Sereth Family
Henry Noah Sereth (1864-1944) of Zbaraz, Austria, arrived in Montreal in 1900. He had been in the lumber business in the old country, but spent his first few years in Canada at a variety of jobs.
In 1905 Henry Sereth moved to Calgary, re-established himself in the lumber business and brought his wife and five daughters here. His brother Alexander joined him and they formed the Riverside Lumber Co.
Their first Calgary home at 431 – 12th Avenue E. was filled with the hospitality of his wife Rachel (Rosa) Kleiner Sereth. Rachel was known for welcoming newcomers and helping them settle. Later they moved to an elegant brick residence on 24th Avenue S.W.: the building still stands as the front of the Scottish Nursing Home.
Business flourished, and H.N. (as he became widely known) prospered. This allowed him to bring to Canada other family members, including his sister Esther’s son Herman Nagler in 1911. (Esther Nagler, her husband Meier, and other Nagler children came to Calgary in 1913.)
The Sereth Family were leaders in Calgary Jewish society and were likely the small community’s wealthiest members. Archival records show the five Sereth girls and their parents were active in many communal, cultural and social activities.
Rosa Sereth was a founder of the Calgary Symphony Orchestra and was a leader among the various Jewish women’s groups. H.N. was a founder of the Beth Jacob Synagogue, and donated the lumber for its construction in 1911.
By 1912 the Sereth-owned Riverside Lumber company operated several sawmills and forty retail lumber yards throughout B.C. and Alberta. The Sereths also had major construction and farm investments. At one time the businesses employed six hundred men.
The company was forced into receivership in 1916, buy by 1922 H.N. and Alexander Sereth had rebuilt their fortunes. The brothers moved to Seattle, where they became major international lumber merchants. After more financial ups and downs, H.N. retired in 1935, devoting part of his attention to helping German and Austrian relatives escape Nazi persecution.
H.N. Sereth died in Seattle in 1944. His brother Alexander,10 years younger, remained active in the lumber trade in the north-west, living in Vancouver until his death in 1953.
The daughters of Henry Noah and Rachel Sereth were: Sophie (Weinfield), Cecyle (Allen), Emily (Lieberman), Stella (Sameth) and Clara (Nieder).
Sophie’s husband, John J. Weinfield, was Calgary’s first Jewish pharmacist. Harry J. Allan, Cecyle Sereth’s husband, was one of four Allan brothers who, when the couple married, owned and operated some 60 theatres across Canada and the United States.
Emily’s husband, Moses (Moe) I. Lieberman, became a prominent Edmonton lawyer and was a governor of the Canadian Football League.
