Melvin Gold

William Goldstein (born in 1874) married Rose Lederer on June 13, 1897 and they had five (5) children, (i) Julius C. Goldstein (born November 1898 and married to Nellie Javitch [June 18, 1905 to January 4, 1995]), (ii) Marcus Charles Goldstein (a dentist)[May 6, 1900 to October 3, 1941](married to Hannah M. Rothenberg on May 25, 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, [born September 10, 1900 in Cleveland, Ohio and died November 23, 1975], (iii) Manuel Goldstein (born May 21, 1904), (iv) Melvin Harold Goldstein (April 6, 1906 to April 3, 1953) and (v) Leonard Goldstein (September 19, 1907 to August 21, 1988).

Unfortunately, Rose died in ___________ and Melvin was raised in part by his stepmother, Mary Edlis, who was born in 1886 in Hungary. He did not have a good relationship with her at all. In fact, the bad relationship even affected his relationship with his father, William Goldstein. Melvin’s daughter, Lora Reed, remembers only meeting William and Mary once, when William and Mary stopped by unexpectedly at Melvin and Edit’s home. Lora said she was embarrased because she was only wearing a slip but their guests pretended not to notice. Mary had been previously married to Harry L. Price, but had gotten divorced.

The following marriage record reflects William as having lost his first wife, Rose, to death, and Mary having been previously married once and having gotten a divorce in New York.

However, it appears that the marriage record is in error as below please find the marriage record reflecting Mary’s marriage to Harry L. Price. It shows a previous marriage as well. It appears that she married Morris Rothstein on February 14, 1904. If this is accurate, it means that William Goldstein was not her second husband , but her third. It is interesting to see that William’s occupation is listed as “Huckster”. Today, that would have negative connotations but in that era, the term meant a salesman, street vendor, peddler or door to door seller.

Below please find the marriage certificate for Mary and what is believed to be her first husband.

Rose is buried in ______________________________________________________.

Melvin married Edith Albert and eventually, they had two children, Richard Gold and Lora Alpert Gold (Edith and Melvin had not decided on a name for Lora by the time she left the hospital so her birth certificate set forth her official name as “Baby Girl Goldstein”) who became Lora G. Reed when she married Hungarian immigrant Thomas W. Reed. Melvin and Edith shortened their last name to Gold.

I never got to meet my Grandfather, Melvin Gold, as he died of cancer on April 3, 1953, when my mother, Lora G. Reed, was still in college. He was a pharmacist by trade, having earned a scholarship to the pharmacy school at Ohio Northern University. He did not have the easiest life, having lost his Mother at a young age and having a terrible relationship with his step-mother. He worked very hard, running his pharmacy on the west side of Cleveland Ohio, all on his own. His wife, Edith, and my mother Lora, would bring him his meals at work. He had lending library in his store and compounded the drugs needed for the various prescriptions. Lora enjoyed spending time there, reading books and comics.

In addition to Julius, Melvin also had brother named Marcus Charles Goldstein, D.D.S., who also died young, leaving a widow and two children. Unfortunately, Lora and her parents lost contact with them as they were so busy with their pharmacy that they could not devote the time to the widowed sister in law and her children that they felt they deserved.

Both Melvin and Edith are buried in Cleveland, Ohio at the _____________Cemetery.