Sam Gordon
"I would have liked to tell my father to live, that there is honor in being alive to tell his story so it does not happen again. "
Name at birth
Schepsel or Schabsel Gordon
Where were you born?
Where did you grow up?
Radom, Poland
Name of father, occupation
Chaim Gordon,
Grocer
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Gawda (Golda) Krutkowska Gordon,
Homemaker
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Parents Chaim and Gawda, Sam who was an only child
Who survived the Holocaust?
Sam Gordon
Bonnie does not know much about her father who passed away when she was 11 months old. Her mother did not talk much about him. Bonnie does know that he was married before the war and they had two children, a boy and a girl, who were all killed during the war. Her father owned a grocery store before the war. He took his own life in October 1958 when Bonnie was an infant. It is Bonnie's feeling that her father suffered from survivor's guilt, having lost his wife and children, and being the only survivor.
Where were you in hiding?
Sam and a cousin were hidden by a gentile family for 23 months. They were found and sent to concentration camp.
What DP Camp were you after the war?
Yes, multiple DP camps between 1945 and 1946
Where did you go after being liberated?
DP camp
When did you come to the United States?
June 18, 1946
Where did you settle?
Detroit, Michigan
How is it that you came to Michigan?
Sam was sponsored by family if he promised to marry one of their daughters, Sarah.
When and where were you married?
Detroit, Michigan on January 7, 1957
Spouse
Sarah Kavich, Brenda Stawis,
Brenda was a seamstress
Children
Gloria Gordon Summers, H. Bonnie Gordon/Togal Growe
Grandchildren
Karen Summers Byeman, Craig Summers, Marrin Togal Itenberg, Seth Togal
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
I would have liked to tell my father to live, that there is honor in being alive to tell his story so it does not happen again.
Interviewer:
Information obtained from daughter, H. Bonnie Gordon/Togal Growe
Interview date:
07/29/2026
