Maxwell Green
Maxwell Greenberger / Green married to Hortense Heilbrunn Green November 27, 1919 / father of Elma Lucille Green Sherer and Richard Bernhardt Green / Grandfather to Stephen Sherer, Judi Sherer Mink , Susan Green, Michael Green, Stacey Green Chopp
Born 1889 / New York
Died 1954 / New York
It’s funny the different memories I have of my maternal grandfather, Maxwell Greenberger ( at some point he changed the last name to Green, but I am not sure when).
They are disjointed as I was 6 when he died. I lived in Atlanta until I was 4 and then we moved to New Orleans. Max lived in Manhattan and what I remember is from a 6 year old’s perspective of our visits together as well as my mother’s stories about him.
When my grandparents got married, Max had already changed his name to Green. Their marriage certificate says he was a traveling salesman. Somewhere along the way he became a lawyer. My mother said he seldom got paid as a lawyer whether he was a good lawyer or not. He must have made some money, but a lot of clients would barter with him instead of pay him. He was paid in a lot of chickens.
Max & Hortense’s Marriage Certificate
We ( my mom, Elma, my dad, Al & my brother, Stephen) would go up to NYC from New Orleans to visit my maternal grandparents, Max & Hortense Green.
Every time my grandfather would come home from work, he’d have a surprise gift for me and it was very exciting.
Stephen, Max, Judi April 1951
My brother, Stephen, once told my mother he wanted to wear his hair just like grandpa. She asked why because her father was bald. Stephen replied, “You know, I want to wear it with a big part in the middle.”
My mother also told me, her dad wasn’t allowed to drink. Back in the 1920’s & 1930’s you didn’t come home from work and pour yourself a cocktail. Max would come home from work, cough and say, “ I think I’m getting a cold. I need a Rock and Rye for my cold.” That was his drink, Rye with a big rock sugar stick in it. He was probably lucky to get a drink past Hortense, my Nana. She ruled the roost.
Max and Hortense
It was a family tradition to go to Millford, Connecticut for the summer and stay in a boarding house. This was something my grandparents did from the time my mother was a little girl. Max loved to fish and to go clamming. I remember him taking me out on the sand bar to dig for Ipswich Clams. I was scared, cried and needed to be carried. Don’t think we did that activity more than once.
I also remember that the kids ate early at the boarding house; the parents ate later. I burnt my mouth on the chocolate pudding. They made such good chocolate pudding, I couldn't wait for it to cool down.
As I said - my memories are disjointed and from a 6 year old’s perspective!
Leave a comment if you want to toast to Max with a Rock & Rye- it’s good for what ails you! Try this recipe & let me know if you like it.