Alice Loewenberg was born 8 Sep 1881 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Abraham Albert Loewenberg and Henrietta Jenny Schottlander.
Daily Honolulu Press, 10 Sep 1881
Alice Loewenberg, 3 months, family collection
Her father, Abraham, was originally from Poznan, Poland and emigrated with his family to San Francisco, California, where his brother Isidor had established a mercantile trade. Abraham eventually relocated to Honolulu, part of the Hawaiian monarchy, as a partner with the firm M. Phillips Co. According to family history, Abraham went back to Poznan to marry his cousin, Henrietta. After living a few years in Honolulu, the family returned to Poznan by 1888 due to Henrietta being incredibly homesick.
Alice Loewenberg, 1888, family collection
By 1899, the Loewenberg family moved to Berlin, Germany where Abraham continued as a merchant. By that time, the family had grown to include Valentin Albert (1882-1914), Bertha (m. Chaskel, 1884-1969), Harry Richard (1887-1971), Alfred Ludwig (1889-1981) and Paul Kurt (1892-1925).
On 6 Sep 1906, Alice married Ludwig Wedell, a timber broker, in Charlottenburg, Germany.
Wedding announcement postcard of Alice and Ludwig, family collection
Marriage certificate of Ludwig Wedell and Alice Loewenberg. The stamp in the upper right-hand corner reflects their legal first names changed to Israel and Sara on 29 March 1939 (by order of the Berlin Chief of Police, effective 10 January 1939).
On 9 Sep 1908, Alice gave birth to her only child, Liselotte Johanna Theophilia (aka Lilo, m. Bollmann, d. 1993).
Liselotte, 1908-1909, family collection
Alice was reported to have been in poor health for most of her life as a result of a thyroid condition, Grave’s Disease, according to family history. The Wedell family lived at Riehlstrasse 8 in Charlottenburg, only a few blocks from Alice’s mother, Henriette. A family story Lilo told many times was that she was required to walk home from school and pass her grandmother’s house along the way; if not, a strong scolding was sure to follow.
Undated photos of Ludwig and Alice, family collection
By 1939, Jews in Germany were forbidden to receive medications for illness. Alice died on 8 Sep 1939 of pneumonia, probably as a result of lack of medical care and malnutrition.
Alice, undated photo, family collection
Alice Wedell death certification, downloaded from Ancestry.com
Alice is buried in the Judischer Friedhof, Berlin Weissensee. Her husband Ludwig died in the Shoah in Riga, Poland and his remains were never recovered. A memorial plaque is placed next to Alice’s grave.
Grave markers of Alice and Ludwig Wedell. Photos courtesy of Daniella Rieder.
LIST OF SOURCES
Berlin, Germany, Births, 1874-1909 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
“Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1920), Ancestry.com, accessed 16 Nov. 2019.
California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
Daily Honolulu Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, 10 Sep 1881, p2. Accessed through Newspapers.com
The Daily Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, 5 Jan 1885, p3. Accessed through ChroniclingAmerica.loc.gov.
Death Certificates and Index, Ohio Division of Vital Statistics. Accessed through Ancestry.com
Dresden, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1922, (database on-line), Ancestry.com
Family Collection, photos.
Family History narratives, as told by Henry Bollmann and Rosemary Bollmann Church.
German Phone Directories, 1915-1981 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
Germany Address Books, 1899, Ancestry.com.
Germany and Surrounding Areas, Address Books, 1815-1974 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 (database on-line), Ancestry.com.
Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1958 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
New Jersey, U.S., Death Index 1901-2017 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 (database on-line), Ancestry.com
The Budding Genealogist 