Grace "Chen" Alice Hassel, of Blessed Memory, was a woman ahead of her time and our beloved family member. As early as she could remember, her greatest wish was to be the owner and manager of her very own store. She shared happy memories with her family of pretending to be a store owner with her older brother when they were very young. Grace was a woman of vision, energy, loved music, and had a great appreciation of the arts. She was very intelligent, quick witted, enterprising, and determined to make something of herself in a time when women rarely had opportunities to succeed outside of their homes.
Grace, true to her name, had both Chen and Shefer. In Hebrew, Chen refers to a graceful personality and Shefer refers to physical grace. When Grace lived, Jewish people were discriminated against by businesses (also known as "restricted"), in employment, in memberships to organizations, and there were quotas regarding how many Jewish people could attend universities in the United States and in other countries. For this reason, many people of Jewish heritage lived as visible human beings, but with a major part of their identities forced into invisibility. Grace's Jewish heritage was important to her and inspired L'Dorvador, this remembrance for all generations, that this spark may live forever.
Grace had Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Eastern European, English, and Scottish ancestry on her mother's side. On her father's side, she was part of the Boston Family of Maryland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace may have had some family members known as the Jews of Scotland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace had some Jewish family members in India who were merchants along the spice trade routes that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Jewish people with Ashkenazi heritage were some of the last Europeans to receive official last names. In the past, Jewish families were referred to as, "Isaac son of Abraham," for example. This changed in the 18th century when governments were establishing modern nation-states and ordered last names to be established for taxation, education, and for the drafting of their citizens. The sources of the last names are a fascinating part of Jewish history and included religious names, occupational names, place names, and personal trait names as just a few examples.
Grace married Henry William Hassel, who also had Jewish heritage, and they had six children together. Their first child, Anna Neva, of Blessed Memory, was lost shortly after her birth. She was a beautiful baby and this was a very difficult loss for Grace and Henry. Their other five children included Dorothy, Charles, Floyd, Florence, and Mary. Charley was particularly drawn to his Jewish heritage and when he was drafted to serve in World War II, he specifically asked that he be remembered as a Jewish man in case he was lost in the war. He was not lost in the war, but his courage to proclaim his identity during a time when this could cost a Jewish person his life, is remembered as a mitzvah (translated as commandment and good deed) for his parents and for his entire family. His bravery in this choice honors us all to this day.
Grace had one of her greatest wishes come true when she and Henry opened a hardware store together. The store was known as Hassel Hardware. During the Great Depression, Hassel Hardware supported local farmers by loaning them equipment and supplies at no charge. They told the farmers that this time period wouldn't last forever and to, "Take what you need in trust with no interest." Grace was known throughout her community as a fine businesswoman, but also as a woman with heart. She did many mitzvahs for others during some of the most difficult times in history. She was never recognized officially for the kindness that she showed to others, but we remember and we recognize the great blessing that she was to the world. She loved her children and did her very best to provide wonderful lives for them. Grace was lost to kidney disease early in life with previous Scarlet Fever as a contributing factor, but her legacy provided a lifetime's worth of love to all who knew her and to all of her descendants.
"Yehi Zichra Baruch - May Her Memory Be A Blessing." - Jewish remembrance.
Grace, true to her name, had both Chen and Shefer. In Hebrew, Chen refers to a graceful personality and Shefer refers to physical grace. When Grace lived, Jewish people were discriminated against by businesses (also known as "restricted"), in employment, in memberships to organizations, and there were quotas regarding how many Jewish people could attend universities in the United States and in other countries. For this reason, many people of Jewish heritage lived as visible human beings, but with a major part of their identities forced into invisibility. Grace's Jewish heritage was important to her and inspired L'Dorvador, this remembrance for all generations, that this spark may live forever.
