Elsie Miller Legum

“We were taught togetherness, family unity, and love. In my parents' will, they said, ‘We're not leaving any money to our children or grandchildren. Instead, it's going to be in trust for all the family.’ We have 68 at our seders—brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren. Before the seder starts, my brother makes a tribute to my parents, who made this possible. And when I'm no longer here, I know and feel very strongly that my children absolutely will continue that.” – Elsie Miller Legum

Elsie Miller Legum.

Photo courtesy of Joan Roth.

Infused with the centrality of family unity from an early age, Elsie Miller Legum was born the fifth of eleven children in 1915 in West Baltimore. At age 17, shortly after graduating from Western High School, Elsie eloped with Sidney Miller. She continued to live at home and date other boys until her "legitimate wedding" was openly celebrated over two years later. For many years, Elsie was kept busy by their four daughters, Phyllis, Carole, Joan and Margie, a large social circle, and volunteer work for many Jewish organizations. After the devastating loss of her husband, Elsie created a new life for herself, becoming the chief buyer for Miller Brothers, her family's women's clothing business. A unique family trust established by her parents ensures extended family presence at Passover seders, Hanukkah celebrations and an annual vacation/reunion. Elsie enjoyed a wonderful marriage to Aubrey Legum for over 20 years and, in the face of recent health challenges, continues to relish time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

More on Elsie Miller Legum

0 Comments

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Donate

Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women.

donate now

Get JWA in your inbox

Read the latest from JWA from your inbox.

sign up now

How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Elsie Miller Legum." (Viewed on April 16, 2024) <http://jwa.org/communitystories/baltimore/narrators/legum-elsie-miller>.