Ann Lazarus Schloss | The Columbus Jewish Historical Society

Interviewer: This interview for the Columbus Jewish Historical Society is being recorded on November 28, 2019, as a part of the Columbus Jewish Historical Society Oral History Project. The interview is being recorded at Ann’s apartment, the Kenwood in Cincinnati. My name Is Toby Brief and I’m interviewing Ann Lazarus Schloss. Also with us are Ann’s daughter, Cathy and Ann’s cousin, Babette Gorman. Ann, could you tell us your full name?

Ann: Ann Lazarus Schloss

Interviewer: Do you have a middle name?

Ann: (shakes head “no”)

Interviewer: Did you have a Hebrew name? A Jewish name?

Ann: (shakes head “no”, room laughter)

Interviewer: Do you know who you were named for?

Ann: I was named for my grandmother.

Interviewer: Ok, your grandmother?

Ann: Was Anna Marks

Interviewer: Anna Marks, okay.

Interviewer: And could you tell us your birth date?

Ann: January 2^nd (laughs)

Interviewer: And the year?

Ann: 1919 (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: And could you tell me your parents’ names?

Ann: It was Meta Marks Lazarus and Fred Lazarus Jr.

Interviewer: Where was Meta born?

Ann: I’m not even sure.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: Near Cleveland, but…

Interviewer: Okay, do you remember any of your great aunts and uncles, or your, your father’s siblings?

Ann: Yeah, all of ‘em.

Interviewer: Okay, can you tell me who they were?

Ann: There was, um, Hattie, and um, Edna, my mother, and I think that there were men, men. I don’t know who they are.

Interviewer: Do you remember Fred’s, your father’s sisters? He had some…

Ann: Who?

Interviewer: Your father had some sisters?

Ann: Bertha and Tillie (nods head)

Babette: Tillie, yes.

Interviewer: Did you, did you meet them?

Ann: (to Babette) You knew ‘em better. You lived in New York (pointing to Babette) (laughter)

Interviewer: Did you, do you remember meeting them? Did they come to Columbus?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did they come to Columbus to visit?

Ann: They came to Columbus for a wedding. And we met ‘em then.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: And then, when we were in New York we met Tillie. (nods head)

Interviewer: What do you remember about her?

Ann: She was funny (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Did she have children? Do you remember meeting children?

Ann: Yeah. But I don’t remember their names.

Interviewer: That’s okay. Now

Ann: Ben, he was nice too. Ben, or something, Ben? No, I don’t know.

Interviewer: Okay, um…

Ann: I was kinda young.

Interviewer: Right (laughs). You still remember those days.

Ann: And I was a flower girl (laughs)

Interviewer: And you were a flower girl?

Ann: And I was told, yeah, at my Uncle Jack’s wedding. And I was told to throw the rose, (makes throwing motion with arm) and so I did it like my brothers taught me. You know, do this (winds up arm and tossing motion)and then, sling it (laughs, room laughter) and I hit Tillie on the nose (looks down with hand above eyes, laughs, room laughter). We got to be very good friends (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Perfect. Do you remember your dad going to work, when you were a little girl, you were in Columbus.

Ann: Yeah

Interviewer: What can you tell us about your dad going to work every day?

Ann: He went to work every day, and when we were in Charlevoix, we went to, in the summers we went to Michigan. But he, he went up in the, in the train. And he would go every, every weekend he went up there to join his wife and kids.

Interviewer: Was he active in the synagogue?

Ann: Was he active?

Interviewer: In the synagogue, in the temple?

Ann: I don’t think he was. My mother did. My mother started Sisterhood in the…

Interviewer: Okay, do you know how your mother’s family, do you, do you know your grandmother or do you know…

Ann: Yeah, their name were Marks. And my grandmother Marks was a doll. She was darling. My grandfather (scrunches up face, laughs, room laughter)

Cathy: Well, you can’t strike a home run with everybody.

Ann: (laughs)

Interviewer: I think his name was Isaac and her name was

Ann: It was Isaac Marks.

Interviewer: Okay. And your grandmother was Anna.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: As you said.

Ann: So I was named after her.

Interviewer: Okay, and they had a, what kind of a business? Do you know what kind of business they were in?

Ann: They were in the merchandising something or other.

Interviewer: Okay. Do you know how your parents met?

Ann: (shakes head “no”) I know nothing about it.

Interviewer: Okay, did they ever tell you stories about their childhood?

Ann: Not much. (shakes head “no”)

Interviewer: You said your mother…

Ann: They came over from Germany, and my grandmother was sixteen! And she came over by herself. (nods head)

Interviewer: Did they ever tell you anything about that? Why she came alone?

Ann: They (laugh) I think the Jews were coming over then, even then. And it was the 1850’s.

Interviewer: Okay, you said that your mother was involved with the synagogue?

Ann: Sisterhood.

Interviewer: The Sisterhood. Do you know other things that she was involved with?

Ann: I don’t know many, but I know she was very involved with that.

