Molly Baumel Dover was born on July 9, 1913 in Lutzk, Poland a small town not far from Warsaw but the family considered themselves Russian since the border kept changing!
She lived with her mother Ida, brother Jack and sister Rose. Her father Ben Baumel, a sheet metal worker, had gone to America (Galveston, Texas via New York) when she was 2 months old in order to provide for his family and bring them over.
As a child she and her family were subjected to terrible pogroms and until the day she died she recalled a public hanging of a Russian officer in the town square that the townspeople were forced to watch when she was 4 years old. Another vivid memory was of the family starving but going into the potato fields of a sympathetic farmer who allowed them to glean the fields.
She immigrated to America in 1922 from Liverpool, England where the family had sought refuge after the Russian Revolution. Her father had sent money for them to come to America but they had to wait for 8 years until the war was over since there were no ships available. Their voyage in steerage took over a month as she later recalled. They arrived by train to Rock Island, Illinois, where her father had secured a house for them, after clearing customs at Ellis Island. The family’s journey was proudly commemorated on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor from The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. The American flag was prominently displayed every American holiday from the day they arrived in this blessed country.
Speaking no English, Molly entered the first grade at age 9 but soon progressed rapidly and graduated Rock Island High in 1932 in 3 1/2 years. She loved poetry, drama, volleyball and especially dancing the Foxtrot. She married her beloved Oscar Dover in 1934 and soon the family expanded to 4 daughters and one son.
She was a homemaker, enjoying sewing, cooking and baking and took great pride in making the world’s best blintzes. She was a long time member of Tri City Jewish Center in Rock Island. She lived in Austin, Texas and Des Moines, Iowa and moved to Napa in 1999 where she was a member of Congregation Beth Sholom. After suffering a stroke in 2000 she moved to San Carlos, California where she resided at The Elms and most recently at the Jewish Home in San Francisco. The family feted her at a Gala 90th birthday in 2002 when an oral history booklet and video of her life were presented.
Predeceased by her parents, brother and sister, husband Oscar (who died at age 49) and son Sidney she is survived by daughters Donna Mendelsohn (David) Napa; Peggy Dover (Phil Barnett) Half Moon Bay; Esther Dover, San Mateo and Ellen Dover, Burien, Washington.
She leaves 7 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren plus grieving nieces, nephews and other family members.
Services were held at Skylawn Memorial Park in the Gan Hazikaron (Garden of Remembrance).
Contributions in Molly’s memory may be made to Congregation Beth Sholom, 1455 Elm Street, Napa, CA 94559 or to the Jewish Home of San Francisco, 302 Silver Avenue,
San Francisco, CA 94112. For further
information, or to send a message to the
family, contact Mandel Funeral Services of
Northern California at 1-866-962-6335 or www.mandelfuneralservices.com.
Robert H. Feldman. In San Francisco on Dec. 9, 2007 at age 68. Beloved husband of Linda for 23 years; adored brother of Bill (Denise) Feldman of Wayne, N.J. Loved son of the late Gertrude & Sidney Feldman; dear nephew of Phillip (Ethel) Ellison; dear brother-in-law of Deborah Warren and Gary (Christine) Warren; devoted uncle of Melissa Michalsky, Paul (Elizabeth) Feldman, Gregory (Stephanie) Warren, Joel (Mande) Warren and Andrew Warren; loved cousin to many.
Robert served 22 years as the Commission Secretary of the Board of Appeals, City and County of San Francisco. A longtime volunteer with Jewish Vocational Services, Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind and past Lodge president of B’nai B’rith.
Funeral services were at Sinai Memorial Chapel, 1501 Divisadero St. at Geary Blvd. followed by interment at Home of Peace Cemetery, Colma, Calif.
In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions to the charity of your choice.
Jack J Kramar (age 84) died December 8, 2007 after Chanukah visits from his children, David Kramar (Marilyn), Marsha Glantz (Stanton) and Marilyn Egan (Gary) and all his grandchildren: Aaron (Ngoc) and Frieda Glantz; Alexis, Jamie and Stewart Kramar; and Kimberly Egan. Jack is survived by his wife of 64 years Evelyn, who lovingly attended to him during his last year of failing health.
Jack immigrated to Stockton, Calif. at age 7 from Warsaw, Poland. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WW II, then returned to San Francisco where he joined his father-in-law’s business, the Sapir Press. He built it into a thriving company.
He and Evelyn made San Francisco their home until a late retirement to Brentwood, Calif. to play golf, a major passion.
One can remember Jack with a donation to the charity of your choice.
Richard Ira Levine, M.D. in Oakland on December 6, 2007. A native of Springfield, Mass., graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Albert Einstein Medical School in New Jersey. A gastroenterologist, he practiced at Doctor’s Medical Center for over 35 years. He had a great passion for music and the arts, and for his family, friends, colleagues and patients — who will all miss him dearly. Beloved soul mate and companion of Penny Righthand; loving father of Nicole and Courtney Levine, Michel (Stacey) Schifter and Tosha Schore (David Avidor); devoted grandfather of Zakai, Adiel, Paz and Sarah.
Services were held under the direction of Sinai Memorial Chapel.
Silvia (Shostack) Schochet in Baltimore, Md on November 9, 2007, at age 92. Beloved wife of the late Nathan Schochet, mother of Harvey Schochet of Orinda, Ca, Rachel Schochet of San Francisco, Ca and the late Marsha Ross, devoted mother in law of Kathleen Kerr-Schochet, Jody Patraka and Arthur Ross, devoted sister of the late Harry and Louis Shostack, loving grandmother of Eric Ruck and Dorney Chesto Ruck, Melissa and Kelly Phillips, Gretchen Ruck, John Schochet and Tenaya Scheinman, and Joanna Schochet, loving great grandmother of Asher, Chloe and Max Ruck, Griffith and Anderson Ruck. Services were held at Sol Levinson & Bros., Pikesville, Md, on November 11. Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Nathan and Silvia Schochet Memorial Scholarship Fund, Jewish Big Brother and Sister League of Baltimore, Inc., 5750 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, Md 21215.