Sarah Ann Mordecai

She was raised in a household dominated by her maternal aunt, Rebecca Gratz, who was Sara's model of Jewish womanhood. When a teenager, Sara was inclined toward literature and art. After their marriage, Sara enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle for many years in Watervliet, New York, where Alfred was in charge of ordnance at the arsenal of the U.S. Army. Sara's commitment to Judaism and the influence of the Gratz family also influenced Alfred greatly. It was Sara's reluctance to move to the South, a decision underscored by her family, that motivated Alfred's decision to resign his commission, even though he was one of the best military professionals in the country. A southener by birth and upbringing, Alfred refused to take sides in the Civil War. He resigned his Army commission in 1861, rather than choose sides. After the war, most of their family income was provided by their daughters, Rosa, Laura, and Miriam. Sara and Alfred celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1886. Alfred died the next year. Sara survived for another eight years, unfortunately afflicted by a lingering illness.