Interviewer: Okay. And your mother, when did your mother pass away?

Ann: G-d, (thinks) I think I was like ten years old. It was a long time ago.

Interviewer: So you were a young girl.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Do you remember that? Do you remember when she was…

Ann: (nods) And my father had her, had the funeral arrangements in the house. (whispers “It was awful”)

Babette: Oh..

Interviewer: Hmmm, that was a long time ago.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Mm huh.

Interviewer: So tell us about growing up. Tell us about your life. Where did you, what’s the first house that you remember growing up?

Ann: Well, I hate to tell you, I had all those brothers, and I just tried to stand up. I thought stand up for myself, but I was hitting them too (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Tell us your brothers’ names.

Ann: Fred, Ralph, and one we called, Mogie.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: And then Dick was my little brother, and he ran across the street in Charlevoix and was hit by a car and was killed. Not good.

Interviewer: And you were all up there on a vacation?

Ann: Yeah, well, my dad wasn’t up, he was working. But my, everybody else was up. And then my brothers went to camp. To boys’ camp. We went to Walden (looks at Babette, laughs) Didn’t we? (laughs)

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Didn’t we?

Babette: Yes we did. (laughter)

Interviewer: So tell me about going to Walden, when you were a girl. What was it like?

Ann: It was fun.

Interviewer: How did you get to camp?

Ann: I think Rose started and then JoAnn and Charlotte, and, and Jeannie and all of your gang went.

Babette: Yeah.

Interviewer: Were you all there at the same time?

Ann: We were, yeah.

Interviewer: When you went to Walden, did you take the train? Did you drive?

Ann: We took a train. Yeah, (looks at Babette) you were there.

Babette: I was there later, yes (laughter.)

Interviewer: What sort of um, things did you, how, how did you play when you were a very young girl?

Ann: How did I play?

Interviewer: Did you play with your brothers? What sort of games?

Ann: I played with my little brother all the time. And the other ones, we defended ourselves. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: (laughs) Did you, where did you go to school?

Ann: Columbus School for Girls.

Interviewer: All the way through?

Ann: (nods head, “yes”) The school changed, but we didn’t (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: And who were your good friends?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Who were your good friends?

Ann: Well, there was Lois Gundersheimer and Phyllis Harmon. Yep.

Babette: Yep

Ann: And way back I’m not so sure I remember so good. Virginia Davidson. (nods head)

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: Memory doesn’t..

Interviewer: That’s okay. What was, what was CSG like back then? Were the classes big?

Ann: Very snooty (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Were the classes big or very small?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Were the classes large or small?

Ann: They were medium.

Interviewer: What was your, who was your favorite teacher?

Ann: I’m not sure I had one (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: (laughs) Did you do things with the boys from Columbus Academy?

Ann: Not that much, no. but the Academy was just across Alums (Alum Creek). And very close to where we lived. But the CSG, well it started at the hearing, (touches ear) at the hearing thing. Then we were down on, (laughs) what is it, Town and…

Babette: Parsons and Bryden?

Ann: And, and…

Babette: And Town, yeah.

Ann: Yeah and then they moved out to, but by that time, I was gone.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: May I just ask, why you found it snooty?

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: Why was it snooty?

Ann: Huh?

Babette: In what way was CSG snooty?

Ann: I think the people were (room laughter) But that was me maybe making it out (room laughter)

Babette: Okay.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: What are some of the…

Ann: And I thought Mrs. McClure was (sticks nose in air, snooty voice) very snooty (laughs). (to Babette) You didn’t.

Babette:I didn’t know her.

Ann: You didn’t know her?

Babette: No.

Ann: Oh, well then you didn’t know her (nose in air, snooty voice, laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Where did your brothers go to school?

Ann: Columbus Academy, and then my brothers, one of, no two of ‘em, Sy was a cousin, and Fred went to Exeter. And then they went to Yale, yeah.

Interviewer: And where did you go to college?

Ann: And Ralph went to Dartmouth, and Mogie went to Harvard. They scooted all over the place.

Interviewer: Where did you go?

Ann: I went to Welles College in Aurora, New York. It was a small girls’ school.

Interviewer: Did you like it?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Did you go with any friends from Columbus?

Ann: (shakes head “no”) No, I didn’t know anybody.

Interviewer: How did you choose Welles College?

Ann: One of the teachers got hold of me and thought, “Welles is for you.” (shrugs shoulders, room laughter). So I went.

Interviewer: When you were a child, did you go on lots of vacations?

Ann: Some vacations.

Interviewer: And where would you go? I know you went to Charlevoix.

Ann: Went to Charlevoix with, and then, hmmm, I can’t remember ‘em all.

Interviewer: Did you go to Europe as a child?

Ann: Yeah. (nods)

Interviewer: Where did you go?

Ann: We went to uh (thinks), to France and to, we went kind of all over.

Interviewer: That’s great.

Ann: Uh huh.

Interviewer: Did you go once, or more than once?

