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Simon, Kronenfeld, and Lyons family papers and photographs, ca. 1890s-2017, bulk 1940s-1990s.
Amount:
5.25 cubic ft. 3 v.
Medium Included:
Organization/Arrangement:
Arranged by record type (papers, photographs, scrapbooks) and then mostly chronologically.
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Biographical/Historical:
Herbert Alex Simon (1897-1970) was born and raised in Monticello, Florida to a family of notable Jewish merchants. In 1916, he became the youngest graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, DC. In 1917, he met and married Beulah Sonneborn Simon (1987-1991). Herbert A. Simon continued to work as an attorney and businessman in Washington, DC, then served a term as mayor of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, before moving to Miami, Florida in 1935 with Beulah and their two sons: Herbert "Herb" Lee and Merton.
In 1923, Abraham "Abe" Kronenfeld (1898-1975) moved from Wooster, Ohio to Miami, Florida with his family: wife Malvina Reichman (1864-1949), and children John, Jeannette ("Jean"), and Thelma. In Miami, Abe opened a furniture store that sold to locals and shipped to Key West until the 1935 Labor Day hurricane destroyed the railroad. The Kronenfeld children graduated from Edison High School, then John went to the University of Florida and married Elsie Weinkle; Jean attended Florida State College for Women until the effects of the Depression forced her to stay home and assist Abe with his furniture business. She also taught at Beth David Congregation and was president of Junior Hadassah.
Herbert Lee Simon (1919-2009) met Jeannette Kronenfeld (1919-2020) while she was working at the furniture store and they married in 1940. Merton Simon, Herb's brother, served overseas during World War II and married Jean's sister Thelma Kronenfeld after the war. Herb and Merton continued assisting with the family real estate business and at one point, Herbert A., Beulah, Herbert L., Jeannette, and Merton all worked there together until the family patriarch's death in 1970. Even after that, the family continued working at the real estate office until they died or were unable to work, never considering retirement.
Herb was an active member of the Miami Board of Realtors from 1959 until his death in 2019, serving a record three times as president in three decades: 1962, 1973, and 1981. Herb and Jean were also active in many civic affairs, including "Operation Fix-Up," an early 1960s movement to remodel old homes to make them livable and attractive, and through advocating for graffiti clean-up efforts in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2010, the Florida Legislature named part of Southwest 27th Avenue in Miami "Herbert Lee Simon Avenue" to honor his lasting impact in the area.
Herb and Jean had two daughters, Patricia and Barbara, in the 1940s. Patricia Lee Simon married Richard Lyons and they had two sons, Jonathan and Michael. Relative to the Simon and Kronenfeld families, the Lyons family primarily comprise later generations but are still heavily represented throughout the collection.
Summary:
This collection consists of family papers, photographs, and scrapbooks documenting several generations of a Jewish family who lived primarily in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The collection depicts daily life, family dynamics, and professional pursuits from the late 1800s to the 2000s. It contains a wealth of material related to the many members of the interconnected Simon, Kronenfeld, and Lyons families as well as their extended families. The papers and photographs provide records of marriages, deaths, vacations, celebrations, and more, with the family's Jewish heritage documented through the ceremonial records.
Scrapbooks are the most significant part of this collection, most notably those relating to Herb's professional involvement in and dedication to the Miami Board of Realtors from 1959 to the 1980s. These scrapbooks, created and maintained by Herb and Jean, contain news clippings, photographs, correspondence, and memorabilia such as name tags and buttons that document the Board's social events and business activities.
Finding Aids:
Folder and volume listing available. 0
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Subject Access Fields:
Family Florida Jews Florida Marriage Florida Real estate business Florida Real estate investment Florida.
Photographs. aat
Miami (Fla.) Miami-Dade County (Fla.)
for detailed listing.