Head:

Simon Dreyer

Born: December 17, 1849

Died: November 3, 1916

 

Wife:

Rachel Dreyer

Born: 1854

 

Daughter:

Rose Dreyer

Born: 1876

 

Son

Louis Dreyer

Born: June 14, 1878

Died: December 4, 1895

 

Son:

Henry Dreyer

Born: 1880

 

Son:

Bertie Dryer

Born: 1882

 

Daughter:

Hettie Dreyer

Born: 1884

Simon Dreyer was born in Poland in December, 1849.  It is unknown when he immigrated to the United States.  Sometime around 1875 it is probable he met and married Rachel Dreyer.  She was an immigrant from Germany, it is also unknown when she immigrated to the United States.  In 1876 Simon and Rachel had a daughter named Rose in New York.  They went on to have three sons and one more daughter.  The sons were Louis born in 1878, Henry born in 1880, and Bertie born in 1882, all in New York.  Their last child, daughter Hettie, was born during 1884 in Colorado.[1]

 

Simon Dreyer first began running advertisements for his tailor business located in Buena Vista in August, 1883.[2]   Dreyer also expanded his business interests outside of Buena Vista.  He worked with A. Unger in Salida “to open a merchant tailoring department in connection with his clothing store.”[3]   When Louis Dreyer came of age he was also introduced into business, working with Unger at the store in Salida.[4]   However, his tenure would be tragically short.  In December, 1895, Louis Dreyer passed away in Buena Vista due to

 “inflammation of the bowels.”[5]   His death came as a surprise to his family and coworkers.  Louis Dreyer’s “remains [were] taken to Leadville for burial, where the funeral [took] place in accordance with the rites of the Jewish church.”[6]   Afterwards, Simon Dreyer continued to be active in his tailoring business in Buena Vista until his death in 1916 when he was also interred in Leadville’s Hebrew Cemetery.[7]   The rest of the Dreyer family is not interred with Simon and Louis so it is probable they left Buena Vista after Simon’s death.

 

The Dreyers are an example of a Jewish family who, though they did not live in Leadville, still utilized the services of Temple Israel and the Jewish Cemetery.  This highlights the importance of Temple Israel and the cemetery to the Jewish community in this region of Colorado in the late 19th century.