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Abraham Frankel, born April 7, 1891, New York, New York, left,
Robert Frankel, born July, 1898, Austria, right.
Photo take between 1901 to 1903.
braham Frankel a.k.a. Don Leon (his stage name), was born
April 7, 1891, New York, New York to Ella (Rubinstein) Frankel and
David Frankel, Jewish immigrants from Austrian/Poland, of the borough of Manhattan in
New York City, New York. Ella
Rubinstein, arrived in New York on March 7, 1890 aboard the ship
Lahn. David Frankel either arrived the same year or in 1889.
David Frankel's occupation was noted in the 1900 census as a
“Cloak Maker”, and by the time of his death in 1929, he was a
Real Estate Investor. Ella and David had a son Robert, born
in July, 1898, in Austria. It would appear that Ella and/or
Ella and David traveled back to Austria a couple of times before the
outbreak of World War I. The 1900 and 1910 census records indicate
that Robert, immigrated from Austria to the United States in 1900. As far as I know Ella and David were the
only members of their families to ever immigrate to the United
States. The rest of their families stayed in Europe. See photos
of Ella and David Frankel Here.
As a very young child Don (Abraham) studied at the The Institute
of Musical Art in New York, which was founded in 1905, later to
become the Juilliard School of Music in 1924. At about the age of
15 Don (Abraham) went to Vienna, Austria, to
study the violin, composing and conducting, at the Conservatory of
Music there until 1910. He stayed on to conduct and compose a
symphony and returned to New York, in 1911. During his time of
study in Austria, he lived
with relatives in Vienna.
When Don (Abraham) returned from Austria, at age 20 he was one of
approximately six “Maestro Violinists” in America at that
time. He was offered the post as symphonic conductor in Riga,
Latvia, which he accepted. He was in Riga, about 1911, 1912 and/or
1913. He had returned to the United States a some time prior to
World War I. During World War I Riga, was occupied by the Germans
from 1917 to 1918, when it became the capital of independent
Latvia.
When the United States joined the allies in World War I, he
enlisted in the military as did friend and contemporary, Paul
Whiteman, who was made a conductor for one of the Navy bands after
joining the Navy during World War I.
Don was a Sergeant in the Army and appointed Master Signal Electrician, 145th Aero Squadron,
Regular Army of the United States, April 1, 1918, at Kelly
Field, So. San Antonio, Texas, by Capt. Edwin H. Frith,
Commander of the 145th Aero Squadron.
He was also made head of the Flying Department band with the first
Air Service Band. Before this appointment he served as director of
the Kelly Field band, San Antonio, Texas, and assistant to John
Weber leader of the Kelly Field Band.
After the World War I, Abraham "Don Leon", was either a
member of an orchestra, had his own orchestra, played violin
accompaniment for prominent classical singers including Madame
Shuman Heink, performed on radio and played music for silent
movies. From 1924 through 1930, Don
Leon and his Petite Orchestra appeared at prominent theatres and
ballrooms in San Francisco, California. In early February, 1933,
Don was with the Oklahoma Federal Symphony Orchestra, with
Conductor, Ralph Rose. On March 19, 1935, Don as conductor started
a new series of programs on WKY Radio station, Oklahoma City,
sponsored by the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company.
Don married for the first time in about 1922/1923, probably while
he was in Oklahoma City appearing at the Criterion Theater, to his first wife Sallie, born March 17, 1903, in Texas, and died
December 18, 1976, Collin Co., Texas. By 1924, they were living in
California and had a daughter Lorraine, who was born April 20,
1924, California, and died May 9, 1999, Berrien, Michigan.
Lorraine married William E. Connor, born August 11, 1917, died
February 11, 1993, Berrien, Michigan.
They lived in California, where the entertainment industry
flourished during the 1920’s. By October, 1929, the family was
living in San Francisco when on October 29, 1929, Black Tuesday, the
stock market crashed. Mr. David Frankel, Don's father,
committed suicide by throwing himself out of a window leaving his
wife Ella alone. The 1930 census shows that by April 7, 1930, Ella
was living with Don, Sallie and their daughter Loraine in San
Francisco. Ella Frankel, died of Leukemia in New York State
between 1935 and 1944.
Some time after 1930 when Don and Sallie had moved back to Oklahoma,
they were divorced. Don remarried, had a son David and divorced by
1934. He later met Leila Elizabeth (Davis) Whitted and they were
married on August 31, 1935, Cherokee Co., Columbus, Kansas. By the
time Don met Leila, he had given up his musical career to enter
the business world.
In addition to Leila Dale Whitted, Leila's daughter from her
previous marriage, she and Don had three children; Janice Raachel, John
David and Elizabeth Louise. The only time Don played the violin
was when he played for Leila when she sang at Sunday church
services.
Don and Leila were divorced in about 1957, after 23 years of
marriage and he had remarried when he died June 24, 1959, Wheat
Ridge, Colorado, of lung cancer. He is interred in the Tower of Memories
Mausoleum, Crown Hill Cemetery, Jefferson Co., Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
For more information on Don and Leila's life and children see
Leila Elizabeth Davis Here.
"Thank You" to my sister Janice Rieks, for
sending me many new clippings, posters, pictures and other memorabilia
of our father Abraham Frankel. The image of Abraham and his
brother Robert was scanned from a photo that Janice had restored
from an old negative that was seriously degraded and unrecognizable.
See these links for more pictures and documents regarding Abraham
Frankel:
Frankel,
Abraham - As a young boy age 6 or 7
Frankel,
Abraham - Certificate of Completion from Conservatory of
Music, Vienna, Austria
Frankel,
Abraham - Musical America Clip
Frankel,
Abraham - Air Service Band Clip
Frankel,
Abraham - Show Bill
Frankel, Abraham "Don Leon" - Orchestra
Abraham
Frankel in tree . . .
Last Updated ~ September 26, 2005
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