The name is all that we had. The only intel passed down from 1st generation to the 2nd was this name and that as Fannie M’s first husband he had sired a child and then shortly thereafter became no longer relevant. The parents had divorced early without scuttlebutt.

We will never know the full back story; for everyone with firsthand knowledge has passed on. Family who with meaningful curiosity that asked about their grandfather were either stymied or didn’t press the issue. All had lived happily thereafter with an adoptive loving father/grandfather but as for Abraham Hellman we, in the moment, want to know more. Genealogically speaking, who was this man, our flesh and blood and what happened to him?

Other than his name, the spelling of which isn’t certain, we can surmise that he was of similar age and background as Fannie. Our Nannie Fann (1900-1986) immigrated from the Russian Empire at the age of 6 with her parents Hyman and Dora Morris and younger sister Rose. They settled in Pittsburgh. Hyman Morris died 3 years hence.

Our first recorded discovery is a marriage announcement in the society section. Although a good strong start there are vagaries with the Groom. Mr. & Mrs. H Helman of Pittsburgh doesn’t provide much of an investigative lead and Helman is a spelling variation right off the bat. Not that Hellman is a common name, it isn’t unique in the county area, but apart from the news clipping there are no Helmans (with one L) to be found… a quick end to that course of search.

Hellman, Helman, Hellmann, Helmon — the surname takes several forms. Ultimately we amateur genealogists choose the spelling from consensus of available sources and certificates.

Browsing sources for other potentially promising candidates turns up one Abraham Hellman (1898-1956) with vital statistics that fit the scenario e.g. age and locale, save for the spelling and parents, Mr & Mrs. J Hellman that are contrary to the above narrative. Is the wedding plans snippet grossly inaccurate or are we only hoping that our new Abraham find fits the puzzle. A goose chase. Without further corroborating evidence there is not a definitive connection between Fannie M and this Abraham.

Here is Abraham as a lad on a city streetcar making front page story news. If this is our guy he survived the accident. No linkage here, just a remarkable story.

Follows is another published story further along:

Another unfortunate happening 10 years on, Abraham Hellman and business partner Hyman Greenblatt are insolvent. Their National Grocery Company has failed — 2 years into Nannie’s marriage.

Sadly for family but lucky for we researchers this next bit is discovered. A Deed transfer in the borough of Coraopolis Lot No. 115 in a subdivision and within the same month’s timeframe. It’s clear that the business partners have raised funds to pay creditors.

The names are telling. We have now linked Fannie M with Abraham by way of Grantors Hyman and Bessie, and Grantee, Jacob Hellman. Jacob Hellman has received their property for $1 OVC. He happens to be Abrahams father. A shared address will confirm this.

We have ordered received a copy of the original marriage certificate from public records. Depending upon the success and speed of bureaucracy we should soon confirm what we think we have discovered.

The newspaper’s wedding plans announcement has been verified to be incorrect. The surname is Hellman and not Helman. The parents name is Mr. and Mrs. J Hellman and not Mr. and Mrs. H Helman as printed, Jacob being Abraham’s father’s given name.

Abraham declared his [1921] address to be 136 Wooster St. but the [1920] census records place Abraham on 624 Washington St. (They moved) Subsequent City Directories and Census records place Jacob and Clara in that Wooster household too.

Abraham listed his Mother’s name as Ida. However, all other records only speak of Clara. Clara Hellman’s 1946 obituary calls Abraham, her son. It seems as though Chaya –> Ida was a very common name and many times Ida was dropped for a fashionable name (during peak immigration era) like Clara . Mother or Stepmother? There is more work to be done.

Abraham Hellman — ghost no longer, we have background story and previously unknown [to us] great grandparents newly discovered as well.

Amazingly, a small tidbit of fact revealed much. The information had been in print since 1935 but the hardcopy didn’t circulate because firstly one needs to know that it exists, knows where it is to be found and ultimately, cares to go to the effort to physically access it. The dusty old archive of interest is an inter-office directory that was recently unearthed digitally absolving the barriers of access problem.

Marcella (1915-1945) is family and a person of mystery. People that might have been close to her are long gone and there is no one to recollect. Trying to piece her life experience together is a tough ask. From casual genealogy investigation it is known that she was born in a very small town but not how she managed to strike out on her own.

Speaking to the exposed document; It is fortunate that the family surname happens to be unique and distinct. Being uncommon it is an unfiltered search. Even still, blanket browsing the Archive.org turns up 800+ hits mostly from family that were/are published. Ignoring the obvious exposed an office telephone directory of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) revised August 1, 1935 wherein Marcella’s name is listed. The entry field on page 90 shows a telephone extension and her office address. A sublevel peek was required to learn about the abbreviations from the snippet.

R. & B. Audit translates to: Rental and Benefit Audit Section Office of the Comptroller Division of Finance. In the context of her job description with the AAA, this role would involve auditing financial records and budget allocations, ensuring proper documentation and compliance with the agency’s subsidy programs and administrative expenditures.

AAA was a New Deal agency established in 1933 under the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the agricultural crisis during the Great Depression. Its primary goal was to stabilize farm prices and incomes by reducing agricultural surpluses, which were driving down prices. The AAA paid farmers subsidies to reduce production of certain crops and livestock, aiming to balance supply and demand. It was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s broader efforts to revive the economy. The agency faced legal challenges, notably being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936 (United States v. Butler), but its core ideas were rescued in later legislation like the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938.

O. P. O. from the descriptive line refers to Old Post Office building in Washington, DC

The Old Post Office building still stands today. Located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, it was constructed between 1892 and 1899 and served as the main post office for Washington, DC, until 1914. After that, it housed various federal offices, including those of the AAA in the 1930s. The building faced demolition threats in the 1970s but was preserved due to public outcry and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It underwent renovations and was repurposed over the years, most recently operating as the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC hotel since 2022, though the clock tower remains accessible to the public and is managed by the National Park Service for visitors to enjoy views from its observation deck.

Marcella appears to be a Local Girl Makes Good story with a very solid career move. Revealing, but now creating more questions than answers. Imagine transplanting from small town life in Watertown, South Dakota to a Megalopolis. What facilitated the move? Did Marcella get on?

What happened next? To complete that picture, we will have to continue mining digital records like the one obscured in plain sight, having greater understanding along the way.