Dr. jur Richard Stricker

Birth per genteam.at:

• 1893 Numerative 378 Wien
• Stricker Richard, parents Sigmund/Wengraf Bertha

cf. IKG-Wien Archives & family records:

At about 42, Richard married Helene Sporer on 24 July 1933 in Wien, Alsergrund. They had a son, Georg in 1935. They also had a daughter, Hertha.

Basic marriage data from IKG-wien Archives courtesy of www.genteam.at

Lfdnr 455235 Jahr 1929 Reihenzahl 30 Code 2 Band Alsergrund Familienname Stricker Dr. Vorname Richard Eltern Familienname des Partners Sporer Vorname des Partners Helene

[Marriage, per genteam.at: Year 1929, Num. 30]

At the time of Georg's birth, Richard was a civil servant in Wien, and he resided at Wien VIII, Albertgasse 33.

Emigrated at 45, with his wife, Hella, and two children, arriving in New York Dec. 23, 1938 on the SS Europa out of Southampton (see in MEDIA). In the April 1940 US Census for Queens (borough of New York), Richard & Hella (Helen) lived at 117-01 Park Lane South. Occupation given as "Manufacturer of knitted apparel." Children were "Horthy," age 9, and George, age 4. Richard and Helene had a 17-year old maid in the household, Ilse Lansberger of Germany. See image of the census page in MEDIA.

cf. Letter written by Hans (John) Wengraf from Santa Barbara, California to his sister, Erny, in England on October 23rd 1942:

“Richard is studying hard – he has his final examinations one of these days. Then he will be able to do the same job here he did before – only to get a job is not so easy for a man over 50. It’s the same since he has a job and works day and night. Hella is working hard too – I admire both of them. Walter (in Australia) has a very hard time too. From Oscar no news – neither from Bertha and Marianne. I expect the worst. Just terrible that I can’t do a thing…”

And also ...

cf. Richard STRICKER's daughter Hertha (August 2013)

"My mother worked for a while in a Bronx factory, and after learning the ropes started her own small business, my father helping her along. All this time while studying for his accounting degree, he had to work four part time jobs as bookkeeper, auditor and other low-level tasks. For a while Hella's business succeeded well enough so he could just work 3 part-time jobs. He worked eleven hours a day until the day he died, at 75.

... my mother was a dynamo saleswoman. She used all her Viennese social skills and charmed the buyers, using her Viennese accent entirely to her advantage. It didn't hurt that she was beautiful, and nine out of ten buyers then were men.

My father helped her enormously in running the little business"

Hertha's son adds:

" ... Richard had his Ph.D in law in Vienna, and was working essentially as a Chief Operating Officer (‘right hand man to the owner’, was what I was always told) at a private banking and insurance firm. The owner’s name was Fischl (or Fischel). Fischl supposedly returned to Vienna from England in 1939 to try to salvage some of his assets, and was never heard from again.

When Richard and family arrived in New York in January 1940, he first tried to start a garment production business. But raw materials (specifically Egyptian cotton) could no longer be had, and his investment was lost. He then studied (as referenced by Hans) for an accounting degree. He got this qualification, and worked in this profession until he died. My grandmother also (as suggested in the letter from Hans) worked very hard. She sold hand-made garments and nick nacks to Macys and other large houses, and apparently was incredibly successful, the buyers just loved her.

Hans (Wengraf) had come somewhat regularly to New York to try out for parts on Broadway. So she (my mother) got to know him a bit, and clearly remembers him. He was at her parents’ place for dinner regularly when he was in town."

In U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI)

Richard Stricker Birth: Feb 18 1893 Death: Mar 1968 Last residence: Richmond Hill, New York 11418, USA SSN issuing state: New York