Isaacs/Hofeller Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 0903

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Forms part of the Houston Jewish History Archive. Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence; books; event materials, including dance programs and wedding invitations; bulletins; newsletters and news clippings; a photograph; and a VHS cassette document the lives of the Isaacs and Hofeller families and their activities within the Galveston and Houston Jewish communities between 1919 and 2002. Of particular interest is a documentary on the 1900 Galveston storm, which features an interview with 104 year old Lorraine Isaacs Hofeller.

Dates

Creation: 1919 - 2002

Conditions Governing Access

The material is open for research.

Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Isaacs/Hofeller Family Papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

The Woodson Research Center use policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials. In addition to any restrictions placed by donors, certain kinds of archival materials are restricted for the life of the creator plus 50 years. These materials include, but are not limited to, student grades, transcripts, and any job applications or recommendations.

Biographical / Historical

Lorraine Isaacs was born February 24, 1896 in Galveston, Texas. She was elected president of her graduating class (1913) at Galveston’s Ball High School – the first girl to hold the office, defeating four male opponents. Lorraine was four years old when the Galveston storm devastated the island on September 8, 1900. Lorraine’s parents and brother survived the storm, as did their house, although it sustained moderate damage.

Sigmar K. Hofeller was born in New York, November 12, 1895. He moved to Texas from Buffalo, New York, during World War I as a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Lorraine and Sigmar met in Fort Worth while he was station there. The couple married in Galveston in 1919. They moved to Houston in 1934, where Lorraine sold insurance. The couple had two children: Elaine and Marion. The family were members of Congregation Beth Israel in Houston.

Sigmar Hofeller died on May 3, 1964. Lorraine died July 17, 2002 at the age of 106 and was the last survivor of the 1900 storm. The two are interred at the Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery in Galveston.

Extent

.50 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The collection consists of one box containing correspondence; books; event materials, including dance programs and wedding invitations; bulletins; newsletters and news clippings; a photograph; and a VHS cassette featuring an interview with 104 year old Lorraine Isaacs Hofeller regarding the 1900 Galveston storm. Materials in the collection range from 1919 to 2002.