Link to Family Tree to understand family relationships.

Growing up, I knew that Paul Zerzawy was some sort of relative of my mother’s. He was 25 years older than my mother, so I was surprised to discover that he was her first cousin and Helene’s nephew. I’d seen his photo album which had wonderful photos from the early 20th century, but I didn’t know any of the people and felt no real connection. 

As I organized all the family papers, I came to realize how important Paul was to my family’s story. Although only 9 years difference in age, Helene babysat Paul and his siblings when they were young (see post where she describes babysitting Paul). Paul’s mother/Helene’s sister Ida died when he was only 7 years old, so Helene must have felt even more protective and parental. Helene was a diligent correspondent when Paul was a soldier in WWI and hosted Paul when he was on leave (see March 19 post). Paul lived and worked in Vienna in the 1920s and 1930s and spent a lot of time with his aunt and her family. He was the first in the family to make it to the U.S. in 1939, helping to pave the way for his young cousins.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I have been touched by how much loss Paul experienced throughout his life. He helped the family throughout WWI, providing them with money and provisions to help them through the lean times. He worked hard to bring his cousins and aunt to the U.S., but was unsuccessful in helping to bring Helene and Vitali in time. He had a successful career in Europe, but was never able to find footing in America. He’d been trained as a lawyer, but was not able to practice here. His English skills may not have been good enough to allow him to qualify. In San Francisco, he eked out a living teaching piano and accompanying singers, trying not to rely too much on the generosity of his mother’s cousins in San Francisco. His health wasn’t robust and he died in 1948 in his early 50s. As far as I know, he never had a romantic partner.

In addition to understanding how integral Paul was to my grandmother’s and mother’s story, I feel like I’ve come to know him and wish that I had met him and could have thanked him for all he did. I wish he had had more joy and been able to be carefree in his life.

My mother had in her possession Paul’s family photo albums and some official paperwork – death certificate, school records, etc. Harry had a box with Paul’s name on it which was filled with letters and photos from his life. I assume Harry took it after Paul’s death in 1948. I don’t know whether he or anyone looked at it before I found it in 2017. The box included a few hundred photographs of unknown people and places, which meant nothing to me at first. Now that I know more about Paul, these photos paint a fuller picture of his life – not just one of loss and difficulty, but one that included friends, fun, and travel.

This photo below was taken on a trip on May 15, 1931 – I cannot make out the location. His brother Robert has his glass raised.

 The following photos were taken on a different trip in May-June 1929.