asleep.

So raise your glass and Mazel Tov!

This is one of my favorite photos of my Braunhart ancestors. Jakob and Martha Braunhart were the first of the children of Alexander and Helene Braunhart to immigrate to America (in 1904). I am sure that they sat for this photo and sent a copy to all of their relatives who remained in Schubin, in order to show that they were hale and hearty and doing well in their new country.

Jakob's first 20 years in America were filled with adventure and a variety of interesting experiences. He traveled to San Francisco shortly after his arrival in New York City, after his sister Martha was settled with their cousin Cecelia Markheim and her family in Brooklyn. He spent much time with his uncle Samuel Braunhart the politician, and was with him when Samuel died a month after his heart problems were accentuated by the 1906 earthquake.

Jakob was a tailor by trade; he spent time in Alaska and married Pearl Rawson, a woman from Oregon, in 1913 in San Francisco. He shows up in August 1918 with an FBI file. He had joined the U.S. Army and because he had contacted the German consul in order to not get in trouble with the country of Germany, and because he had announced that he had two brothers in the German Army (that would have to have been Theo and Moritz), the FBI opened a file on him.  Interestingly, in the FBI report it states that his wife had left him earlier in 1918.

This all a precursor to the contents of the following letter - which was written by father Alexander, sister Frieda, and the most heart wrenching part - from his mother Helene.  The letter is dated 3 September, 1919.

We tend to assign hero and bravery status to those who left their home country and their family to immigrate. What we do not often do is examine the emotional impact of such splits on the parents that are left behind. In mother Helene Braunhart's case, she saw almost half of her children immigrate and she never saw them again.

Because the letter mentions his wife Pearl, it is obvious that Jakob and his parents had not corresponded for over a year - since the letter refers to Jakob's beloved wife Pearl - so it is clear that the parents knew nothing of the split between the two. Also there is a reference to funds in the bank, of which I do not know what the letter refers to.

The letter in its original German form is presented here, followed by the English translation.

Thanks to our good friend Matthias Steinke, we now have an English translation of this letter:

Schubin, 3rd September 1919

[from father Alexander]

Dear good son Jakob!

Since a year and a day (means since a long time) we are without any news from you. All are writing only our children don´t. From Martha came a short letter a couple of days ago. Hope you and Pearl are healthy. Our boys were soldiers during the war and came back soon. Only Theo and ?? are still suffering at languor? sometimes.

Theo, Philipp, and Karl, who escaped from here in January, are all in Berlin. All further you can read in aunt’s letter and in the letters that we sent to Martha and Anna.

So, dear Jakob how is it with the bank? Will it give anything at all? The Dollar costs 14 M. (Reichsmark). Write about it free and detailed.

As far as we get news from you with detailed information about your current address you will get a long detailed letter. So (send) immediately a message to your dearly loving parents.

[from sister Frieda]

My dear brother! I will also direct some lines to you. Thanks God, I´m fine, which I also hope from you and your beloved wife.

The dear parents already sent more details so I will close for now.

Hearty greetings and kisses is sending you your Loving sister Frieda.

[from mother Helene]

Dear beloved son!

In vain do we expect a letter from you? You can’t imagine the grief I have to endure for years to be without any informations about my children. From the rich to the poorest, all get wonderful letters from theirs; only our children are heartless, what you will surely regret, if it will be too late.

Write, dear son how you are and whether you and your beloved wife are healthy. We don’t want to have something from you, only one thing I ask you, please ask, whether it may be possible that the bank pays us, because we want to move to Berlin. From there I will write more detailed.

We´re doing well. We have been through a lot and don’t know what yet to come for us. If the bank doesn’t pay, we don’t know what to do. I lay it to your heart dear son, to strive and to give us immediately message.

I would like to see you all again one day.

