Grandma Ethel the Artist, photos & story

Grandma Ethel's Paintings

When family visited Ethel Mossman in Atlanta, she would lovingly ask which of her paintings she could gift to each of them. My family would choose a painting and postpone the ownership so Grandma could enjoy her art in her home. Grandma Ethel would write out name on the back of the painting. 

Faye chose blossoming Cherry (Sakuras) trees and Jefferson Memorial in DC.

Ethel Bell Mossman © 1980

At Aviva Krauthammer Freedman's request, Faye kindly and generously gave this art to Aviva because Aviva lives near the Memorial.

The painting hangs in Aviva and Brett's daughter's bedroom. 

(Ethel would visit daughter Pauline Jolkovsky in Maryland and loved touring sites.)

Marcel chose Grandma Ethel's water scene with two tall trees for his gift.

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Joy chose the boat by the water.

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Faye has this painting by Grandma Ethel.

© Joy Krauthammer 

Joy chose the cabin on the mound with mountain.

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Faye chose the Red Rocks and Tree

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Mildred Bell asked for this painting and took it with her to California.

Faye inherited painting when cousin Paul Bell sent it to Faye.

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Marcel chose the cabin by the water.

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Painting details below

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Grandma Ethel signed her paintings, E. MOSSMAN

(Grandma Ethel signed her ceramics, E.B.M.)

Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Grandma the Artist

Grandma Ethel (Ethel Bell Mossman/Schlaffer) was born in 1900 in Podalsky Kaminsk, Ukraine, came by ship to America in 1911, and living in Decatur, Atlanta, Georgia, returned her soul to the Compassionate One in 1988. During the last decade of Grandma's life, joyously she painted.

Grandma loved landscapes. Family took photos of nature for her to paint them. Pointalism was a style (made famous by artist George Seurat) that Grandma excelled at and loved.  When we family would visit Grandma, she asked us to choose a painting from her walls. I chose but I refused to take one home with me when she offered. Grandma wrote my name on the back of the painting I chose. She did this also for Marcel and Aviva.  All the family members, siblings, children and grandchildren, were offered paintings. When our beloved Grandma died, we received the paintings. We wanted Grandma to have the pleasure of her paintings in all her days.

When Grandma's elderly sister-in-law, Mildred Bell, z'l, died, her son who was ill with cancer, Paul Bell, z'l, sent a painting to me that Mildred had chosen and taken years earlier. Mildred was married to Grandma's favorite "baby brother", Uncle Joe. I am grateful to also have that painting which I think I gave to Faye, my sister.

The paintings were framed for a show toward the end of Grandma's life. The back of the frames are also signed, Ethel Mossman Schlaffer. In 1975 Grandma married Mr. Tobias Schlaffer, z"l. They came to Los Angeles for their honeymoon, and I smile and chuckle remembering this. I toured them. They loved Marineland, and the Huntington Gardens. Schlaffer, as she called him, was ninety and she was 75. Grandma basically saved Schlaffer when his former wife died, by bringing him to her home, so that he wouldn't go to senior residence (nursing home). He chose Grandma out of all the "fancy" women who liked him at the Jewish Community Canter. They were a cute couple. Grandma was proud of her new last name and used it.

I'll have to go through decades old photos and scan them and post them here.
Favorites of mine include Grandma with Aviva, especially when she was a baby, and also when Grandma played basketball on a team at the local Atlanta Jewish Community Center. Grandma looked like a real grandma. My best holidays as a child were when I visited Grandma in Atlanta; sometimes with family and sometimes alone or with a friend, and then with my husband, z'l, and child.  When I would visit and I became ill, Grandma made me authentic chicken soup in the middle of the night.

When I was young and Grandma came to NY to visit us, she taught me to knit and to embroider.  (Libby J. says, that Grandma taught her also.) Grandma knitted tall booties for me, blue and white striped. There is a photo here because I still have them.  I include photographs of the afghans and pillow covers that she crocheted for family members. They are large, heavy and beautifully crafted. Faye also has some.  Too bad I'm allergic to acrylic. I'll photo her ceramics also, and the canvas needlework. I gave some away to Larry Hample for his twins when they were young, so that they, too, could have creations from Grandma's hands, because Grandma died before they were born.

We all hugely loved and miss Grandma.

- Joy Krauthammer

I've enjoyed photographing paintings by Ethel Bell Mossman © 

Memorial Plaques, Congregation Shearith Israel, Atlanta, GA

• Abram Mossman passed away on 12/30/1947 (17 Tevet 5708). 
• His Hebrew name is shown as Avram ben Rav Avraham
• Ethel passed away on 3/9/1988 (20 Adar 5748). 
• Her Hebrew name is Etel (spelled Ayin- tet- lamed) bat Rav Yisrael.

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