When I wrote May’s Long Wait, I already knew the story by heart — after all, it’s the story of my parents, May and Bernie. But because I was so familiar with everyone involved, I realized later that readers might not know exactly who’s who in the extended family. So, I thought it would be meaningful to introduce the real people behind the names you meet in the book — and explain how they’re all related.
Note: Only a portion of the family trees are shown here – the parts that are mentioned in the book.
May’s Mother
- Minnie Laber Wosnitzer – Minnie was May’s loving mother. Minnie was one of six siblings. She also had six half-siblings — a big, blended family that gave May plenty of cousins.
May’s First Cousins
- Millie Zucker, daughter of Minnie’s younger sister, Hannah Laber Zucker. Millie was married to Max Rudnick. She met Max when she was a dancer in the theater he owned.
- Mollie Zucker, younger sister of Millie and daughter of Minnie’s sister, Hannah Laber Zucker.
May’s Uncle
- Harry Laber, younger brother of Minnie. He never married and lived with May and Minnie until May married. He moved back in with Minnie after May and her family moved out to start their own home.
Bernie’s Mother
- Gussie Abramowitz Blieden – Yes, the very same Gussie featured in my Tiny Tales by Tara book: Gussie’s Suitcase Packed with Courage, Hope, and Secrets.
Bernie’s Siblings
- Arthur Blieden – Bernie’s older brother – he is the same Arthur who is mentioned in my upcoming Tiny Tales by Tara Book, Arthur’s Apple Tree Accident
- Mildred Blieden Rich – Bernie’s younger sister
Bernie’s Father
- Harvey (Harry) Blieden – although he is not mentioned in the story, his youngest sister and one of his nieces are mentioned.
Bernie’s Aunt
- Reve Blieden Bricker was the youngest sister of Bernie’s father, Harvey, and thus was Bernie’s aunt. She was married to Harry Bricker.
Bernie’s First Cousin
- Mickey (Myra) Blieden Spira was the daughter of Meyer Blieden, a brother of Harvey. Meyer, died in the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic before his daughter was born.
Readers sometimes ask why the fathers aren’t part of the story. The reasons are simple.
May’s parents were divorced, and she hadn’t seen her father in about ten years. But after May and Bernie married, Bernie encouraged her to reconnect — and she did. They reconciled and remained in touch until her father passed away in 1949.
Bernie’s father, meanwhile, had died in 1934 — before Bernie ever met May. Since May’s Long Wait takes place later, during the war years, he simply didn’t appear in that part of the family story.
Family stories can be complicated — filled with siblings, cousins, and names that repeat across generations — but each name helps complete the story. Knowing who stood in the background of May’s Long Wait makes the story even richer for me, and I hope it helps you picture the real families behind May and Bernie, too.
Every story, like every family tree, becomes clearer when you take the time to trace the roots.
Gussie, Bernie, May, Minne
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