Phoebe Levy

Phoebe Levy Levy

Birth: February 6, 1854 in San Francisco, California

Death: August 26, 1926 (age 71-71) in Vancouver, B.C.

Burial: Congregation Emanu-El Cemetery, Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada

Biography:
Phoebe Levy was the youngest of the children born to Benjamin Levy and Esther Solomon Levy.  In 1853 the family was crossing the Isthmus of Panama on their way to San Francisco when Benjamin contracted typhoid. Esther was pregnant with Phoebe and gave birth to her in San Francisco 6 months later.

Esther arrived in San Francisco, pregnant, and with children in tow. The Jewish agencies did their best to take care of her and the children, but ultimately collected the funds to send the remaining members of the family back to London.

Her brother H.E. established a very popular restaurant later known as Levy’s . H.E. used the profits to bring his mother and siblings to Victoria in 1868. 

In 1879, Phoebe married Joseph Lewis Levy.  The family suffered a number of tragedies including her husband’s long illness and ultimate death which required Phoebe to run a boarding house in order to make ends meet. Her daughter Annie died at age 29.

Phoebe struggled with mental illness for the last 15 years of her life, and was hospitalized in Westminster.  Under the auspices of the Jewish community of Vancouver a number of Jewish families took turns having Phoebe living with them.  She died in Marpole, BC on August 26, 1926. Her body was brought to Victoria and was buried in her family plot in the Jewish Cemetery

Gravesite Details: Row F – Plot 1

Inscription:
Phoebe Levy
Daughter of Esther Levy
1850 – 1916

Notes:
According to Carolyn Hahn, Phoebe’s great great granddaughter Carolyn Hahn, was born in 1854 (6 months after her father Benjamin’s death after the family crossed Panama in late 1853 on the way to the Gold Rush, The birth year 1850 on the marker is incorrect. The gravestone was placed by Arthur Levy, son of Phoebe’s brother H.E. Levy (1843-1929).

Her BC Death Registration gives her age at death in 1926 as 72, which agrees with a birth year of 1854.

JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) says that an incorrect year of death of 1916 is on her grave marker. British Columbia Death Registration 1926-09-368307 correctly states she died 26 August 1926.

Parents:
Esther Solomon Levy (1824–1911)
Benjamin Levy (1819–1853)

Spouse:
Joseph L. Levy (1852–1912)

Children:
Annie Levy Levy (1884–1914)
Benjamin Levy (1886-
Lewis Joseph (1892-

Siblings:
Joseph “Joe” Levy (1841
H.E. (Henry Emanuel) Levy (1843–1929)
Samuel L. Levy (1845-1921)
Jacob “Jack” Levy (1848-1913)
Abraham Levy (died 1874)

Interview with ex-daughter-in-law Louisa Nathan Levy (Lewis’ exwife):
http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ohc/id/36/rec/1