Amanuensis Monday: The Engagement of Blanche Slupsky and Nathan Cohen

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I am sharing the notice of an engagement party for Nathan Cohen and Blanche Slupsky in August of 1909.  It's another newspaper clipping I have found in the St. Louis Post Dispatch historical archives (1874-1922) available from ProQuest Historical Newspapers through my membership at St. Louis County Library.

---

ProQuest Historical Newspapers,
St. Louis Post Dispatch (1874-1922)
August 8, 1909
Pg. 5

Mr. and Mrs. J. Slupsky of 5307 Waterman avenue entertained Wednesday evening in honor of the engagement of their daughter Blanche to Mr. Nathan Cohen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Cohen. The date of the wedding has not been set. The spacious lawn was brilliantly illuminated and tarpaulin spread for dancing.

Present were:

Mr. and Mrs. –	Mr. and Mrs. -
Louis Cohen	J. Fink
D. Brodsky	M. Berger of
L.D. Brodsky	Jonesboro Ark.
Charles Brodsky	I. Silverstein of
Wm. H. Schacht	Terre Haute, Ind.
M. Cruvant	Louis Levin
D. Cruvant	Chas. Mast
A. Silverstein	Schialn
L. Wasser	Mrs. Lentz
Misses –	Misses –
Anna Cohen	Leah Brodsky
Etta Brodsky	Bertha Cruvant
Flora Cruvant	Sadie Berger of
Mary Goldberg	Jonesboro, Ark
Messrs –	Messrs.—
D. Zweig	B. Scolletts
J. Cohen	A. Altman
M. Bleumenfeld	Sam Brodsky
M. Goldberg	Dave Silverman

---

Notes:
1) Nathan Cohen was the son of Louis Cohen and Sarah Kruvand.  Sarah, though a generation older, was first cousins with Bertha and Flora Cruvant.  Bertha and Flora were likely Nathan and Blanche's friends.

2) Flora Cruvant would later marry Abe Altman; I suspect they may have been here as a couple.  Bertha Cruvant may not have met my great grandfather, Barney Newmark, yet.  They were married in August of 1911.

3) Both of Sarah's parents were deceased at the time of this party.  Mr. and Mrs. M. Cruvant most likely are Moshe Leyb and Minnie (Mojsabovski) Cruvant - the parents of Bertha and Flora, and Sarah's Uncle and Aunt.  Mr. and Mrs. D. Cruvant most likely are David and Anna (Ruben) Cruvant.  David being a son of  Moshe Leyb and Minnie.  David and Anna were married in June of 1909.

4) David Zweig was married to Fannie Kruvand - a sister of Sarah's. I'm unsure why he is listed under 'Messrs' instead of both of them under "Mr. and Mrs."  This could just be a reporting error.