Many hearty greetings and kisses to you and your dear wife, your deep loving mother Helene

In the course of discovering one's ancestry - it certainly is a journey and many times a trek (a journey with obstacles). If we consider Lewin Jacob Braunhart and his wife Wilhelmine Zadek as the first generation of Braunharts; and Bernhard, Samuel, Sara, and Alexander as the 2nd, then the 3rd generation would be the seventeen surviving children of Bernhard, Sara, and Alexander. These I have previously written about as quite an admirable group of ancestors in The Memorable Seventeen.  The 3rd generation was exemplified by immigration and escape.  Half of the 17 immigrated to America, and half escaped from Schubin to Berlin, and many of those escaped Germany from the Nazis, although two were unsuccessful.

So what about the next generation - the fourth? There were a total of 35 children born to the 17 grandchildren of Lewin and Wilhelmine.  Who were they and what makes them special? These 35 were exemplified by the majority being born in America as a result of their parents immigrating. However, holdovers from the 3rd generation still occurred, as a few of these 35 had to also escape Nazi Germany. 

The birth years range from 1892 to 1936 - quite a span. Here is a list, followed by names and photos. Truly an impressive bunch:

• 5 died in childhood (4 via illness, 1 by drowning)
• 2 spent several years in the Shanghai Ghetto
• 1 was murdered at Auschwitz
• 1 escaped to Palestine
• 1 was a vaudeville pianist
  
• 1 was a statistician
• 1 served in both World War 1 and World War 2
• 7 were housewives
  
• 1 broke the record for typewriting speed and broke one of the first electric typewriters
• 1 designed clothing and was an award winning smoothie dancer
• 1 built clocks, watches, and custom furniture
• 3 were attorneys
• 1 was a jazz musician
• 1 was a singer
• 1 was a shoe designer
• 1 was a captain at a world famous hotel
• 2 were successful amateur boxers
• 1 owned a bicycle shop
• 1 was a legal secretary - her sister a secretary
• 1 was a school teacher
• 3 served in the US Army
• 2 were stenographers
• 1 owned a luncheonette for 40 years
• 1 was a track star in high school and college
• As of the date of this publication, 3 are living

And here they are:

Helene and Alexander Braunhart's daughter Anna immigrated to America in 1909.  She married her husband Harry Tulman on November 7, 1915.  Below is a letter from Helene to her daughter  congratulating her on her wedding. Unfortunately within the letter is a reference to the death of an "Aunt Baumgart" who had died a month earlier.  We do not know who she is, possibly Helene's sister, or possibly Helene's aunt.  Maybe some day we will know.

Also, there is a line of congratulations from Anna's youngest sister Frieda, as well as a few lines from Anna's brother Carl's wife Hedwig.

There is a reference to the Markheim family in the letter.  Anna;s cousin was Cecelia Bernstein Markheim. When Anna arrived in New York City in 1909, she lived in the Markheims home and served as their maid. Anna often complained during those 6 years that she was mistreated by the Markheim family.

The letters are presented in 4 pages. First are the original German letters, dated November 27, 1915 from Schubin, Germany; followed by the translation to English.

Thanks to my German friend Matthias Steinke for this translation:


There are messages from three of the Braunhart women.


From Mother Helene Braunhart

Schubin 27 November 1915

Dear children!

From the last postcard, we saw that your wedding has already occurred to which we heartily congratulate you.
We wish that you will live happy and contented, which is the main thing before all earthen (material) goods, because where peace is, there is happiness.

We hope, dear son, to welcome and embrace you once as our son. That you got an economical and thrifty wife, you will convince yourself, because Anna was always a good example for her siblings. It was your own will dear Anna to go to America, hopefully you have a good husband, after your descriptions, about whom we will be proud of.

You did well, to reconcile with the Markheims; as the dear Cecelia I know, she has a good and honest character. 

Write to us in detail what kind of business you started. We would be delighted if your dear Harry also would write.

Unfortunately, I have to announce that Aunt Baumgart died the 26th October in the hospital in Posen after a 16 week illness. 

We are well and hope the same of you.

Farewell for today, and be dearly greeted by your loving mother Helene. Please send a warm greeting to the Markheims.

 
From sister Frieda

Hearty Congratulations to your wedding is sending your sister Frieda.


From sister-in-law Hedwig Braunhart - wife of Carl

My very dear,

Also I do not want to miss, to congratulate heartily, I wish, that you will become happy and we want to hear only good things. Carl would have written personally, but he is always very busy so I do it in his name. Also our little one congratulates as well. He is a cute guy. 

