Biography of Joseph Solow

Joseph Solow, Paula's paternal grandfather, was born in Svir, Russia, now Belarus (some sources say he was born in Vilna, Russia, now Lithuania) on April 10, 1889. He died in New York on May 3, 1956 at age 67.

Joseph’s parents were Hirsch Solowietek, born 1856, and Rachel Katz, born 1860, died 1917.

In 1905, when Joseph was 16, he sailed from Hamburg to New York City on the Graf Waldersee. Five years later he declared his intention to become an American citizen, and became a citizen in 1918. He had his own business in New York, working as a watchmaker and jeweler.

He served in WWI as a private. Inducted on May 27, 1918, he was overseas from Aug 23, 1918 to Apr 28, 1919, and was discharged on May 17, 1919.

On Aug 2, 1919, at age 30, he married Anna Ginsberg. They had two sons: Stanley and Gabriel.