This simple yet elegant broken column tombstone for Lilly Goldberg stands proudly at the Chevra-Thilim Jewish cemetery in New Orleans.
The tombstone reads as follows:
LILLY GOLDBERG
Born
May 19, 1889,
Died
July 22, 1905
REST IN PEACE
We were able to find this family in the 1900 US census, living in Patoutville, Iberia Parish LA with a black servant who surely had been born into slavery and had been a slave herself:
GOLDBERG, Joseph, head, male, white, Oct 1864, age 35, married 13 years, born in New York, father born Germany, mother born Germany, working as a general merchant, owns his home, can read write and speak English
GOLDBERG, Fanny, wife, female, white, Nov 1866, age 33, married 13 years, mother of seven children of whom six are alive, born in Hungary Germany, father born in Hungary Germany, mother born in Hungary Germany, immigrated to the US in 1884, lived in US for 16 years, can read write and speak English
GOLDBERG, Lillie, daughter, female, white, May 1889, age 11, single born in Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary Germany
GOLDBERG, Sallie, daughter, female, white, May 1890, aged 10, single, born in Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary Germany
GOLDBERG, Esther, daughter, female, white, Aug 1893, age 6, single, born in Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary Germany
GOLDBERG, Eva, daughter, female, white, Jul 1891, age 8, single, born in Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary Germany
GOLDBERG, Isadore, son, white, male, Dec 1895, page 4, single, born in Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary Germany
GOLDBERG, Samuel, son, white, male, Nov 1898, age 1, single, born in Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary Germany
SAMUEL, Jacob, brother-in-law, white, male, Jun 1878, immigrated to the US in 1884, lived in US for 16 years, not a naturalized citizen, can read write and speak English.
SHEPHERD, Patsy, servant, black, female, Feb 1825, widowed, mother of 11 children of 1 one is alive, born in KY, father born KY, mother born KY, working as a servant, cannot read or write, can speak English.
A little more digging led us to Joseph Goldberg and Fannie Jacob's marriage record. They were married on 5 Aug 1888 in New Orleans.
We found the family again in the 1910 US census, still living in Iberia Parish, and Patsy Shepherd was still their servant, at the age of 98:
GOLDBERG, Joseph, head, male, white, age 43, one marriage, 22 years, born New York, father born Germany, mother born Germany, working as a retail merchant in a general store.
GOLDBERG, Fanny, wife, female, white, age 43, one marriage, 22 years, mother of 9 children of whom 6 are alive, born Hungarian, father born Hungarian, mother born Hungarian
GOLDBERG, Cecile, daughter, female, white, age 18, single, born Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary
GOLDBERG, Eva, daughter, female, white, age 17, single, born Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary
GOLDBERG, Esther, daughter, female, white, age 15, single, born Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary
GOLDBERG, Isadore, son, male, white, age 14, single, born Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary
GOLDBERG, Samuel, son, male, white, age 11, single, born Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary
GOLDBERG, Bernard, son, male, white, age 7, single, born Louisiana, father born New York, mother born Hungary
SHEPHERD, PATSY, servant of, female, black, age 98, widowed, mother of 1 child of whom 1 is alive, born in Kentucky, father born not said, mother born not said, cannot read or write, can speak English, working as a housekeeper in a private home.
The family is in the same place in the 1920 census, but the kids are grown up. Father Joseph Goldberg is still running hios own retail store. Sons Sam and Isidore are working as clerks in their fathers general store, and Esther is a teacher in a public school in Iberia Parish. Patsy has apparently died. New information: Mother Fannie Goldberg is a naturalized US Citizen, and her native language (since she was from Hungary) was Magyar.
In 1930, it's just Joseph, Esther, and a grandson living in Iberia Parish:
GOLDBERG, Joseph, Head of the household, owns a home of a value of $1500, does not own a radio, male, white, age 63, married at age 21, never attended school, can read and write, born in Louisiana, father born in Louisiana, mother born in Louisiana, working as a retail merchant in the grocery business.
GOLDBERG, Esther, daughter, white, female, age 27, single, attended school, can read and write,born in Louisiana, father born in Louisiana, mother born in Louisiana, working as a manager of a grocery business
GOLDBERG, Manuel, grandson, white, male, age 7, single, at school,born in Louisiana, father born in Louisiana.
Just when Blasdterz were thinking that Little Goldberg was by herself at this cemetery, we found this entry on Find-A-Grave: (
visit link)
JOSEPH GOLDBERG
Birth: May 9, 1865
Death: Sep. 8, 1950
Family links:
spouse:
Fannye Goldberg (1868 - 1961)*
Children:
Cecile Goldberg Wolzinger (1892 - 1929)*
Eva Goldberg (1895 - 1937)*
The rest of the family is there too: (
visit link)
Esther, Isadore, Samuel and Mathilde are all together in another family plot.
So the whole Goldberg family is buried in multiple plots at Chevra-Thilim Cemetery, near their little sister Lillie.
Since this family had such long-time roots in Iberia Parish, they must have chosen this cemetery for their final resting place because it is a Jewish Cemetery. Blasterz do not recall seeing a Jewish Cemetery in New Iberia. That tells us a bit more about their devotion to their faith, and their connection to one another.