Stella and Estelle

Stella I thought I would tell you a little about the great grandmother you are named after because she was my mother.  Her name was Estelle Reiss Berkowitz and she was born in New York. Her father had a beautiful voice and sang in local opera.  Estelle also had a beautiful voice and during World War One she sang with a New York Band, Gus Edwards, and helped raise money for the soldiers.  They called her "Baby Estelle" because she was so young. She also was shy and never liked to sing in public but she played the piano as did her mother, Jeanette, and sang at home and I loved listening to her.  Sometimes she would do a duet with her father, Alex.  She particularly liked to sing songs by Jerome Kern, George/Ira Gershwin and Broadway songs from Oklahoma, South Pacific and other such shows.  When I was in college, my roommate's family had a dear friend who worked for Miles' Music and I was able to get tickets for all the Musicals on Broadway and sometimes she would come to New York and we would go to shows together.

She married my father and spent her entire life making sure he was happy and comfortable.  She was very proud of him and he was equally proud of her.  They loved each other very much but they were also very different.. She always stayed in the background but she also had many talents.  She was known for her "eclairs," chocolate cake, raisin pudding and just about everything she cooked. Her sewing ability was known as top notch and I still have two of her afghans that I curl up in when I watch TV or take a nap.  They will be yours one day and will keep you warm and be a nice link to the family.

She never went to college but graduated from Phillips High School in Birmingham , Alabama where she lived and I was born in 1933.

She loved to dance and go to the beach and get a sun tan. Great Grandpa Abe, my father, never drove a car so she used to drive him when he needed to be somewhere if he could not get someone else to take him.  WhenI got my license I began to drive him places when I was not away in school..

After I went off to college they sold their house and moved into an apartment and it became a condo and still is there today.  Maybe one day we will go to Birmingham and I will show you where we lived. Your dad spent a summer with her when he was in college. Ask him to tell you about it.

I hope this little bit of information will give you some background about the person you are named for and I know you would have loved her as she certainly would you.

I so look forward to having you here Thanksgiving.

Love, Grandpa Me