Joseph Nathan Melton, z"l

Joseph Nathan Melton, z"l

born Meltzer in Brooklyn, January 6, 1916

Joseph (Yussel Meltzer) Nathan ben Hyman v' Fraydl Melton  1/6/1919 ~ 4/12/1999,  26 Nisan 5759 

 Palms Cemetery, Sarasota, Fla.

Joseph Nathan Melton

Collage for Dad's 75th birthday

Elements lovingly designed by daughters Joy and Faye

Calligraphed by Barbara Klaristenfeld, 1991

Remembering Dad, z"l, Joseph Nathan Melton.  My sister Faye and I, Joy, lovingly designed elements for Dad's 75th birthday collage in 1991, calligraphed by Barbara Klaristenfeld. I inherited many artistic visual and musical gifts from Dad, and strong ethics. (Way too strict.) He played bugle in the US Army Drum and Bugle Corps, while creating prosthetic devices at Walter Reed Hospital for WWII returning vets. (All his Brooklyn friends were at Juilliard and in NY Philharmonic.) Dad, too, was a potter, video maker, and multi-talented artist. Only last week (June 2015) I visited where he grew up in Brooklyn (and where I too had worked in a hospital). Retired from NY's fancy garment district, Dad worked for Florida's Sheriff Department, and I now volunteer with Police/LAPD, and Fire Dept. (CERT volunteer) when not drumming, photographing, and gardening –as was Dad's passion. He loved my family. Although Dad ran from orthodoxy and Judaism, he asked me for Jewish holiday teachings and music, to share with his Sarasota, Florida community, and requested that I "serve as his rabbi at his funeral" after way too many years of cancer. I hope Dad is peacefully fishing somewhere, and with his beloved wife, my mom Libby, z"l, who died too young at age 49.

From FaceBook photo:

Veteran's Day. My dad, Joseph z"l, a Sargeant and Specialist in Medical Orthopedic Appliances, an army ‘prosthetist' designed, fabricated, and fit custom-made 'prostheses' artificial limbs, for the returning WW2 maimed soldiers recovering at Walter Reed, US Army Medical Center, DC. Dad was also musician in the Army's Drum & Bugle Corps, Medical Regiment. 

(While he was inducted, his Brooklyn pals entered the NY Phil. for their lifetimes and they continued to visit, and some later went to teach at Julliard until the end of their lifetimes.)

Bottom row, far left. Love you, Dad.

PS. Dad also taught the hospitalized soldiers to make wood toys for their own children, especially for the holidays. Top craftsman in countless mediums to the very end of his life.

Concerned about anti-Semitism in employment and neighborhood, Dad, when marrying mom, Libby, changed his name from Meltzer to Melton. Both Mom and Dad knew from the returning military because they worked with them at both Walter Reed General Hospital, and at the Pentagon. Mom worked with an Air Force General's office connected to the Pentagon-- and she knew of the horrors of WWII and the Holocaust that killed six million Jews and others. After the war, Dad did work with mostly Italian men in NY's garment district.

863 Siesta Key Circle view to Bay in front

where Joy went skiing   (and canal in back)

100 YEARS AGO TODAY

1.6.2016

Joseph Melton, nee Meltzer

My beloved father, z"l, Joe/Joseph/Yussel, was born 100 YEARS AGO TODAY, January 6, 1916, in Brooklyn to Polish immigrants, z"l. So much of his spirit I inherited. Dad was a member of the US Army Drum and Bugle Corps during WWII, a master multi-talented craftsman, a gardener, fisherman and very hard worker, family, friend, and community man with strong values and ethics. Dad was a loving grandfather to Aviva and loving father-in-law, and loving pet owner. My sister Faye in photo with us, was also present with me when Dad took his last breath in 1999 after struggling for years with cancer, after caring for Mom, z"l, his beloved wife, before she died too young from cancer. Thank you, Dad, for all you gave to us, shared, and taught us, along with Mom. I say Kaddish for you during the year. 