By sending again my best wishes,

I remain your sister-in-law Hedwig

Carl and Heinz greet you many times.

On this Father's Day we remember our deceased Braunhart fathers. Some of us knew you and all of us wish we had met you. 

Alexander Braunhart - Father of Moritz, Jakob, Anna, Martha, Theodor, Carl, Selma, Cecelia, Julius, Philipp, Frieda, Caesar, and one unknown 

Harry Tulman (Husband of Anna Braunhart) - Father of Mildred, Muriel, Stanley, and Helene 

Bernard Sternbach (Husband of Martha Braunhart) - Father of Leo, Harold, and Regina

Carl Braunhart - Father of Hanna and Heinz

Jacob Braunhart - Father of Erna, Margaret, and Herbert

Philipp Braunhart - Father of Horst, Gisela, and Bernhard 

Salo Brunn - (Husband of Frieda Braunhart) - Father of Henry and Miriam 

Max Markheim (Husband of Cecelia Bernstein) - Father of Arthur, Robert, Minnie, Pauline, Leo, and Edith

Isidor Heyman (Husband of Ernestine Bernstein) - Father of Celia, Martha, Arthur, Robert, Leo, and Mynette 

Julius Braunhart - Father of Lilly and Lothar 

Unfortunately we do not have photos of the following Braunhart fathers: 

Bernhard Braunhart – Father of Harry

Aaron Bernstein (Husband of Sara Braunhart ) - Father of Amalie, Ernestine, Cecelia, Hattie, Max and 2 others unknown

William Fried (Husband of Hattie) - Father of Leo

William Brock (Husband of Amalie) - Father of Teresa, Regina, and Eric 

Anna Braunhart was the second girl (and the third child of Alexander and Helene Braunhart) to immigrate to America. At age 19, by herself, she made the voyage from Germany to America.  As her sister Martha did earlier, she worked in the home of Max Markheim and Cecelia Braunhart Markheim, Anna's cousin.  She met her future husband, house painter Harry Airman Tulman, in a paint store owned by her sister Martha and her husband Bernard Sternbach as he shopped for supplies.  They were married in 1915 and stayed together for 43 years until Harry's passing in 1958.

Together, Anna and Harry opened a hardware store.  While Harry continued painting houses for a living, Anna ran the business while raising 4 children.  Anna taught herself English by reading newspapers.  She learned the real estate business and went on to buy and manage several apartment buildings while also making money in the stock market. Overall, Anna was very accomplished for a self-taught immigrant.

The following quotes from her children and grandchildren describe this remarkable woman:

• A contributor to a Jewish organization, she traveled frequently to Washington, DC in her efforts to bring German relatives to the US.
• Anna taught herself English by reading the New York Times, Post, and Daily News. She continued reading them daily until July 1, 1986, when she was hospitalized. One month later, on August 1, she passed away at age 96-1/2 in her home of more than 60 years at 8411 21st Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, an apartment building she once owned.
• She made sugar cookies from scratch. While she often overcooked or burned them, her appreciative family and friends still found them to be delicious. Instead of a cookie cutter, she used the lid of a mayonnaise or instant coffee jar.
• She always served fruit, insisting that every visitor eat one, even if it was close to overripe.
• Anna owned several apartment buildings, including one with 37 units and another with six. Three of Anna's children lived with their own families in the apartments for years.  She also provided German family members who immigrated to America with units from the time they arrived until they found jobs and established their new lives. Anna and Harry also purchased a family summer home near Monroe, NY in the 1940s, which provided many years of enjoyable country life for their children, grandchildren, and extended family.

A few years before she passed away, Anna summed up her philosophy of how to live an honest life when she said in a taped interview:

"I believe that you have to live a good life and enjoy as much as you can and be honest and fair and square to everybody. You should honor your father and mother and everybody belonging to you. Don't take anything that's not yours. If you can't do good for somebody, don't ever do them any harm. That's the best way to be."

