Life Story

A Tree shaped gravestone marks Jacob Felstein, who died tragically after a fall onto the concrete floor of Britannia High School when he was a teenager. A tree or branch shape is traditionally used to signify someone who has died young, a life cut short.

On August 18, 1911, a carpenter named David Felstein applied for a building permit for an addition to his house at 2054 Keefer Street, at the corner of Glen Drive, in Strathcona. The addition cost $150.00.

David Felstein was born in Russia on April 1, 1859, the son of Aaron and Tresa Felstein. His wife Annie was born in Russia in April of 1870, the daughter of Aaron and Pearl Kravitz. The Felsteins had at least three children at the time the house was built: Benjamin Myer born in “Poland” on July 25, 1900, Pearl, born in Russia on June 15, 1904, and Jacob, born in Russia in 1906. From 1918 onward, David was in the second hand junk trade, listed during some years as a peddler, then later in the 1930s as the proprietor of a junk and second hand container store at 1322 Frances, near Clark Drive.