My mother, Julia Klein (maiden name Ungar), was 9 years old when her mother Esther Ungar, (maiden name Stern), got sick and died. After her mother’s death, her father Joszef Ungar spoke to Esther’s brother, Benjamin Stern, about the fact that Joszef didn’t know how to raise a young girl and that a young girl needed a mother. Esther’s brother Benjamin (a well-off baker) said that they would take Julia in as their child. Some time later, Joszef visited the family and saw Julia working at their house. Joszef asked Julia why she wasn’t in school. Julia told him that they weren’t sending her to school. In fact, she was living in the help’s quarters and doing manual labor for the family. Joszef was furious and right away took her away from there. Later he went to Reb Shayele and told him the story of what happened. Reb Shayele said that he would like to take Julia in and would make sure she had a proper education. Reb Shayele didn’t live that far from Joszef so Joszef could see his daughter on a regular basis. Julia Stayed at Reb Shayele’s house until she was married.
Julia married Herman Klein and they had 9 children (11 if you count the twins that Julia miscarried). They were a very religious family and they settled in Olaszliszka where I was born on May 1st 1919.
