The family of Jacob & Fredericka FRANK

Jacob Frank. Courtesy: Family Collection
Fredericka Frank (née Rosenthal) Courtesy: Family Collection

PLEASE NOTE: This page is under construction. Thank you for your patience.

Jacob Frank was born 1855 in Marisfeld in Thuringia, the only child of Bär Jacob and Jette (née Wertheimer) Frank. The Frank family was a large family with deep roots in the village of Marisfeld, dating back to the mid-1700s and Jacob Samuel Frank, b. abt 1765. With two wives, Jacob Samuel fathered nine children. (See full Descendants List here.) Bär Jacob Frank was the third and last child of Jacob Samuel and his first wife Recha Mühlfelder of Bauerbach.

In 1854, Bär Jacob Frank married Jette Wertheimer, b. 1822 in Marisfeld. Jette’s family was a more recent arrival in Marisfeld; her eldest brother, Mendel Emanuel, born May 1808, is the closest we can come to an estimated date of arrival of parents Jacob Samuel and Betti (née Köhler) Wertheimer in the village.

At present Jacob Frank seems to have been the only child of Bär Jacob and Jette. But he would have grown up in a world of many Frank and Wertheimer cousins.

Fredericka, known as “Ricka” Rosenthal, was born in 1856 in Mühlfeld, Bavaria, the daughter of Nathan and Jette (née Neumann) Rosenthal.The Rosenthal family had deep roots in the town of Mühlfeld, just 29 km south-west of Marisfeld but in the state of Bavaria. Nathan Rosenthal, b. 1817, was the grandson of Gump Moses Rosenthal (b. 1734); his occupation was “Baumwollweber” and his wife was Jette Neumann, b. 1822 in Willmars. Fredericka was the youngest of  Nathan and Jette’s five children (one of whom was still born).

In 1866, Bär Jacob Frank died. Eleven years old at the time of his father’s death, Jacob grew up in Marisfeld with his mother. In December 1879, he married Fredericka. The couple lived in Marisfeld and had four children: Bernhard, Olga, Ilma/Alma, and Rose.

In May 1892, family members said ‘goodbye’ to their families and left Germany. It was probably the last time Fredericka saw her parents. Nathan died in 1894 and Jette two years later. On 26 May 1892, Ricka and four children sailed from Bremen via Southampton/England to the port of New York.

Whether or not Jacob accompanied his family or had travelled ahead the year before is still a puzzle: the ship’s manifest includes only the names of Ricka and the four children. Yet the designation of Ricka as “wife” raises the question “of whom”? Normally the answer would lie in the entry above her name, or possibly in the column of the person she was joining. But in this case, the entry above her name, which ought to be Jacob’s, is of another man. Is it possible that the immigration officials forgot to include an entry for Jacob? Another possible source of this data could be the federal censuses, but in this case they too confuse. Through the early 1900s, when the census recorded the date of immigration as provided by the individual, the answer Jacob provided varied between 1891 and 1892. We may never know!

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When and why Jacob and the family went to Gloversville City in upstate New York is not known. Gloversville was the hub of the American glove making industry, employing about 80% of the city’s population. Perhaps other Frank family members lived there as a number of Jacob’s relatives had left Marisfeld before him. Jacob was a butcher and Gloversville City directories identify a Jacob Frank,  a butcher. But the 1900 federal census identifies Jacob Frank as a salesman, and the address at which Jacob and Fredericka were living in the census is not the same as the ones assigned to Jacob Frank, butcher, in the Gloversville directory. Yet another puzzle to solve!


1900 USA Federal Census. Entry for family of Jacob and Fredericka Frank

Jacob and Fredericka, and youngest daughter Rose were still living in Gloversville in 1905. But, by 1910, they had left the city and moved into the New York City area. The 1910 Census identified 55-year-old Jacob as “proprietor of a delicatessen.” Between 1910 and  Jacob and Frederika shared living space with children already living there: in 1910, they were living with their eldest daughter Olga, son-in-law Sol (Solomon) Bennett, and one-year-old grandson Leroy Nathan, lived with Jacob and Frederika in the Bronx; in 1925, they were living with youngest daughter Rose, her husband Charles, and two children.

50th wedding anniversary. Courtesy: Family collection.

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Obituary for Fredericka Frank.