Grace had Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Eastern European, English, and Scottish ancestry on her mother's side. On her father's side, she was part of the Boston Family of Maryland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace may have had some family members known as the Jews of Scotland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace had some Jewish family members in India who were merchants along the spice trade routes that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Jewish people with Ashkenazi heritage were some of the last Europeans to receive official last names. In the past, Jewish families were referred to as, "Isaac son of Abraham," for example. This changed in the 18th century when governments were establishing modern nation-states and ordered last names to be established for taxation, education, and for the drafting of their citizens. The sources of the last names are a fascinating part of Jewish history and included religious names, occupational names, place names, and personal trait names as just a few examples.
Grace married Henry William Hassel, who also had Jewish heritage, and they had six children together. Their first child, Anna Neva, of Blessed Memory, was lost shortly after her birth. She was a beautiful baby and this was a very difficult loss for Grace and Henry. Their other five children included Dorothy, Charles, Floyd, Florence, and Mary. Charley was particularly drawn to his Jewish heritage and when he was drafted to serve in World War II, he specifically asked that he be remembered as a Jewish man in case he was lost in the war. He was not lost in the war, but his courage to proclaim his identity during a time when this could cost a Jewish person his life, is remembered as a mitzvah (translated as commandment and good deed) for his parents and for his entire family. His bravery in this choice honors us all to this day.
Grace had one of her greatest wishes come true when she and Henry opened a hardware store together. The store was known as Hassel Hardware. During the Great Depression, Hassel Hardware supported local farmers by loaning them equipment and supplies at no charge. They told the farmers that this time period wouldn't last forever and to, "Take what you need in trust with no interest." Grace was known throughout her community as a fine businesswoman, but also as a woman with heart. She did many mitzvahs for others during some of the most difficult times in history. She was never recognized officially for the kindness that she showed to others, but we remember and we recognize the great blessing that she was to the world. She loved her children and did her very best to provide wonderful lives for them. Grace was lost to kidney disease early in life with previous Scarlet Fever as a contributing factor, but her legacy provided a lifetime's worth of love to all who knew her and to all of her descendants.
"Yehi Zichra Baruch - May Her Memory Be A Blessing." - Jewish remembrance.
Grace "Chen" Alice Hassel, of Blessed Memory, was a woman ahead of her time and our beloved family member. As early as she could remember, her greatest wish was to be the owner and manager of her very own store. She shared happy memories with her family of pretending to be a store owner with her older brother when they were very young. Grace was a woman of vision, energy, loved music, and had a great appreciation of the arts. She was very intelligent, quick witted, enterprising, and determined to make something of herself in a time when women rarely had opportunities to succeed outside of their homes.
Grace, true to her name, had both Chen and Shefer. In Hebrew, Chen refers to a graceful personality and Shefer refers to physical grace. When Grace lived, Jewish people were discriminated against by businesses (also known as "restricted"), in employment, in memberships to organizations, and there were quotas regarding how many Jewish people could attend universities in the United States and in other countries. For this reason, many people of Jewish heritage lived as visible human beings, but with a major part of their identities forced into invisibility. Grace's Jewish heritage was important to her and inspired L'Dorvador, this remembrance for all generations, that this spark may live forever.
Grace had Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Eastern European, English, and Scottish ancestry on her mother's side. On her father's side, she was part of the Boston Family of Maryland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace may have had some family members known as the Jews of Scotland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace had some Jewish family members in India who were merchants along the spice trade routes that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Jewish people with Ashkenazi heritage were some of the last Europeans to receive official last names. In the past, Jewish families were referred to as, "Isaac son of Abraham," for example. This changed in the 18th century when governments were establishing modern nation-states and ordered last names to be established for taxation, education, and for the drafting of their citizens. The sources of the last names are a fascinating part of Jewish history and included religious names, occupational names, place names, and personal trait names as just a few examples.
