The Auerhaim Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

This is an old German family name and has a somewhat peculiar origin. It was first spelled Auerhann, named from a bird which inhabits the Black Forest of Germany, called the “Capercaillie” or “Auerhann.” The family might have taken its name from an ancestor being an unusually successful hunter of this winged denizen of the forest, or it might have become entangled in the family traditions in some other way.

(I) Grandfather Auerhaim

The family home for the last three generations has been in Province of Posen, Prussia, Germany, where Grandfather Auerhaim conducted a grain business and also a hotel. He was a staid, sober-minded gentleman, living a simple, pious life, and, with his wife, belonged to the Synagogue, which received his sincere and hearty support. His racial characteristics of industry and thrift have descended to his posterity and this accounts in great measure for their successful business careers. He married and had issue:

Children

1. Moses M. Of whom further.
2. Lena. Married Goldstecker, a storekeeper of Posen, Prussia.
3. Teressa. Married and had two children:
   1. Celia. Died in California.
   2. Dora. Died in California.

(II) Moses Mordecai Auerhaim

Moses Mordecai, son of Grandfather Auerhaim, was born in Kozmin, Province of Posen, Prussia, in 1811, and died there April 12, 1856. He obtained his education in the public schools of his native village and later in life followed the business of merchant, having a large and lucrative trade. With his wife he was a member of the Orthodox Synagogue. He was twice married, his first wife Sarah, born 1814, died in Prussia, December 25, 1850, daughter of Jacob Aerlich, a hotel proprietor of Kozmin, where he died.

Children of first marriage, all born in Kozmin, R. B. Posen, Prussia, Germany

1. Solomon. Of whom further.
2. Lena. Born May 6, 1840, married Louis Moses, a cigar manufacturer of her native village, who died in Cincinnati, Ohio; she is living in Buffalo; children:
   1. Marcus. Living in Buffalo.
   2. Selma. Living in Buffalo.
   3. Isadore. Living in Buffalo.
   4. Augusta. Living in Buffalo.
   5. Clara. Married Albert Strauss and lives in Erie, Pennsylvania.
   6. Bertha. Living in Buffalo.
   7. Frances. Living in Buffalo.
   8. Samuel. Living in Buffalo.
   9. Mamie. Living in Buffalo.
   10. Teressa. Living in Buffalo.
3. Amelia. Born 1842, married Morris Herron, of Poland, who died in Bradford, Pennsylvania; she now lives at Poughkeepsie, New York; children, all living at Poughkeepsie, New York:
   1. Bertha.
   2. Mollie. Married George Cohen, in the motion photography business, has a child:
      • Harold.
   3. Frances.
4. Yeta. Born 1844, married Michaelski, of Poland, now a retired business man of Buffalo; children:
   1. Sarah. Married a produce dealer and lives in Buffalo.
   2. Marcus. Married and is in the shoe business in Buffalo.
   3. Joseph. Manager of the Regal shoe stores in New York City, married and has one child.
   4. Samuel. Proprietor of a shoe store in Buffalo.
   5. Frances. Married, a bookkeeper, and lives in Buffalo.
   6. Clara. A bookkeeper in Buffalo.
5. Bernard. Born 1846, married Celia Basch; he emigrated to America, but returned to his native country and now lives in the Hartz Mountains, where he is a merchant.

Children of Moses M. Auerhaim by second marriage

1. Louise. Lives in Hamburg, Germany.
2. Leopold. Lives in Posen, Prussia, Germany.

(III) Solomon Auerhaim

Solomon, son of Moses Mordecai and Sarah (Aerlich) Auerhaim, was born in Kozmin, R. B. Posen, Prussia, Germany, November 27, 1838, died in Bradford, Pennsylvania, December 27, 1911. His boyhood days were spent and his education received in his native village. Leaving school he entered the dry goods business, beginning at the very bottom and laying deep, sure and strong the foundation on which he was to erect his future business career. In 1855 he came to the United States, settling in New York City, and engaged in cigar manufacturing until 1864, when he moved to Petroleum Center, establishing there in the dry goods business. He conducted this same line of business in Oil City and Erie, Pennsylvania, coming to Bradford in 1881 and opening a store on Main street. The business of which he was the founder has grown until it now occupies four floors of the New Auerhaim building, which he erected. This building is a fine fireproof structure with modern equipment, including one of Bradford’s few elevators. It is a splendid monument to the memory of a sincerely mourned citizen, who through his perseverance, industry and untiring zeal, built up a large and substantial business at a time when the oil craze was the principal business interest of the section. He was a devoted member of the Reformed Synagogue, Temple Beth Zion, and his fraternal order was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

He married, in Brooklyn, New York, March 23, 1862, Fannie Kuntz, born in Dobrzyca, R. B. Posen, Prussia, Germany, July 4, 1843, daughter of Joseph Kuntz, a baker, born in Rushkoff, Prussia, died in Dobrzyca, January 15, 1877, and Leah (Simon) Kuntz, born in 1804, in Dobrzyca, where she died July 19, 1887. Simon Simon, the father of Leah Simon, lived to attain the wonderfully great age of one hundred and sixteen years, and received recognition from the Royal Court of Prussia in the shape of a congratulatory medal from the king.

