There is much to tell about my oldest son Reubin. He was a child who absorbed everything...and had to talk about it immediately afterwards. During his early years in public school he was often bored because he was far ahead of the class. As a result, he was very often promoted to a higher class. He graduated from the public high school at the age of 15 in 1939 and was chosen to address the graduates as Salutatorian, also receiving a scholarship.
He entered Southern Methodist University in Dallas and studied there for two years, after which he entered the Baylor College of Medicine in 1941. During the time of the gruesome Second World War, while studying at Southwestern Medical College in Dallas he served in the U.S. Army from 1943 on. . .and completed his medical studies in 1944. In 1945 he began his internship at Galinger Municipal Hospital in Washington, D.C. and completed his military duties in 1947.
Reubin served in Korea for almost two years, and after returning home, he was appointed to the position of Assistant Resident in Internal Medicine in the Veteran's Hospital in McKinney, Texas, which was also connected with Southwestern Medical College. In 1948 Reubin married his beloved, Amelia Martin Crystal and they were blessed with four talented children - a daughter and three sons.
In 1950 Reubin received the honor of becoming a Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, and received an appointment there as Assistant Professor in 1955. In the years following, Reubin received many awards and much recognition for his research work and became a full Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. His specialty has for many years been Director of the Gereontological Department in Baltimore, Md. Reubin has received many awards and much recognition in his field. I He recently took office as President of the Gereontological Society of the United States.
* * * * Our son Dave grew into a strong, young enterprising lad. He helped out in the store, and our customers called him "Daveleh". Dave loved to come to the store (now in the new building) - and so did the old customers.
Dave always retained an interest in the store. At 18 he graduated from High School and was already accepted to begin his studies in dentistry. However, after the terrible Second World War broke out, in 1943, Dave enlisted in the Navy. He got his gruesome baptism under fire aboard an LST, on the 6th of June, 1944, in the dreadful battle of the invasion of Normandy. Fortunately, Dave was amongst the survivors.
Oh how difficult it was for all the participants to pull through the long, unpredictable, unsettled war years. After the war he returned to Dallas and graduated from Southern Methodist University in Business.
There was one incident which I particularly recall, that happened during that war period, which may seem laughable now, but most certainly was not then. It concerned rationing of food during the war years. The government had issued stamps at that time, called A and B stamps. This was to assure the equitable distribution of products such as meat, sugar, gasoline, etc. that were in short supply. At the end of each week, Hershl and I, in the absence of Dave, would set about the Herculean task of assorting and counting these thousands of tiny bits of paper. This we did in the upper reaches of our home.
As is quite well-known, Dallas can become unbearably hot in the summer. On such days we would put up a fan for some relief. And one evening, a blast from the fan caught up our neatly piled stamps - the fruit of our sweat and labor - and sent the bits of paper-fluttering to every corner of the room, covering the floor, and flying underneath and behind the furniture. It took us untold hours of searching and bending to correct and collect those tiny bits of paper, which were so important to us at the time. Without them we were unable to replenish our stock that had been sold.
* * * * I am continually reminded of events long past. I especially recall the winter of 1947, when Henry Wallace, the ex-Vice President of the United States, who was then running for the Presidency, visited Dallas. There he addressed a huge throng at a special meeting. The times, then, too, were turbulent . . . and they were days of struggle. Members of the International Workers Order, and sympathizers of the Workmen's Circle were most desirous to greet Henry Wallace, who had shown a favorable attitude towards the young progressive movement.
In those bitter years of McCarthyism, it was tantamount to an act of heroism on the part of Hershl and myself to accept the proposal to invite Wallace as a guest in our house. Black men and women were also invited to attend that splendid dinner which had been prepared. Outside, police surrounded the house. Through the day, people who wished to meet Wallace, came to call, to welcome and greet Henry Wallace and drink a toast to him. Oh, what young and strong days of struggle they were! 'Tis good to retain such life-long memories.
