Jews of the Wild West a Multicultural True Story
Jews of the Wild West for all ages According to the back cover of Kay Miller s new book, Jews of the Wild West A Multicultural True Story, it is a true story of family, friendship and adventure in New Mexico. The book, quite literally, invites the reader to join in the adventures of the Staabs and Ilfelds. Miller gives a chronological account of the Staab and Ilfeld families by focusing on specific family members. Miller uses accounts of her family members lives as well as their moral fiber to show the lasting impressions they left on their new homeland. The book begins with the young Staab brothers of Germany setting out for a better life in America in 1858. As the book progresses, it stays true to its title and introduces diverse people and notable individuals. People such as Billy the Kid, Theodore Roosevelt and others make appearances. The story that Miller, the former public school teacher, tells are woven into an engaging account of people living, working and thriving in a new and strange land. Alongside the stories are colorful paintings depicting the people and places discussed in the book. The illustrations also feature borders which note the dates and locations of the where and when the adjoining story took place. Miller researched her family history through documents, books on Jews of the Wild West, interviews with relatives and the Internet. Jews of the Wild West is a book about Jews making a new life for themselves in the wild, wild west, and will surely engage readers of all ages. --American Israelite 6/21/12Author s ancestors knew Billy the Kid, Teddy Roosevelt By Sue Tomchin Jewish Woman Magazine Winter 2012 While many of us have an interest in family history, few of us can boast as intriguing a family saga as Kay Miller. The retired New York City public school teacher is a descendant of the Staab and Ilfeld families of the West. Teenage family members left Germany in the mid-1800s and settled in New Mexico, eventually becoming leading merchants and playing important roles in state history. Miller s research turned up so many colorful facts that she decided to tell her family tale in a picture book, Jews of the Wild West: A Multicultural True Story (Paint Horse Press, $14.60). Miller uses her background as a painter to create vivid illustrations reminiscent of folk art. Miller says the book is appropriate for ages 8 to 108, and indeed, the stories she relates are distinctive. Julia Staab, one ancestor, encountered Billy the Kid; Ludwig Ilfeld, another, was a friend of Teddy Roosevelt s and rode in his inaugural parade, started a rodeo and appeared in a cowboy movie. Julia s daughter, Bertha, an adventurous woman, accompanied the governor of the state on a six-day trek by horse and wagon to observe a Hopi Indian snake dance with live rattlesnakes. After fighting the Nazis in the mountains of Europe with the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division, Bertha s son Robert Nordhaus returned to Albuquerque where he became a lawyer specializing in a different kind of fight: protecting Native American rights. He argued on behalf of the Apaches at the U.S. Supreme Court, winning an important case affecting oil rights on tribal lands. --Jewish Woman Magazine-winter 2012