Ann: (nods “yes”)

Interviewer: More than once?

Ann: With parents or people they put us with, yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. Did you ever go to Germany?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did you go to Germany as a child?

Ann: (Nods yes)

Interviewer: Did you go to any place that the Lazarus family was from?

Ann: (shakes head “no”) Not that I remember.

Interviewer: Do you remember visiting the store downtown when you were a child?

Ann: Oh yeah, I worked there.

Interviewer: Oh, well tell us about that.

Ann: Yeah, I worked there quite a few years (laugh)

Interviewer: What did you do?

Ann: Well I was in the, at one point I, I, I was selling (moves hand crosswise in front of herself) underwear, in the girls’, in the women’s department and one girl came up to me and she wanted something and I, I took everything out of the place (moves arm back and forth) to show her and she said, “Thank you,” and left. (room laughter, laughs) And somebody said to her, “You know who you were talking to? That was the boss’s daughter.” And she said, “So??” (makes face, laughs, room laughter) So I went down there to her department and I made her do the same dumb thing, and I never talked. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Did you work in some other departments there?

Ann: Hmmm?

Interviewer: Were you in any other departments?

Ann: A lot of departments.

Interviewer: And what were those?

Ann: And with children, and with, and where they took out all kinds (rolls eyes), it was, that was our growing up. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: So did all the cousins work?

Ann: My brothers all worked too.

Babette: Was this during…

Ann: (to Babette) You never did, did you?

Babette: Uh, a short time. Was this when you were in high school?

Ann: Yeah, (nods head, to Babette) you weren’t in, in Columbus then.

Babette: Uh, no.

Ann: No, yeah.

Interviewer: So everybody in the family took part in, in the store.

Ann: Well, in our family they did.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: And they all went, and my brother Ralph had, (looks down at her feet) his feet hurt, he said. At this point, we had a pool. And he gets home from working and he takes his socks and his shoes off (motions at feet as if taking off shoes and socks) and he puts his feet in the water (closes her eyes and grins), and just grinned all over (laughs, room laughter) Then my dad came home and he said, “Well, where were the boys today?” (laughs)and Mother (points) said, “They’re out, one of ‘em’s out at the pool still soaking his feet” (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: What other stories do you remember from the store?

Ann: Oh, we had many stories.

Interviewer: What can you tell us?

Ann: I don’t, not that I remember ‘em, though. I really don’t.

Interviewer: Did you, did you eat at the restaurants there?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Would you eat at the restaurants at the store?

Ann: Eat at the restaurant? Yeah, and then when I was still very young, I was with my father and this, he was talking to this woman and she said that she (laughs), that she, she was hungry and they were going to go eat at the Maramor. And my father (laughs). And, and, and so she said, “What can you tell me?” and I (closes her eyes) said, “You’re in the best restaurant.” (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Very true (laughs).

Ann: Yeah. And, and of course it became, her name was Mary Moore, she was, it was her restaurant (room laughter) uh huh, uh huh (nods head). And I was about, I think about, eight. Anyway, I could talk (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: When you were young, did they have animals in the restaur, in the store? Did they bring in pets and things for the children to see?

Ann: Bloomingdale’s did once, and the hurricane was coming. They told me to “GET OUT of Bloomingdale’s and go home.” My father did.

Interviewer: (laughs)

Ann: I said “I couldn’t, I was a buyer.” (makes snooty face) I was a big shot. (laughs, room laughter)

Cathy: Yeah, she worked there.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay, so did you work at Bloomingdale’s after college?

Ann: After college, I went to Tobi Coburn, which is merchandising. And then I worked at Bloomingdale’s.

Interviewer: Okay. And you were a buyer.

Ann: For about five years, yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. How did you like working at Bloomingdale’s?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: How did you like working at Bloomindale’s?

Ann: I loved it.

Interviewer: Yeah?

Ann: And the people were nice, and I had, and I was good friends of theirs.

Interviewer: Did you want to come back to Columbus?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did you want to come back to Columbus?

Ann: I went back to Columbus and I met my husband and I moved him here. Yeah. (smiles)

Interviewer: Tell us about meeting him.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Where did you meet?

Ann: We were at a party. It was after the war. That’s where I met him.

Interviewer: And could you tell us his name?

Ann: Hmm?

Interviewer: His name?

Ann: It’s George Schloss.

Interviewer: Okay, and what did he do?

Ann: He was a doctor. He delivered babies (laughs) and he fought with your mother (looks at Babette, laughs, room laughter)

Babette: About what?

Ann: They were both too darn sure of themselves. (laughs, room laughter)

Babette: I could see that.

Interviewer: How did he propose to you?

Ann: I don’t remember. I guess in the way that anybody does. I don’t know.

Interviewer: Okay. And where did you get married?

Ann: In Columbus.

Interviewer: At the synagogue or at a restaurant?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: At the synagogue or a restaurant or a home?

Ann: (closes eyes) I don’t know.