When I was about 10 years, with my shovel I was helping my dad in the garden, loosening dirt. Voila, under the top soil of dry brown earth, I found a green dollar bill. A miracle. Guess the earth fairy left it there for me to discover for my helping my dad. That dollar could buy 20 small white bags of popcorn at the local movie house in Queens.  :)

I'm grateful that you came to accept my devotion to our faith, when coming from your orthodox home was difficult for you as it was presented, and also witnessing the anti-Semitism, tragedy of the Holocaust, with the Army victims you helped to survive with a better quality of life. 

Yes, Dad, we still love Chinese food and mostly, I still taste your matzoh ball soup that you taught me to cook, the pop-overs, and cakes you taught me to bake each Sunday, and can still taste the fresh fish that you BBQ'd as soon as we caught it in your backyard Sarasota, Florida waters that you so loved in your retirement years. I love you.

Hours before my Chabad chuppah, my dad got on the floor and trimmed the fringe on my woven Mexican wedding dress so I would not trip. Dad helped teach me how to sew and create fancy well-made 'bound button holes".  Never said a word, but I'm sure the fashion expert never approved of my Sixties Indian and mirrored hippie clothes. In your memory, Dad, I have a beautiful candle burning.

- Joy

Sgt. Joseph Melton, Walter Reed Hospital, Dec. 1945

US Army Medical Center, Specialist - Medical Orthopedic Appliances

(Right side of upper left photo)

Photo in US Army Medical Center (AMC) patient newsletter. 

Sgt. Joseph Melton was referred to as "Santa" because of the gifts he made to be given away.

Leather zipper bag (news lower right) is made by Libby's husband, Joe, and Libby probably helped decorate with leather burning tool. (Libby later did that art in NY.)

Our dad, Joseph, in 1998, a year before he died at age 83, created black 'n white wooden cats for each of his children and beloved grandchild Aviva. His cats with movable head and tail, resemble the animal gifts he made shown in news photo. See photo below.

Dad in 1945 must have fashioned wood toys that the patients could then create in hospital workshops.

Dad designed and made body parts for the wounded soldiers so they could walk with legs, and use hands and arms.  - Joy Krauthammer & Faye Melton

Joseph, maybe a year before he died

holding the recent wood cat sculpture he had made

with moving head, and four feet. Made for each of his children and grandchildren.

© Joy Krauthammer 

Leather zipper bag detail created by Joe & Libby Melton

as seen in US Army newsphoto 1945
Married Libby 5.30.1944

© Joy Krauthammer 7.10.2015, courtesy Faye

Leather zipper bag detail created by Joe & Libby

© Joy Krauthammer 7.10.2015, courtesy Faye

Leather zipper bag detail created by Joe & Libby

© Joy Krauthammer 7.10.2015, courtesy Faye

Leather zipper bag detail created by Joe & Libby

© Joy Krauthammer 7.10.2015, courtesy Faye

US Army Induction for Joseph

Oct. 15, 1942

Private First Class Joseph N. Meltzer, Medical Department

Army-Medical Dept. Walter Reed Hospital certificate 1943

Enlisted Specialist Course in Orthopedic Appliances

 embossed stamp is below the Lieutenant Colonel’s signature at bottom left.

It says “United States Army"   M.D.P.S.S. (w/caduseus in the middle)
Later became Sargeant.

 Dad Pvt. Joseph N. Meltzer 

detail- bottom left

1st Medical Training Regiment

Drum and Bugle Corps

 Dad Pvt. Joseph N. Meltzer 

bottom 4th from right

1st Medical Training Regiment

Dad-- Pvt. Joseph N. Meltzer

1st Medical Training Regiment

Army-Medical Dept. Walter Reed Hospital, US ARMY

detail, top middle

Dad Pvt. Joseph N. Meltzer, top, 4th from the right.

1st Medical Training Regiment

Army-Medical Dept. Walter Reed Hospital, US ARMY

Joe, DC

Libby & Joe

Walter Reed Hospital, DC  1945

Joseph & Libby Melton

1944, 45?

