Posted: March 2, 2026 1:40 pm
The Epstein Family has a long and significant history in Johnstown. Their story of immigration, religion, business, and community history all embody that of many Johnstown families. Over the past few months, Richland High School student Saffron Barrett-Ross catalogued the Epstein Family Collection, which includes letters, photographs, military records and more, and researched their family history for Heritage Johnstown. Their World War II story is currently featured in the second floor galleries of the Heritage Discovery Center as part of “World War II: Johnstown and Service,” which complements the current temporary exhibition “Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank.” We’re pleased to share Saffron’s narrative as our latest Heritage Johnstown at Home post.
Harry Epstein was born around December 28, 1891[1], in the town of Czyżew[2]. At the time it was part of Russia, but today is considered part of Poland. His parents were Isaac (also referred to as Etzel or Itsko) and Kale (also referred to as Keila, Kella, Kayleh, or Kala) Epstein. His mother’s maiden name was Tikochinsky, as she was the daughter of Newrer Tikochinsky, and she came from Kalinowo.
On November 28, 1907, Harry Epstein arrived in New York City through Ellis Island. On records of his arrival in the United States, Harry was referred to as Eshel or Heshel. In receiving or sending mail to relatives in Poland, he often signed his name and was referred to as Heshel. In the United States, however, he almost exclusively used the name Harry. Harry had sailed on the S. S. President Lincoln from Hamburg to the United States, and he arrived in possession of thirteen dollars.
In August 1936, Harry wrote that he had continuously resided in Pennsylvania since September 2, 1914. A November 1938 edition of the Johnstown Democrat, it is reported that Harry Epstein took residence in Johnstown on September 4, 1914. It is unclear where Harry resided between his arrival at Ellis Island and his arrival in Johnstown[3]. Harry was naturalized as a United States citizen on August 17, 1926.
Irene Dorothy Epstein, née Oseroff, was likely born in what is now Mena, Ukraine[4]. She was born in 1901[5]. On records of her arrival in the United States, Dorothy was referred to as Chaie Oseroff or Chaje Ascheroff[6]. Among friends, she was often affectionately referred to as Dora. She arrived in Baltimore in July 1912, having sailed on the S. S. Chemnitz from Hamburg in “third cabin”, which likely refers to third-class.
On December 1, 1919, Harry Epstein and Irene Dorothy Oseroff were married in Pittsburgh. Dorothy was naturalized as a United States citizen on February 26, 1941. (The photo here is ca. 1920s).
The Epsteins’ first son, Paul, was born on September 28, 1920 in Pittsburgh. Their second, A.[7] James, was born on December 11, 1922 at Mercy Hospital in Johnstown. James would go by Jimmy for most of his life. According to a newspaper clipping, Paul passed away on August 30, 1928, due to “a complication of diseases”. At the time, James had been ill with typhoid fever at Mercy Hospital for about two weeks, although his condition was “favorable”.
James would graduate from Westmont High School in 1941 and attend the University of Pennsylvania for a year before serving in the United States Army in World War II. In 1950 he married Lenore Epstein (née Goldenberg), and together they had three children. It appears that at some point the two divorced, although Lenore retained the surname of Epstein. James would spend the rest of his life in the company of his life partner Dianne O’Shea.
Harry and David Epstein, his brother, had a business – the National Art & Frame Co. at 103 ½ Franklin Street.
It appears from newspaper ads that the Epstein Bros company branched out to automobile glass sometime between 1919 and 1922. However, by 1925, the Epstein Bros company does not appear in Johnstown directories.[8].
In 1925 Harry Epstein was part of the Johnstown Plate Glass Co., which began appearing in newspaper ads in early February 1923. Its location was advertised as being the rear of 312 Washington Street. The Johnstown Plate Glass Co. would undergo a long series of name changes before, in late January of 1926, eventually becoming the Royal Plate Glass Co.
