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Rebecca Geetleman - Miedzyrzec & Konstantynow

Geetelman Gittleman Gittelman Gitleman Gitelman Chitelman Hitelman

Hitleman

Also Winterman and Freed or Fryd





Rebecca (Rywka Leia) Geetleman was born in Miedzyrzec Poland probably on 18 October 1881. The name Geetleman (originally Hitelman) means hat maker. Rebecca was the eldest child of Solomon (Nuchim Szlema) Geetleman and Rachel (Raza) Frid (Fryd Freed). Solomon came to England between 1888 and 1890, by 1891 he had been joined by his children, thus Rebecca was probably 8 or 9 when she came to England to live in the East End of London. Solomon was a tailor. Solomon’s sister Miriam Rebecca was married to Julius Nadelsticher and when she died in 1900 it was arranged, probably by Solomon’s mother Malka, that his daughter Rebecca would marry Julius. In 1901 aged 19 Rebecca was married to a man thirteen years older than her with seven children the oldest of whom was only seven years younger than her. Julius’ children from his first marriage called Rebecca ‘Aunty Becky’ although she was actually their first cousin.


Rebecca was to have four daughters Zelda in 1902, Fay in 1904, Eva in 1906 and my mother Leila in 1919. This large gap between Leila and her sisters and half brothers and half sisters led to unusual relationships in the family. Leila had nieces and nephews older than her, a half brother thirty one years older than her and her sister Fay was almost like a second mother, they were very close throughout their lives. I had a first cousin born forty five years before me who died in the Spanish civil war. These strange relationships always fascinated me and in part led to my interest in finding out how the family ‘worked’.


There were various examples of cousin marriages in this section of the family. The marriage in April 1933 of my mother’s sister Fay to Sam Freed, who was her first cousin once removed, was particularly important to my story. Later in 1933 Sam’s brother Sidney married my father’s sister Lily and at their wedding my parents first met. The rest as they say is history.


The photo galleries for this section include pictures of Rebecca’s siblings and some of her parents, grandparents and other relations as well as her children. I am still hoping to receive more pictures of Rebecca’s siblings. It always strikes me that in pictures of Rebecca and Julius they look much the same age, I think Rebecca probably had quite a hard life looking after so many children. Rebecca died on 25th January 1968, she is buried with Julius in Willesden.


Please note photos are labelled with Rebecca’s maiden name to maintain consistency.