Interviewer: Okay. So um, we have the article about your marriage. Let’s see, it says that you were engaged in 1946, and that you were married in Cincinnati!

Ann: Right.

Interviewer: In October.

Ann: Right.

Interviewer: Okay, when did you move to Cincinnati?

Ann: When I got married.

Interviewer: But you met your husband In Columbus?

Ann: In Columbus and then I went back to work in Cincinnati, I mean, in New York, and then I got married. It was, it was not a long engagement. (makes funny frown face, smiles)

Interviewer: Okay (laughs) Where, where did you live when you were growing up? What, what, do you remember your addresses or what your houses were like?

Ann: (looks up) It began with a “D”, what is that?

Interviewer: Did you live on Kendall?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did you live on Kendall?

Babette: Kendall Place.

Ann: Yeah

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: Begins with a “D” (laughs, room laughter)

Babette: The second half does. (laughter)

Babette: KenDall

Cathy: Dall, with a capital “D”

Interviewer: What do you remember about your houses, growing up?

Ann: Ours was a brick house. And, and it was fun. (moves hand back and forth) It was a street, off Bryden Road.

Interviewer: Did you have, were there children in the neighborhood?

Ann: Yeah. (nods)

Interviewer: Who were your neighbors or the kids that you would play with?

Ann: (closes eyes) Uh, don’t ask me.

Interviewer: That’s a tough one (laughs, room laughter)

Ann: (laughs)

Interviewer: But there were kids in the neighborhood?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. And then you moved to Park Drive?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: And can you tell me about that house?

Ann: Well, that was when, when Bexley was just beginning. (nods)

Interviewer: So you were one of the first Jewish families to live in Bexley?

Ann: One of the first, but there weren’t many of us.

Interviewer: Okay, was there anything in particular about the house, did you have big dinners there?

Ann: (scrunches face) It was a tudor house. I don’t, I (points to Babette) remember their house more than ours. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: And where was, where was Babette’s family’s house?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Where was Char’s house?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Where was Char’s house? Was it near?

Ann: Char’s house, was her house. (points to Babette)

Babette; Yeah, across the street, right?

Ann: Huh?

Babette: Across the street.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: So your cousins…

Ann: (sweeps arm across) It was sort of down the alley.

Babette: Yes.

Interviewer: Okay, so your cousins were across the street, so you could see them a lot.

Ann: We were very close together, yes.

Interviewer: Okay, can you tell me, did any of your other relatives ever live with you?

Ann: (looks sideways) I think some of Mother’s relatives did.

Interviewer: Okay, do you remember your Uncle Jeffrey, Jack, maybe living?

Ann: He was younger.

Interviewer: Do you remember, did he come and live with you for a while?

Ann: He sort of took care of us for a while.

Interviewer: Oh, okay.

Ann: When my parents left, went to someplace to visit. Anyways, he took care of us. And Mimi and Mar, Mar, Margo? (looks at Babette) You knew her then…Mimi and….

Babette: Oh, Mim and Syd?

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: Weisman?

Ann: Huh? Gumble.

Babette: Yes, yes Mim Gumble married Syd Weisman, yeah.

Ann: Yeah, they were also caretakers.

Babette: Oh.

Interviewer: So when your parents went away, they would come and watch you.

Ann: So they took a trip, they’d give us one of those people to…(rolls eyes) hmm, poor things, yes (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Were you good for your uncle?

Ann: Not particularly (laughs, room laugher)

Interviewer: (laughs) Did you have holidays at your house?

Ann: (thinks) I’m sure we did.

Interviewer: Do you remember celebrating Chanukah or Christmas or anything at your…

Ann: (shakes “no”) Not particularly. That was a, (scrunches face) kind of a long time ago (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: That’s true (laughs) Do you remember going to Winding Hollow?

Ann: Oh yeah.

Interviewer: Tell me about Winding Hollow. I know it opened in 1923, so it opened when you were a very little girl.

Ann: Yeah, but then, I tried playing golf. (scrunches face) Not very good, but I tried.

Interviewer: What was it like when you went as a child? Can you tell us what it looked like?

Ann: What do you mean, what was like?

Interviewer: It was, there was a small place for people to gather near the golf course?

Ann: The golf course, yeah, it was small.

Interviewer: Okay, was there a swimming pool?

Ann: I don’t remember much about it.

Interviewer: Okay, okay. It was very new back then.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Do you remember going to the Temple on Bryden Road?

Ann: Um huh (room laughter) and being confirmed.

Interviewer: Oh you do?

Ann: Yeah (rolls eyes)

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: With my back to the audience. It was much easier. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: And why was that?

Ann: Because I wasn’t facing the audience! (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Did you have to sing?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did you have to sing?

Ann: Did I have a…

Cathy: Did you have to sing?

Ann: No.

Interviewer: No.