The Royal Plate Glass Co. would go on to serve the Johnstown area for many more decades. Although it began at 312 Washington Street, on January 1 of 1937 the company officially moved to 512–514 Washington Street[9]. At the time of his death in 1955, Harry was described as the founder and owner of the company. At this time his son A. James was already involved in the company, and it appears that after Harry’s death James became the owner of the company. The exact details and timeline of James’s involvement with the company are unclear. On July 19, 1977, Johnstown experienced major flooding; on July 24, an explosion at the company building injured Abe McCary, a worker who was cleaning up debris from the flood. After being hospitalized, Abe died shortly thereafter. James paid for McCary’s funeral costs. According to the Tribune-Democrat, the Royal Plate Glass Co. went out of business in 2009.
From December 2, 1938 to February 3, 1939, Harry spent time traveling to, in, and from Europe. Although he visited various places, he seems to have spent the most time in his hometown of Czyżew, visiting his relatives. This is likely the last time he saw many of them alive. Harry’s father had passed away on November 28, 1930. His mother passed away on April 13, 1939 in Poland, leaving behind a reported seven children in Poland as well as Harry in Johnstown and David in New York.
For much of 1939, Harry attempted to speed his relatives’ immigration from Poland to the United States, writing to various American and Polish governmental officials. However, he was continually informed that the opportunity to immigrate would not become available to his relatives for several years. This seems to be due to the Immigration Act of 1924, which instituted a quota per country for immigration and offered preferences for immigration to close relatives of United States Citizens or for immigrants skilled in agriculture. Harry’s relatives were ineligible to be given preference, and the quota for Polish immigrants was already met.
Poland was invaded in September 1939. Harry wrote to several Polish officials in America asking after the statuses of Czyżew and Łomża[10]. By October, he had leaqrned that Czyżew was under Soviet control. Harry sent various messages throughout the course of the war to his relatives in Poland[11]. He received two replies. The first, postmarked December 6 of 1939, reads “Cout familie alive” and is from simply “Anna”. A second, postmarked December 11, 1939, is marked as having been delayed in the U. S. S. R. and reads “Toute famille vive” and is from Anna Epsztejn.
According to Harry in March 1940, he received only one message since the start of the war from a brother from Czyżew (it is unclear which brother, as two of them at the time living in Czyżew had wives named Anna) stating “‘Family alive’”. These telegrams are the only known messages from Harry’s family after the invasion of Poland[12]. Harry would continue to send letters and telegrams to his relatives but did not receive further responses. In April 1941, he wrote that “for some reason [his relatives] seem not to receive [the mail he sends them].” A number of his letters were returned, and their return receipts are preserved.
After the invasion of Poland, Harry continued to try and remove his relatives from Poland. He continued to write to officials, who mainly advised him to have his family move from Soviet-controlled Poland to a safer country from which they could then immigrate. From there, most letters advised, Harry’s relatives should make their way to the American consul to then immigrate to the United States, but some letters offer instructions for Harry’s relatives to begin immigration to Palestine. (Many of these letters are preserved in the Epstein Collection.) However, it does not appear Harry’s relatives ever made their way out of Poland.
Letters from April 1941[13] show that Harry had a cousin, Schepsel Greenburg, who was studying at a yeshiva in Białystok, Poland but fled to “Wilner”, which is likely now Vilnius, Lithuania, when World War II broke out. By that time Harry had received a letter from Schepsel asking for help coming to the United States, and a card from Schepsel’s mother. Harry made preparations for his cousin to immigrate. In May 1941, he continued his preparations, and wrote that his cousin was in Kaunas (in Lithuania), instead of “Wierna”[14]. But Harry was unsuccessful, and Schepsel’s fate is unknown.
Shortly after World War II was over, Harry began to attempt to locate his relatives through various organizations. In September 1945, he wrote to the Hebrew Sheltering & Immigrant Aid Society for help, stating that about a year ago the Red Cross had attempted to locate his relatives but to no success. (In an undated document concerning Lae Zatarsky, Harry writes, “Last I received on 5/3/1940 through the Red Cross in Geneva[…]: My sister dead, two boys were not forgotten”.)
Harry continued to send messages to his relatives, but still to no response. In April 1947, he wrote to the Postmaster of Czyżew offering a reward for either a letter from his relatives or for locating their graves. According to a letter from June 1947, Harry received two letters that he needed translated; he sent both the original letters and the translations away. There are two letters that possibly may be the translated copies of the referred-to letters. They are undated and have no author’s signature.