From granddaughter Martha Lesnitzer Zucker’s interview with Anna B. Tulman, taped in Brooklyn on August 31, 1983:

Early Days in America
My father had to go to the mayor, they call it "to give consent" that I could go to America because I wasn't old enough to go without it. I think it must have been in 1909.

One day Harry Tulman came for a can of paint and asked me for a date and that was that. When I had my bunions removed, he came every day to see me in the hospital. We went to City Hall and got married. The Goldsteins, who were friends of Harry’s, made a wedding party for us in their house at 33 Chestnut St., in Brownsville. 

My husband was a painter and didn't make much. One day I said to him, "let's look for our own store." I had $200.00; we looked for a store and found one on 18th Ave. The walls weren't finished and it was wet from the plaster but we had nowhere to go so we slept across the street. There was a shoe store, the name was Horowitz, so we slept over there and we paid them rent. When our store was finished, the walls still wet, we moved in over there, behind the store.   Whenever anybody came and they asked for something, I wrote down what they asked for and then I ordered it.  I have a big story to tell.

Anna’s Parents
My mother was a very good woman who had a hard life. She had 11 children, including a baby boy who died. My father was well educated.  I used to send money home to them. They didn't need it too much because my father used to be like a lawyer. People came to him who were in trouble of some kind - with their husbands or they had money problems. My father used to go right to court with them. He was like a lawyer here. He was very much educated.  

His brother, Samuel Braunhart, was a state senator in San Francisco who was often in the newspaper. There was a big fire in San Francisco in 1906. My brother Jacob, who came to America with Martha, was there with my uncle when the fire broke out. Jacob carried my uncle out but he died after in the hospital.  My father had another brother. His name was Bernhard. He had a wife and a son.  

Child Rearing
I hope you have the best life anybody could have, and after a while you'll have a family. You make your children to order, not by accident. I didn't know at that time how happy I was when I had those twins at the same time. I would wish it to anybody if they want to. So maybe if I had them at the beginning, maybe I wouldn't have any more children, but it's better it happened that way. 

Before I had Mildred we didn't plan to have any children yet because it wasn't our time. So then the war came and they said, "Mrs. Tulman, you have a business and you have no children, so your husband's gonna be first to go to war." That's what they told me. So I thought to have children because I didn't want my husband to go..... I had to start to have children before they would take my husband. And then, I had Mildred.

My husband loved us and he took Mildred everywhere. Wherever he went, they know her better than him. Then I worked hard and he worked hard painting. He used to come home all sweaty from work and give me the money to buy material that the people wanted. He worked hard. Maybe if he didn't work so hard he would have lived longer. 

But then we had to be in the store, I had servants for the children. My husband went to Pennsylvania to pick up the servants. To Cementon I think it was. I used to order, I used to pack, I used to climb up and put the stock away and all and my husband used to work and bring in the money. I like to sleep in the morning so my husband opened up the store and he used to holler, "ANNA, where's this? where's that?” because he had to work and I put it away, so I used to tell him I know upstairs where the things were. 

I had Mildred and Muriel about 3 1/2 years apart. I said to my husband that I must have another child and name it after my mother. I want my mother's name, so he obliged me and God blessed me with twins. I didn't know that was a happy day. That was the happiest day of my life. Helene and Stanley. But Helene was alright. She was a beautiful baby. But Stanley, I think he must have weighed a pound and a half. So at that time they had home nurses. My husband got one for me and she used to take care of me and take care of the children. I couldn't nurse. I never nursed my kids. Helene took the food but Stanley was so weak that he couldn't even take the food so the woman said to me, "the girl eats but the boy don't wanna eat," so I went up and I stood there with a spoon about a half an hour and I fed him till he took it down. So when the doctor came and he saw Stanley, he laughed to beat the band. He couldn't get over that Stanley's living. That's how weak he was. And I think you should have a son like Stanley.

Raising a Family
I believe in having a family. You don't want to be without children. Have them while you're young.  You have friends and you have patience and you have everything. When they grow up, you take a rest. 

God
I believe there's a God in heaven, I do believe. And He watches over you.

On this Mother's Day we remember our deceased Braunhart mothers. Some of us knew you and all of us wish we had met you. 