Ann: And then, my mother died when I was young. And Dad bought seats in the Temple (moves arm back and forth in front of her) , ya know, to, because the benches were so uncomfortable (laughs)

Babette: Smart

Ann: And that was in memory of my mother. (looks up)

Babette: Awwww.

Ann: And the first time, Ralph was the only one at home. And he was so late that we didn’t even get the comfortable seats. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: (laughs) Did you go to the Temple very often?

Ann: When I had to (laughs, room laughter)

Iterviewer: Did you go to the religious school?

Ann: Um huh.

Interviewer: And what was that like?

Ann: (scrunches face, laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Okay (laughs) uh, do you remember, I think Rabbi Kornfeld was there and then Rabbi Tarshish.

Ann: Tarshish I remember real well. (makes sideways glance, room laughter) The voice! (smiles)

Interviewer: What was it about his voice?

Ann: (laughs) it was loud and you could hear it. (laughs) Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: And then Gup.

Interviewer: Rabbi Gup, okay.

Ann: Yeah. (nods, looks at Babette) You had Rabbi Gup. No, you never went.

Babette: No.

Ann: And Dad was so proud of your mother (looks at Babette) because she said she wouldn’t let anybody send her presents for confirmation and she sent all the presents back, and dad thought, “now that is what I call religion.” (laughs, room laughter)

Babette: Yeah, she wouldn’t get confirmed cause she didn’t believe it.

Ann: Yeah, that’s right. But she was a very good sport about it. (looks down, room laughter)

Interviewer: Did you get a lot of presents when you were confirmed?

Ann: Sorta. (scrunches face) You know what my father got? (laughs silently) Hearing aids.

Interviewer: When you were confirmed?

Ann: When he was confirmed.

Babette: Oh.

Ann: Isn’t that horrible? (laughs silently)

Interviewer: (laughs) so when World War II came…

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: When World War II came, what were you doing during the war?

Ann: (thinks) I was working, in New York. Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay, do you, were you affected by the war?

Ann: Well, of course everybody was affected. But I was working at Bloomindale’s.

Cathy: Can I ask a question? Um, Mom, do you remember what you were doing on Pearl Harbor Day?

Ann: (laughs, looks at Cathy) that was the day I was with your fath, your grandfather.

Interviewer: And what were you doing?

Ann: And he, and he was with Ster, somebody, who was he with, Cath?

Cathy: I thought you were with Aunt Erma and Uncle Fred making springerle.

Ann: Oh, that’s different then. (looks upward) Anyway, it was the day that Japan and…gave out.

Interviewer: Right, okay.

Ann: And I went drinking with my father (laughs, room laughter) Good, yeah.

Interviewer: It was a good way to celebrate.

Babette: Yeah.

Cathy: It was.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: We were celebrating. And I got back very late. That was my first real long night out (laughs, room laugher) yeah

Babette: With your father

Ann: With my father, yeah.

Cathy: Yeah.

Interviewer: When you were in New York, where did you live?

Ann: On Park Avenue.

Interviewer: In an apartment?

Ann: Yeah, (points to Babette) with your aunt, wasn’t it?

Babette: I don’t know, with Babs? Or Jean?

Ann: You had an aunt. (looks up) Anyway, yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. So you lived, do you know what, do you remember the address?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Do you remember the address?

Ann: No.

Cathy: It was the Beverly Hotel, wasn’t it, Mom?

Ann: It was the Beverly Hotel.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: That’s right. (points to Cathy) She’s got a better memory.

Interviewer: Can you tell us, so after the war, you got married?

Ann: I did get married after the war, yeah.

Interviewer: And was Stuart in the war?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: In the Service?

Ann: I didn’t know him. I didn’t know him during the Service.

Interviewer: Okay.

Cathy: But he was in the Service.

Ann: He was in the service. He was in the Navy.

Interviewer: Okay. How about your brothers, were your brothers in the Service?

Ann: Well (laughs) they were all over. (thinks) One was in the Army, and he was in Italy. (thinks) One was in, Ral, Ralph never made the Service, cause he, there was something wrong. And Mogie was in the Pacific. So they, they kinda were all over.

Interviewer: Okay. And when did they come home? Was it very long after?

Ann: Well the funny story about the whole thing was, Fred was the first one that was in, and he was gonna go overseas. And on Fifth Avenue, Dad had a party for him, and he ended up directing traffic on Fifth Avenue (laughs, room laughter), my father.

Babette: Who did? Your father did. (laughs)

Ann: Yes. (laughs, room laughter) How about that? Yeah. (points to Babette) Your father was nice.

Babette: Yes, he was.

Ann: (smiles) Calm, cool, and collected.

Babette: Yeah.

Interviewer: When did, how did Mooie get his name?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: How did Mooie get his name? Oh, Mogie.

Ann: Mogie?

Interviewer: Mogie, get his name?

Ann: His name was really Maurice. M-A-U-R-I-C-E.

Interviewer: And how did he…

Ann: They called him Mogie. (shakes head) How he got Mogie, I don’t know.

Interviewer: When did he come back from the Service?

