Maurice Kremer
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for biographies. (December 2019) |
Maurice Kremer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Maurice Kremer January 18, 1824 |
| Died | March 7, 1907 (age 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Matilda Newmark |
| Children | Rachel Kremer Lazarus Emily Kremer Germain Eda Kremer Hellman Agnes Kremer Hellman Fred Kremer Abraham Kremer |
| Family | Joseph Newmark (father-in-law) Solomon Lazard (brother-in-law) |
Maurice Kremer (1824–1907) was an American businessman and civil servant.
Biography
Kremer was born in Lorraine, France on January 18, 1824.[1][2] He immigrated to the United States first to Memphis, Tennessee and then to Los Angeles in 1852 via Panama and San Francisco.[2] In the same year, he formed a dry good store, Lazard & Kremer Company, with his cousin and brother-in-law Solomon Lazard[3] (Lazard and Kremer both married daughters of Joseph Newmark). In 1856, they formed Newmark, Kremer & Co. with his father-in-law, Joseph Newmark, and Newmark's nephews, Joseph P. Newmark and Harris Newmark.[2] He served in various positions with the city of Los Angeles: Treasurer of Los Angeles (1860–1865); Los Angeles School Board (1866–1874); City Clerk of Los Angeles (1875–1876); Tax Collector of Los Angeles (1876–1879); and Chief Tax Collector of Los Angeles (1880).[2] Kremer later opened a fruit shipping company M. Kremer & Co. and a fire insurance company which he operated until his death on March 7, 1907.[1][2]
Personal life
In 1856, he married Matilda Newmark, the daughter of Joseph Newmark.[2] His wife served as a founder of the Ladies Benevolent Society of Los Angeles. They had 12 children of which only 6 survived infancy: daughters Rachel Kremer Lazarus (1858–1935), Emily Kremer Germain (1864–1951), Eda Kremer Hellman (1870–1912), and Agnes Kremer Hellman (1870–1964)(Agnes married her predeceased sister Eda's husband, James W. Hellman, 1861-1940, the brother of Isaias W. Hellman and Herman W. Hellman); and sons Fred Kremer and Abraham Kremer.[2]
The Kremers were founding members of Congregation B'nai B'rith (now Wilshire Boulevard Temple).[2][4] In 1859, he founded TurnVerein and in 1860, he was co-founder of the French Benevolent Society.[2] In 1880, he was named a Trustee of the Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles.[2]
Kremer spoke English, Spanish, French, and German.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Supervisor Maurice Kremer" (PDF). County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Maurice Kremer: Very Early Pioneer Jewish Merchant and Civil Servant of Los Angeles". Jewish Museum of the American West. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Solomon Lazard: Major Jewish Pioneer of Early Los Angles' [sic] Infrastructure". Jewish Museum of the American West. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "History". Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
Congregation members are deeply involved in the life of Los Angeles: Bernard Cohn as Mayor Pro-Tem; Herman Hellman as City Custodian and City Treasurer; Emil Harris as Chief of the Los Angeles Police; Henry Wartenberg as the first president of the Los Angeles Volunteer Fire Department; Maurice Kremer as a member of the Board of Education; and Solomon Lazard as the first president of the original Chamber of Commerce and a director of the city's first water company.