Sara Braunhart Bernstein - Mother of Amalie, Ernestine, Cecelia, Hattie, Max and 2 others unknown 

Helene Baszynska Braunhart - Mother of Moritz, Jakob, Anna, Martha, Theodor, Carl, Selma, Cecelia, Julius, Philipp, Frieda, Caesar, and one unknown 

Anna Braunhart Tulman - Mother of Mildred, Muriel, Stanley, and Helene 

Martha Braunhart Sternbach - Mother of Leo, Harold, and Regina 

Hedwig Bukofzer Braunhart (Wife of Carl) - Mother of Hanna and Heinz 

Ilse Gass Hart (Wife of Jacob) - Mother of Erna, Margaret, and Herbert 

Else Schmalenbach (Wife of Phillip) - Mother of Horst, Gisela, and Bernhard 

Frieda Braunhart Brunn - Mother of Henry and Miriam 

Cecelia Bernstein Markheim - Mother of Arthur, Robert, Minnie, Pauline, Leo, and Edith 

Hedwig (Hattie) Bernstein Fried - Mother of Leo 

Ernestine Bernstein Heyman - Mother of Celia, Martha, Arthur, Robert, Leo, and Mynette 

Dorka Asch Braunhart (Wife of Julius) - Mother of Lothar and Lilly  

Unfortunately we do not have photos of the following Braunhart mothers: 

Rosa Levison Braunhart – Mother of Harry

Amalie Bernstein Brock - Mother of Teresa, Regina, and Eric

There have been many in the family who have been in the entertainment industry as musicians, actors, writers, magicians, and dancers. Some have actually been in the entertainment industry making a living, while others performed as a hobby or sideline.

My first cousin, once removed, (my Dad's first cousin) Clyde Pound, has been a pianist, keyboardist, arranger, musical director, etc. for over 50 years. He started with the Dukes of Dixieland and through his career has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hawaii, Colorado, and now Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was musical director for the Hungry I nightclub in San Francisco and has been musical director for and played with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Liza Minelli, Dizzy Gillespie, and many others.

Another one of my Dad's cousins, Stafford Repp was a television and movie actor, best known for the part of Chief O'Hara on the television series Batman in the 1960s. He started his career in San Francisco repertory theatre after serving in World War II. He moved to southern California where he subsequently appeared in character roles in hundreds of television shows and movies.

Stafford Repp's sister, Elisabeth Repp, was a television writer. She was a writer for the pilot episode of the long running TV soap opera - "General Hospital".

Yet another of my dad's cousins was Gloria Metzner, whose stage name was Gloria Dea. Her father, Leo Metzner was an amateur magician known as "The Great Leo". She started her career as a child magician and performed at The Hotel El Rancho Vegas, the Las Vegas Strip's first casino resort.

Later she danced as part of Earl Carroll's Vanities in Hollywood and the Billy Rose Aquacade at the San Francisco World's Fair. She later was in several movies and serials. She was in the "King of the Congo" serial with Buster Crabbe in the starring role of "Princess Pha". 

Although she had small parts in many successful movies such as "Around the World in 80 Days", she also had a small role in what has been called the worst movie of all time - Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space". She currently lives in Las Vegas.

The first of Gloria's husbands was Jack Statham, who was a bandleader who also played the accordion. Her second husband was Hal Borne, most famous for being Fred Astaire's rehearsal pianist, as well as band leader for Tony Martin and Ginger Rogers' touring shows. He also wrote the music for one of the last Marx Brothers movies "The Big Store". Here is a photo of Gloria and Hal in 1945.

Clyde Pound's mother and father had a vaudeville show. Henry Pound had a group that was looking for a piano player. Mynette Heyman was hired and they got married shortly thereafter. Myn and her first cousin Edith Markheim Stone played together later in life for senior groups as "The First Cousins".

Arthur Heyman was a "smoothie dancer" and won several awards for his dancing later in his life.

My great grandfather Joseph Marks was a vaudeville agent and my great great uncle Isaac Marks was a stage manager for several San Francisco musical theatres in the late 1800s and early 1900s.