Children of Solomon and Fannie (Kuntz) Auerhaim

1. Selma. Born in New York City, September, 1863, married, March 11, 1890, Aaron Goodman, who died at Niagara Falls, New York, June, 1911; he was a merchant tailor at Niagara, where his widow now lives; child:
   1. Leona. Born March 23, 1894.
2. Ida. Born in New York City, September 3, 1865, married, February 27, 1884, in Bradford, Pennsylvania, Lewis Goldstein, a shoe merchant of Buffalo, where he died May 7, 1899; children:
   1. Stella E. Born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, November 30, 1884, married, April 4, 1909, Irwin Cohen, a surgical chiropodist.
   2. Harry. Born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, March 30, 1886, died 1887.
   3. Joseph H. Born in Buffalo, New York, August 6, 1888, graduate of Bradford high school and Dickenson Law School, resides in Buffalo, New York, a lawyer.
   4. Harold C. Born in Buffalo, New York, January 5, 1892; he is a graduate of Bradford high school.
3. Bertha. Born in Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania, November 1, 1866, married, February 4, 1890, Abraham Cohen, a merchant of Kane, Pennsylvania; children:
   1. Leona. Born November 10, 1891.
   2. Florence. Born February, 1901.
   3. Hyman Joseph. Born February 18, 1907.
4. Emma. Born in Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania, August 25, 1867, married, at Bradford, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1891, Isadora Sobel, postmaster at Erie, Pennsylvania; children:
   1. Jeffrey. Born January 22, 1893.
   2. Norman. Born February 15, 1899.
   3. Sidney. Born November 27, 1902.
   4. Samuel. Died in infancy.
5. Clara. Born Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania, August 8, 1872, married, at Bradford, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1894, Lewis Leopold, a clothier at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; child:
   1. Raymond. Deceased.
6. Martin Moses. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, August 11, 1874, died September 27, 1878.
7. Joseph. Born in Oil City, Pennsylvania, September 18, 1876, died in Bradford, October 10, 1881.
8. Samuel. Born in Oil City, Pennsylvania, November 23, 1878, obtained his education in the public schools and is a graduate of Bradford high school and Bryant & Stratton College; he now conducts the business inherited from his father; he has attained high honors as a Mason, holding the thirty-second degree, and has been past high priest of Bradford Chapter, No. 260, and past illustrious grand master of Bradford Council, No. 43; his other fraternal order is the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Bradford Lodge, No. 234, and he also belongs to Zem Zem Shrine, Erie, Pennsylvania, Consistory of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, and the Bradford Club.
9. Moses M. Born May 6, 1881, graduate of Bradford high school and Penn State College; he is conducting in partnership with his brother, the business of his father; his club is the Merchants’ Club of Bradford, and he is a member of the Masonic order, in which he holds the thirty-second degree, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Bradford Lodge, No. 234.

Children of Joseph and Leah (Simon) Kuntz, all born in Dobrzyca

1. Esther. Born 1824, died in New York City; married Abraham Galla, deceased, a rabbi of the Orthodox Synagogue; children:
   1. Isadore. A musician of New York City.
   2. Jacob. A clothier in New York City.
   3. One child. Deceased.
2. Samuel. Born 1826, an orchestra leader, died in Chicago, Illinois, November 17, 1889; he changed his name to Frankenstein, married and had issue:
   1. Isadore. A merchant tailor of Chicago, Illinois.
   2. Esther. Lives in Reading, Pennsylvania.
   3. Samuel. Lives in San Francisco, California.
3. Celia. Born 1834, died in New York City, January 6, 1903; married Samuel Lobel, a retired merchant from Kozmin, R. B. Posen, Prussia, Germany; children:
   1. Eli. Deceased.
   2. Isadore. Lived in New York City.
   3. Abraham. Lived in New York City.
   4. Lazarus. Lived in New York City.
   5. Ida. Lived in New York City.
   6. Henry. Lived in New York City.
   7. Joseph. Lived in New York City.
   8. Jacob. Lived in New York City.
   9. Teressa. Deceased; lived in New York City.
4. Fannie. Of previous mention.
5. Simon. A merchant tailor, born October, 1844, died in Chicago, Illinois, January 10, 1905; he also changed his name to Frankenstein, married Rachel Phillips, living in San Francisco, California; children:
   1. Victor. A physician of Chicago.
   2. Rudolph. A lawyer of Chicago.
   3. Samuel. A salesman.
   4. Harry. A salesman.
   5. Ida. Lives in San Francisco.
6. Hannah. Born 1847, married Samuel Michael, retired and lives at McKeesport, Pennsylvania; children, all living in McKeesport:
   1. Joseph.
   2. Samuel.
   3. Rufus.
   4. Ida.
   5. Esther.
7. Adelaide. Born 1849, lives in New York City.
8. Bertha. Born 1853, died in Chicago, Illinois, 1910; married Jacob Bosky, engaged in the cloth dyeing business at Chicago, Illinois, and had five children.

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content has been preserved.