Libby Mossman & Joseph Nathan Meltzer

Wedding Ketubah May 30, 1944, Washington, DC

9 Sivan 5704

Leba (ayin) Bat/Daughter of Avraham (Abe/Avram) HaKohen (and Etel)

Yosef Natan Bar/son Chania Hayim

Joe, Dolphe

Leather bag Joe made for Dolphe

Joy's wedding, Dad Joe, sister Faye, maternal Grandma Ethel Mossman

November 10, 1974, Los Angeles, CA

Joy's wedding, Joe, Faye

November 10, 1974, Los Angeles, CA

Joe dancing at Joy's wedding to Marcel

Nov. 10, 1974, Los Angeles, CA

Joy, Faye, Chabad Rabbi BenZion Friedman, cousin Mike Russ, Bert/Bertha Friedman, Sandy Zafran, David Kessler

Joseph, Joy and daughter Aviva

Sarasota, Florida
Dad's last home.

Aviva Krauthammer's Bat Mitzvah and Grandpa Joe 1990

Joe and daughter Joy 

Aviva Krauthammer's Bat Mitzvah 1990

© Henry Weiner

Joe Melton

Joe, Dolphe (aka Arielle), Joy 3 months

L>R

Grandma Ethel Mossman (visits from Atlanta), Dolphe, Joy, Libby, Mildred & uncle Joe Bell, Joe Melton

Bronx, NY 1949? before Faye is born in 1950 in Queens.

Visit wife Libby Mossman Melton's site:
http://my-grandma-ethel.blogspot.com/2012/02/libby-melton-zl-yahrzeit-calendar.html


Joe's Meltzer family

Joe's parents

Fanny Seiger/Fannie Sieger & Hyman Meltzer

23 & 26 years

Marriage Oct. 29, 1910  

Fannie died 1950. Hyman born 1886 or 1897 and died 1964

Joe's parents

Fanny Seiger/Sieger & Hyman Meltzer

Joe, Isadore/oldest, Clare/Claire/youngest

Isadore and Joseph Meltzer

Fanny Meltzer 1940s

DC

Fanny Meltzer 

Certificate of Naturalization  # 6739233   Mar. 12, 1948, Los Angeles

405 N. Seto St., LA, CA

at age 61? if born in 1887

Joe's parents

Fanny/Fraydl Seiger/Fannie Seiger & Hyman Meltzer

Marriage Certificate  # 23511 NY    Oct. 29, 1910  

26, 23 years
Fanny born 1887?

Hyman's PARENTS: Simon/Simeon Meltzer & RivkeRifke/Rebecca Goldman Meltzer

Fanny's parents:  Ike Seiger & Sarah Kraft

witness Simon Sieger.

  

Groom lives:  713 E. 9th ST., NY

Bride lives:  36 Attorney ST., NY

Married at 155 Ave 3, Manhattan by Rev Sam Kaplan

From Russis/Pole

Fanny before June 1950 death lived at 405 N. Seto St. LA, CA

Naturalized March 12, 1948. # 6739233
at age 61? if born in 1887

Hyman, an "operator"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CENSUS RECORD

Would have to be 1925

MELTZER, HYMAN  38

MELTZER FANNY  38

MELTZER, ISIDORE  13

MELTZER, JOSEPH  9

MELTZER, CLARA  6

October 15, 2016, a KIND Geni genealogy reseacher Daniel Krasnegor found my paternal family members that I didn't even remember or know that I had

and I am GRATEFUL 

My grandfather Hymen Meltzer's (b. 1886 ?) brother MEYER Meltzer, (50 in census) (b. 1890), married in Manhattan at age 22 on 12.28.1912 to Tanta JENNY/Jennie Kassner Meltzer at age 20, (50 in census), had FOUR DAUGHTERS:

 Anna born 1913 (married Phillip Schorr),

Gertrude born 1916, 

Lillian/Lilly born 1924 and

 Mildred born 1926.  

Anna Meltzer SCHORR died 2002 Atlanta, 

and Mildred Meltzer GOCHMAN died 2002 in Florida. 

Jennie Kassner Meltzer's parents are Nathan Kassner and Jena Menkowich. 

Meltzers began in 1910 in Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn and the Bronx. 

I clearly recall friendly elderly Uncle Meyer and his adult daughter at home, Lily.

MEYER MELTZER wedding record

Document above says Rifke 'Wnterman' but it is 'Goldman' on her wedding certificate.