In 1929, Jacob and Fredericka Frank celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Five years later, on 26 November 1934, Jacob died, 79 years old. He was buried in Mount Carmel cemetery in Glendale/NY. Sometime after Jacob’s death, Frederika moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where her daughter Rose was living with her family. The 1940 census records her living with daughter Ilma in the Bronx and in 1950 she was living with Rose’s family. Then, in 1953 she moved to Newark where her, daughter Olga lived. She died at home on 24 January 1958 after a brief illness. She was 101 years old!

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Below are two Descendants Lists: one is for the family of Jacob and Fredericka Frank. As mentioned above, the full List for Jacob’s family can be found here.

The second list is for Fredericka’s family in Mühlfeld, dating from her great-grandfather, Gump Moses, b. 1734.

Please note that both lists are under development. The links in the individual names takes you to the profiles in the geni.com database where you will find information sources identified.

We would like to thank members of the family of Bernhard Frank for sharing family trees, documents, and photographs with the curator of this website. Should you have questions, comments, and/or additions, please contact Sharon Meen at s.meen79@gmail.com

  • 1. Jacob FRANK, b. Mar 22, 1855, Marisfeld, [1891-92] fr Bremen to NYC/USA, d. Nov 26, 1934, Bronx/NY
  • └ + (2 Dec 1879) Fredericka Ricka ROSENTHAL, b. Nov 30, 1856, Mühlfeld/Bavaria, 1892 fr Bremen to NYC/USA, d. Jan 24, 1958, Harrisburg/PA
    • 2. Bernhard FRANK, b. Sep 17, 1880, Marisfeld, 1892 fr Bremen to NYC/USA, d. Jan 1982, Bronx/NY
    • └ +Martha ANHALTZER, b. Sep 7, 1887, Austria, d. May 1984, Bronx/NY
    • 2. Olga FRANK, b. Dec 24, 1884, Marisfeld, 1892 fr Bremen to NYC/USA, d. 11 April 1973
    • └ ∞ (1907) Solomon BENNETT, b. 1881 NYC/NY
      • 3. Leroy Nathan BENNETT, b. 03 Nov 1908 Bronx/NY
      • └ ∞ (24 Oct 1934 Manhattan) Sylvia GORDON,
        • 4. Carter Jay BENNETT, b. 1936, d. 28 Mar 2013
        • └ ∞ (03 Jul 1961 Maplewood) Marlene M. GROSS
          • 5. Laurence BENNETT
          • 5. Jonathan BENNETT
        • 4. Richard Wayne BENNETT, b. 19 Dec 1944, d. 11 Jul 2010
        • └ ∞ (12 Jun 1971) Susan HEIFERMAN, b. 17 Apr 1949 NYC/NY
          • 5. Jed BENNETT
          • └ ∞ Sarah NN
          • 5. Lee BENNETT
    • 2. Ilma FRANK, b. Jul 12 1885, Marisfeld, 1892 fr Bremen to NYC/USA, d. 11 Nov 1948 Bronx/NY
    • └ ∞ (14 May 1907 Manhattan) William Jacob SCHACHT, b. 26 Apr 1885 NYC/NY, d. bef 1948
      • 3. Mildred SCHACHT, b. 14 Apr 1908 Bronx/NY
      • 3. Bert SCHACHT, b. 1910, d. 22 Nov 1963
      • 3. Harold SCHACHT, b. 21 Jun 1911, d. 15 Oct 1876
      • 3. Joseph SCHACHT, b. 14 Jun 1916, b. 17 Oct 1995
      • 3. Sidney SCHACHT, b. 03 Feb 1918 Bogota/NJ, d. 30 Mar 1991 Fort Lauderdale/FL
    • 2. Rose FRANK, b. May 19, 1892, 1892 fr Bremen to NYC/USA, d. Jun 26, 1972, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
    • └ +(22 Oct 1917 Manhattan/NY) Charles GOTTHEIM, b. Jun 26, 1885/NY, d. Apr 3, 1971, Pennsylvania

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Descendants List for Gump Moses ROSENTHAL of Mühlfeld Bavaria. (A work-in-progress)

