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Through the Years : An Autobiography by Nathan S.
Jonas. New York: 1940.
Business Bourse, Publishers, 80 West 40th Street.
A xerox copy of page 266 of the above
book, is one of the dearest possession of my grandmother's youngest son, Dick
who was born in 1908. Even today in 2004, he proudly shows this copy to
all who express an interest in his past. Page 266 describes in detail how in 1921 "Mr. Gretsch
and I (Nathan Jonas) conceived the idea of having a match .....for the first
unofficial (golf) championship of the world." Dick is very proud of this page
and the information it holds situating his father in the events which eventually
lead to the prestigious Ryder Cup Championship.
I have seen this xerox copy many times. I now have my own
copy of Uncle Dick's copy and have faxed it on to my sister whose sons are avid
golfers. I've even imagined there might be references to my grandmother on the pages which were not
so carefully copied. Charlotte Sommer Gretsch certainly played a part in her husband's long friendship with
Nathan Jonas. Perhaps if I found the book and read through the golf
stories and the business deals, I might find some mention of my grandmother.
I didn't pursue this possibility further until the fall of
2004 when a conversation with Bill Murphy reminded me of the references to my
grandmother's life which I imagine this book to hold. When I luckily and
easily purchased the only copy of Nathan's book from a large "out of print" book
purchasing website, I was not disappointed.
Nathan Jonas was a business colleague and very good friend of
my grandfather, Fred Gretsch, Sr. and his brother Walter Gretsch. In the early
years of the twentieth century, Walter and Fred worked together eliminating
"unsightly buildings" in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and constructing in their
stead manufacturing buildings with the name Gretsch on their top story. Jonas
who was at the time president of the Citizens Trust Company of Brooklyn in the
same neighborhood took note of these brothers and their friendships grew. There
are many references in this book to the long and dear friendship between Nathan
and these two Gretsch brothers.
Most importantly, this book brings to light a much less
documented friendship i.e. the "close relationship" between Charlotte Sommer
Gretsch and Nathan's wife, Jennie Strauss Jonas. Nathan refers to this
friendship several times.
Reading this book alongside Charlotte's Timeline which can be
found on this website, a deeper, clearer picture of Charlotte's life as a young
mother and as a busy wife emerges from the unlit corners and empty spaces of her
history. To know the name of Charlotte's friend, Jennie Jonas, allows us to see
her walking arm and arm with a confidant and to imagine further the fullness of
her life.
Below is a rough sketch of the book's references to event and
places which were part of the fabric of Charlotte's life i.e. bank openings,
business deals, golf tournaments, infantile paralysis, vacations, Forest Hills
Gardens.
Many times, her name is not mentioned but looking carefully
between and inside the lines, her image is certainly mirrored there.
| page 2 |
circa 1880 |
Nathan Jonas went to public school in
the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It is quite possible that Emily Gretsch who
taught in Williamsburg schools from 1872 until 1915 was one of his teachers.
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| page 8 |
1893 |
Jonas and his bride, Jennie Strauss
Jonas, went on their honeymoon. It was also a business trip. "Mrs. Jonas accompanied me on the entire tour of
about three month." It is quite possible that Charlotte accompanied
her new husband Fred on his annual business trip to Europe as their wedding trip
in early 1904. It
seems to be the custom of the era. (See page 113 below.)
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| page 18 |
1901 |
Nathan Jonas appointed as a member of the
Board of Education. Surely, Emily Gretsch was aware of his position.
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| page 24 |
November 20, 1905 |
Citizens Trust Bank opened its doors at 774
Broadway. Nathan S. Jonas is its first president.
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| page 27 |
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"I inaugurated the habit of personally making
calls at the factories, stores and offices of my customers." Here Nathan would
have met personally Fred and Walter Gretsch.
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| page 48 |
1914 |
" After we merged with the Manufacturers
National Bank in 1914, there was a row of unsightly building taking up the
whole block below the office of the Manufacturers National Bank. Acting upon
my creative policy as bank president, I prevailed upon Fred and Walter
Gretsch to plan a large manufacturing building on that site, helped them
with their plans and with their financing including assistance in securing a
first mortgage in the building." This building was 60 Broadway. Read
Charlotte's time line for a further discussion of these dealings.
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| page 113 |
1893 |
" Of course I wanted to take my bride on a
wedding journey but I couldn't spare much time or money either. So, with the
firm's consent, I took her (his bride) with me on my regular selling trip."
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| page 127 |
1916 |
" There is but one dark shadow in the domestic
bliss of the Jonases--the memory of a little son who fell prey to infantile
paralysis." Jay Seth Jonas, 13 years old, died in early August of 1916.
He was ill for only 2 days. Charlotte, whose son Bill also was stricken with
polio, must have been very close to Jennie at this time. Just six months
later, Fred and Charlotte accompanied the Nathan and Jonas on their
vacation.
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| page 161 |
January 1926? |
At the Silver Jubilee Dinner of the Brooklyn
Jewish Hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gretsch contributed $1,000 to the
Brooklyn Jewish Hospital.
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| page 258 |
circa 1918 |
"We then bought a home in Forest Hills
Gardens but we found it too citified so we again heeded the call of the wild
and purchased about fifty acres of land in Great Neck" Charlotte and Fred
lived in Forest Hills at this time. Possibly, the Jonases moved to be close
to their friends, Charlotte and Fred.
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| page 265 |
1917 |
"My first interest in golf dates to the
winter of 1917, when Mrs. Jonas and I made a trip, with our intimate
friends, Frederick and Charlotte Gretsch." NOTE: this is the winter after the
death of their only son. They have chosen to take what must have been a
very sad vacation with their "intimate friends" Charlotte and Fred.
While Nathan and Fred were playing golf, one can imagine the long walks and
conversations between Jennie and Charlotte in Asheville, North Carolina.
This section goes on to describe the gold championship of 1921.
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| page 295 |
1923 |
"..the children of two couples very dear
friends of ours were born on the same day, August 1, 1923. ...also being my
birthday. .....Walter and Gertrude Gretsch whose daughter Gertrude was born
on that same day. We have always felt these children to be protégées of ours
in whom we feel a strong interest. Our friendship with the parents of these
children has always been very close.
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| page 297 |
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" During a long period of years, while Mrs.
Jonas and I had various warm relationships, there were three couples with
whom we became particularly intimate, making vacation trips with them to
various places.......Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Gretsch....Mrs Charlotte Gretsch
died on May 12, 1928 and we lost a most charming friend, Mrs. Jonas having
been particularly fond of her. We have always remained very friendly
with Mr. Gretsch and his three sons." The other couples cited were Sam and
Johanna Lewin. Sam died on July 21, 1928 and Mr. and Mrs. James Regan. Mr.
Regan died on February 13, 1932. Mrs. Regan died on June 19, 1932. Perhaps,
these women were also friends of Charlotte's.
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