Grace married Henry William Hassel, who also had Jewish heritage, and they had six children together. Their first child, Anna Neva, of Blessed Memory, was lost shortly after her birth. She was a beautiful baby and this was a very difficult loss for Grace and Henry. Their other five children included Dorothy, Charles, Floyd, Florence, and Mary. Charley was particularly drawn to his Jewish heritage and when he was drafted to serve in World War II, he specifically asked that he be remembered as a Jewish man in case he was lost in the war. He was not lost in the war, but his courage to proclaim his identity during a time when this could cost a Jewish person his life, is remembered as a mitzvah (translated as commandment and good deed) for his parents and for his entire family. His bravery in this choice honors us all to this day.
Grace had one of her greatest wishes come true when she and Henry opened a hardware store together. The store was known as Hassel Hardware. During the Great Depression, Hassel Hardware supported local farmers by loaning them equipment and supplies at no charge. They told the farmers that this time period wouldn't last forever and to, "Take what you need in trust with no interest." Grace was known throughout her community as a fine businesswoman, but also as a woman with heart. She did many mitzvahs for others during some of the most difficult times in history. She was never recognized officially for the kindness that she showed to others, but we remember and we recognize the great blessing that she was to the world. She loved her children and did her very best to provide wonderful lives for them. Grace was lost to kidney disease early in life with previous Scarlet Fever as a contributing factor, but her legacy provided a lifetime's worth of love to all who knew her and to all of her descendants.
"Yehi Zichra Baruch - May Her Memory Be A Blessing." - Jewish remembrance.
Grace, true to her name, had both Chen and Shefer. In Hebrew, Chen refers to a graceful personality and Shefer refers to physical grace. When Grace lived, Jewish people were discriminated against by businesses (also known as "restricted"), in employment, in memberships to organizations, and there were quotas regarding how many Jewish people could attend universities in the United States and in other countries. For this reason, many people of Jewish heritage lived as visible human beings, but with a major part of their identities forced into invisibility. Grace's Jewish heritage was important to her and inspired L'Dorvador, this remembrance for all generations, that this spark may live forever.
Grace had Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Eastern European, English, and Scottish ancestry on her mother's side. On her father's side, she was part of the Boston Family of Maryland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace may have had some family members known as the Jews of Scotland. There are family stories and remembrances that Grace had some Jewish family members in India who were merchants along the spice trade routes that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Jewish people with Ashkenazi heritage were some of the last Europeans to receive official last names. In the past, Jewish families were referred to as, "Isaac son of Abraham," for example. This changed in the 18th century when governments were establishing modern nation-states and ordered last names to be established for taxation, education, and for the drafting of their citizens. The sources of the last names are a fascinating part of Jewish history and included religious names, occupational names, place names, and personal trait names as just a few examples.
Grace married Henry William Hassel, who also had Jewish heritage, and they had six children together. Their first child, Anna Neva, of Blessed Memory, was lost shortly after her birth. She was a beautiful baby and this was a very difficult loss for Grace and Henry. Their other five children included Dorothy, Charles, Floyd, Florence, and Mary. Charley was particularly drawn to his Jewish heritage and when he was drafted to serve in World War II, he specifically asked that he be remembered as a Jewish man in case he was lost in the war. He was not lost in the war, but his courage to proclaim his identity during a time when this could cost a Jewish person his life, is remembered as a mitzvah (translated as commandment and good deed) for his parents and for his entire family. His bravery in this choice honors us all to this day.
Grace had one of her greatest wishes come true when she and Henry opened a hardware store together. The store was known as Hassel Hardware. During the Great Depression, Hassel Hardware supported local farmers by loaning them equipment and supplies at no charge. They told the farmers that this time period wouldn't last forever and to, "Take what you need in trust with no interest." Grace was known throughout her community as a fine businesswoman, but also as a woman with heart. She did many mitzvahs for others during some of the most difficult times in history. She was never recognized officially for the kindness that she showed to others, but we remember and we recognize the great blessing that she was to the world. She loved her children and did her very best to provide wonderful lives for them. Grace was lost to kidney disease early in life with previous Scarlet Fever as a contributing factor, but her legacy provided a lifetime's worth of love to all who knew her and to all of her descendants.
"Yehi Zichra Baruch - May Her Memory Be A Blessing." - Jewish remembrance.
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