Levi Kemp Rosensteel Jr.

  General Notes:

Levi, or as we called him, "Poppy" was born in the Ludwick section of Greensburg on September 5, 1894 and was named after his great grandfather, Levi Kemp. Growing up in that section of town made him a bit of an ornery kid. There was one neighbor, Libbie Schindowitz, an old Jewish woman who once told Levi in her broken Jewish accent -- "Levi, you are the vorst boy in Loodvig!" ("Levi, you are the worst boy in Ludwig.") One neighbor used to steal the chickens from Levi's backyard coop. In retaliation, young Levi went to their home in the middle of the night and peed through their keyhole into their home. Whether or not, he was caught, remains to be seen. Another incident was the old Jewish Synagogue on Hamilton Street. Levi and his friends threw bricks at the Synagogue hollering "Christ Killers" while the people of the Jewish faith worshipped inside. The Synagogue still stands there today, only it is now used as an office building.
The memories I have of Poppy are the days when he would go hunting and bring home his bounty of rabbits and squirrels for Grandma to cook. Grandma prepared them in a large kettle, where you could see the little headless creatures going round and round as the water boiled their hide to tenderness. Of course, Poppy always gave Carol and me their fuzzy tails. Neither Carol nor I could bring ourselves to eat these little animals.
When Grandma and Poppy bought their first television set about 1952 or 1953, we would spend Saturday evenings at their home in front of this wonderful new invention. Those programs we would watch were Sid Caesar and Imogene Coco (Show of Shows); Joan Davis; and Boston Blackie. Hot popcorn was always prepared in their coal furnace in the cellar. A cup of corn kernels was put in a wire basket (with a long handle) and a wire cover, and then shaken back and forth until all the kernels were popped. Then the popped corn was put in a kettle, sprinkled with melted butter and lots of salt. I think they used the same kettle for the popcorn as they used to cook the rabbits and squirrels.
Poppy worked for the U. S. Post Office, starting in 1912 and retiring in 1962, spanning a career of 50 years. He began as a mailman, delivering the mail, and completed his employment working at the register window.
He was a kind person, a gentle being, and one person that Carol could always manage to make laugh over nothing.

Levi married Helen Marie Small, daughter of John Henry Casper Small and Emma Jane Porter, on 24 Sep 1914 in First Reformed United Church Of Christ, Greensburg PA. (Helen Marie Small was born on 8 Nov 1896 in McKeesport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, died on 8 Dec 1987 in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and was buried on 10 Dec 1987 in Hillview Cemetery, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., PA.)