Fredericka Dinkelspiel was born in San Francisco, 14 October, 1871 to Lazarus Dinkelspiel and Pauline Hess Dinkelspiel. She had 7 brothers and 2 sisters. One brother and one sister died very young.
She was an accomplished singer and taught music and performed a small amount before her marriage to Adolph Silverman in 1893.
She had two children, Alice Pauline and Harold Solomon Silverman. Hers was not a happy marriage. She had an affair with another man (Milton Eisner). She and Adolph did not spend much time together. She did take young Alice and Harold on trips to Lake Tahoe and other beautiful places.
In 1906 the earthquake in San Francisco caused some havoc in her life. She died of typhoid fever on 19 Dec 1914, at the age of 44, in San Francisco, at Adler Sanitorium. Her physician was M. Herzstein. She was buried at Home of Peace in Colma, CA.
After Frieda’s death, her daughter Alice Silverman (who was 16 at the time) destroyed her mother’s diaries. Here is a transcription of the above document; a description of Frieda, written by her daughter Alice and found amongst Alice’s poems and stories:
“My Mother
My mother was beautiful, or she could have been. Where did she get the long narrow face and hollowed cheeks that no one else in her family had. She was very dark with quantities of somewhat coarse long dark brown hair that lay heavily around her below her waist when once a week she was having it especially brushed and her head rubbed with tonic and later the white hair treated with brown dye for hers turned grey very early. She had fine olive skin and a small straight nose which I envied. Mine was like my fathers, large although thin enough. Her eyes were not large and were dark brown and sad and still but with a look around them as about her whole body of being ready to burst out. And she did burst out frequently usually into anger.”
San Francisco. Wed. Nov 9th 1910
Bequests to my dear children.
My Diamond Sunburst to be broken up and the stones equally divided between my two children. The cluster stone to go to my son Harold. My Cameo Locket to be given to my daughter Alice, also pearl chain. My diamond screws? to be given to each of my children. My Diamond initial S. to be given to my son Harold. My Princess ring to be given to my daughter Alice on her wedding day, in case she does not marry she is to have it when my noble friend and advisor Milton S. Eisner sees fit to give it to her. My Opal ring to be given to my daughter Alice, My Ruby ring surrounded with diamonds to be given to my daughter Alice, the diamond guard ring to be given to my daughter Alice also my gold bracelet. My diamond solitaire to go to my son Harold. My Garnet Fau? Fan? to my sweet Alice, my Gold hat pin and other fancy hair ornaments to go to my sweet Alice. My Gold watch with pin to go to my daughter Alice. My white ostrich feather fan to go to my daughter Alice, also my baby Grand Piano. My inlaid music stand to my son Harold, my other music stand to my daughter Alice. A painting of Naples with Vesuvious? In the background to go to my son Harold. My Meisner {did she mean Meissen? Interesting slip!} breakfast set to go to my daughter Alice My Parlor mirror to my son Harold, a doz hand painted plates to go to my daughter Alice. My Glass and Crystal ware to be equally divided between my two children . My inlaid table to my daughter Alice Mahogany table with inlaid? Corners to my son Harold. The rest of my ornaments, silver, pictures and Furniture to be equally divided between my two children Harold and Alice. My share in the Dinkelspiel estate is to be divided between my two children Harold and Alice and I wish my good kind noble friend and advisor Milton S. Eisner to look after their interest and I wish further to state that my kind and noble advisor and friend Milton S. Eisner, is to take entire charge of everything as that is my earnest request.
Frieda D. Silverman
These are my last wishes and Will.
Notes: Milton S. Eisner was the grandfather of Milton M. Silverman’s second wife Margaret Friedman. Milton Silverman was a cousin of Adolph Silverman (Frieda’s husband). In a letter to me, Deborah Friedman (no relation to Margaret) dated 25 Jan 1991, Milton Silverman told me that Milton Eisner “ran off with Mrs. Adolph Silverman”.
Also….after Frieda died, in 1914, Milton Eisner declined his role in the estate of Frieda D. Silverman.
