Joe Rosenberg

Birth: He was born around 1872 in Russia. He'd immigrated to the U.S. in 1905 and had been naturalized by 1930.  

Family Information:  

Description: His native language was Jewish.  

Pre-Colony History: In 1910 he was living in New York City with his wife Rebecka and six children -- Hyman, Louis, Gussie, Rachael, Katie and Harry Rosenburg. He was working as a ladies dresser.

He came to the colony in early 1928 -- in March an acquaintance of his from Washington arrived and Rosenberg was showing him around; colonists said it was almost a case of the blind leading the blind.  

Home in Colony: In 1930 he was listed as a boarder with the Albert Shepard family. 

Job in Colony: Soon after his arrival he helped to bed the sweet potato seed.

In June 1928 the orchard crew, including Bergold, Mardfin, Gregson, Atworth, Hough and Rosenberg, were looking after the orchards and picking plums. New trees had been planted, though budding and grafting was to be done later, and crops had been planted between the trees and a new vineyard had been started.

Later that month, Roe and Bergold turned their teams over to Tom Davidson, the farm manager, who was making good use of them in the farm fields.

In June 1928 Tom and Alex Davidson, Hough, Waters, McClurg, Daugherty, Rosenburg, Mardfin, Weislander and Harold Kemp were working hard in the gardens to make up for time lost to rainy days.

In June 1929 he had his tailor shop nicely fixed up and was always ready to serve the members of the colony or outside customers. He had a good supply of men's clothing on hand for members or for neighbors at a price.

In June 1930 he, Roede, Bert Moore and Dore were regular workers in the crate factory. In the meantime, he also kept up with his "mending and cleaning and pressing."

In December 1931 Mrs. Webb (wife of E.G. Webb) engineered a generous shipment of good winter clothing which would be altered as needed by Jolly Rosenberg, the colony tailor.

In May 1932 he was still mending, pressing, cleaning, patching and even making pants and suits at his tailor shop.

In January 1935 he reported that during the previous three weeks there had been "160 jobs done and the repair of 14 trousers; five coats and six vests -- all for colony members."

In June 1935 he had his tailor shop open and it was reported he was always at work, either as a tailor or in the garden. In August and October of that year he was opening the tailor shop only half a day; he spent the mornings working in the gardens wherever his help was needed and afternoons in the shop.

In 1936 he ran the tailor shop located in the upstairs at the Apartments de Llano (the new hotel). The shop was well equipped for the heavier work of repairing and working over men's wear and women's coats and suits, and smiling Joe, tailor by instinct and long training, was cheerfully ready from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. to put colonists' apparel in good order.

In July 1937 he was one of the volunteers who helped plant sweet potatoes at George Pickett's garden (for colony use, of course.)

Other Info:  

Post-Colony History:  

Death:  

Sources: US Census: 1910, 1930; "Llano Colonist": March 24, 1928, June 9, 1928, June 30, 1928, June 22, 1929, June 21, 1930, December 5, 1931, May 7, 1932, January 12, 1935, January 19, 1935, June 8, 1935, August 10, 1935, August 17, 1935, October 5, 1935, October 3, 1936, July 3, 1937