Henry Greensfelder

Birth: 1867 in Germany

Death: October 6, 1943 in Victoria, B.C.

Biography:
Henry came to New York as a teenager. He moved to Victoria when he was 25. In 1897 he opened a business as a watchmaker on lower Johnson. He became a Naturalized Canadian in 1909.

By 1901 he was married to Annetta Viola Geiger and living in the home her cousin; Moritz and Adelaide Gutmann. Not long after Adelaide’s death, Moritz moved to Seattle with his two children. Henry and Nettie moved into their own home on Pandora Street.

Henry’s business expanded into jewellery as well as watchmaking. Henry sometimes took out advertisements in the Colonist offering souvenir coins and nugget jewellery, which he claimed was the biggest selection for Christmas gifts in town.

On September 9, 1911 The Victoria Daily News reported that a large number of members of Congregation Emanuel attended the third annual meeting. Henry was elected Trustee. At that meeting reports indicated that the congregation was in a ‘very prosperous condition’ due to and Rabbi Friedlander’s “beautiful and stirring sermons.” He was unanimously re-elected for another two year term as Rabbi.

Following a two year illness, Nettie died of cancer in 1908. Henry didn’t remarry. He retired from the watch making and jewellery business in the 1930’s. He died in the Lebanon Nursing Home in 1943 at age 78, leaving no family.

Gravesite Details: Row F – Plot 9

This gravestone bears the seal of the Woodmen of the World
The Woodmen of the World (WOW). Started in the 1880’s, WOW was a fraternal organization which provided life and burial insurance for it’s members. Until the 1920’s members qualified for the monument program which entitled the widow of a WOW member to receive $100.00 to help defray the cost of gravestones. Including the WOW logo on the gravestone was required. The tree stump, symbolizes that the the life of the breadwinner of the family was cut short. The olive branches represents harmony and neighbourly cooperation. These letters “C” and “O” stand for Canadian Order. The Latin phrase, Dum tacet clamat translates as “Though silent, he speaks”; meaning that the person buried there lead a worthy life. In 1902, women began to get involved in the organization, and the Ladies’ Circles of the Woodmen of the World was formed. At the time of her death, Nettie Greensfelder was a member of the Victoria chapter of the Ladies Circle.

Spouse:
Annetta “Netty” Viola Greensfelder (1872-1908