Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Marion Hornik
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- Title:
- Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Marion Hornik
- Date:
- 1997
- Interviewer:
- Grossman, Michael Samuel
- Interviewee:
- Hornik, Marion, 1908-1997
- Description:
- Marion Hornik discusses his family history and growing up in Charleston, South Carolina. His father, Morris, born in 1863, left his hometown of Jaroslaw, Austria-Hungary, now Poland, when he was fourteen years old. He worked in London, England, and New York City before moving to Bonneau, South Carolina, where, at eighteen, he took a job in Mr. Nagel’s country store. Eventually he moved to Charleston, married his first wife, Julia Dessauer, and, in 1886, opened a clothing store on King Street. In 1893 Morris switched to selling wholesale goods from his new business on Meeting Street, Hornik’s Bargain House (later he changed the name to M. Hornik & Company). Julia died five years later, leaving Morris with three children. He remarried after a few years, this time to Rebecca Klein of Walterboro, South Carolina. Tragedy struck again in 1915 when Rebecca died. Morris brought his sister Rosa to the United States to help him with John and Marion, his two young sons by Rebecca. The Horniks were members of the Reform temple Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE). Marion attended Porter Military Academy and graduated from the College of Charleston in 1929. He worked on oil tankers during summer breaks and, after college, he worked for an Atlanta company as a traveling salesman. In 1934 his father requested he return to Charleston to help with the family’s wholesale business. When Morris died three years later, Marion and John became partners in the business. Marion recalls his mother’s father and brother who ran Klein’s Drugstore in Walterboro, and discusses the tendency, in recent years, toward more traditional services at KKBE. Note: the transcript contains additions and corrections made by Marion’s wife, Ruth, during proofing. For related material, see HF5429 .H67 1907 and Mss. 1034-097 in Special Collections, Addlestone Library, College of Charleston.
- Collection Title:
- Jewish Heritage Collection Oral Histories
- Contributing Institution:
- College of Charleston Libraries
- Media Type:
- Oral Histories
- Preferred Citation:
- Marion Hornik, audio interview by Michael Samuel Grossman, 09 April 1997, Mss. 1035-141, Special Collections, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Personal or Corporate Subject:
- Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (Charleston, S.C.)
Brith Sholom Beth Israel (Charleston, S.C.)
Hornik's Bargain House (Charleston, S.C.) - Topical Subject:
- Jews--South Carolina--Interviews, Jewish merchants--South Carolina--Charleston--History, Jewish Sects--South Carolina--Charleston--History, and Jewish merchants--South Carolina--Walterboro--History
- S.C. County:
- Charleston County (S.C.) and Colleton County (S.C.)
- Language:
- English
- Shelving Locator:
- MSS 1035-141
- Date Digital:
- 2012-05-02
- Digitization Specifications:
- Mp3 derivative audio created with Audacity software. Archival masters are wav files.
- Internet Media Type:
- audio/mpeg;application/pdf
- Copyright Status Statement:
- Digital resource copyright 2013, College of Charleston. All rights reserved. For more information contact Special Collections, Addlestone Library, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424.
- Admin ID:
- 220981
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