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June 1, 1935 – Hopefully we can celebrate for many years to come.

01 Jun
June 1, 1935 – Hopefully we can celebrate for many years to come.

6/1/35

Dear Sisters,

After finishing my last letter we went to Gray’s and showed homemade movies in their “penthouse” on the roof of their home. Had a nice evening.

[Continued 6/2/35]

Sunday we had beautiful weather and we visited with [LJG’s daughter] Flora Mae. Afterwards we went to a very good movie: “Going to Town” with Mae West.

May West

Click image for YouTube

Monday night with I went with Aunt Henny to a movie show about her current business. Then we went for about an hour to Leonard’s office.

Tuesday at Samuels, met a Mr. Bartenstein, who will call you when he is in Germany the beginning of July for 2 weeks.

Wednesday eve we met Henny in the office so the three of us could celebrate my first year in Chicago at the Chez Paree supper club. We had a very excellent meal, good wine, and 2 beautiful floor shows. Left past midnight. Hopefully we 3 can celebrate that anniversary together for many, many years to come.

Chez Paree

Chez Paree

Thursday – Decoration Day. Excellent dinner at Gwen and Eddy Bishop, then to Grays who have a fur business in the same building where they live. I tried on several silver fox scarves. Nothing for me! We were there from 5:00 until 10:00 p.m. Eddy drove us home.

Friday – no work – holiday – we are not busy at all. Have to find money for Leonard’s birthday July 4th.

Click for YouTube

Beautiful weather. Take several walks.

Saturday morning breakfast downtown. Then starting this letter after talking to Gene Weil for ½ hour.

Aunt Jenny has not been well for some time already.

We went shopping with Flora Mae and her “kinderfraulein” who had come downtown. Then we went to see the movie “G-Men.” It was pretty good.

Much mail this week. Doris, Hilde Meyer, Ernst Goldschmidt etc.

Now I am hungry again. I have lost 12 lb. since I am here.

Love,
Trudel

Decoration day 1935


Trudel celebrated her life in Chicago for more than 70 more years.

This is the first of the letters Trudel translated in a more abbreviated style. I wish she hadn’t thrown away the originals when she finished translating so that I could fill in details.

Trudel’s Son

 
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Posted by on June 1, 1935 in Chicago, immigrant experience, Letters

 

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June 9, 1935 – One has to be lucky and I really was.

09 Jun
June 9, 1935 – One has to be lucky and I really was.

6/9/35

Trudel’s highlights for the week:*

Sunday: Visited with Flora Mae. It was the warmest day so far this year, so we walked a little and went home early.

Make blue skirt 6 inches tighter.

Monday: Breakfast downtown which costs only about ½ of here in the neighborhood and is much better. Aunt Henny and I spent 2 hours together and visited several people in their offices. We ate at a very reasonable restaurant and she went home with me, where I started a hat for her and made one for a friend of hers. She went home at 11:30 pm. In the meantime, Eugene Weil called and gave me the address of a hat shop where I might get a job.

[Trudel’s translations do not mention that she is not working although she mentioned there being less work in her previous letter.]

Tuesday: Went early to apply for a job there. Waited for one hour for the boss, left my address and phone number. “Maybe” if they get busier.

Now in a beautiful neighborhood with beautiful stores. Stopped in one store to ask if they could use help for sewing alterations. Hired me to start next day for a few hours. One has to be lucky and I really was. Afterwards I straightened out my room.

Wednesday: Worked from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Thursday: Worked from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Friday: From 9:00-1:00 and again from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Then the pleasant bus ride to Samuels for Shabbat dinner. There I met a very nice refugee girl who also lives on the north side like I do, and we went home together via Leonard’s office.

Saturday: work from 9-1. Then to visit Rose La Marque. Aunt Henny visited me all afternoon.

In the evening Leonard and I went to a movie, “Let ’Em Have It.” Very good. Afterwards I helped Leonard in the office by finding the books he needed and opening them on the right pages. He worked until 7:00 Sunday morning. I went home much much earlier.