Mr. Leader
Kindly inform the addressee that nobody is alive from his family– namely sister Kuperliesz with family, brother Abraham, wife and children, brother Note, wife and children also wife of Janulo and child died during the first “akeys” in 1941. Brother Jankiew was murdered in 1943 in the village but I do not know the exact date. His sister Ruchcie also is not alive but I have no date about her. The first are buried in brother’s tomb in szulborza.
For further and closer information he may inquire from szczupakiewicz’s sister in New York who lived here and at present is in New York.
Respectfully,
**
Mr. Epsztejn
You have asked me to locate your family. Whatever I was able to do I did and informed you. I’ll continue my search in regard to your family. Maybe you, yourself, can refer in New York to the Jewish Assembly–to Motta Szczupakiewicz. There is his sister Spaleniec, who lived through the terrible times but was fortunate enough to escape to America. She may be able to add more information about your family.
Mr. Sp , I also have great request to beg of you. Maybe you can intercede to the Polish Red Cross Committee for some aid, especially in clothing for my family. The war so completely ruined me and here I am penniless, with four children, three boys from eight to four and one girl at the age of two. Maybe you could enroll me in The Polish Red Cross so they could put me on the waiting list. I would appreciate to receive even the older clothing.Whatever further information you will need in reference to your family, I’ll gladly supply it.
Maybe you would be able to locate my brother, Michael Bujniewicz, who lived previously in Philadelphia.
Respectfully,
On August 30, 1947, Mrs. Harry (Dorothy) Epstein listed these family members as being “murdered by the [N]azis”: Nate Epstein, Abraham Epstein, Yankos Epstein, Lay Zatarsky, Finkel Cooperburg, Roche Cooperburg, and Chie Inde Fleitcher. We have no further information about the survival or death of any other relatives.
Harry Epstein died on May 24, 1955, and Irene Dorothy Epstein passed away on September 6, 1988. Harry, Dorothy, and their sons Paul and James, are buried in Rodef Sholom Cemetery in Geistown.
Notes
[1] The date of December 28 is fairly consistent and his birth year is usually within three years of 1891.
[2] For clarity, place-names will be referred to with their most recent form of spelling (e.g., if Harry spelled the name of his hometown as “Chizew”, it will be referred to here as “Czyżew”).
[3] There are two letters from the Syracuse Portrait Inc. that offer some more information; the first is dated July 24, 1913 and addressed to Harry in Syracuse, New York while the second is dated September 15, 191 (the letter’s corner is torn and the year is missing its last digit) and addressed to Harry in Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
[4] Her place of birth was listed, at different points, as Mino, Russia or Mena, Russia—at the time, the town of Mena would have been part of Russia.
[5] Dates vary from May 5, June 22, and July 22, but it seems that the year of 1901 is accurate
[6] On Dorothy’s Application for Certificate of Arrival and Preliminary Form for Petition for Naturalization, she indicates she arrived in the United States under a different name, but the name Dorothy wrote is illegible. Although unclear, this name does not appear to be the name Chaie or a name similar to it. Additionally, on her marriage certificate, her last name was spelled as Osiloff.
[7] It is unclear as to whether the A stood for Albert or Abraham, as the name varies between materials.
[8] Photocopies of pages from directories for the following relevant years are not present in the material this writer has observed: 1923, 1924, and the years 1926 to 1930.
[9] According to newspaper clipping, this was not only the former location of “the Muelhauser tinning concern”, but also the location of doctor Victor Heiser’s birth.
[10] He also asked after the cities of Ostrów and Zambrów, claiming he had brothers and sisters in these locations. However, it is not clear as to which siblings these are, as in the same letter he lists his two sisters as living in Warsaw and Łomża, respectively, and his three brothers as living in Czyżew. This is all the information given.
[11] Three of these are telegrams in a language unknown to this writer. These telegrams are reproduced at the end of this paper.
[12] In September of 1945, Harry stated he had last heard from his relatives about 1940; in other, undated, documents, he writes he last heard from Lae on June 12, 1940 and from the rest of his siblings (Finkle, Notha, Abrom, Wankev, and Chia Inda) 1941.
[13] Interestingly, in one of these letters Harry tells the receiver that they “may answer [the] letter in Jewish if it is convenient for you but do not use Hebrew.”
[14] It is not clear what location this refers to.