Ann: (thinks) Well, he came back from the Pacific.

Interviewer: So it took awhile for him to get back?

Ann: Yeah. And in between time (thinks)… Yeah, that was right.

Interviewer: So, when you got married, can you tell us about your wedding day? Do you remember anything about your wedding day?

Ann: (shakes head “no”) Mine wasn’t exciting or fancy or anything, (smiles)

Interviewer: Did you go on a honeymoon afterwards?

Ann: Yeah. We went to, (thinks) Cathy, what’s the name of it?

Cathy: To The Broadmoor, in Colorado Springs.

Ann: That’s right (laughs)

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: Yeah, that’s the one with the memory.

Interviewer: (laughs) Uh, where did you live in Cincinnati, when you first got married?

Ann: (thinks, looks at Cathy) Cathy? (room laughter)

Cathy: For a short time in Mt. Washington.

Ann: Yeah. That was when, right after we got married.

Cathy: And then you moved to Barry Lane.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: In Avondale.

Interviewer: Now tell me about your children, who were your children?

Ann: The first one is a boy, and the next one was Cathy (points to Cathy), and the third one is a girl, Mida.

Interviewer: And who was Meta named after?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Who was Meta named after?

Ann: My mother.

Interviewer: And how about Cathy?

Ann: Cathy was just, I liked the name Cathy.

Interviewer: And your son, what is his name?

Ann: Stuart Schloss, Jr.

Interviewer: Named after his father.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Did you belong to a synagogue here?

Ann: (nods) Yes we did.

Interviewer: And what synagogue was that?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: What synagogue was it?

Ann: Isaac M. Wise?

Cathy: No, Rockdale.

Ann: Rockdale.

Interviewer: Were you involved in the Sisterhood?

Ann: (shakes head “no”) Not that much.

Interviewer: Okay. What organizations did you belong to?

Ann: (thinks) Listen, I don’t know all that.

Cathy: Um, the, the Fine Arts Fund.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay, okay, and what sort of hobbies have you had? Any? Anything in particular?

Ann: (shakes head )I don’t know.

Cathy: Reading, cards, you like to play cards.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay. Who was the greatest influence that you had growing up?

Ann: Biggest influence I had?

Interviewer: Yeah.

Cathy: Uh huh.

Ann: (thinks) Too long ago, I don’t remember.

Interviewer: (laughs) Was there anybody in the family who, who told you something that you’ve always remembered?

Ann: I think my father was a controller. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: That could be.

Ann: Yeah.

Cathy: Yeah.

Ann: My mother died when I was young.

Interviewer: Right. What is your best memory about your mother?

Ann: She was a sweet lady.

Interviewer: I know the Temple, the Bryden Road Temple, had a library named after her.

Ann: I know, but that wasn’t anything due to her (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: It was a nice honor.

Ann: It was a nice honor, right.

Interviewer: Okay. What about your grandparents, did they ever tell you anything that you still remember?

Ann: Well, my Grandmother Lazarus, I thought she was kind of tough! (laughs, closes mouth and nods, looks at Babette) I don’t know that you knew her or cared.

Babette: I didn’t know her.

Cathy: No.

Babette: You mean Dearie?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: And why do you think she was tough?

Ann: She, because she, there were rules. As a young girl, I went shopping with my mother. And I saw a beautiful red dress, (looks up) and I love red. (laughs) And she said, “They don’t, you don’t belong in that dress.” And I said, “Why?” (smiles) I was about five. And anyway, I carried on until I got the red dress (laughs) and then my grandmother got me and she said, (in a mean voice) “Meta, take that dress off that child. She doesn’t belong in that.” (laughs) Anyway, it continued. We weren’t the greatest of friends. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: Did you see her very often?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did you see here very often?

Ann: Very often, yeah, every Friday we were, (winces) she had the whole family. And everybody was nice but her (laughs, room laughter)

Babette: Hmm, interesting…

Cathy: Yeah.

Interviewer: So did everyone go to her house for dinner or something?

Ann: (nods) We went to her house for dinner.

Interviewer: And what was dinner?

Ann: And I was so grateful because my father started building that house at 110 and he couldn’t tear it down and he had to go on and finish it. And if he hadn’t, because when she died, we would have been there (laughs).

Interviewer: So he finished the house?

Ann: (points to Babette) And your father, I don’t think was married?

Cathy: Her grandfather.

Ann: Her grandfather.

Babette: They got married in 1918.

Ann: Oh yeah, they were married.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Just married.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: So they had everybody on Friday at the house on Bryden Road.

Ann: Everybody, they always had the dish (moves hands to indicate different spots in front of herself) that their fathers liked.

Babette: Who did the cooking?

Ann: For each son.

Babette: Who did the cooking?

Ann: The cook. (smiles)

Babette: Oh (room laughter) that’s what I thought.

Interviewer: What was the dish that they liked?

Ann: Everybody had each one, one had, had different things. And she had something for everyone. She did, for her boys.