* * * * I will now speak of the period of 1948/49, of the fragmented remnants that remained of the large Jewish community of Poland that had a history behind it of over one thousand years. Those who survived the Holocaust were poor, dejected, bewildered and disturbed. The Jewish Federation of Dallas was responsible for bringing to this country hundreds of such families of survivors. The Jewish community welcomed them with great warmth and wherever it was possible, secured for them living quarters, in addition to clothing and other necessities . . . and also employment. Even then it wasn't a bed of roses for them. However, suffering was not novel for them, after their experiences during the Holocaust on the other side of the ocean.
In due time they became acclimated; learned the language, prospered, and today, 32 years later, most of them are homeowners, own cars, and live as well as most of the Jews in Dallas.
At the time of their arrival, I served as a volunteer, ferried them around, secured employment for them, and, in general, saw that they drew closer to us. I was an active participant with them for 25 years, and grew familiar with their trying experiences. All this . . . while seeking a trace of all my beloved lost ones . . . 17 members of the nearest of my family.
It has been difficult for me to carry the anguish and the torment of my murdered, innocent mother, sisters, brother and all their beloved mates and offspring. A shudder passes over my entire being, even as I write this.
* * * * In those years I devoted a good deal of my time in the service of the older people, who lived at "Golden Acres", the home for the aged and the infirm. I was involved in this activity for sixteen years. Once every month I would present to them a monologue from Sholem Aleichem, a poem . . . then, together, we would sing a folk song, or tell a good Jewish joke . . . or we would listen to some of the residents tell a witty tale of their own I would endeavor to stimulate them. We all derived great pleasure from bits of our rich heritage of literature and culture, that would evoke in them memories of life in the old country. Most pleasurable years they were, for me and for my beloved Hershl.
* * * * In 1952, during our visit to New York, while in the home of his brother Abe (Dr. Abraham Andrews) and his wife Bess, Hershl was seized with an attack of coronary thrombosis. Fortunately for us, it occurred in Abe's house, so his brother was able to administer immediate emergency treatment and thus saved his life. Abe then called his best friend, the eminent heart specialist Dr. Weinstein, and immediately informed our son Reubin of the seriousness of his father's condition.
Without a moment's hesitation, Reubin flew into New York and made the necessary preparations to admit Hershl to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where Reubin was engaged in medical research at the time. In the morning, we all rode to Baltimore in an ambulance . . . a distance of 200 miles.
At Johns Hopkins, Hershl received the speediest attention - and began to recover gradually. He lay in the hospital for six weeks. Reubin then brought him home. Hershl was still weak. Dr. Rothschild, our good, family friend, took Hershl under his wing . . . and under his care, he recovered. However, he was not permitted to climb stairs. This necessitated the sale of our home, since all three bedrooms were located on the second floor.
We then bought a single storied house on Deloache which has been our home for the past 27 years. All fourteen years after his first serious attack, Hershl felt well enough and began to help out in the store. By that time, fortunately, Dave had returned safely from the Navy. He took over the store, and, at the same time resumed his studies. His new major was "Business Administration." After four years of hard work at college - and the store - he graduated, and very capably and energetically ran the establishment. He was well-liked and successful.
Dave sought out - and found his intended . . . his beloved Ruth Rosenberg from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They were married on Feb. 12, 1956 and in time blessed us with four dear grandchildren - two sons and two daughters.
Hershl lived to see and to know his eight grandchildren; four of them from Reubin and his beloved wife, Amelia . . . with the fullest joy from each and every one of them. After his third heart attack, Hershl went to his eternal rest on the 15th of August, 1966. It was very difficult indeed for us to lose him.
* * * * I would like to add some additional information about Hershl's brother "Abie" (Dr. Abraham Andrews). Besides being an excellent doctor, he was a dear human being, beloved by all who knew him. He died in 1967, at the age of 68, leaving behind his beloved wife, Bess; his then unmarried daughter, Dolly; a lucrative medical practice, and a host of loyal friends. He also had a son, Larry, who was an Assistant Professor at Yale University, with a brilliant musical background. Unfortunately, Larry died at the early age of 24, a victim of Hodgkin's Disease. This tragedy helped shorten his father's life . . . not to mention the havoc it wrought on his long-suffering mother. The whole AndrewsAndres family was shocked and broken by this gruesome tragedy. Abe's daughter, Dolly, married some time later, and has two beautiful children.