Sunday: We met Mr. Goodman, his former partner and picked up Flora Mae. She and I played in the yard while the two men wrote speeches for Mr. Goodman’s case in the State Supreme Court in Springfield, where Leonard defended him the next day. He expects to be back on Wednesday.

*After over 250 handwritten pages of translations, Trudel decided to translate only the highlights.
 
Take a look at the letter Trudel wrote exactly one year earlier, “June 9, 1934 “I have already one order for a hat.””

 
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Posted by on June 9, 1935 in Chicago, diary, immigrant experience, Memoir

 

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July 3, 1935 “I fell almost asleep last night while writing.”

03 Jul
July 3, 1935 “I fell almost asleep last night while writing.”

July 2, 1935

My Good Sweet Dear Goldkind:

It is midnight and I just went to bed. But since I have not written to you in three weeks, I feel very conscious of guilt and will write now. Thanks for mail received. Hope you received those I sent.

On Wednesday, June 12, Leonard returned from a successful trip to the Illinois Supreme Court. We had dinner together but I went home immediately to alter a dress.

Thursday I had dinner at the family of my new boss.

Friday, June 14, I had Sabbath dinner again with the Samuels in Hyde Park.

Saturday, I had dinner with Leonard, then we stopped at his office and went home.

Trudel's Skates

Trudel’s Skates

Sunday, June 16, we had beautiful weather. I sat three hours in sunshine in a park. For the first time in 14 years I went roller-skating, but only 2 blocks. The shoes with the skates which I had borrowed were too tight. But it was fun.

Trudel on Rollerskates

Trudel on Rollerskates

After one hour walk we had a wonderful dinner and then we sat for about one hour in my room where I gave Leonard a fashion show of all my clothes.


Continued 7/3

Good morning. I fell almost asleep last night while writing.

Monday, June 17, I spent all day at home.

Tuesday, I had a date with Aunt Henny. After waiting for her for one hour I went home again. It was raining too hard – she could not come!!!

Wednesday I worked overtime and ate downtown. In my ½ hour lunchtime I got soaked shopping for a birthday present for Leonard.

Because of everything I did [in the past few days] my back and shoulders still hurt.

Thursday at home. Sewing.

Steamer Theodore Roosevelt

Steamer Theodore Rosevelt


Friday, June 21, Gwen and Eddy picked us up for a boat ride. Grace Gray had arranged a party of 12 people in the captain’s cabin. This boat trip took 2 ½ hours. I wore the altered chiffon dress, a new hat, white shoes, linen coat, white purse and gloves and a lot of makeup.
Flora Mae and LJG

Flora Mae & LJG

Afterwards we ate downtown in a very nice place. Unfortunately it was raining all evening.

LJG Plays Tennis

LJG Plays Tennis

Saturday, June 22, Leonard played tennis for the first time in three years and of course was very tired afterwards. We had dinner at a very nice rooftop restaurant with a very good with a nice floor show. Excellent orchestra and very good food, except that Leonard found a long, rusty nail in his steak. Fortunately he did not get hurt.

Sunday, June 23, I was with you in thought at the cemetery. [I believe that was the second anniversary of Trudel’s mother’s death. -Ed.]

Chinatown Squad

Chinatown Squad

That day we spent time with Flora Mae. Also met Hans Kösterlitz. After dinner at a park, we went on a “merry go round” operated by foot and then on a “wippe [teeter totter or see-saw].” Leonard was 210 pounds on one side and Flora Mae and I (together) about 200 pounds. Up and down and down and up. It was hilarious.
On Gray's Roof

Flora Mae, LJG, and Trudel

We stopped on the way home at a movie, “Chinatown Squad,” and a very good stage show.

Sunday, June 30, We picked up Flora Mae and spent afternoon on Gray’s roof. Fireworks on way home. Weather very hot, too hot to even go swimming.

On Gray's Roof

On Gray’s Roof


On Tuesday, July 2, I had a date with a nice girl from Nürnberg I had met at Samuels. She helped me tie together 43 little packages I had wrapped for Leonard’s 43rd birthday which is July 4 (tomorrow).