  • 1. Gump Moses ROSENTHAL, b. 1734; d. after 1817, Mühlfeld, Bavaria
  • └ +Unknown
    • 2. NN ROSENTHAL
    • └ +Unknown
      • 3. Nathan ROSENTHAL, b. Jun 5, 1817, [Mühlfeld], Rhön Grabfeld, Bavaria, d. Oct 5, 1894, Mühlfeld, Bavaria, buried in Bauerbach Jewish cemetery.
      • └ +Yette NEUMANN, b. Feb 19, 1822, Willmars, Bavaria, d. Nov 4, 1896, Mühlfeld, Rhön Grabfeld, Bavaria, buried in Bauerbach Jewish cemetery
        • 4. Sarah ROSENTHAL, b. 1852
        • 4. Daniel ROSENTHAL, b. Nov 23, 1859, Mühlfeld, Rhön Grabfeld, Bavaria, d. Sep 4, 1927, Mellrichstadt, Bavaria
        • └ +Malchen WAHLHAUS, b. 1862, d. 1936
          • 5. Arthur ROSENTHAL, b. Sep 21, 1888, Mühlfeld, Rhön Grabfeld, Bavaria
          • 5. Julius ROSENTHAL, b. Dec 5, 1889, Mühlfeld, Rhön Grabfeld/BY, 01 Sep 1942 deported fr Frankfurt a/Main to Theresienstadt Ghetto/29 Jan 1943 to Auschwitz, murdered
          • └ +Gisela GOTTLIEB, b. Jul 25, 1892, Mellrichstadt/BY, 01 Sep 1942 deported fr  Frankfurt am Main to TheresienstadtGhetto/29  Jan 1943 to Auschwitz, murdered
            • 6. Ilse ROSENTHAL, b. 22 Jun 1921 Würzburg/BV, ? to Sweden, 14 Jul 1940 arrival in Seattle/WA fr Yokohama/Japan, d. 06 Nov 2001 NYC/NY
            • └ + (30 Apr 1945 NYC/NY) Alfred “Fred” DOELLEFELD, b. 20 Apr 1915 Bebra/HE, 1941 to USA
              • 7. Cheryl DOELLEFELD, b. 01 May 19481New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910-1965 NYC/NY
              • └ + (1968) Jeffrey MARGULIES
          • 01 Sep 1942 deported fr Frankfurt a/Main to Theresienstadt Ghetto/29 Jan 1943 to Auschwitz, murdered
          • 01 Sep 1942 deported fr Frankfurt a/Main to Theresienstadt Ghetto/29 Jan 1943 to Auschwitz, murdered
        • 4. Babette ROSENTHAL (twin), b. Dec 28, 1861, Mühlfeld, Rhön Grabfeld, Bavaria, deported 23 Sep 1942 fr Würzburg to Theresienstadt Ghetto, murdered Dec 12, 1942, Theresienstadt Ghetto, nr Terezin, Occupied Czechoslovakia
        • └ +Moses KUHL, b. 1860; d. 1927
          • 5. Martha Kuhl, b. Dec 24, 1888, Unsleben, Bavaria, deported fr Würzburg 25th April 1942 to Krasnystaw, Lublin, occupied Poland
          • └ +Alfred WANTUCH, b. 1882; d. 1914 (World War I)
            • 6. Julius Otto WANTUCH, b. 20 May 1913 Unsleben/BY, 08 Aug 19392https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/de/search/person/11195356?s=Julius%20Otto%20Wantuch&t=19412&p=0 to Kitchener Camp, Richborough/England/Jun 1940 deported fr England to Australia as an “Enemy Alien,” 1942 return to England, 25 Nov 1947 arrival in NYC/NY, d. 19 Nov 1991 NYC/NY
            • └ + (Oct 1944 London) Lena/Lina WEISSBRAUN, b. 18 Feb 1911 Frankfurt a/Main/HE, 25 Nov 1947 arrival in NYC/NY, d. 19 Nov 1991 NYC/NY
              • 7. Brian Arthur WANTUCH, b. 10 Aug 1945 London/Eng, 25 Nov 1947 arrival in NYC/NY
          • 4. NN ROSENTHAL (twin), b. Dec 28, 1861, Mühlfeld, Rhön Grabfeld, Bavaria, d. Dec 28, 1861, Mühlfeld, Bavaria
        • 4. Fredericka “Ricka” ROSENTHAL, b. Nov 30, 1856, Mühlfeld, Bavaria, d. Jan 24, 1958, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States
        • └ +Jacob FRANK, b. Mar 22, 1855, Marisfeld, Thuringia, d. Nov 26, 1934, Bronx, New York
        • Children & grandchildren as above in Jacob & Fredericka Descendants List.
  • Source: https://www.alemannia-judaica.de/muehlfeld_synagoge.htm