Babette: Wow. That’s so, do you remember what the dishes were?

Ann: I can’t remember, that’s sad.

Babette: That’s funny.

Cathy: Oh no, that’s funny.

Babette: That’s very funny. They were spoiled, huh?

Ann: Yeah (room laughter).

Cathy: Yeah.

Ann: Yeah. (sideways glance)

Interviewer: So if you were there on Friday night, did they light the candles?

Ann: Now I didn’t remember that.

Cathy: You just remember the food, right?

Interviewer: (laughs) what was your favorite dish?

Ann: (thinks) I don’t even know that.

Interviewer: (laughs)

Ann: Girls didn’t matter, it was the boys. She had sons.

Interviewer: Right.

Cathy: Yeah.

Ann: That’s right.

Interviewer: What sort of family values do you think the family had that they instilled in each of the children? What was important?

Ann: (thinks) I don’t know, I really don’t.

Interviewer: Did they do a lot of things for charity?

Ann: I think they all did. I, I think they definitely all did.

Interviewer: Okay.

Cathy: And they believed a lot in family, didn’t they?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: But my brothers were always in the dark. If they belonged there, they were terrible. (laughs, room laughter)

Interviewer: What did they do that was terrible? Tell us more about them.

Ann: They were just mischievous and tough.

Interviewer: (laughs) Okay. Did you have pets when you were small?

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: Did you have pets? Dogs or cats or?

Ann: Oh, we had dogs, yeah.

Interviewer: Okay, what stories about the family, what other stories do you have? Can you tell us about the Thanksgiving story?

Ann: (smiles) The Thanks, oh you mean Dad and Thanksgiving.

Interviewer: Uh huh.

Ann: (thinks) That happens to be one story I knew. I don’t know many.

Interviewer: Tell us the Thanksgiving story again.

Ann: Yeah.

Cathy: Can you tell about the Thanksgiving story that you told us earlier?

Ann: Oh I told you. Well, anyway, Dad went to President Roosevelt. And he said that he thought that they should change Thanksgiving, because Thanksgiving sometimes, came so late and there wasn’t shopping days left. (laughs, smiles) That’s what he wanted, yeah.

Interviewer: And then what happened?

Ann: So then, he told, my uncle Sy got hold of him and he said (leaning back and forth in rough voice), “And who was that gosh darn guy who changed Thanksgiving?” and Dad smiled sweetly and said he was (laughs, room laughter). And he (Sy) said (in tough voice), “How could you do that?” and he said, “it ruined the Ohio State-Michigan game.” That’s how he did.

Interviewer: (laughs)

Ann: There was a difference in what each one was interested in. (laughs)

Babette: Yeah (laughs)

Interviewer: So Sy was very interested in athletics?

Ann: He loved, and he loved Ohio State. (smiles) And of course, Dad liked merchandising. (smirk and shrugs)

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Your dad made lots of other changes in, in merchandising.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Can, do you know some of those stories?

Ann: Federated.

Interviewer: Tell us about Federated a little bit.

Ann: He started it, yeah. And he knew a lot of the people in all the organizations and he loved it, he loved it.

Interviewer: And when did they move to Cincinnati?

Ann: Well, Uncle Jack went first.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: And then, and then Dad thought he needed support. So he sent Ralph down (slight frown, then nods) And then he went. So when he went, I went. (laughs)

Interviewer: Okay, so then all three of the boys , or three of the boys were down here?

Ann: Uncle Jack, and, and. Well two of my brothers were there.

Interviewer: Okay.

Cathy: Fred came down.

Ann: Fred came down and Mogie.

Babette: Your brother, your brother Fred, and your brother, Mogie.

Cathy: No.

Babette: No, didn’t Mogie stay in Boston?

Cathy: Mogie, Mogie stayed in, he went to Houston.

Ann: No, Mogie was there first.

Cathy: He went to Houston.

Babette: Yeah, he did.

Ann: Yeah.

Cathy: And Fred came and Grandpa came. And, um, and then you came here after you were married.

Ann: Yeah.

Cathy: And then Uncle Ralph came in 1952.

Ann: That’s right.

Interviewer: Okay. What haven’t I asked you about the fam…

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: What haven’t I asked you about the family that I should have asked you?

Ann: What?

Interviewer: What other stories do you have, any kind of story?

Ann: The rest of ‘em are silly stories and I don’t remember them. (smiles, room laughter)

Interviewer: Do you guys have some questions?

Babette: My mind just went blank too (laughter)

Ann: (points to Babette) She is an organizer like her mother (laughter)

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: You are.

Babette: Well, I think we have a lot of strong-willed people in this family.

Cathy: Yes.

Ann: That’s right.

Cathy: Um, well do you want to talk about some of the things that you and Char did together? Cause you guys were really close friends.

Ann: We were close friends.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: And loved travelling.

Babette: And did you travel together?

Ann: Yeah

Babette: Where did you go?