~ ~ ~ 

IN US 1940 population CENSUS MELTZERS were :
Meyer  50, Jenny 50, 
Anna 27, Gertrude 24, Lillian 16, Mildred 14. 

Meltzer names and ages on a US Census. 

Could this be the same family below?: Meltzer and Shorr, but ages would have to be wrong, and cities strange, not NY

JENNIE MELTZER returned from Haifa on ship Yehuda that left 8.24.55

and arrived in Baltimore ?  9.26.1955, a month long journey.

Jennie's address was then 7615 N. Karlov St. Chicago, Illinois (if same Jennie as OUR Jenny).

Our Jennie lived in the Bronx.

There is an Anne Shorr listed but the age would not be right, and I don't know that she lived in CA.

Josepeh N. Melton

Palms Cemetery, Sarasota, Fla

© Aviva Bell 4.2018

Sadly, there is no indication of Joe's final resting place having any Jewish symbol because his then wife demanded full control over this. 

On Dad's 20th Yahrzeit - 2019

Dad's yahrzeit tonight.

Tonight is my dad's, z"l, 20th yahrzeit and I remember Yosef with love. My mom, z"l (50 years gone) would call him by his Yiddish name as his immigrant parents called him in Brooklyn. My dad loved his granddaughter Aviva, and when visiting from the other coast, would crouch at the bottom of the slide and catch her, and later had her steer his boat when she was little.

When Dad's father sat Shiva for Yosef's sister because she married out of the faith, my father left his parents, never to return, and mamash sadly I never met my grandparents. I didn't know my living grandfather Hyman, z"l, (member of LA's Breed ST. Shul) existed until immediately before his death when I was 17. (Dad and I visited LA graves of my grandparents,z"l.)

As the decades increased, I've realized how much I am actively like my father in other ways. My friends may recall that Dad during WW 2 was in the US Army Drum and Bugle Corps and I'm a professional drummer (and had played clarinet in bands.) Dad taught art to healing disabled veterans at DC's Walter Reed Army Hospital in addition to creating their prosthetic limbs. (I too taught art in a NY hospital.) My dad volunteered with his Fla. Sheriff's dep't, and I do the same for my LAPD. Dad was a fine multi-talented craftsman and I too have been passionately involved with the same artistry. When Dad was very ill he watched TV cooking shows. Same too for me. Dad knew how to fix everything. I inherited some of his tools. As we sat together, I loved creating stereo speakers with tiny parts (woofers and tweeters) with Dad. I learned care of the garden from both Dad and mom, z"l. I recall how Dad went out to help people. Although Dad shared little of our faith with family (he did make Pesach fun for me) (and resented my active adult Jewish life), in his last years he asked me to share about our Jewish holidays so he could share Jewish music with his retirement community. And after dad lived for years with painful cancer (and never shared about his pain)...Dad asked me to serve as his 'rabbi' at his funeral, and I did. After Dad died, I found his tiny little worn Army siddur. We are in the Omer week of haSephira Gevurah and that was my dad's very strong attribute. It felt strongly unbalanced to me as I grew up. Dad loved my mother, z"l who shared dad's hobbies, like photography and gardening and love of ocean.

In the chuppah photo with my dad, beloved sister and maternal grandma, I am wearing a fringed dress my husband to be and I had bought in Tijuana days before the big day as soon as I moved to California. The night before my LA Chabad wedding, Dad sat on the floor and with a scissor and trimmed the long white woven cotton fringe so I wouldn't trip in the aisle. In NY he had been in the fancy dress (shmata) business, cocktail dresses, including earlier, wedding gowns, sold to all the finest stores. Dad must have been shocked at the simplicity of what I was wearing, but then, although aghast, he must have been used to it, and my sixties' hippie garments, i.e. mirrored Indian dresses. (I made his wedding flower boutonniere and my veil.) I hold my dad in my heart these 20 years and credit Dad also with my Sephirotic Tree of Life traits. Love.

- Joy Krauthammer 2019

At my Southern CA Chabad I was at Yiskor for my dad and family last day of Pesach when murder took place at another So. CA Chabad, Poway.

I said yahrzeit Kaddish at my Lev Eisha.