Leah Gensberg

Leah Frank Gensberg, 102, passed away October 23, 2013 in Harlingen, Texas. Leah was born August 26, 1911 in Washington, New Jersey to Jacob and Rebecca Davidoff Frank. She moved to Canada with her family, who settled in Los Angeles, CA when she was nine years old. Leah worked as a librarian for Los Angeles Independent School District for 15 years until her childhood best friend, Bessie Holzband, introduced her to Julius Gensberg, a tennis coach who became Wharton Independent School District Superintendent. They married in Wharton on February 11, 1945. Leah worked for 11 years as a librarian for Wharton County Junior College, and volunteered as a transcriber of Braille textbooks for blind children for the Lighthouse of Houston. She was a member of Shearith Israel in Wharton and Temple Beth Israel in Harlingen. Leah is survived by her nephew, Lewis M Levine and his wife Dena, formerly of Harlingen, now of Santa Monica, CA; niece, Norma Silverman Victor and her husband Danny Victor of Los Angeles, CA; nephew, Leonard Levine of Harlingen; grand nieces Sheryl Levine Guterman and her husband Barry Guterman of Los Angeles, CA and Leslie Levine Cohen and her husband Marty Cohen of Oxnard, CA; grand nephews Seth Victor and Ethan Victor of Los Angeles, CA; grand nephews Alan Levine of Greensboro, NC and his wife Renee' and Ron Levine of South Padre Island and his wife Serena; and several other grand nieces and nephews and thirteen great-grand nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob and Rebecca Frank; sister, Esther Frank Silverman; brother, Nathan Frank; and niece, Jane Silverman. Graveside services will be held Monday, October 28, 2013, 10 a.m., at Shearith Israel Cemetery in Wharton, Texas with Rabbi Brian Strauss. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Gensberg's memory to the Lighthouse of Houston; Friends of the Wharton Public Library; Wharton County Junior College Library; Temple Beth Israel in Harlingen; and Congregation Beth Yeshurun of Houston. The family would like to thank Lisa Spear Salazar and Kenny Salazar of the Spear Home in Harlingen and Odyssey Hospice for their years of loving care.