1000 greetings and kisses,

Trudelchen

Trudel’s translations and notes did not include a letter specifically mentioning what they did on July 4, LJG’s Birthday, but her photo albums did include at least one photo taken that day.

Trudel, Flora Mae and LJG

Trudel, Flora Mae and LJG in the park on July 4, 1935


You may enjoy taking a look at the letter Trudel wrote exactly one year earlier.
Follow this link:http://is.gd/qZxq2E

 
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Posted by on July 3, 1935 in Chicago, diary, immigrant experience, Letters, Memoir

 

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July 1935 – “Very, very hot summer . . . Nothing special otherwise”

31 Jul
July 1935 – “Very, very hot summer . . . Nothing special otherwise”

After having completed 250 handwritten 8 1/2 x 11 pages, on whatever paper she had, Trudel wrote on page 251,

“Now that I have translated the letters of my 1st year in Chicago will pick out only the highlights. You all know that I eat + sleep every day. It is really not important which restaurant when or where. So here goes “Diary Style” only different or interessant occurrences.”

Trudel's Comment

Trudel Explains

And, so, here Trudel’s regular detailed letters end. But her story does not end here. There are another 50 pages of notes covering another year and a half. Fortunately some of the gaps can be filled by photos from her albums and other sources.

Trudel and Flora Mae - July 4

Tridel amd Flora Mae-July 4, 1935

Trudel, Flora Mae and LJG

With Flora Mae and Leonard

Some of the summaries of her letters from this point on are cryptic. There are major omissions. Strangely she does not mention what she did on July 4th, my father’s birthday, the first she celebrated with him, even though in her previous letters she wrote about shopping for presents and wrapping them. Fortunately there are photographs taken that day, as well as throughout the month and the coming years.


Unfinished Symphony

Click image for YouTube

LJJ and others in the water

LJG and others

7/17/35 Previous week saw excellent movie, “Unfinished Symphony,” with Martha Eggerth, a part of the life of Schubert.

Very, very hot summer.

Working again at C&R. Nothing special otherwise.

7/27/25 On Sunday Senator Searcy picked us up by taxi. We went to Gray’s (very early) then 11 people in two cars to a beautiful private home several miles north of here, through forests, small towns, along the lake, etc. A beautiful day with lots of good food, swimming, boating, and playing croquet.

On the Beach

At the beach

Enjoying the Lake

Enjoying the Lake

 

C&R Ad

C&R Ad













Notes: Trudel doesn’t mention whether she saw the German or English version of “Unfinished Symphony.” An English version is supposed to have been released in 1935. However, I could only find posters and YouTubes from the German version. Clicking in the thumbnail of the poster will take you to one video. Clicking on he highlighted name of the film will take you to another. I have noticed that in some browsers you go directly to the video, in others a short ad may run first. My apologies for Google’s mercenary policies.

Earl B Searcy

Senator Searcy

Earle B. Searcy was a real estate broker; member of Illinois state house of representatives 45th District, 1921-23; member of Illinois state senate 45th District, 1923-45.
From The Political Graveyard.com

 














Shortlink: http://lgrossman.com/trudel/8ej

 
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Posted by on July 31, 1935 in Chicago, diary, immigrant experience, Letters, Memoir

 

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August 1935: A brief note – diary style

17 Aug

Last month Trudel’s comment explained that from now on she was translating “diary style.” The single entry below is an example of one of those notes, although most are less dramatic, of course. Please check back for the full August post in about two weeks.

This might be a good tome to visit the Trudel’s Truth Archives, where you will find links to each month’s posts going back to the first letter in May, 1934. There the letters are organized chronologically so that you can read each month as a narrative rather than “blog” style.


8/17/35
Somebody jumped from the 20th floor of the next building. Glad I did not see it. Will Rogers died in an airplane accident.


Trudel

Back

Trudel

Forth


Trudel's Album

A Page from Trudel’s Photo Album – Summer 1935

 
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Posted by on August 17, 1935 in Chicago, diary, immigrant experience, Letters, Memoir

 

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