Julie Klam - The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters: A True Story of Family Fiction

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Copyright 2021 by Julie Klam

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A Needle in a Haystack

Words by Herbert Magidson, Music by Con Conrad

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All rights reserved

Used by permission of Alfred Music

Photographs of Focani synagogue and Synagogue Rmnicu Srat copyright Centropa/Daniel Gruenfeld

Photograph of Paul Koditschek courtesy of the Koditschek family

Other photos courtesy of the author

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Klam, Julie, author.

Title: The almost legendary Morris sisters : a true story of family fiction / Julie Klam.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020057447 (print) | LCCN 2020057448 (ebook) | ISBN 9780735216426 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780735216440 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Morris, Selma, 1893-1991. | Morris, Malvina, 1900-1994. | Morris, Marcella, 1901-1997. | Morris, Ruth, 1904-1978. | Morris family. | Romanian AmericansNew York (State)New YorkBiography. | Jewish womenNew York (State)New YorkBiography. | JewsMissouriSaint LouisHistory20th CenturyBiography.

Classification: LCC F128.9.R8 K53 2021 (print) | LCC F128.9.R8 (ebook) | DDC 974.7/10430922 [B]dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020057447

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020057448

Book design by Meighan Cavanaugh, adapted for ebook by Maggie Hunt

pid_prh_5.7.1_c0_r0

For my parents

Contents

Though, its like looking for a needle in a haystack

Still Ill follow every little clue

For Ive got to find you

Although Ive lost you, well meet again, I know

Its just like looking for a needle in a haystack

Searching for a moonbeam in the blue

Still, Ive got to find you

Its just like looking for a raindrop in the ocean

Searching for a dew drop, in the dew

Still Ill follow every little clue.

For Ive got to find you...

Ruth Etting, A Needle in a Haystack

A Guide to the Morris Sisters

Selma Morris: The eldest. Born in November 1893 in Romania. Died in Southampton, New York, in May of 1991. Talked incessantly, was bossy, chain-smoker, very pretty with a beautiful singing voice. She spent most of her life working as a saleslady for various stores in New York City. Never married.

Malvina Morris: Born March 11, 1899, in Romania. Died January 17, 1994, in Southampton. Physically disabled since childhood due to a birth defect. Was known as the kindest of the sisters, worked as a bookkeeper. Chain-smoker. Never married.

Marcella Morris: Born September 30, 1901, in Romania. Died August 18, 1997, in Southampton. A financial wizard, prickly personality. Chain-smoker. Never married.

Ruth Morris: Born February 15, 1904, in St. Louis, Missouri. Died in January of 1978 in Southampton. The youngest and the only member of the family born in the United States. Considered bohemian, writer, was once married briefly. First of the sisters to die.

A Note on Names and Dates

A brother, Samuel Morris, born in 1897 in Romania, was the only boy and lived most of his life in Texas.

It is inevitable in genealogical research that you come across inconsistencies with names and dates. I have tried my best to keep the information in this book accurate, but there were times when someone spelled a name differently or misremembered a date. In my research, I came across the Morris sisters fathers name written as Gershon Bernhart, Gerson, Guerson, Bernhard, and George Bernard. I decided to be consistent by just using Guerson because I believe that is how it was spelled in Romania, but youll see that in various places other people call him George or Gershon. And dates varied a great deal. This Guide to the Morris Sisters includes the dates Ive determined to be correct, because they are the ones that appeared most often. (Its also where I landed on eeny, meeny, miny, moe.)

One

Id Like to Introduce My Family

When I was five years old, I noticed that my second toe was longer than my other toes. I noticed this because my grandma Billie, my fathers mother, had pointed out how beautiful her own feet were because her toes were graduatedthey were sized in ascending order. Then she looked at my feet and was silent.

Later, I mentioned to my mother what Grandma Billie had said, and she replied with extraordinary conviction, People who have a long second toe are descended from royalty. My mother, I realized later, also has a long second toe. We were the Queen and the Princess of the Land of Goofy Feet.

At the time, I was young enough and unworldly enough that I accepted her explanation. And I knew instinctively that it wasnt something I was to talk about with other people; I didnt need to flaunt my superior lineage. I just kept the information in my back pocket, like an undercover detective with a hidden badge. If I needed to reveal it, I could, but mostly it was enough for me to know.

Ive never taken a DNA test or any of the other tests available, mostly because I dont really care to know what someone else finds in me. Im descended from royalty; does anything else really matter?

Im willing to admit that I might not be Queen Elizabeths distant cousin, but somewhere inside me that little factalong with many, many other questionable details I was told about my family growing upfloats around in my personal identity orbit and gives me a gentle pat on the back when life gets tricky. Its okay when my credit card gets declined; I am descended from royalty.