07 May 2013

Tombstone Tuesday: Louis Myers

Montefiore Cemetery, Queens, New York,
 Block 89, Gate 156N, Line 6R, Grave 6,
 photographed 2 September 2008.
MYERS
Here lies
Eliezer son of David
------•------
BELOVED HUSBAND
DEAR FATHER
LOUIS
MAR. 4, 1886
NOV. 8, 1938
HE DEVOTED HIS LIFE
TO THE CAUSE
OF HIS PEOPLE
____________________ 

Successful businessman, glazier, movie house owner, and social activist, Louis Myers was also remembered by many in his family as a caring and generous relation. Second son and fourth adult child of David and Ida Myers, he was born in Lubin, Russian Empire (also known as Labun and, now, Yurovshchina, Ukraine).

He arrived in New York Harbor as Leiser Malzmann in November 1904. [1] Like his brother, Myer, who had emigrated before him, he became a glazier. Louis and his cousin Jacob Myers (Zachary Myers' son), were business partners in Myers' Plate Glass Company, Inc.

Louis was married twice. His first marriage occurred in the late 1910s (I have been unable to locate a marriage certificate) to Dora Waxenberg, also a former Lubin resident. This marriage produced a son, Bernard Myers (4 May 1908 - 28 February 1993) who earned a PhD. and was a Professor of art history and author. 

Louis' and Dora's marriage ended in divorce shortly after Bernard's birth (I have not found the divorce records). On 10 October 1915, Louis married Yetta G. Hirschhorn. A daughter, Renee Myers Adelstein (26 May 1917 - 5 October 1945), was born of this union.[2]

Louis acquired several small movie theaters including the Lido on Fordham Road in the Bronx. He provided jobs for several family members, including Saul Morris (his sister Sarah's youngest son). In the 1930s Louis held the office of Secretary in the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League.

Notes:
1."New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 January 2012), manifest, Main, Bremen to New York, arriving 25 November 1904, p. 1, Leiser Malzmann; citing National Archives Microfilm Serial T715.
2. Louis Myers, Petition for Naturalization number 144361 (4 June 1923), New York Supreme Court, New York County, Volume 604, Page 11.

5 comments:

  1. Renee introduced Bernard to his future wife Shirley Levene, who was her best friend.

    Peter L. Myers, son of Bernard and Shirley

    ReplyDelete
  2. He made ex wifes husband Jack Alperin VP of his glass company. As owner of a theatre circuit he hired ex=wifes sister who was a VP of a large Communist Party controlled union, Esther Letz Goldberg. This from a congressional interrogation of Esther sent to me by my cousin Sam Wantman on the Waxenberg side.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is a great deal of information on the organizations with which Louis was involved. One could do research on this for a long time(!).

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was the Leff-Myers Theatre Circuit, and it was not inherited by his offspring, it continued under other names for quite some time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. see page 22:
      http://movie-theatre.org/usa/ny/NEW%20YORK%20CIRCUITS.pdf

      Delete

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