Ann: We went with, we went with that group from Cincinnati, really. Charlotte and I joined ‘em.

Babette: Um huh. Nice

Ann: Went all over.

Babette: Uh huh. I think somewhere I have pictures of that trip.

Ann: Yeah (laughter). I think your pictures’ll tell ya.

Babette: Yeah, (laughter) maybe.

Interviewer: So what would you like to tell your great grandchildren about your family?

Ann: About what?

Interviewer: About your family, what would you tell them if you could tell them something?

Ann: (scrunches face, smiles) I don’t know.

Interviewer: It was a good family?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: (laughs) Okay, anything else?

Ann: And they grew up, they finally made it! (laughs, room laughter)

Babette: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: Growing up was kind of difficult for everybody. (points to Babette) Not as much with your family.

Cathy: Well you spent a lot of time with them.

Ann: Yeah, I did.

Babette: You talked about…

Ann: My father just plain couldn’t raise girls.

Babette: That’s what I was going to say. You talked about it being hard being the girl, whereas in Char’s family there were three girls and then the one lonely boy.

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: So they were a very much girl-oriented family and yours was a boy-oriented family.

Cathy: Right.

Ann: That’s right, that’s right.

Cathy: And you spent a lot of time with them you said.

Ann: I did.

Cathy: After…

Ann: Cause I could walk down the alley and be in their house. (smiles)

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: And I was (laughs).

Babette: Yeah.

Interviewer: Did any of your other cousins live right in that area?

Ann: I grew up with them. (points to Babette)

Babette: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay, and there were other cousins around as well?

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: Did you see as much of Rose and JoAnn as you did of Char?

Ann: Yeah, much closer to Char.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: Yeah.

Cathy: She doesn’t talk about that.

Babette: Yeah.

Cathy: She talks about Char and Aunt Hattie and Uncle Bob, but not…

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: And Char and your father just grrr (fights with her hands)

Cathy: And my father, yes.

Babette: Did they fight about medical things or?

Ann: Not things that they really knew about (laughs, room laughter). They just loved fighting.

Babette: Yeah, she did yes (laughs). Um, I wanna ask when your father remarried, Ceil?

Ann: That was not a good idea, from my point of view (laughter)

Babette: Okay (laughs). when was, were you grown?

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: Okay.

Cathy: She was still at home

abette: Oh.

Ann: I was, I just start, I just started college before.

Cathy: No! you were still in high school.

Ann: Oh, yeah.

Cathy: For a few years while she was there, cause, yeah.

Babette: Was it around the same time that um, Sy married Amy?

Ann: Before. (nods)

Babette: Okay.

Ann: And I don’t think they felt as strongly as we did.

Babette: Okay, so you didn’t get along with Ceil very much?

Ann: (shakes head “no” )I was, but I was really, my mother was really a sweet, loving person and, no (shakes head “no”).

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: I shouldn’t say it, but that’s the way I felt.

Babette: Yeah.

Cathy: Well sure you should say it. That’s what people want you to say, the truth, as you remember it.

Babette: Yeah.

Ann: And she had a son.

Babette: Yes.

Ann: Who was good in, he wrote plays, and (pause), but he was gay. My father couldn’t take that.

Babette: Awww, sad.

Ann: Which is bad, but that’s the way they were.

Babette: Yeah, it’s very sad.

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: It’s so hard.

Ann: It is hard.

Cathy: Yeah.

Ann: It’s terrible.

Babette: Yeah.

Interviewer: Tell us about, uh…

Ann: Huh?

Interviewer: When you were here, when you came here, were you involved with Jeffrey’s family also?

Ann: Was I involved where?

Babette: Uncle Jack’s

Cathy: With Uncle Jack’s family.

Interviewer: Uncle Jack?

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Did you see them a lot when you came to Cincinnati? Once you moved here?

Cathy: You saw more of Sy and Harriet.

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: Cousins, cousins

Ann: And Harriet went to Europe with us.

Babette: Oh, just Harriet without Sy?

Ann: Yeah.

Babette: It was a girl’s trip.

Ann: Joe didn’t, but Harriet did, yeah with Char and I.

Babette: Uh huh, nice.

Cathy: And you saw Joe down here too.

Ann: Huh?

Cathy: When you moved here you saw Joe and Johnny Stark.

Ann: Not, every, (laughs )for New Year’s.

Cathy: Every New Year’s.

Ann: (laughs)

Cathy: But you saw Sy and Harriet a lot.

Ann: Yeah, we saw them a lot.

Interviewer: We talked a little bit about your grandmother, about “Dearie”. Do you remember when she died?

Ann: No. (shakes head)

Interviewer: You were pretty young.

Ann: Yeah.

Interviewer: Okay.

Ann: Ya want more water?

Babette: I’m fine thanks.

Cathy: We have more over there.

Babette: It’s right there.

Interviewer: Okay, well on behalf of the Columbus Jewish Historical Society, I want to thank you for contributing to the Oral History Project. This concludes the interview.